There’s still one round left before the first double-game week (or DGW) of 2015, but I wanted to help you get an early look at why it’s so important to take advantage of it. To assess how important DGWs are, I’ve compiled all of the 2014 game data and compared points from single-game weeks to double-game weeks for each position. I’ve only included rounds where a player has played for 60 minutes in at least one of the matches:
| 2014 Points and Minutes Per Round, Single vs. Double game weeks | |||||
| Position | Pts/Round | Min/Round | DGW - P/R | DGW - M/R | % Increase |
| Goalkeepers | 4.48 | 90 | 8.88 | 172 | 98% |
| Defenders | 4.04 | 89 | 6.20 | 144 | 54% |
| Midfielders | 4.27 | 85 | 6.21 | 133 | 45% |
| Forwards | 4.51 | 83 | 7.09 | 131 | 57% |
A bit surprisingly, goalkeepers stand out as the biggest overall benefactors, nearly doubling their point production during DGWs. One advantage they have is that goalkeepers are the most likely to be involved in all 180 minutes for the round, whereas a majority of the field players are rotated to help manage fitness. Outfielders see a bump of around 50 percent, which is definitely worth considering if you can find players that will start both games.
To refine the data a bit further, I did the same calculations, but only for the top overall scorers in each position. That means the top-four goalkeepers, top-12 defenders and midfielders, and top-eight forwards. The numbers are eye-opening:
| 2014 Points and Minutes Per Round, Top Players | |||||
| Position | Pts/Round | Min/Round | DGW - P/R | DGW - M/R | % Increase |
| Goalkeepers | 4.96 | 90 | 10.69 | 180 | 115% |
| Defenders | 4.80 | 89 | 9.03 | 167 | 88% |
| Midfielders | 6.11 | 87 | 11.71 | 155 | 92% |
| Forwards | 6.02 | 88 | 13.43 | 161 | 123% |
The highest scorers in 2014 were being used for almost all of the 180 minutes in DGWs, regardless of position, and they put up some serious DGW numbers. Only defenders did not average more than 10 points per round.
The DGWs start in Round 6 with the Vancouver Whitecaps and Columbus Crew SC facing off on April 8 and continue in Round 7 with New York City FC and Philadelphia Union.
Don’t forget that Crew SC are one of the teams on a bye this week in Round 5 – so use your transfers wisely as you prepare to maximize the benefits of their DGW.
Which double game week players do you think are going to shine in Round 6? Let us know in the comments below.
