TRANSFER DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, 7:30 pm ET
- MLS Injury Report
- MLS Disciplinary Report
- BYES IN ROUND 8: MTL, ORL
- UPCOMING DOUBLE GAME WEEKS: NY, COL (Rd 9); HOU, LA, RSL, SJ (Rd 10)
- Bonus Points: MLS Fantasy Positional breakdown - have the tides turned for attackers?
If you’re anything like me, you were hoping that Round 8 would provide a nice normal week to allow us all to catch our breath and recover from these early – and disappointing – double game weeks. Instead, we received one of the craziest goalscoring and red card-issuing weeks of the season.
Round 9 marks the beginning of six-consecutive DGWs, so using tools like the Form Charts at MLS Fantasy Boss will be crucial for planning your trades. You’re also going to need a strong core of players to build off of, and that’s what drove my picks this week.
Goalkeepers
DGW Pick: Last week saw the end of Luis Robles’s (NY $5.6m) home shutout run, but if you’re still willing to take a chance on a DGW keeper, I believe that he’s the best option for this round. He’s also the most likely to go the full 180 minutes for the Red Bulls, which is important with all the recent rotations we’ve seen.
Pick & Stick: If you are sick of DGW keepers and just want to stick with one player for the next six rounds, then Nick Rimando ($6.1m) is your man. Early reports suggest he’ll be back in the lineup for Round 9, and I think RSL has one of the most favorable schedules over the next six weeks.
Defenders
DGW Pick: Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch recently suggested he may rotate starters at several positions during his team’s DGW. No surprise, right? What is surprising is that the center back position was not mentioned as one of them. This gives me more faith in either Damien Perrinelle ($6.7m) or Matt Miazga ($5.6m) getting close to 180 minutes. Perrinelle enters Wednesday one yellow card away from suspension.
Great Value
: If you
read Travis’ latest Bonus Points article
, you’ve seen that midfielders are on the rise, so you may be considering downgrading your defense. If so, consider bringing in budget defender
London Woodberry
(NE $5.0m). Not only is he starting for one of the best home defenses in the league, but the Revolution also have an attractive schedule leading into their Round 12 DGW.
Prep Pick: If you agree that RSL have one of the best schedules over the coming weeks but are not willing to invest in Rimando, then consider spending your money on Jamison Olave ($8.1m) instead. He’s expensive, but for the money, you get the center back with the third-highest CBI numbers, a DGW in Round 10 and a winnable home game against San Jose this week.
Midfielders
On Form: With all of the excellent Red Bull midfield options, it may hard to pick just one for their DGW, but after the last two rounds, Felipe ($8.4m) should be near the top of your list. His offensive numbers and bonus-point potential have been impressive, and he’s only owned by 6.9 percent of managers.
Diamond in the Rough
: My list of promising Colorado DGW players contains only one guy:
Dillon Powers
($7.8m). He’s the only player who’s been a consistent offensive threat, and his rising form gives him the ability to continue to produce in later rounds.
Mr. Differential: If you’re looking for a way to catch up to the pack over the coming rounds, then consider Chris Rolfe (DC $8.8m). He’s only owned by 0.9 percent of managers but has scored two goals and earned an assist in the past three weeks. A similar performance over any of D.C.’s three upcoming DGWs will definitely help bold managers climb the table.
Forwards
DGW Pick: There are a lot of popular and in-form forwards right now, but there is only one who I think is worth transferring in for Round 9: Bradley Wright-Phillips (NY $11.0m). The Red Bulls are averaging almost two goals per game, and with his rising form and offensive involvement, I find it hard to believe that BWP will not earn big points this week.
Who are you planning to bring in to help carry you through this marathon of double game weeks? Planning to use your wild card and start fresh?
Share your thoughts in the comments below or stop by MLS Fantasy Boss to chat with other managers and check out the other fantasy resources and tips before you finalize your trades. Good luck!
