On Wednesday, Major League Soccer's two expansion teams, New York City FC and Orlando City SC, will partake in MLS' expansion draft.

Each of the current 18 MLS teams were allowed to protect 11 players on their current roster with the remaining players on each team available for selection by either expansion team.

However, picking players in the expansion draft is not as easy as simply selecting the most talented players, as each of the new teams will have to abide by MLS' salary cap rules. The object of the draft is to pick the best players at the lowest price.

Using 2014 salary numbers provided by the MLS Players Union, and the average league salary by position (calculated last season by Liviu Bird for the blog Sounder at Heart), here are the best values available in Wednesday's draft.

Defenders

Looking at back-line players, there are several good choices available. The 2013 league average for defenders was $110,000.

One of the most appealing, despite his above-average $165,000-per-year salary, is the Houston Dynamo's Corey Ashe.

Ashe is an experienced and talented defender, who helped the Dynamo win three conference championships. However, since the arrival of DaMarcus Beasley, Ashe has become surplus to requirements in Houston.

Ashe is also a left-back, not an easy roster position to fill. At 28 years old, he should still have a number of good years left in him and would be a good building block for either expansion team.

Another good option is center-back Austin Berry. While Berry didn't have a spectacular 2014, only starting six games for the Philadelphia Union, he was a regular in 2012 and 2013 with the Chicago Fire and won league Rookie of the Year honors in 2012.

Berry is only 26 years old and, at a yearly salary of only $87,000, could be a steal for either team willing to take a shot on him.

Finally, there is LA Galaxy defender Dan Gargan. While Gargan is an MLS journeyman, and 31 years old, he won many admirers this season while earning 29 starts for the league champions. Best of all, his yearly contract will only cost whichever team selects him $48,500 per year.

Midfielders

There aren't any slam-dunk choices in the midfielder pool, but there are a number of players Orlando and New York should take a long look at.

Dominic Oduro made his name as a striker, and is a bit overpriced at $250,000 (compared to the 2013 league average of $128,000 for midfielders), but Toronto FC proved this year that he can be used very effectively as a winger.

New York and Orlando have both already signed high-profile attacking midfielders who would be able to get Oduro the ball in wide spaces. In those spaces, Oduro's pace makes him a nightmare to defend against.

Another interesting choice would be the New England Revolution's Steve Neumann. Neumann played 23 games for the Revs in his rookie campaign (although only three of them were starts). He came into the league this spring as a highly touted college player and, given the room and time to grow—he is only 23 years old—he could be a great long-term pickup for either expansion squad. Best of all, his $65,000-per-year salary puts him well below the league average.

Also available is the Philadelphia Union's Danny Cruz. Cruz isn't a household name, but he has a ferocious work rate on the pitch and is a true competitor. He played 26 games for the Philadelphia Union this season, is only 24 years old and has a current salary of $125,000 per year—just below the league average.

Forwards

The pickings are slim at forward, especially when it comes to value.

The best choice available is Revolution forward Patrick Mullins. Mullins played 24 games for the Eastern Conference champions this year, starting 14. Best of all, he's only 22 years old and has a low salary at $70,000 per year (the 2013 league average for forwards was $220,000). He tallied four goals in his rookie campaign in 2014 and, given the right opportunity, could flourish.

Another option at forward is Gaston Fernandez. Fernandez—who can also play as an attacking midfielder—scored seven goals for the Portland Timbers in 2014. His salary, at $150,000 per year is very favorable, even if his age, 31, is not.

Orlando and New York could also take a shot at a couple of high-risk/high-reward choices. D.C. United's Eddie Johnson was left unprotected. He's expensive, at $505,000 per year, especially for a player who only scored seven goals in 2014. However, everyone knows EJ is capable of much more, as he scored 15 goals just two years ago in 2012.

The New York Red Bulls also left Peguy Luyindula and Tim Cahill unprotected. Luyindula is 35 years old, but did score eight goals in 2014. He's also a value at $90,000 per year.

Cahill isn't a value at $3.5 million per year, but he is a big name and capable of playing a number of positions. It would also not be a surprise if he's eager to get away from the Red Bulls after being benched late in the 2014 season.

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