Reid, Mike and Blayne recap Round 21 of MLS Fantasy and make player picks for Round 22.
With the 2017 MLS Secondary Transfer Window coming to a close in a week’s time, it’s time to take a look at some of the most notable signings and the MLS Fantasy impact they can have. Several of these players are already making impacts while others will likely boost the performance of their teammates rather than light up the score sheet themselves.
Tomas Martinez, Midfielder – Houston Dynamo
Martinez is a young Argentine midfielder that has joined the Dynamo as a Designated Player. The former River Plate youth is expected to make an immediate impact for the club. His inclusion will likely mean the end of the run for one of the best value midfielders in the game, Alex. If he’s good enough to replace Alex, his fantasy numbers should be comparable at least, just with a higher price tag of $9.0 compared to Alex’s $8.0.
Jonathan dos Santos, Midfielder – LA Galaxy
Perhaps the biggest signing of the window is Jonathan dos Santos by the Galaxy. He’s a box-to-box facilitator and his inclusion could be just what LA needs to right the ship and the perfect answer for the injured Sebastian Lletget. This move could vastly improve the defense and allow the offense to flow more freely. At $9.0, MLS Fantasy is listing dos Santos just behind the premium options, and similarly priced to Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso.
Claude Dielna, Defender – New England Revolution
The Revolution are a team on the cusp of fully righting the ship, and the addition of French defender Dielna might help them do that. If the defense can manage to hold firm, the rest of the team should feel more comfortable and live up to its full fantasy potential. Coming in to the game at $5.0, he could be a very important pickup for home matches.
Muhamed Keita, Midfielder/Forward – New York Red Bulls
All of the paperwork on Keita indicates that he is a forward, but MLS Fantasy lists him as a midfielder. With Gonzalo Veron enduring another subpar year, Keita may be given an immediate opportunity to make an impact with the Red Bulls. The attack is clicking, however, since it’s unknown if he will be inserted into the lineup for fear of upsetting the chemistry. Nonetheless, he should be given a chance. If he is going to play at forward while listed as a midfielder, he will give managers the option to artificially add a fourth forward to the roster at only $8.0
Marcelo Silva, Defender – Real Salt Lake
The 28-year-old Uruguayan is head coach Mike Petke’s second addition to the team since taking over in March. If Silva is anything like the Jefferson Savarino signing, there are great things ahead for the team. In years past, RSL have brought out a strong defensive lineup, but that was missing this season as they tumbled down the table. A healthy defense, reinforced by Silva, might bring them back to the fantasy powerhouse they can be.
Silva has already played twice for RSL since joining the club, posting scores of four and five points. At $5.0, he might just be a great value pick going forward.
Kelvin Leerdam, Defender – Seattle Sounders
The Sounders added Leerdam as their new right back during the window and he’s already making a huge impact with the team. Leerdam is an offensive threat out of the back playing on an already strong defensive unit.
Leerdam’s first appearance as a sub was for a single point, but his first start saw him break into the Dream Team with 16 points that came from a goal, assist and clean sheet. He followed that up with a 10-point clean sheet appearance. With those kind of performances, it's clear that Leerdam could be a huge target for fantasy managers with a price tag of just $5.3.
Cristian Lobato, Midfielder – Sporting Kansas City
Dom Dwyer’s transfer out of Kansas City leaves a lot of fantasy questions about what his replacements can accomplish. Add Lobato and everything gets even murkier. Lobato is often listed as a winger who can play outside back, but manager Peter Vermes thinks he can play nearly any position. As Sporting’s players strive to prove themselves, expect rotation with the myriad of talent the club has. At just $7.5, Lobato could be a valuable addition if he's able to break into the lineup.
Stay Connected:To get all the latest Fantasy news and advice, download the MLS app and sign up for MLS Fantasy notifications. To sign up for notifications, select the main menu, then choose settings. Within the settings menu, select News & Videos notifications and turn on notifications for "Fantasy Soccer."
