If you’ve already started to prepare your MLS Fantasy roster for this week, you may have noticed a few blanks among the list of players’ MLS opponents for Round 15. Schuyler Redpath’s Monday Morning Center Back: has the answer: 10 out of the 20 MLS teams are on a bye and don’t play this week.
Never fear! All managers have been given unlimited transfers this week, so not only can you restock your team with players that are actually going to play this weekend, but you can also make as many tweaks as you want to your entire roster, up until the Saturday evening deadline.
So with only 10 teams to choose from, let’s take a look at the numbers to see who stands out as solid roster contenders for Round 15. Here's what I looked at:
- Top 10 GKP, 10 DEF, 15 MID, and 10 FWD, based on points scored per 90 minutes, where the player played 60+ minutes
- “Play %”: Percentage of minutes played for the team in the last five matches
- Excluded players with <270 minutes played in the season
- Excluded players with <50% minutes played in last five matches (except for Obafemi Martins, who should be available for selection this weekend)
| Top Goalkeepers for Round 15 | ||||
| Player | Points | Price | Play % | PP90 |
| Stefan Frei - SEA | 86 | $5.9m | 100% | 6.14 |
| Bill Hamid - DC | 67 | $6.4m | 60% | 5.58 |
| Jaime Penedo - LA | 57 | $6.1m | 80% | 4.75 |
| Josh Saunders - NYC | 60 | $5.6m | 100% | 4.62 |
| Evan Bush - MTL | 40 | $5.0m | 100% | 4.44 |
| Steve Clark - CLB | 61 | $5.6m | 100% | 4.36 |
| Tally Hall - ORL | 17 | $5.5m | 80% | 4.25 |
| Bobby Shuttleworth - NE | 57 | $5.4m | 80% | 4.07 |
| Dan Kennedy - DAL | 28 | $4.9m | 100% | 4.00 |
| Jon Busch - CHI | 23 | $5.1m | 80% | 3.83 |
| Top Defenders for Round 15 | ||||
| Player | Points | Price | Play % | PP90 |
| Omar Gonzalez - LA | 92 | $9.9m | 80% | 6.07 |
| Matt Hedges - DAL | 65 | $9.4m | 78% | 5.61 |
| Jeff Larentowicz - CHI | 72 | $8.0m | 100% | 5.54 |
| Laurent Ciman - MTL | 48 | $7.7m | 100% | 5.33 |
| Brad Evans - SEA | 68 | $7.8m | 76% | 5.30 |
| Leonardo - LA | 53 | $7.4m | 100% | 5.00 |
| Sean Franklin - DC | 69 | $8.2m | 80% | 4.93 |
| Chad Marshall - SEA | 54 | $8.8m | 80% | 4.91 |
| Steve Birnbaum - DC | 30 | $7.6m | 80% | 4.83 |
| Tyrone Mears - SEA | 64 | $6.9m | 100% | 4.61 |
Only one goalkeeper and one defender have been able to maintain a solid rate of six points per game: Stefan Frei and Omar Gonzalez. Unfortunately, none of these teams have a cheap defender that’s scoring well. London Woodberry ($4.5m, NE) and Matt Polster ($4.7m, CHI) are both cheap starters, but proceed with caution: Woodberry has scored a total of one point or less in five of his last six starts.
| Top Midfielders for Round 15 | ||||
| Player | Points | Price | Play % | PP90 |
| Clint Dempsey - SEA | 85 | $11.8m | 80% | 7.94 |
| Marco Pappa - SEA | 71 | $9.2m | 89% | 6.65 |
| Andrés Romero - MTL | 39 | $7.9m | 73% | 6.56 |
| Mauro Díaz - DAL | 56 | $9.5m | 96% | 6.25 |
| Ethan Finlay - CLB | 71 | $8.4m | 83% | 5.74 |
| Fabián Castillo - DAL | 69 | $10.2m | 67% | 5.71 |
| Kaká - ORL | 79 | $11.7m | 100% | 5.69 |
| Ignacio Piatti - MTL | 45 | $9.8m | 93% | 5.62 |
| Razvan Cocis - CHI | 25 | $6.2m | 82% | 5.61 |
| Harry Shipp - CHI | 68 | $8.1m | 90% | 5.44 |
| Chris Rolfe - DC | 62 | $9.0m | 57% | 5.13 |
| Scott Caldwell - NE | 71 | $7.5m | 100% | 4.93 |
| Lamar Neagle - SEA | 44 | $8.6m | 62% | 4.88 |
| Top Forwards for Round 15 | ||||
| Player | Points | Price | Play % | PP90 |
| Kei Kamara - CLB | 88 | $9.1m | 84% | 6.83 |
| Obafemi Martins - SEA | 60 | $11.6m | 40% | 6.00 |
| Charlie Davies - NE | 56 | $9.0m | 75% | 5.91 |
| Jairo Arrieta - DC | 53 | $6.5m | 65% | 5.90 |
| Blas Pérez - DAL | 46 | $9.1m | 69% | 5.90 |
| Kennedy Igboananike - CHI | 31 | $7.8m | 71% | 5.13 |
| David Villa - NYC | 47 | $10.4m | 95% | 5.03 |
| Juan Agudelo - NE | 58 | $8.8m | 66% | 5.02 |
| Federico Higuaín - CLB | 55 | $10.5m | 77% | 4.74 |
This may be the only way that MLS teams will be able to prevent Sebastian Giovinco from scoring: don’t let him play. With the Atomic Ant out of the picture, Seattle’s attacking corps looks like the most sure-fire bet for big points this weekend. There are a few budget attacking options, but don’t forget to keep tabs on the players that will be reporting for international duty, as many players missed out on this list because of call-ups to their national teams.
Let me know how you are reworking your rosters – can you fit everyone in that you want? Good luck in the short game week ahead!
