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Do you hear a harmonica in the background while browsing for your player transfers? Would you say that the lyrics of Muddy Waters and B.B. King would make the best soundtrack for MLS Fantasy Soccer Round 4?
Woke up this mornin’. Checked out my fantasy team. Then I got a bad feeling. Because of all the red flags that greeted me. I got the blues.
Like the rest of us, you’re suffering from the international call-up blues and there’s only one cure. No, not more cowbell, a strong finish in Round 4. How do you do this? Don’t worry, I’ve got just the players you need to help make it happen.
Goalkeepers
Fortunately, many of the top keepers are still available for this round, so you’ll really only need to find a replacement if you own
Nick Rimando
or
Jamie Penedo
. Even with several defensive players missing,
Donovan Ricketts
(ORL $5.4) is one of my top picks. He’s up against a Montreal team that is currently suffering from several injuries, and they are all offensive players. With
Aurelian Collin
anchoring the defense, I think Orlando will be able to come away with a valuable road clean sheet.
With two clean sheets in three games, Chris Seitz (DAL $5.1) is an ideal pick if you want to make a change for the long run. But even without Clint Dempsey and Marco Pappa, Seattle is not toothless and we should see goals for both sides. Dallas’ real appeal is excellent matchups starting in Round 6. Colorado, Toronto, and Colorado again should definitely result in more clean-sheet points.
If you don’t want to wait for a promising schedule, David Ousted (VAN $5.5) is your man. His next two games are at home followed by a double game week. If you plan to have four Vancouver players for the DGW, now is the time to start phasing them in.
Defenders
With so many top players being called up, a continued run on clean sheets wouldn’t surprise me. If you’ve been thinking about investing more into your back line, now is a good time.
With Chicago being in such poor form, it’s hard to not bet against them.
Steven Vitoria
(PHI $7.4) should be on your radar. His CBIs (Clearances, Blocks, and Interceptions) are a little low for a CB, but you’re banking on the clean sheet with this pick. He’s also Philly’s penalty-kick expert, which means there’s always a chance you get lucky with a goal.
One of the teams hit hardest by the call-ups was Toronto, who will be without Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley. This is good news for Real Salt Lake and means that snagging Jamison Olave (RSL $8.2) could be a good investment. In two games, he’s earned almost as many points as many defenders have in three thanks to his ability to rack up CBI bonus points. Just ignore that own goal.
Even if you are ready to throw big money into your defense, there are still some budget players that are worth considering. Bobby Burling (COL $4.8) has returned from his suspension, just in time to replace the Shane O’Neill. Colorado isn’t likely to be a clean-sheet bet down the line, but with Houston’s inability to score right now, one more could be in the cards.
Midfielders
I’ve not been very pleased with midfielders over these first three rounds, so I’m really hoping that the call-ups allow some of them to shine again. I mentioned how Montreal’s offense was suffering due to injuries, well their defense is suffering from call-ups. Because of this, I actually think
Kaka
(ORL $11.1) will get is first non-set piece goal.
If you’re still holding on to Clint Dempsey – more than 23 percent of you at last check – you really need to find a replacement. Two ideal options are Pedro Morales (VAN $11.1) or Javier Morales (RSL $10.7). Both of are coming off games in which they earned points, both have promising matches in Round 4, and both have good matchups over the next three weeks. I’d give Javier the advantage this week, but you’ll want Pedro by Round 6.
After three weeks, it’s finally clear that Fabian Castillo (DAL $9.8) is the midfielder to have from Dallas. With Blas Perez out with Panama, they will be missing an important part of their offense, but it’s hard to imagine the game against Seattle not having goals on both sides. Castillo is a prime candidate for those goals or at least assisting on them.
Forwards
With several top forwards called up and others facing a bye in Round 5, finding a replacement for the next few games will be important. My top pick, by far, is
Octavio Rivero
(VAN $8.7). Vancouver has struggled to get going, but Rivero has managed to score in every game. Eventually that run has to end, but both his form and schedule say that he is a player that must be on your team for the next few weeks. That is, if you’re not one of the 20 percent who already own him.
Like many others, I was disappointed that Chris Wondolowski (SJ $10.7) did not score a hat trick against Chicago last week. Many of you may be considering dropping him, but I think he’s worth keeping around for the New England game. The Revs held strong against Montreal, but we saw their defense give up goals in the first two rounds. I expect San Jose to be more of a challenge and provide Wondo another opportunity for a goal or two.
My final pick for this round is Fernando Aristeguieta (PHI $7.6) to take advantage of Chicago’s struggling defense. Aristeguieta is a handful, but without someone like Maidana pulling the creative strings, he could struggle. For just $7.6m, I think he’s worth the risk this time.
With a few of these picks you’ll be to turn those red flags into green arrows and that’s sure to help you beat the blues. How do they stack up with yours? Share your thoughts in the comments below or stop by MLS Fantasy Boss to chat with other managers and check out my form charts before you finalize your trades.
