Aside from a surprise New York Red Bulls let down (I’m looking at you Bradley Wright-Phillips), Round 12 of MLS Fantasy went mostly as predicted.
For the second straight round, the Dream Team features seven Double Game Week players. Sporting KC was well represented with five players on the team. Popular captain pick Benny Feilhaber came through with a 20-point round, while those who captained Dom Dwyer (raises hand) weren’t as fortunate as he was a late scratch prior to Sporting KC’s second game on Saturday night.
With 127 points, the No. 1-ranked team in Round 12 went to “First time a charm?”. Fantasy manager Steven Terwelp was one of the 1.5 percent of owners who took a gamble on Dwyer’s strike partner, Krisztian Nemeth, who ended up with 21 points and was the top overall point earner for the round.
Now that the dust has settled in Round 12, it’s time to look ahead to what should prove to be a pivotal next few rounds of MLS Fantasy. Rounds 13 and 14 both see SIX teams playing twice. Round 15 will be tricky, with only 10 teams in action, but managers will have a chance to hit the reset button and retool their teams with Unlimited Transfers.
- The transfer deadline for Round 13 is Wednesday, May 27 at 10:00 PM EDT.
- Review the MLS Injury Report and MLS Disciplinary Report as it is updated throughout the week.
- If you have any questions regarding a specific player’s status, post it in the comments section below. I will offer any insight available at the time to help you make an informative decision before the transfer deadline.
DGW Watch: Colorado Rapids, D.C. United, LA Galaxy, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC all play twice in Round 13. Considering the Sounders are playing both games at home, I will be targeting their players more than the other DGW teams this round.
D.C. United is on the front end of back-to-back Double Game Weeks, playing three of the four games at RFK Stadium – where they are unbeaten in 2015.
Injury Report: Robbie Keane made an immediate impact in his return to action, coming off the bench to provide the game-winning assist in the Galaxy’s dramatic 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. While Keane’s minutes may be monitored while he works his way back to full fitness, he looks to be a safe play for LA’s Round 13 DGW.
Portland Timbers talismanic midfielder Diego Valeri was forced off after rolling his ankle in the 25th minute on Saturday. While it does not appear to be a long-term injury, he could be hobbled if he does take the field for Portland in Round 13. Valeri owners should monitor injury-related news leading up to Wednesday’s transfer deadline.
Obafemi Martins missed his second straight match for Seattle on Saturday. It appears Oba is close to a return, and it is worth monitoring his status over the next few days as he could be a game changer if he’s able to go in Round 13.
Fabian Espindola was absent from D.C. United’s gameday roster over the weekend. His status is still up in the air heading into Round 13.
The Real Salt Lake attack was boosted by the return of both Javier Morales and Joao Plata, as both made appearances off the bench in a 2-0 win over New York City FC. Both players should continue to see an increase in action, and are worth considering including in DGW-heavy Round 13 fantasy lineups.
As noted earlier, I am confident in targeting Seattle Sounder players for Round 13. Here are a few Rave Green options to consider when making your transfers:
Clint Dempsey – Seattle Sounders – Midfielder ($11.8m) – He’s the most expensive player in the game, and it’s for good reason. Prior to being held scoreless in Round 12, Dempsey posted a goal or an assist in 10 consecutive MLS regular-season matches. That type of consistency makes “Deuce” my top target in Round 13.
Marco Pappa – Seattle Sounders – Midfielder ($8.9m) – Pappa is a solid target in your midfield considering he provides service to the top scorers in the league in Dempsey and Martins. The crafty Guatemalan has four assists over his last four outings, and is tied for third in MLS with five on the season.
Stefan Frei – Seattle Sounders – Goalkeeper ($5.8m) – The Seattle netminder leads the league in both saves and clean sheets, and is also the top-scoring goalkeeper in MLS Fantasy. Frei has put up six or more points in 11 of the 13 games he’s played in this season, making him my top goalkeeper transfer for Round 13.
Where does your team stand after Round 12? Do you agree that Seattle is the way to go in in Round 13? Let us know in the comments below.
