Fourth of July weekend: Fireworks, hamburgers and fantasy lacrosse! Let’s dive in to see which players could be sleepers and which are overvalued for Boston weekend. 

Start

Liam Entenmann, Goalie, New York Atlas

Salary: 30 Coins

This will be the lowest salary cap hit for Entenmann that we will see for a long time.

The fifth overall pick got his first game action in the fourth quarter of New York’s first loss of the season last weekend against the Maryland Whipsnakes. In just one quarter, Entenmann put up 10 fantasy points. 

Presuming Entenmann stays the starter this week, he will have the lowest salary cap out of all starting goalies.

Entenmann is a generational goaltender. Plain and simple. I am a firm believer that he will be known as a top-three netminder by the end of the season.

The Atlas play the Denver Outlaws this Friday. Denver currently has the second-lowest scoring offense in the league through three games. 

Have your X notifications on for my posts to see if Entenmann is getting the start ahead of Friday’s game.

Jack Koras, Midfield, Maryland Whipsnakes

Salary: 15 Coins

When the Whips picked up Koras from the player pool, he was exactly the type of X-factor that they needed in the lineup. The undrafted rookie has averaged 20 fantasy points in the two games he’s played in. 

Koras played an instrumental role in the Whipsnakes’ win over the undefeated Atlas in Minneapolis by notching two goals on just seven touches. 

I expect Koras to earn more runs as the season progresses. He has a high motor and can play anywhere he’s needed. 

The Whipsnakes play the Utah Archers on Saturday. 

Joe Nardella, Faceoff, Mayland Whipsnakes

Salary: 21 Coins

Nardella is making a case for himself to win the Paul Cantabene Faceoff Specialist of the Year Award this season. 

Over his three games, Nardella boasts the highest faceoff percentage in the league at 73.3%. What makes Nardella’s salary cap hit low is the fact that he only averages the fourth-most fantasy points out of faceoff specialists at 20 per game. 

Nardella will be going against the Archers’ Mike Sisselberger on Saturday night. Sisselberger has had a streaky year with two games in which he didn't even produce two fantasy points. 

I love Nardella’s price, and I think this can be a great matchup for him to earn serious fantasy points. 

Sit

Kieran McArdle, Attack, Philadelphia Waterdogs

Salary: 48

While McArdle had a remarkable performance in Minneapolis, putting up 62 points in the Waterdogs’ first win of the season, for his salary cap to rise by almost 16 coins worries me about his ROI (return on investment) this weekend. 

ROI refers to how many coins you spend on a specific player and how many points they produce given their salary cap price. With McArdle’s salary cap price rising significantly, it's hard to see him producing the number of fantasy points he'll need to justify his cap hit.

Realistically, I don’t see McArdle putting up another 60-point performance for a third week in a row. I would go with an attackman like TJ Malone or Connor Fields, who are less expensive and are their team’s No. 1 option at attack. 

The Waterdogs are set to play the Boston Cannons on Saturday night. 

Jack Kelly, Goalie, California Redwoods

Salary: 32 Coins

The salary cap prices have gotten considerably high for the goalie position. This has to do with the fact that goaltenders are tied for the highest ROI out of all positions in the league. 

Kelly averages 27.7 fantasy points each week, sixth among all starting goaltenders. While Kelly had his best performance of the season last week against the Outlaws (29 points), the Redwoods still have the second-worst save percentage in the league. 

Even though Kelly has a relatively low salary cap hit for his position, I would still go with a goalie like Entenmann or Owen McElroy who has a lower cap than him. 

Marcus Holman, Attack, Boston Cannons

Salary: 32 and 30 Coins

Holman is another player whose ROI is not meeting his salary cap worth. Over four games, Holman’s ROI sits at .63 points per coin. The league average for an attackman is .87 points per coin. 

For an attackman who leads his team in touches, Holman is not producing. 

Holman has had moments this year that showed why he was the top attackman in 2023, but with more attention, his shooting percentage is down 13% from last season. 

Even though Holman is on the cheaper side for attackmen, I would rather put a safer investment into players who are more efficient with their touches.