5. Tyler Carpenter, LSM, New York Atlas

The rookie out of Duke currently leads the league in ground balls among non-faceoff specialists with 16, and he led all defensive players in fantasy points last week with 49.

Carpenter adds another layer to a very talented Altas group by helping Trevor Baptiste on contested ground balls in the middle of the field and covering the opposing team’s top midfielder.

New York is set to play California in Philadelphia this weekend. The highlight of the game will be the faceoff matchup between two heavyweight specialists in TD Ierlan and Baptiste. There will be a lot of ground ball battles, and if Carpenter can clean up the scrum, he should be in a good spot for putting up big fantasy numbers against the Redwoods.

4. Jules Heningburg, Attack, Carolina Chaos

Since the beginning of the season, Heningburg stock has been rising rapidly. He's averaging 22 fantasy points per game, ninth-most among attackmen. 

Heningburg’s transition from midfield to attack has worked seamlessly into head coach Andy Towers’ offensive scheme. Heningburg is averaging 26 touches per game through two weeks, a noticeable increase from last year’s 18.4.

Carolina will be playing the Utah Archers on Saturday. The Archers’ defense allowed Denver’s Brennan O’Neill-led attack unit to score 197 fantasy points in last week’s overtime win for the Outlaws.

3. Charlie Bertrand, Midfield, California Redwoods

The lefty finished with 21 fantasy points in the Redwoods’ loss to Carolina last week. What’s interesting to note is that Bertrand had one of the lowest numbers of touches (20) within the Redwoods offense and was still able to finish with a goal and an assist. 

The Redwoods midfield added a pivotal piece in Garrett Degnon, who had a hat trick last week in his pro debut. Two-time All-Star Chris Gray also will be making his California debut this week against the Atlas. 

With more attention being drawn to different areas of the field, Bertrand can have a sneaky night for the Redwoods, who are seeking their first win of the season.

2. Mike Sisselberger, Faceoff, Utah Archers

Sisselberger had a disappointing weekend in Charlotte. In the fourth quarter and overtime against the Outlaws, he was only able to win two of the 14 total faceoffs taken. Sisselberger finished with 1.5 fantasy points, the lowest out of all faceoff specialists from the weekend. 

This week brings a brighter outlook for Sisselberger. He is going against a Chaos faceoff unit that has won just 32% of its draws this season. 

The Archers should have a bounce-back performance this weekend, and Sisselberger has a good chance of replicating the 37.4 fantasy points he put up on Opening Weekend.

1. Michael Sowers, Attack, Philadelphia Waterdogs

The Philadelphia native is set to play a doubleheader for the Waterdogs’ Homecoming Weekend. The Waterdogs are coming off their bye week after opening the season with a one-goal loss to the Archers. Sowers finished that game with 31 fantasy points. 

Sowers and the Philadelphia offense now face favorable matchups against Boston and Maryland. The Cannons and Whipsnakes both have allowed 14 or more scores per game this season, ranking fifth and seventh in the league, respectively. 

The Whipsnakes in particular have had one of the least efficient goaltending units in the league, saving just 45.1% of the shots they’ve faced. 

The Waterdogs need to come up with at least one win this weekend. If Sowers can distribute and initiate the team’s offense, which had the third-highest efficiency in 2023, then he should be primed to have a big impact.