MLS Fantasy Boss: Looking at the best Round 2 replacements for your Round 1 duds

ROUND 2 TRANSFER DEADLINE: 7 PM ET

The first round of MLS Fantasy is now in the books, and so far this season is looking at lot more like 2013 than 2014. If you weren’t around two years ago, 2013 was the year defenders were king and a 5-4-1 was almost a required formation for success. Unfortunately, few experts were talking up defenders during preseason, so you’ve probably got a few guys on your team that you already want to replace.

Here’s are the best players to replace your Round 1 MLS Fantasy duds:

GOALKEEPER

With so many shutouts, many of you may be happy with your 'keeper choice, but if you found yourself on the other side of a 1-0 game, you may want to consider a change.

Lonely at the top:

• The stud of the round was Tyler Deric (HOU, $5.1M), AKA the bane of Columbus. His six saves were typical of the performance that we’d expect from the premium keepers, such as Nick Rimando and Bill Hamid, but at $5.1m he may just be the bargain of the season. Houston has a promising home game against Orlando in Week 2, so if you’re looking to offload David Ousted, Dan Kennedy, or Bobby Shuttleworth, then Deric is your guy.

DEFENDERS

A lot of defenders came away with big points last week, but not all of those points are created equal. Don’t fall victim to the siren’s song that is goals and assists. Instead strap yourself to the more reliable mast of CBIs (clearances, blocks, and interceptions) and recoveries.

BYE-er beware:

• Chad Marshall (SEA, $8.6m) picked up right where he left off last season and generated four bonus points from an impressive 23 CBIs and six recoveries in his game against New England. Seattle are firing on all cylinders right now and that means trouble for San Jose, who struggled against a rusty Dallas side, last week. Expect another strong performance from Marshall before his Round 3 bye…if you can afford him.

Long Haul:

• If you’d rather have a player who you don’t have to transfer out after one round, then Zach Loyd (DAL, $7.6m) should be on your short list. He’s secured a center back spot for Dallas and racked up 10 CBIs and 12 recoveries last week. With four of Dallas’ next six games being played at home, I think we can expect to see similar numbers from him, even if his versatility puts him at different spots in the back line.
• Another, more affordable, bonus-point producer is Jermaine Taylor (HOU, $6.6m). He missed about a third of last season due to injuries but seems to have rebounded well, earning 12 CBIs and eight recoveries against a tough Columbus team. He has three promising home games over the next five rounds, so he could be the ideal player if you need to replace the suspended Aurelien Collin or Matt Besler.

MIDFIELDERS

It was an unfortunate showing for many midfielders in Round 1, with only a handful coming up with goals or assists. If you’re an optimistist, you’ll just chalk it up to rust. If not, then you’re ready to ship out the “dead weight.”

Must Have:

• I know, this a highly subjective term that many people like to throw out, and I try to use it sparingly, especially this early in the season. However, I’m that impressed with Clint Dempsey’s (SEA, $10.2m) out of the gate chemistry with Obafemi Martins and very optimistic of a similar performance vs. San Jose. If he does not get goals, he’s first in line for setting one up, and an ideal replacement for Amadou Dia or Javier Morales if you’re trying to find room.

Solid Creators:

• Right off the bench, Cristian Maidana (PHI, $8.5m) made a noticeable impact on the Philadelphia attack. With C.J. Sapong injured, I’d expect him to get the start against RSL this weekend, and after seeing the Claret-and-Cobalt struggle with Portland’s backup attacking midfielders, I think Maidana will be key to the Union rebounding from their Week 1 draw.
• A red card can change a game quickly, and the same is true for fantasy picks. After a poor point return from Brad Davis (HOU, $9.5M) I was ready to ship him off my team, but once Collin got his red card, my hope was renewed. Without his presence in the Orlando back line, I think Davis will have an excellent chance to generate those offensive bonus points we’re used to seeing.

FORWARDS

With several teams having a bye over the next couple of rounds, it was very encouraging to see forwards under the $10-$11 million price range come away with goals last weekend. This should make it easy to replace some of your expensive duds (yeah, I’m looking at you, David Villa) and maybe earn some cash in the process.

Promising Newcomers:
Perhaps the only thing more challenging than pronouncing
Fernando Aristeguieta
’s (PHI, $7.5m) name is defending against him. He may not have come away with a goal against Colorado, but he was a frequent target and it’s just a matter of time before the goals come. If Maidana does start with Aristeguieta this weekend, I think the time will come sooner rather than later.

• Obafemi Martins (SEA, $11.2m) is the yin to Dempsey’s yang and the only thing better than having one of these players on your team is having both of them. You will definitely need to have a plan for Seattle’s upcoming bye in Round 3, but with the potential points that these players can generate, you could easily absorb a -4 hit if needed.
• If you’d rather not bring in a player for only one game, then consider Blas Perez (DAL, $9.1m). He’s already looking like a goalscoring threat and once the Dallas midfield finds its form, he won't have to wait until the 90th minute for chances. With SKC missing Besler this weekend, his potential only goes up and his price is quite affordable.

Who do you think are the most promising players after Round 1? Share your thoughts in the comments below, hit my up on Twitter, or come by MLSFantasyBoss.com and check out the charts and predictions I have for Round 2! Good luck!