In MLS Fantasy Soccer: Manager a win or a loss can be decided by as little as one point. And when it comes to moving up in the overall rankings, every decision you make becomes even more costly.
I've mentioned this move to some of my Twitter followers in the past, but now it's time to share this little trick with you.
Above is a snapshot of my team prior to the start of this round (Round 16), with a few exceptions. The changes below did not affect the formation or substitution order.
- Camilo Sanvezzo (IN) ---> Diego Fagundez (OUT)
- Nathan Sturgis (IN) ---> Andrew Farrell (OUT)
- Patrice Bernier (IN) ---> Dillon Powers (OUT)
- Camilo Sanvezzo ---> (Captain)
If you look closely you'll notice that I have Amobi Okugo starting as my fourth midfielder. It may seem odd that I purposely left Chris Tierney and Landon Donovan on my bench, but I assure you it's all for good reason.
Here's how the trick works...
MLS Fantasy – Substitution Trick
If I make zero manager substitutions once the round begins, then at the end of the round Tierney will automatically be subbed into my lineup for Okugo. But, since Donovan is playing on a later date, I can go ahead and sub him in for Okugo before his game begins.
Now, this may not seem like a huge deal, but it gives you the ability to see how one player performs before deciding who to play. Let's say Tierney has a pretty good game (8-10 points), but instead of starting Okugo, I started Donovan. Those points are now lost for good, unless of course, one of my other starters misses their game.
Tierney got an assist (+3) and an attacking bonus (+1) against Vancouver, but he also got -2 for goals conceded and a -1 for yellow card. That left him with a total of three points. But if New England had gotten a clean sheet, Tierney would've ended up with nine points. And instead of subbing Donovan in for Okugo (which is what I did), I would've left Tierney in and Donovan would've remained on my bench.
- This trick will ONLY work if the two players involved are playing games on different days (e.g. Saturday and Sunday)
- You HAVE to start someone who isn't playing at all, whether it's due to injury, suspension, a bye week etc.
- Your #1 sub (Chris Tierney) has to be playing IN the first game day of that round
- Your #2 sub (Landon Donovan) has to be playing AFTER the first game day of that round
TIP: As long as there are games being played on two different dates in each round, you can use this trick every time. It's best to use on high risk/high rewards players, like forwards. You can also use it to get more points out of your Captain/Vice-captain.
Which player will have the most points in Round 16?
Poll of the Week: Last week I gave you the option to choose between three midfielders and pick which one would have the highest score at the end of Round 16. Midway through the round, the point totals look like this;
- Russell Teibert – 5 points
- Patrice Bernier – 4 points
- Diego Valeri – 3 points
The poll is still open for voting, so with one game each left to play, do you still think Diego Valeri is going to be the top scorer this week? Or will one of the other two guys claim the top spot among this group of midfielders? Vote now.
