Reminder #1: The cut-off time to make roster changes is 15 minutes prior to the scheduled kick off of the first match of the week. This week, that deadline is 7:15 pm ET on Wednesday, June 27.
Reminder #2: Chivas USA, FC Dallas and the Vancouver Whitecaps all have a bye in Fantasy Round 16.
Top Player in Round 15: Lionard Pajoy (Philadelphia Union) – 13 points
Key Injuries: OUT – Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Nelson Rivas (Montreal Impact), Andrew Wenger (Montreal Impact), Kalif Alhassan (Portland Timbers), Simon Dawkins (San Jose Earthquakes), Joao Plata (Toronto FC), Matteo Ferrari (Montreal Impact)
Fantasy Round 16 kicks off on Wednesday with Toronto FC traveling to Montreal to face an Impact squad that has scored a combined eight goals in its last two outings at Stade Saputo. With two matches played by Montreal and Toronto, players on Canadian teams will be a hot commodity this week.
As always, monitor the injury report and all suspensions. There are more suspensions to key players than in any previous round this season (see disciplinary report here), so prepare your roster accordingly. With that said, here are five picks that can help you move up the standings.
Marco Di Vaio, $8.0m, Montreal Impact (first career MLS match) – NOW AVAILABLE!!
Montreal finally get their Designated Player, one of the great goalscorers in the history of Serie A (142 goals), and he couldn't have come at a better time. Bernardo Corradi is out for the season with a torn ACL, Andrew Wenger is nursing a hamstring strain and the rest of their front line seems to have faded (i.e. Sanna Nyassi and Justin Braun).
Head coach Jesse Marsch believes that Toronto FC will make things hard for him, but against one of the weaker back lines in MLS, Di Vaio is capable of making an impact in this round. But it takes more than just talent to be successful on a new team, let alone a whole new league.
Felipe Martins, $7.6m, Montreal Impact (75 points, T-fourth among midfielders)
In the last four weeks, Felipe has two goals and two assists, averaging 7.0 points/game in that stretch. Currently he’s tied with the LA Galaxy's Landon Donovan for the fourth-most points among midfielders.
It looks as if he’ll remain in his new role as a drop striker, making him the No. 1 option at midfielder in this round. Felipe is consistently producing at a high level, so expect nothing less than 180 hard-fought minutes, filled with goals and assists.
Danny Koevermans, $9.8m, Toronto FC, (41 points, six BCFs)
Toronto FC have turned things around as of late and Koevermans is partly the reason why. In the last two weeks he’s combined to score 21 points, after totaling just 20 points in the first 11 rounds.
TFC is one of just two teams that will benefit from multiple games this week (Montreal is the other), facing teams that have allowed a combined 50 goals in 32 matches thus far. Defensively, both matches will be challenging, but Koevermans should get plenty of chances now that he’s back to full strength.
Koevermans is tied for the second-most BCFs (big chances fluffed) with six, but now that he’s finishing, his relatively high asking price is somewhat justifiable.
Hunter Jumper, $3.8m, Chicago Fire (two points, 27 minutes played)
Chicago will be without left back Gonzalo Segares after receiving a red card against Columbus this past weekend. Jumper is a natural left back so it’s likely he'll get the start even with Arne Friedrich and Dan Gargan back at full strength.
Manager Frank Klopas could elect to change things up, but even if Jumper doesn't get the start, he allows for a lot of extra room to add a more lucrative player. Sporting will be difficult to defend at home, but if Jumper gets the nod, his youth and freshness could play to his advantage.
Patrice Bernier, $7.0m, Montreal Impact (59 points, 14th among midfielders)
Bernier jumped six spots this week, moving from 20th to 14th in total points among midfielders. With multiple games, there’s no reason to think he can’t continue the climb. His $7.0m price tag is fairly reasonable based on his production and in the last four weeks he’s averaging 9.5 points/game, while amassing 21 points in his first two games at Stade Saputo.
The Most
Most added transfer this week: Felipe Martins
Most dropped transfer this week: Rafael Baca
