It was goals galore in Round 8, with 28 goals scored across nine games. The floodgates opened up on Saturday, with four teams scoring four goals - including a 4-4 fantasy goldmine between Houston Dynamo and Sporting KC. If you had the likes of Giles Barnes, Brad Davis or Benny Feilhaber in your squad, well done!
The offensive outburst saw the 4-3-3 return to form for the dream team this week. Fantasy manager James Dunn topped the century mark, with 101 points for his team Single Entity Cartel to earn the highest score of the round. Dunn hit the fantasy jackpot with top player of the round Ethan Finlay’s 16 points, along with doubling up on his captain Jozy Altidore’s 12 point score.
The Round 9 transfer window is now open. Remember, we’re on another double game week, so be sure to lock your team in before the midweek transfer deadline.
- The transfer deadline for Round 9 is Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30 pm ET.
- Review the MLS Injury Report and MLS Disciplinary Report as it is updated throughout the week. There are a number of players nearing suspension for yellow card accumulation - including Red Bulls defender Damien Perrinelle, who might be a popular transfer target with the DGW this round.
Bye Alert: The Montreal Impact and Orlando City are both on a bye in Round 9. Now is the time to say “bye-bye” to Kaká (if you haven’t already), who has been a bit of a letdown for fantasy managers thus far. Nonetheless, he’ll be back on my radar for the Orlando City DGW in Round 11.
DGW Watch: The New York Red Bulls and Colorado Rapids both have two games in Round 9. Fantasy managers are tasked with deciding whether to base their squad around the Round 9 DGW or looking ahead to Round 10, where four teams are on a DGW (Houston, LA, RSL, San Jose).
While the DGW has been hit or miss thus far, I will continue to invest in players who have the potential to play twice. In last week’s article, I highlighted Dillon Powers and Bradley Wright-Phillips as good pickups leading up to Round 9. Here are a few more players I’m looking at with the upcoming schedule in mind:
Felipe – New York Red Bulls - Midfielder($8.4m) – Sure, he was a bit lucky on his goal over the weekend, but there’s no doubting that he’s in fine form, averaging 6.7 fantasy points per game. His consistency is worth noting, picking up 9 points and 12 points in his last two outings. He is a prime candidate to play in both games this week and is owned by just 2.8 percent of fantasy managers.
Brad Davis – Houston Dynamo - Midfielder ($9.8m) - It has taken some time for the veteran to get going, but it looks as though Davis and the Dynamo attack are finally starting to click. Davis moved into third place among the all-time MLS assist leaders with two helpers against Sporting KC, both on set pieces, and now has three assists over his last three matches. Houston have a favorable upcoming schedule, playing three of their next four games at home and a DGW in Round 10.
Fabián Espíndola – D.C. United - Forward($10m) - After serving a six-game ban to start the season, Espíndola was immediately inserted back into the starting lineup. While he failed to produce in Round 8, it shouldn’t take long for the D.C. hit man to get going. With back-to-back home games over the next two rounds and a DGW looming in Round 11, the time is now to consider finding room for Espy.
Did you cash in on the goalfest in Round 8? Are you going to go all in on the Round 9 DGW players or plan ahead for Round 10? Let us know in the comments below.
