2024 Round 6 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 5 Final Results: 

• Jon Gallagher – Bust (2 points)
• Sam Vines – Bust (3 points)
• Cole Bassett – Average (5 points)
• Lewis Morgan – GREAT! TOP SCORE (21 points)
• Darion Asprilla – Bust (1 point)
• Raul Ruidiaz – GREAT! (10 points)

2024 Full Season Results: 4 Great, 4 Good, 7 Average, 19 Busts

Matt Results: 4 Average, 8 Bust

Brandon Results: 2 Great, 3 Average, 6 Bust

Ranch Results: 2 Great, 4 Good, 5 Bust

 

Welcome back to week 6 of the diffeRANCHals article. With players returning from international duty, rosters are back to full strength. There was yet another player picked in the diffeRANCHals article that was the top scorer on the week: Lewis Morgan. That makes it 3 out of 5 articles where the top point scorer on the week has been identified. Let’s get into the picks for the week!

Ranch: Ryan Hollingshead, $6.6m (Defender — LAFC)

Let’s start off the picks with a bit of a random one. Ryan Hollingshead, as Blayne would say, is the “best right-back in the league!” With the attacking potential of LAFC, Hollingshead has proven to be a lethal force on the counter. The downside is that Hollingshead and LAFC are playing in Colorado. The upside is that they are playing against Colorado. What I mean is that they are playing at altitude, but Colorado’s defense is not its 2016 self. Keep your eyes peeled for a Hollingshead assist or goal in this upcoming road matchup.

Brandon: Sam Junqua, $5.1m (Defender – Dallas)

Given the generally high-octane nature of rivalry matches, Dallas left-back Sam Junqua might initially seem to be an odd option as his side face their Copa Tejas counterparts, Austin, away this weekend. However, given his lower price and a lethargic Los Verdes attack so far to start this season, Junqua offers an inexpensive way into a decent clean sheet chance; plus, with Jesus Ferreira also out due to a hamstring injury, expect Junqua to be on corners, having taken ten of them in their first game of the season against San Jose when the former was again unavailable due to injury.

Matt: Albert Rusnak, $6.9m (Midfielder – Seattle)

Even though Rusnak has been injured for the start of the season, Schmetzer told the media that he will be starting against the Galaxy and Rusnak himself said he’s ready to go 90. As we have seen the past few weeks, the LA Galaxy defending has been horrid and Rusnak should be playing as a true 10, pulling the strings for Ruidiaz and Morris. He should have plenty of KP from this alone. On top of that, Joao Paulo is still out, which puts Rusnak on all set pieces. This has been another tough spot defensively for the Galaxy and Rusnak should be able to serve in some dangerous crosses from dead ball situations.

Matt: Carlos Andres Gomez, $8.2m (Midfielder – RSL)

St. Louis is having an injury crisis of their own, specifically at CB. Nilsson is out for the weekend and Tim Parker is questionable (but “in contention” per Carnell), which could leave STL with their 3rd and 4th choice CBs starting. The obvious pick for an RSL attacking player is Chicho Arango, but Carlos Gomez has been playing a large role in creating chances, averaging 4.62 SCA per 90 and leads the team in npxG+xAG per 90. If this is a goalscoring fest like I am expecting it to be, Carlos Gomez should be very involved in the action.

Brandon: Jared Stroud, $7.5m (Midfielder – DC)

In the background of flashier picks like Christian Benteke (F, $9.5m) and Mateusz Klich (M, $7.9m), the midfielder has been quietly ticking along the last couple of weeks, notching both a goal against Inter Miami in week 4 and an assist against his former St Louis side in week 5. Despite being lined up in a variety of positions along DC’s right flank, Stroud also remains a solid contributor of shot-creating actions per FBref, averaging just over 3.5 per 90 – good enough for fifth on the team – whilst also consistently hitting a bonus point for key passes this season, missing the mark just once, in a scoreless road draw against Cincinnati. Also worth considering here, is DC’s opposition this week, Montréal, coming off two high-scoring road games against Inter Miami and Chicago, prior to a bye week last week — more to suggest a high-scoring game where Stroud could profit.

Ranch: Bongokuhle Hlongwane, $8.1m (Forward – Minnesota)

Mr. Best name in the game himself appears for the first time this season. Hlongwane (aka Bongi) has been a reliable player in years past when it comes to this article. Looking at both history and his stats so far this season, I truly believe that Bongi is worth the play this week. Even though he has not started at all this season (two 20 minute appearances), he did get 90 minutes of play while on international duty, where he managed to score a goal. Also, in his two 20 minute appearances this season, Bongi scored a goal in each of them. On the road to Philly, who has looked shaky to start the season? I think that Hlongwane can score at least one, if not 2 goals.

Ranch: Mikael Uhre, $8.4m (Forward – Philly)

On the other side of the matchup we have the home standing Philly boys. When looking at the Union’s attack, most people would pick out Daniel Gazdag or Julian Carranza. In this article, however, we like to pick out the differentials. Therefore, Mikael Uhre is the pick for this week. The Union forward has only had 1 game where he did not contribute either a goal or assist so far this season. In that game, it was also one that he did not start in. Therefore, every game that Uhre has started in, he has contributed. What could go wrong?