A wild week of Major League Soccer action translated into some big fantasy numbers from some not-so-usual suspects.
Four players -- Cristian Maidana, Kennedy Igboananike, Kwadwo Poku and Kekuta Manneh -- tied for the Top Player of the round with 16 points. Poku outshined teammates David Villa (10 pts) and Andrea Pirlo (8 pts), who both had solid fantasy performances as well. Maidana’s three-assist game saw him leap Benny Feilhaber on the assists leaderboard. Speaking of Manneh, who struck for two goals, our fearless fantasy leader, Andrew Wiebe named the Gambian captain of the MLS Fantasy Bargain XI.
Overall top point-scorer Sebastian Giovinco (3 pts) was kept in check by the New York Red Bulls, something I don’t see his Round 25 opponents, Orlando City, doing. Giovinco will be licking his chops after hanging a hat trick on Orlando less than two weeks ago.
Fantasy manager Peter Hart and Oxford Orange put together the best lineup for Round 24, doubling up on his captain, Maidana (32 pts), for a total of 95 points. In the overall standings, Karan Meht’s Ninja Skrtels still hold the top spot as we round the corner for the final 10-round stretch.
It’s DGW time again, with four teams playing twice this round. This is the first of back-to-back DGW rounds before we get another free Wildcard in Round 27. Here are the details for this week:
The transfer deadline for Round 25 is Wednesday, August 19th at 7:30 pm 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.
Byes and DGWs: There are four teams playing twice in Round 24: Columbus Crew SC, New York City FC, San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City. Before loading up on DGW players, keep in mind that the Crew will be playing both games at home, while NYCFC and the Earthquakes are on the road for both games.
The New England Revolution and the New York Red Bulls are both on a bye this round, but if you can find room on your bench for your Red Bulls players, they are on a DGW next round along with the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo.
With that in mind, here are a few players I expect to have a good Round 25:
Kevin Ellis
– Sporting Kansas City – Defender ($6.6m)
– Ellis scored a goal against Vancouver en route to a nine-point performance in Round 24 - his third straight round with at least five points. With two games in Round 25, Ellis should be a popular pickup at a favorable price.
Ethan Finlay – Columbus Crew SC – Midfielder ($9.0m) – Despite a total of three points over the last two rounds, Finlay is high on my radar for Round 25. He’s third in the league in assists and boasts an overall fantasy average of 6 points per game. With two home games, I’m banking on Finlay to get back on the scoresheet.
Robbie Keane – LA Galaxy – Forward ($11.9m) – While Kei Kamara and Villa will be popular DGW pickups, reigning MLS MVP Robbie Keane has caught fire once again. The Irishman posted 12 fantasy points for the second straight week and doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. The retooled Galaxy attack host expansion side NYCFC this round before facing the San Jose Earthquakes in the California Clasico in Round 26.
Are you loading up on DGW players in Round 25? Think Giovinco or Keane will outshine the DGW players? Let us know in the comments below.
