Transfer Deadline: Friday, 10 pm ET
Players experience hot and cold streaks throughout the season, but with only six rounds left of MLS Fantasy we decided to roll out a buy, sell, hold edition with season-long implications. Remember, there are no playoffs this year.
Instead of giving you our take on players for Round 28 alone, the table below will focus on one thing and one thing only – should a player be on your team for the final six weeks?
- Buy – Self-explanatory. Get this player on your team no questions asked.
- Sell – Drop them immediately and/or avoid picking them up.
- Hold – Used to describe players currently on a bye week and/or players worth holding on to if you own them already – but don't use a transfer on them.
It's not easy getting rid of elite players, but you have to pull the trigger eventually. Here's who I think will perfom well to finish the season.
<strong>Player</strong> |
<strong>Buy / Sell / Hold</strong> |
<strong>Comments</strong> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/javier-morales" target="_blank">Javier Morales</a> |
<strong>BUY</strong> |
<p>It could be pure bias or it could be the fact that he's scored less than seven points in only one game since late July. He's the fourth-highest scoring player in the league right now, and he could finish the year even higher. With two games against Chivas (one at home) and five of their last six games against bottom-table teams in the Western conference, Morales is a must buy!</p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/robbie-keane" target="_blank">Robbie Keane</a> |
<strong>SELL</strong> |
It's incredibly difficult to justify selling a player this good, especially with three straight matches coming up at home, but I've decided to pull the plug. You can only play three forwards max each week, and unless you're willing to sacrifice double-game-week opportunities and players in better form, the Irishmen has to go. If you're running five midfielders from here on out, this move might be a little easier. |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/chad-marshall" target="_blank">Chad Marshall</a> |
<strong>HOLD</strong> |
<p>Marshall is one of the top centerbacks in MLS, but with games on the road against NY and Dallas coming up, plus two games vs LA to close out the season, I'm not banking on many clean sheets from Seattle. They do, however, have a nice stretch of games between Rounds 29-31 that might be the perfect time to add him. I'm holding off for now and adding Sounders in other positions. </p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/obafemi-martins" target="_blank">Obafemi Martins</a> |
<strong>BUY</strong> |
<p>MUST-BUY! If you saw what he did in Wednesday night's US Open Cup final, you've already picked him up. Plus, he's been <a href="http://fantasy.mlssoccer.com/stats/elements/?element_filter=0&stat_filter=transfers_in_event" target="_blank">transferred in by a league-high 1,400+ managers</a> already this week. What are you waiting for?</p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/gyasi-zardes" target="_blank">Gyasi Zardes</a> |
<strong>HOLD</strong> |
<p>I love the way LA plays with Keane, Donovan and Zardes in the attack, but it can't go on forever – or can it? This is simply a tactical decision for me. Despite their explosiveness, I don't want to invest too much in LA when there are so many other players in form right now. Zardes is a finisher, benefiting from service from Keane and LD. They will continue to get him the rock, but he might not blow up every week. I'm keeping him for now, but he's on a tight leash with several midfielders flying high.</p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/fabian-castillo" target="_blank">Fabian Castillo</a> |
<strong>SELL</strong> |
<p>Hasn't scored since August 22 and doesn't make enough key passes to keep starting him, despite his reasonable price tag. Tough schedule to close out the season and quite a bit of travel could hurt Castillo as well. Plus, like I said before, other midfielders are just dominating the game right now.</p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/graham-zusi" target="_blank">Graham Zusi</a> |
<strong>HOLD</strong> |
<p>On a bye this week, but could be a sneaky pick when he returns. Sporting KC close out the season with five Eastern conference opponents and three of those games are at home. Had 12 points in his last game and he only played 68 minutes. Hard to believe a guy who earned the name 'Captain Fantasy' last season could be an off-the-radar pick, but he is. </p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/bradley-wright-phillips" target="_blank">Bradley Wright-Phillips</a> |
<strong>HOLD</strong> |
<p>Good news! <a href="https://twitter.com/FrancoPanizo/status/513011117472616449" target="_blank">BWP has been cleared to play this week</a> against the Seattle Sounders. Bad news! We don't know how long he'll play or if head coach Mike Petke will even start him. I'm holding BWP for one more week. Probably won't start him this week, but I want to see how he finishes out the game. If he re-injures his hammy or doesn't play to the best of his abilities...he's out. Dom Dwyer, Joao Plata and Fabian Espindola are anxiously awaiting their chance to get into my starting XI.</p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/brad-davis" target="_blank">Brad Davis</a> |
<strong>BUY</strong> |
<p>Pure sleeper at this point, which is funny to think about given his talent level. Owned by less than 1.5 percent of managers, Davis will be heavily involved in Houston's attack to close out the season. They need him to play well. With two games against Chicago and a DGW coming up in Round 31, Davis could be the player who vaults your team up the overall rankings and into a whole new class.</p> |
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/jon-busch" target="_blank">Jon Busch</a> |
<strong>BUY</strong> |
<p>No one has made more saves in MLS this season and only Bill Hamid has scored as many points in MLS Fantasy. Incredible accomplishment for a guy who's recorded just five clean sheets the entire season. DGW in Round 31 and some winnable matchups outside of that as well. And in my opinion, a top candidate for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.</p> |
Disagree with the picks? Let us know in the comments section below!
