This article is part of our MLS Barometer series.

Three Up

The recent departure of Stefen Ishizaki paves the way for even more opportunity for Lletget, who can play both centrally and out wide. The Galaxy attack has awoken from its slumber with Robbie Keane's return and now will add Steven Gerrard to the mix. When Gyasi Zardes returns from Gold Cup action, this offense could be one of the most potent Major League Soccer has ever witnessed thanks to the aforementioned stars, Lletget, and other good talents in Juninho and Jose Villareal. Giovani dos Santos is also rumored to be making his way to Los Angeles sometime this summer, which could throw a wrench into Lletget's consistent playing time, but for now there's no reason not to love the young Galaxy talent.

David Villa
Villa must feel like he got transferred to a new team this week. Rather than toil alongside players like Ned Grabavoy and RJ Allen, the iconic Spaniard will soon be joined by some true soccer talents. Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and Andoni Iraola all are arriving this month as is a second Manchester City prospect, Angelino. It's not a stretch to think that the level of quality around Villa has doubled, even in the most pessimistic of outlooks for these aging stars. The scary part is, Villa has already been terrorizing opposing keepers.

With six goals and an assist, in just his past six matches, Villa had entrenched himself as the director, producer, writer, and lead actor in NYC FC's debut half-season (Tommy McNamara = cool sidekick, Mix Diskerud = glorified extra). Critics will say that the 33-year old looks a step slow and has benefited from penalties and free kick duty, two roles that will surely will decrease with Pirlo and Lampard in the fold. What matters most isn't his pace or set piece duty, but that he still has world-class finishing ability and is about to be fed by some outstanding playmakers. Also important is that he'll now have some of the suffocating attention he has drawn relieved by the incoming stars. No longer can defenders key on Villa and take their chances with Mehdi Ballouchy, as Lampard in particular will need to be tracked closely coming out of the midfield. More space, better service and an overall rejuvenation of the club should propel Villa to even greater heights, and a challenge for the MLS Golden Boot isn't out of the question with half a season to go.

Pedro Ribeiro
Somewhat surprisingly, Orlando City is tied for second place in the Eastern Conference. Kaka has been terrific, though perhaps not quite as consistently-electric as fans imagined. Brek Shea has had a solid return to Major League Soccer, Cyle Larin has delivered quickly on his first overall pick promise and the defense has been sturdy more often than not. The team still feels like it needs more, though, if it wants to continue to be a serious competitor. Ribeiro has looked like a player that could help them do just that.

Having only played more than 45 minutes in five matches, Ribeiro boasts two goals, two assists and an earned penalty on the season. Early on, he looked like the answer at forward before he sustained a six-week injury and Larin crashed the scene. Now, it's Larin's turn to miss out while on international duty, and Ribeiro's turn to step into his shoes. Ribeiro is taller than most opponents at 6-foot-4, but he continuously finds space among quicker players, much like his compatriot Kaka. He shares a mind for the game along with the rest of the Orlando attack, a group that manager Adrian Heath has coached up quite effectively, and keeps things much simpler than the stereotypical Brazilian player. While Ribeiro won't often make your jaw drop, he is both versatile and effective. Larin's trip with Canada may not stretch deep into Gold Cup play, and Orlando City will search for players in the transfer window, but Ribeiro should continue to force Heath to hand him minutes. The results have simply been too good when he's on the pitch.

Three Down

Much discussion has surrounded the Revs' need to make a trade or sign a player, and some have even mentioned changing Jay Heaps' beloved 4-2-3-1 formation. While those would all help, this New England bunch also needs to simply get a hold of themselves. Agudelo hasn't even been getting good looks or creating chances for others, and Charlie Davies is on an island up top far too often The midfield frequently gets exposed positionally, leaving large gaps despite a dull double-pivot in front of the back four. The only player who has looked better recently is Lee Nguyen and that's simply not enough. It's unclear if Agudelo will even be given the opportunity to help turn the ship around, or if he will continue to come off the bench just as often as he's in the starting 11. Either way, the current outlook is far from ideal and some positive momentum is needed before fantasy owners get anywhere close to this situation.

Sean Johnson
While the Chicago Fire aren't thought of as a defensive powerhouse, Johnson has only allowed seven goals in his prior seven games despite a generally frustrating season. Returning from an arm infection, he has reclaimed his job during the past two matches and looked ready to bounce back and perhaps reappear in the U.S. national team picture. Unfortunately, Chicago defenders have other ideas for Johnson. Jeff Larentowicz will be out for some time after a herniated disk, while fellow defender Joevin Jones is also at the Gold Cup with Trinidad and Tobago. The team recently acquired Ty Harden from San Jose, but it'd be optimistic to think he could even partially stop the bleeding.

It's impossible to overstate the importance of Big Red's calm and veteran presence in the center of the defense, particularly as Adailton recovers from injury as well. Larentowicz will be sorely missed. In contrast, Joevin Jones' attacking ability from the fullback position is equally impossible for Chicago to replace. Now, rather than pinning opponents back on that wing, Chicago will need to pay extra attention to defending it. One thing Chicago has going for them is a stretch that includes four home games in their next five fixtures, but the opposing sides all will fancy their chances to score on the road. Things should get worse before they get better in Chicago, and Johnson's frustrating start to the year may turn into a season-long nightmare if Larentowicz is out for a considerable amount of time.

Octavio Rivero
Rivero began the year as hot as anyone, with a goal in five of his first six matches, and the Vancouver Whitecaps jumped out to an impressive start in the Western Conference. Since then, he has tallied two in 13 and Vancouver has ridden a rollercoaster of form despite remaining near the top of the conference standings. Oddly enough, Rivero has remained just as impressive a player, but unfortunately with far worse fantasy results.

Early on, Rivero was focused high up the pitch and targeted like a true striker. He kept the game simple, made smart runs and showed an eagerness to shoot that you want to see from a young No. 9. Then a change occurred. Rather than getting propped up by his teammates, Rivero began dropping deeper and supporting them. His soccer IQ has been on display, and he's quickly learned how best to elevate speedy teammates like Kekuta Manneh or Darren Mattocks and also architects like Russell Teibert and Pedro Morales. Manneh has benefited the most from Rivero's selflessness, as the forward constantly makes runs to draw defenders away and give Manneh that extra inch of room or misstep from a defender that he needs. Not helping is the lack of dangerous balls that Morales has been providing to Rivero. At the beginning of the season, being Morales' striker seemed like a dream scenario, but now that shine has disappeared. Rivero will continue to be the glue that holds the attack together, and eventually the goals will return in some semblance, but the prolific March and April may not return soon. While Vancouver will be a better group in the long run with Rivero's added dimensions and responsibilities, it's highly likely that your fantasy team will not.