2024 Round 11 DiffeRANCHals

Every week, I’m going to go over my suggestions from last week, and determine if they were a good or bad pick based on position and points. To describe in detail the ranking system, here is the metric: bust = 3 or fewer points (or not starting/on the bench), average = 4-5 points, good = 6-8 points, great = 9+ points. Players not available for selection I am disregarding and not counting as a positive or negative in the article.

DGW Scoring: Bust = 6 or fewer, Average = 7-9, Good = 10-12, Great = 13+

Week 10 Final Results: 

Matt:

• Sean Nealis – Average (4 points)
• Sam Surridge – Bust (3 points)

Brandon:

• Alex Bono – Bust (3 points)
• Jacob Shaffelburg – Bust (3 points)

Ranch:

• Hannes Wolf – Bust (1 point)
• Saba Lobjanidze – Average (5 points)

 

2024 Full Season Results: 7 Great, 6 Good, 13 Average, 38 Busts

Matt Results: 2 Great, 0 Good, 6 Average, 14 Bust

Brandon Results: 2 Great, 0 Good, 6 Average, 13 Bust

Ranch Results: 3 Great, 6 Good, 1 Average, 11 Bust

 

Welcome back to week 11 of the diffeRANCHals article! Having drawn the short straw for intro duties this week, you’ve got me, Brandon, to take you into our picks this week. It’s also back to the standard format for us this week, with a bit of an asterisk. Ranch is feeling a bit under the weather, so his pick will come via myself while Matt gets a third pick to keep the article at the usual six options – but with all that out of the way, let’s get into the action!

Matt: Nicksoen Gomis, $5.9m (Defender – Toronto)

The best clean sheet chances this weekend are probably Vancouver, Seattl, and NYC. If you don’t like those picks or just want to be different, Toronto have a decent clean sheet chance this weekend hosting a struggling Dallas side. Toronto themselves have only conceded an average of .75 goals per game at home and Dallas are scoring an average of .75 goals away from home. Gomis himself could see a passing bonus point or two come his way as well.

Matt: Alexandros Katranis, $7.5m (Defender – Salt Lake)

There are definitely better clean sheet options out there this week, but RSL’s matchup against Sporting Kansas City is an intriguing one. RSL has been fine defensively and SKC has struggled to break down tough defenses on the road. What makes Katranis a fun differential, though, is potential to get into the attack. If SKC is missing the defensive pieces listed as questionable on the availability report, Katranis could really exploit that left side.

Matt: Amine Bassi, $9.5m (Midfielder – Houston)

After a frustrating loss to Dallas last week, Houston will look to bounce back at home against a St. Louis team that continues to struggle defensively. With exception to last week, Bassi has been the creative force for Houston, collecting key passes easier than I collect Bust picks. With St. Louis conceding an average of 1.65 xGA in away games this season, Houston can expect to have plenty of chances in front of goal. All that being said, Bassi should have a high-floor game with solid chances for goal contributions.

Brandon: Santiago Moreno, $8.8m (Midfielder – Portland)

We’re playing both sides of the Charlotte – Portland match this week as Ranch and I double up on midfielder picks from this fixture. For the away side, the Timbers have had the dubious honor of being third in scoring league-wide so far this season, whilst having just 10 points to show for their 20 goals from the first 10 matches. With Evander still reported as being “50/50” this week by Phil Neville, I’d like to think that Santi Moreno continuing his goal-scoring streak would go a long way for Portland ahead of their return to Providence Park next week for a Cascadia Cup clash against Seattle.

Ranch: Ashley Westwood, $6.3m (Midfielder – Charlotte)

Ranch’s pick this week, meanwhile, was back on the home side of this clash with Charlotte’s deeper-lying #8. Aside from the home-field advantage in the matchup, there’s a lot to like this week, given the aforementioned tendency for Portland to give up goals and opportunities in their half of the pitch. Although Charlotte will be down a forward outlet in Kerwin Vargas thanks to yellow card accumulation, the fact that Westwood is also on creative set-piece duties for Charlotte could be another reason to make the Englishman your fifth midfielder this week.

Brandon: Federico Bernardeschi, $8.6m (Forward – Toronto)

Hedging our bets with our forward options (or, well, option, singular) this week, we head back north of the border to where we started this week’s article. Up against a Dallas side which hasn’t necessarily had the best of luck this season, falling multiple times in 2-1 losses on the road (thrice in their first nine matches this season, to be specific), Bernardeschi could hope to get his season on track after finally getting his first goal involvement via the assist on the Reds’ 90th-minute winner over Orlando last weekend. The Italian also has the benefit of an earlier game – a potential cheap third forward option to throw on the bench as cover for two riskier fliers/an alternative to fall back to, especially with a pretty solid floor averaging just over 4.5 points per game, thanks to a seemingly never-ending stream of key passes.