Among numerous late scratches and absences, it was the Sebastian Giovinco Show (again) in Round 23. On the strength of three goals (Wednesday) and an assist (Saturday), the Atomic Ant turned in a 28-point performance. Those clever enough to have captained him doubled up for a whopping 56-point round from the Italian.
While Giovinco made it look easy, there were some major letdowns from popular DGW pickups. The goals dried up for rookie
Cyle Larin
(4 points), and teammate
Kaká
(4 points) only played in one game after being rested for Orlando City’s midweek tilt at Toronto. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the Montreal Impact’s
Laurent Ciman
-- who left fantasy managers hanging with a “0” after seeing red in midweek action.
It wasn’t all bad news for the DGW contingent, with seven Double Game Week players earning a spot on the Round 23 Dream Team.
There are no Double Game Weeks in Round 24, but we’re approaching a pivotal stretch over the next several rounds. There are four teams playing twice in both Round 25 and 26, before managers are given another universal Wildcard to deal with all the byes in Round 27. Study the upcoming schedule and use your transfers wisely. Here’s what i’m looking at to prepare for Round 24:
The transfer deadline for Round 24 is Thursday at 7pm ET.
Review the MLS Injury Report and MLS Disciplinary Report as they are updated throughout the week. Reach out to me on Twitter (@DraftKicks) with any player specific questions.
US Open Cup and Canadian Championship: Six MLS teams will be in non-league action on Wednesday. The Philadelphia Union, Chicago Fire, Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City are vying for a spot in the US Open Cup final, while the Montreal Impact host the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first leg of the Canadian Championship final. I’m expecting some gritty encounters and will be keeping an eye out to make sure my fantasy players are in good shape leading into Round 24.
Byes and DGWs: The Columbus Crew SC and Montreal Impact are both on a bye this round. If you can find room on your bench for your Crew players, they are on a DGW next round along with New York City FC, the San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City. The Crew will be playing both games at home, while NYCFC and the Earthquakes are on the road for both games.
With that in mind, here are a few players I’m looking at:
Benny Feilhaber
– Sporting Kansas City – Midfielder ($10.7m)
– If you are among the more than 70 percent of owners who don’t currently own him, now is a good time to pick Benny up. Feilhaber has three goals and three assists over his last four games and is second only to Giovinco in total fantasy points. With back-to-back games at home and a DGW next round, Benny is my top transfer for Round 24.
Quincy Amarikwa – San Jose Earthquakes – Forward ($7m) – Amarikwa scored another goal over the weekend, making it four goals in his last four games. With an upcoming home game against the Colorado Rapids and a DGW in the next round, Amarikwa warrants consideration at only $7m.
Giovani dos Santos – LA Galaxy – Midfielder ($10.2m) – The Designated Player made an immediate impact with a goal and an assist in his MLS debut. Though he’s listed as a midfielder in fantasy, he lined up at forward alongside Robbie Keane in a downright scary-looking LA attack. The Galaxy are at FC Dallas this Saturday before a pair of enticing matchups in the following rounds against NYCFC and the San Jose Earthquakes.
Did you captain Giovinco? How are you preparing for the upcoming rounds? Let us know in the comments below.
