TRANSFER DEADLINE: Wednesday, 10 pm ET
From unannounced omissions to another goalless Colorado Rapids outing, the fun continued in Round 5 of MLS Fantasy.
Many managers got an unwanted goose egg from Bruce Arena on Saturday evening when word dropped that Jose Villarreal wasn’t in the LA Galaxy’s 18-man roster. Villarreal is the most popular player in the game, appearing on 47 percent of all fantasy teams. His absence was yet another harsh reminder of how important it is to have active players ready to come in via auto-sub off your fantasy bench.
For the second straight round, the 4-5-1 formed the Dream Team. Benny Feilhaber led the way with 12 points, the second straight week a Sporting KC man has been the Top Player. Team “Nguyen-ing” doubled up through Feilhaber to post the high score for Round 5 with 89 points (yes, Lee Nguyen was included in their team).
Lock it in: In another recurring theme, the Dream Team is backed up by the goalkeeper opposing the Colorado Rapids. The Rapids have now gone 600 minutes without scoring a goal and are a prime target for clean sheet points. As Andrew Wiebe pointed out in his Fort Knox Shutout Lock of the Week: “Until further notice, lock in whoever is playing the Rapids.” Chris Seitz and FC Dallas – you’re up.
On the Mend: Round 6 saw the return of both Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins after brief absences because of injury. The dynamic duo wasted no time padding their fantasy stats, linking up for a sure-fire AT&T Goal of the Week candidate.
Axel Sjoberg, meanwhile, did not suit up for the second straight game, and the timeline for his return remains unclear. I would advise hanging on to Sjoberg (cheap price tag and an upcoming DGW in Round 8 for the Rapids). Just be sure you're covered at the back.
Word on the street is that David Villa could be back in action this weekend. With a favorable match at Philadelphia this round, and a DGW in Round 7 for NYCFC, Villa is back on my radar.
Double Up Through DGW: Round 6 presents us with the first double-game week (aka “DGW”) of the season, with Vancouver Whitecaps and Columbus Crew SC both playing twice. DGW’s are a prime opportunity to widen the gap or make up ground in the rankings.
From a fantasy perspective, the more minutes you field, the more opportunity you have to collect points. Check out this eye-opening breakdown by Travis Luscombe to see how double game weeks affected MLS Fantasy point scoring last season. If the stars align, we’ll see some high point totals. Needless to say, be sure to captain one of your DGW players to maximize point potential.
Looking Ahead...
The Round 6 transfer window is now open. We’re on a short week, so let’s get to work:
- The transfer deadline for Round 6 is Wednesday, April 8 at 10:00 pm ET. Don’t let the quick turnaround sneak up on you.
- Review the MLS Injury Report and MLS Disciplinary Report. It's worth notingFederico Higuain is suspended for the Crew’s next match on 4/08, meaning he will only play once during the DGW.
- The Chicago Fire and Toronto FC are both on a BYE in Round 6. There are no teams on a bye in Round 7.
- Columbus Crew SC and Vancouver Whitecaps both play twice this round. Worth noting is that Rounds 7 (NYC, PHI) and 8 (COL, NY) also see two teams on a DGW.
I've recommended mostly Whitecaps players over the past few weeks as we gear up for the Round 6 DGW. It's for a good reason. With the Crew on the road for both games this round, I won't go heavy on Columbus. However, because the rules only allow four players from any one team, I will be including one or two of the following Crew players:
Kei Kamara ($8m) – With Higuain suspended for the front end of the DGW, the Crew will look for their big target early and often vs. Vancouver. Kamara should see plenty of goal scoring opportunities over the two game slate, and is a sneaky captain play if you want to be a contrarian.
Justin Meram ($7.6m) – Meram broke out with seven shots and a goal in his last outing before departing for international duty. The midfielder is a fine swap for Harry Shipp, who is similarly priced and is on a bye this week.
Ethan Finlay ($8.1m) – After a breakout 2014 campaign, Finlay's averaged a respectable five fantasy points per game to start the season. Finlay is known for his consistency, meaning a 10-point round could be in the cards.
How will you approach the upcoming DGW schedule? Are you loading up on players for this round or looking ahead to Rounds 7 and 8? Let us know what your gameplan is in the comments below.
