Players with the potential for international duty are like a box of chocolates. Without them, things would just be a little duller. However, you never know what you’re gonna get.
When those FIFA international dates roll around, it can be a coin toss whether a Clint Dempsey ($11.8m) or a Michael Bradley ($10.2m) will be available.
The good news is if you’re one of the 34.3 percent of managers with Dempsey, you have nothing to worry about this week. But if you were depending on Nick Rimando ($6.3m) to start at goalkeeper, things didn’t go your way.
This week we have another triple match day on Wednesday, before the MLS schedule slows down with just 10 teams in action in round 15. Knowing that the universal reset button is coming next round, this is a good week to take some risks.
What kind of risks should this week’s patient take? Our entry comes all the way from Kuala Lumpur, a great example of MLS’ growing reach. Amin Zulkarnain wants some help setting up his transfers for the week.
Dear MLS Fantasy Doctor:
I need help. I don’t have enough confidence in my team. Any changes that I should make?
We want to identify the players on a double match week. On this team, that’s Jack McInerney ($7.5m), Kakuta Manneh ($7.1m), Justin Meram ($7.7m), Harry Shipp ($8.0m), and Kofi Opare ($5.2m). Of those players it’s Manneh, who hasn’t scored since round five, who is expendable.
Looking at the rest of the starting XI, you need to take care of Mix Diskerud ($9.1m), who is on international duty this round. Defenders Jorge Villafana ($6.1m) and Axel Sjoberg ($4.7m) don’t inspire a plethora of confidence, but Villafana’s higher price tag makes him the better transfer unless we can find some money elsewhere.
Let’s spend the money from Diskerud on Columbus Crew SC’s Hector Jimenez ($6.0m). Selected by 2.4 percent of MLS Fantasy managers, the right back has picked up assists in two of his last three games. Not only is he distributing, but he also plays a big defensive role. He should pick up some bonuses as Crew SC take on the Philadelphia Union (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE) and Montreal Impact (7:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE) this week.
That’s a savings of $3.1 that we can apply to the transfer of Sjoberg to upgrade that defender. $7.8 is enough for Columbus’ Waylon Francis ($6.4m), who is back to regular minutes.
My final bit of advice is an optional four-point-penalty costing transfer, but we still have $1.8 to apply to Manneh’s value of $7.1 that would be enough to grab Will Bruin ($8.2m). Bruin has been on fire as of late, and even without the extra match I think he has more potential for points. This one is more an investment in the future, and if you wanted to hold off until next week’s free-for-all to make this move it’s completely understandable.
