By AVI CREDITOR

With three teams playing two matches this week, it's easy to get caught in the more=better trap.

Don't be so fast to jump to that conclusion though. New York and Philadelphia each have two home matches, but the competition is among the best in the league with games against Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake, respectively. RSL also plays twice, once at Philadelphia and once at home against Columbus, both of which aren't gimme games in the least.

The thing to take away from this all is that sometimes it's best to rely on a team with one, solid matchup (i.e. Dallas at D.C. United this week) than one with two, so-so games.

Here are this week's player rankings by position:

FANTASY MLS WEEK 20 PLAYER RANKINGS

GOALKEEPERS

1. Kevin Hartman, DAL – D.C. United has been shut out 13 times this season. 13! Hard to not like Hartman's chances
2. Nick Rimando, RSL – Game at Philadelphia will be tougher than most might think and home match against Columbus is definitely a challenge, but RSL has its eye on first place in the West, and two wins plus a Galaxy loss at NY would get the job done
3. Bouna Coundoul, NY – Toronto at Red Bull Arena is a great matchup for Coundoul, and the home crowd should boost NY against a suddenly vulnerable LA side this weekend
4. Kasey Keller, SEA – Seattle is perhaps the hottest team in the league, and Keller has three clean sheets in his last four matches
5. Donovan Ricketts, LA – Galaxy defense has been lacking of late, and Red Bulls provide a formidable attack with Henry aboard
6. Jon Busch, SJ – Assuming his howler last week doesn't pave the way for Joe Cannon to reclaim the starting job, Busch has a nice home matchup this week with Kansas City
7. Matt Pickens, COL – Stout defense in front of him should frustrate Union in their second match of the week
8. Jimmy Nielsen, KC – Not a great matchup, but the Earthquakes are certainly no offensive juggernaut
9. Matt Reis, NE – Two clean sheets in last three matches and is regaining his top form 
10. Stefan Frei, TOR – Has a tall task ahead of him, but if Sean Johnson can do it, then so can one of the league's rising goalkeeping stars

DEFENDERS

1. Heath Pearce, DAL – Best matchup of the week; Pearce notched one of his defender-high five assists against United earlier this season
2. George John, DAL – Gives you a stellar +/- considering his bargain-basement cost
3. Ugo Ihemelu, DAL – If you haven't been starting your FC Dallas players, this is the week to do so
4. Robbie Russell, RSL – The newly crowned top MFLS defender is pretty under-owned
5. Jamison Olave, RSL – Right on Russell's heels in terms of fantasy points; Hard not to like what RSL does defensively
6. Tim Ream, NY – At least one clean sheet this week would not be a surprise
7. Sean Franklin, LA – Galaxy's best chance to score from the back, but the team's defense is not as impenetrable as it once was
8. Leo Gonzalez, SEA – Solid matchup for a Sounders unit that has started to gel in the back
9. Brandon McDonald, SJ – Very nice home matchup for the Quakes' back line
10. Darrius Barnes, NE – Injury-free and re-established as a starter, Barnes is back to help stabilize the Revolution defense

MIDFIELDERS

1. David Ferreira, DAL – At least three fantasy points in seven of his last nine matches and has the overwhelming advantage in his matchup with wounded United this week
2. Javier Morales, RSL – Reliable playmaker tallied an assist against the Union earlier this season and should find plenty of space at PPL Park Wednesday night
3. Sebastien Le Toux, PHI – Two matches at home this week for surprise player of the year
4. Brek Shea, DAL – FCD could put a crooked number on the board at RFK this weekend, and I'd expect the up-and-coming Shea to be a big part of the action
5. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, CLB – Difficult matchup for MFLS' top-scoring midfielder, whose seven assists are tied for second-most for the position
6. Joel Lindpere, NY – New acquisitions should open things up offensively for Red Bulls' midfield cog
7. Steve Zakuani, SEA – Post-Ljungberg Sounders are on a roll, and the second-year midfielder should be able to get the better of fellow Akron products Blair Gavin and Ben Zemanski
8. Kyle Beckerman, RSL – His return has helped solidify an already stellar RSL midfield
9. Alvaro Fernandez, SEA – Still nearing full-match fitness, but we've already seen glimpses of what he's capable of doing
10. Dwayne De Rosario, TOR – Has totaled -4 points in his last eight weeks; Where did the in-form De Rosario go, and when is he coming back?
11. Shalrie Joseph, NE – Revs need this game to maintain any hope at a playoff run, and Joseph is the fearless leader on which they rely
12. Brad Davis, HOU – Dynamo need their midfield leader to come up big in a must-win in New England
13. Michael Stephens, LA – Rookie has hit a fantasy wall over his last few matches and will be put to the test by new-look Red Bulls midfield
14. Bobby Convey, SJ – Must-win for the Earthquakes considering the current table, the location and the opponent, and the resurgent Convey needs to be at his best
15. Chris Wondolowski, SJ – Same can be said for Wondolowski, who has slowed considerably since his monster start to the season

FORWARDS

1. Fredy Montero, SEA – Nobody is in better form than the Sounders' scoring phenom
2. Juan Pablo Angel, NY – Two home matches this week, though he'll be tested by two solid defenses and keepers
3. Thierry Henry, NY – As long as the groin injury doesn't linger, he's in for a nice fantasy week
4. Robbie Findley, RSL – National team striker has been in solid MLS form with goals in his last two matches; Has two more games this week  
5. Alvaro Saborio, RSL – If Findley draws more attention, things could really open up for Saborio
6. Jeff Cunningham, DAL – It could be that time of year for the notoriously streaky Cunningham, and his matchup couldn't be any better
7. Landon Donovan, LA – The PKs have been his saving grace the last few matches, but he's still producing
8. Edson Buddle, LA – You know it's a deep week for strikers when Buddle is ranked this low; Breaking down Marquez and Ream won't be easy, but Buddle has what it takes to get the job done
   
9. Justin Braun, CHV – On a recent tear with three goals in his last four games
10. Danny Mwanga, PHI – Perhaps hitting a bit of a rookie wall, but should be able to come up with something productive with two home matches

COACHES

1. Jason Kreis, RSL
2. Hans Backe, NY
3. Schellas Hyndman, DAL
4. Sigi Schmid, SEA
5. Bruce Arena, LA
6. Frank Yallop, SJ
7. Peter Nowak, PHI
8. Gary Smith, COL
9. Steve Nicol, NE
10. Robert Warzycha, CLB

Soccer By Ives League Standings (Top 10)
1. Cpt. Pancakes and Lt. Waffles……..509 points
2. Campione…………………………………….508
3. Yankee Racers…………………………….497
4. I <3 MLS……………………………………….494
5. FC Byrd Turgler……………………………485
6. MassiveVictory…………………………….480
7. Skillz…………………………………………….476
8. Eves1…………………………………………..465
9. The 14ers FC………………………………461
10. Timbers4Ever…………………………..454

LAST WEEK'S SBI LEAGUE TOP SCORER

St. Margaret St. FC (45 points)

—————————-Keller(10)—————————–
—Marshall(2)————–Ream(1)————Franklin(0)—
–Schelotto(4)–De Rosario(1)—Joseph(1)–Beckerman(0)–
–Cunningham(10)———-Montero(9)———-Findley(4)–

Coach: Schmid(3)

Soccer By Ives Prediction League Standings (Top 10)
1. The Cool Hands………………………….315 points
2. FC Byrd Turgler…………………………..306
3. I <3 MLS………………………………………305
4. Gene's Old Boys…………………………300
5. Ludacris Speed………………………….298
6. Sonnenhof………………………………….295
7. Artichokers…………………………………293
8. The Royal Army………………………….291
9. Morales' mullet…………………………..278
9. 3.2's……………………………………………278
9. Orange Menace…………………………278

LAST WEEK'S SBI PREDICTION LEAGUE TOP SCORER

I <3 MLS (35 points: 5 exact, 1 correct margin)

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Are you planning on starting a lot of players who have two matches this week? Who do you think is in for a great Week 20? What's your lineup looking like?

Share your thoughts below.