Whether it's a new car or some gas-station sushi, you get what you pay for. As you begin to finalize your MLS Fantasy lineups, you'll be tempted to cut costs at certain positions so you can invest in others.
However, it's wise to be wary. As you review this list of 10 potential busts, you'll find a few players who seem like a great value but may not be starters for their respective teams. Week 1 is by far the hardest week to predict lineups in the MLS season, so take care to investigate each team's projected starters before rosters lock.
With all that said, here's ten players I might take a second look at before the 2016 MLS Fantasy season gets underway.
Josh Saunders, GK, New York City FC ($5.0m): I know the price tag is attractive, but question marks surround an NYCFC defense that shipped a league-worst 58 goals in 2015. No one knows for sure what the back four will be, while a Designated Player-heavy midfield may not provide much cover for the back line. Personally, I’d stay away until new coach Patrick Vieira has a chance to get the chemistry right.
Pa Modou Kah, D, Vancouver Whitecaps ($6.5m): The Whitecaps have three great central defenders between Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, and Kah. Since Waston won’t be dislodged from the starting lineup by anything except injury, that leaves one spot available. Even if the 35-year-old Kah emerges as the starter, Parker’s presence means he won’t be an ideal set-and-forget CB.
Kevin Ellis, D, Sporting Kansas City ($7.0m): Ellis finds himself in the same position as Kah. Ike Opara, Nuno Andre Coelho, and Ellis are all capable players fighting for a spot next to SKC stalwart Matt Besler. If either of his teammates take the starting role, Ellis’ fantasy value drops to essentially nil. Take a gander at Harrison Afful, Waylon Francis, and Joevin Jones – all of whom clock in at $7.0m.
Atiba Harris, D, FC Dallas ($6.0m): Harris got some great run as a defender in FC Dallas’ excellent 2015 season, contributing to a rearguard that conceded a stingy 39 goals over 34 matches. However, as SB Nation blog Big D Soccer outlines, there’s competition at three of the four spots on the FCD backline and no one knows how it’s going to shake out yet. Consider Vancouver’s Fraser Aird as a similarly-priced starter.
Harry Shipp, M, Montreal Impact ($8.0m): Wow – it’s weird writing in “Montreal Impact” next to Shipp’s name. Ignacio Piatti does most of the playmaking for the Impact, which may limit Shipp’s chances to provide those final balls to goal monster Didier Drogba. However, Shipp has developed a good relationship with Dom Oduro, so you may want to take your chances here.
Ethan Finlay, M, Columbus Crew SC ($10.5m): While I don’t doubt Finlay’s talent, I fear that the Crew SC midfield isn’t providing much of a counterweight on the other side of the park. Can Finlay continue to produce against defenses that are shifted over to blanket him? Perhaps, but at $10.5m I’d prefer more of a sure thing like Javier Morales or Kaká—two players who, as a bonus, usually take the penalty kicks for their side.
Andrea Pirlo, M, New York City FC ($10.0m): Once again, at a price tag like $10m, I want a sure thing. Pirlo notched 12 starts in 2015 after joining midway through the season, contributing no goals and five assists to an NYCFC team that fell short of the playoffs. The eternal question in the Bronx is how to fit Pirlo, Mix Diskerud, Frank Lampard, and Kwadwo Poku into the same midfield. Even if Vieira finds a way to do that, I don’t think Pirlo offers enough consistent production to warrant a roster spot.
Octavio Rivero, F, Vancouver Whitecaps ($8.5m): After opening the season with five goals in six games, Rivero scored only two from the run of play in his next 28 league games. While he may repeat his early-season form, many prefer to look elsewhere for a consistent source of goals. Consider Seattle’s Jordan Morris, also at $8.5m, as an alternative.
Nelson Valdez, F, Seattle Sounders FC ($8.0m): Against Club América, the Sounders showed they can create goals in their new, Oba-less offense. But will Valdez bag any of them? The DP striker scored only twice after coming to Seattle in August, including the playoffs. He’ll be involved, but my hunch is that newcomer Morris and midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz will be the ones bagging the stats alongside Clint Dempsey in the Pacific Northwest.
Maximiliano Urruti, F, FC Dallas ($8.5m): To borrow a quote from The Social Network, if Urruti was a goalscorer, he’d score more goals. He only scored four times last season for Portland, who declined his option and left him available to be poached in the Re-Entry Draft. It’s tempting to extrapolate Urruti’s goals per 90 total and look at him as the focal point of a potent FCD attack, but he has to prove it first.
Are there any players you’re staying away from? Any disagreements? Let us know in the comments below.
