On this week's MLS Fantasy Insider podcast Reid, Jason, Mike and Blayne preview the Opening Weekend Challenge in MLS Fantasy. They make all the picks you need to have a successful first week of MLS Fantasy!
The 2017 MLS season kicks off this week, so it’s about time to stop tinkering with your MLS Fantasy teams and set your final starting lineup. To help with this process, I’ll be providing my lists of top players for each position.
We’ll start things off with goalkeepers. This is the one position that you don’t have to stress too much over. Most 'keepers fell within a similar point range in 2016, so your deciding factor each round will often be the chance for a clean sheet.
Overall 'Keeper List
In addition to focusing on 2016 point generation per 90 minutes played, when making these rankings. I also took total price and quality of the defensive unit into consideration. Colorado’s strong 2016 defensive performance earns Tim Howard the top spot (remember though, he's working his way back from a serious groin injury and isn't a great choice for this week). Brian Rowe and Clint Irwin round out my top three, as I believe LA and Toronto will finish at the top of their respective conferences.
*All prices in millions
Player |
Team |
Price |
|---|---|---|
Tim Howard |
COL |
$6.0 |
Brian Rowe |
LA |
$5.5 |
Clint Irwin |
TOR |
$5.5 |
<a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/luis-robles">Luis Robles</a> |
NY |
$6.0 |
<a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/chris-seitz">Chris Seitz</a> |
DAL |
$5.5 |
<a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/bill-hamid">Bill Hamid</a> |
DC |
$5.5 |
<a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/david-bingham">David Bingham</a> |
SJ |
$6.0 |
<a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/stefan-frei">Stefan Frei</a> |
SEA |
$6.0 |
<a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/andre-blake">Andre Blake</a> |
PHI |
$5.5 |
<a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/zack-steffen">Zack Steffen</a> |
CLB |
$4.5 |
Honorable Mention
Nick Rimando is a quality 'keeper, but his national team duties could hurt his point production and his price tag is a bit high. Alec Kann also needs to be mentioned, because you can’t ignore a starting keeper priced under $5 million. But expansion teams can be unpredictable.
Player |
Team |
Price |
|---|---|---|
Nick Rimando |
RSL |
$6.0 |
Alex Kann |
ATL |
$4.5 |
Opening Weekend Challenge Standouts
We’ve already seen Portland and Minnesota play to a 2-2 draw in preseason, but the Timbers held the Loons scoreless in the second half after their starting lineup took the field. I think this is a good preview for what will happen in the season opener on Friday (9:30 pm ET; FS1 in US, MLS LIVE in Canada).
Also keep your eye on who starts for Colorado. Howard underwent surgery in November and may not be ready to take back his starting spot. If that’s true, Zac MacMath would be a great value pick.
Player |
Team |
Price |
|---|---|---|
<a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/jake-gleeson">Jake Gleeson</a> |
POR |
$5.5 |
Zac MacMath |
COL |
$4.5 |
These are my top 'keeper picks for the start of the 2017 season. Share your favorites in the comments below? If you want to get more player selection tips, listen to the most recent episode of the MLS Fantasy Insider podcast at the top of this page.
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