I’m filling in for the regular MLS Fantasy Boss, Reid Connelly, so I’ll start off like he did last week – with a little good news and bad news. The bad news is that there are only two rounds left in the MLS Fantasy season.
The good news? There are no more byes, and we all get unlimited transfers to use between now and the Final Push to the Playoffs of Round 33, which kicks off Sunday, October 16th at 3:00 pm ET.
Here are some picks for the MLS Fantasy week ahead:
Keeper
Back at Home: Both the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas have been excellent defensively at home, so Luis Robles ($6.4) and Chris Seitz ($4.9) are strong pickups this weekend. On Sunday, Robles and the Red Bulls host Columbus Crew SC (3:00 pm ET; MLS LIVE), while Seitz and FC Dallas will play against the Seattle Sounders (5:00pm ET; MLS LIVE), who will be without Osvaldo Alonso ($9.2) due to his red card against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday.
Defenders
I’m going to load up with as many expensive attackers as possible, so I will be looking at mostly inexpensive options to fill out my back line. LA's Daniel Steres ($5.5), Real Salt Lake's Justen Glad ($5.0), and Chicago rookie Jonathan Campbell ($5.1) should all be familiar faces on your rosters, and are worth picking up for their consistent starts at cheap prices. Walker Zimmerman ($7.2) used to be a cheap starter, but is currently tied as the highest scoring MLS Fantasy defender, and as I mentioned in the Keeper section, FC Dallas is tough to score on at home.
Be careful of Colorado duo Axel Sjoberg ($6.3) and Marlon Hairston ($5.7) – both could be good options, but Sjoberg is one yellow card away from a suspension, and Hairston sat out last weekend due to a leg injury.
Midfielders
Pay to Win: Most of the midfielders that should be getting high scores will cost a lot, but in this case, you should get what you pay for. Players like the Red Bulls' Sacha Kljestan ($13.0), FC Dallas' Mauro Diaz ($11.7), Portland's Diego Valeri ($11.5), Nicolas Lodeiro of Seattle ($12.4), Montreal's Ignacio Piatti ($11.7), and Sporting KC's Benny Feilhaber ($11.9) are all good adds for this weekend.
If you want a price-friendly option, Philadelphia's Chris Pontius ($7.8) is goal-dependent for points, but he has two home matches to end the season, against Orlando City SC and New York Red Bulls.
Forwards
Welcome back, forwards! Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips ($12.1) is a no-brainer, and both NYCFC's David Villa ($12.7) and New England's Kei Kamara ($11.5) have been on a tear as of late. Sporting KC's Dom Dwyer ($10.7) has scored a goal in his last four matches, but travels away to Real Salt Lake on Sunday. If you’re running low on funds, Houston's Mauro Manotas ($6.3 HOU) has scored five goals in his last three starts. He didn’t start on Wednesday, but that’s likely due to Wade Barrett wanting to rest his preferred starter for the weekend.
What is your Round 33 wildcard lineup going to look like? Let us know, and good luck in the final two weeks!
