Thursdays are all about the fans on Starting Lineup. So why not join the fun? Jason, Andrew and Quincy Amarikwa gave you their thoughts in the video above. Now, here's my take on some of the questions we received this week...
1. (@justinzoradi): Is Javier Morales a good fantasy buy or just a great player?
Both. Morales is one of the best playmakers in the league and one of my favorite players to watch. In 2013, he killed it in MLS Fantasy, but this season it's taken him a few games to get things going.
He's had some tough matchups to start the season: LA, at LA, at SKC. Plus, he didn't even feature in the 3-3 thriller against San Jose back on March 15. Last week he had five points and the week before that he had eight.
Real Salt Lake travel to Philadelphia this week and one person I know (see video above) is very high on him in Round 6. He's dropped in price ($10.7m), and he's only owned by 4.7 percent of fantasy managers. If you own him, start him with confidence. Heck, maybe even give him the armband.
I'm starting Amobi Okugo this week, so I hope Morales doesn't go off. But it's very possible that he will.
2. (@ejimenez67): Why didn't RSL put Nick Rimando on the injured list in week 5?
Injuries are tough to monitor, especially when a player leaves for international duty during the week. Rimando played all 90 minutes in the US national team's friendly against Mexico on April 2, and there was no sign of injury.
When he returned, he was nursing a knock to his knee and it was too late ... for several fantasy owners. Look, these things are going to happen from time to time. I do my best to monitor injuries from all 19 teams in MLS, but the system isn't perfect. Some players will be game-time decisions.
My advice: Avoid questionable situations and get a backup goalkeeper who starts. It never hurts to have a secondary option.
3. (@cylegus): What's up with Thierry Henry? Thinking of handing him the armband.
Henry is rested and ready to inflict some pain on D.C. United come Saturday. Andrew Wiebe is high on the Frenchman this week, so much so that he anointed him as one of his top three choices for captain.
Still sour on Wiebe's Crew-heavy advice from last week? Will some Henry stats that support his claim help with your decision? Check out the video above.
4. (@25_coins): What defense would you gamble to pull off the clean sheet?
Clean sheets aren't the easiest to predict, but here are my three favorites this week: Portland, Houston and New York. If you have defenders/goalkeepers from any of these teams, you should feel good about it.
5. (@CaleBaldwin): Will Aaron Wheeler, who
is labeled as a forward but being played at center back, ever change in the game? Or Harrison Shipp as a forward, not a mid?
Simply put, no. Once the game is officially launched and a player is given a position, it cannot be changed during the season. If Wheeler was moved from forward to defense, everyone who owns him would have seven defenders and three forwards. Once a forward, always a forward. Until next year at least.
Most of the "out-of-position" players were given the position they were expected to play prior to the start of the season. Coaches are going to try new things, as is the case with Chivas USA's Eriq Zavaleta. We saw the same thing last year with Okugo, who was listed as a midfielder and ended up in central defense.
That's all we have for this week's Q&A with the experts. Keep tweeting your questions to @MLSFantasy and good luck in your matchups!
