Another wacky round of MLS fantasy saw plenty of goals, plenty of clean sheets and plenty of points. Despite clean sheets in six of the nine games over the weekend, there were 29 total goals scored, including eight alone in the draw between New York City FC and Toronto FC. The 4-4 draw was the equivalent of hitting the MLS fantasy jackpot for Sebastian Giovinco and David Villa owners, with the superstar duo combining for 32 fantasy points on five total goals and an assist.
Manager Erik Nelson doubled up on Villa’s haul and amassed 113 points to lead Portland FC to the high score of the round. Despite the team name, Nelson benefitted from an Eastern Conference-heavy squad – with Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia and defender Kevin Ellis being the only Western Conference representatives on the Round 19 Dream Team.
Unfortunately, those who jumped the gun on Frank Lampard were left wondering what could have been, with the England star ruled out with a calf injury just prior to the transfer deadline last Friday. It sounds as though it was precautionary, and Lamps could be in line to play as early as this round. If you’re still wondering what kind of a fantasy impact the big midsummer arrivals might have, be sure to check out this piece by our own Andrew Winner.
We’re finally on another Double Game Week, with the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew SC playing each other midweek and this weekend. That means we have a short turnaround before the Round 20 transfer deadline, so let’s take a look at some things to consider before finalizing your roster:
- The transfer deadline for Round 20 is Wednesday, July 15 at 8:30 pm ET.
- Review the MLS Injury Report and MLS Disciplinary Report as they are updated throughout the week. Reach out to me in the comments section below or on Twitter (@FantasySoccerFC) with any player specific questions.
Gold Cup and US Open Cup factors:
The CONCACAF Gold Cup rolls on this week,
which means you shouldn't have any of these players on your fantasy team.
Worth monitoring is the big US Open Cup clash between Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy on Tuesday, which could feature many fantasy relevant players. Play it safe and wait for this game to go final before making your Round 20 transfers.
Byes and DGWs: Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew SC both play twice in Round 20, and there are no byes in Round 20. Looking ahead, both the New York Red Bulls and Colorado Rapids are on a bye in Round 21.
With the Crew and the Fire both playing twice this week, I’ll have some players from both teams sprinkled throughout my fantasy squad. League-leading scorer Kei Kamara and leading assist man Ethan Finlay are the obvious plays from Crew SC, but here are a few not-so-obvious players from the Fire that could set you apart this week:
Eric Gehrig – Chicago Fire – Defender($5.1m) – Gehrig has five defensive bonus points in his last two games and on Wednesday welcomes a Crew team that has been shutout in their last two road games. Considering how thin the Fire are at center back, Gehrig is a good bet to play the full 90 in both games this week.
Patrick Nyarko – Chicago Fire – Midfielder ($6.5m) – The Fire spark-plug returned to action with a goal in Round 18 and logged 64 minutes in the Fire’s 1-0 win over the Sounders on Saturday. Though I’m not expecting him to play 180 minutes, at just $6.5m, Nyarko could be a sneaky play considering he’s currently only owned on 0.2 percent of all fantasy teams.
Mike Magee – Chicago Fire – Forward ($8.0) – The 2013 MLS MVP has seen limited action this season but, like Nyarko, is finally coming into match fitness and is starting to see more playing time. The last time Crew SC kept a clean sheet was back in April, strengthening the case to roll the dice on Magee in Round 20.
Did you get in on the Giovinco-Villa fantasy goodness? How are you approaching the Round 20 DGW? Let us know in the comments below.
