Austin FC 2022 Preview

Previous Year Recap

Last year my motto with regards to Austin FC and MLS Fantasy was “wait and see” – and I expect to continue waiting to start the 2022 season. Last year, Austin had few consistently good fantasy option, aside from a handful of weeks when Sebastian Driussi looked very threatening. This year, there are several questions that must be answered before I would consider selecting Verde players: Can they find some offensive production and start scoring goals?? How will their new signings fit into the squad (and possibly affect fantasy point production of returning players)?? Can the addition of a couple new faces help sort out the defense??

Fantasy Players to Watch

Goalkeepers

To the surprise of many Verde fans, Brad Stuver was the starting goalkeeper at the start of 2021 season, and he ended up starting 33 of 34 matches. His fantasy stats were solid as well; his 144 total points put him in 8th place among GKs for the 2021 season. He also had 34 bonus points from saves, which was 2nd to only JT Macinkowski (36) among the top 10 highest scoring GKs. While those bonus points are nice, all those saves were the result of Austin’s league-leading 197 shots against during the 2021 campaign. Until Austin’s defense starts figuring things out, I’ll steer clear of Stuver.

Defense

As mentioned above, in 2021 Austin FC’s defense was…bad. They had the 3rd-most goals against with 56, the most shots against with 197, and the 2nd-worst headed duel percentage with 47.5%. In the off-season, the club brought in Ruben Gabrielsen, a 29-year-old Norwegian centerback with playing experience in Norway, France, and Denmark. Austin fans will certainly hope that his experience and leadership improve the backline, but in the meantime selecting Gabrielsen, or fellow Austin CBs Jhohan Romaña, Julio Cascante, or superdraft pick Kipp Keller looks very risky.

One fullback worth mentioning is left back Žan Kolmanič – his 2021 fantasy production wasn’t great, but he did have bonus points from passes, key passes, crosses, and big chances created. In 2021, we saw that Kolmanič likes to get forward and is a solid crosser. If the players on the receiving end of his crosses can start finishing, Kolmanič could become an intriguing fantasy option.

Midfield

Last season, Alex Ring was the top fantasy point earner for Austin FC with 166 points. Through his work as Austin’s primary #6, Ring had consistent bonus points from passes and balls recovered, and he actually had more bonus points from stats other than goals, assists, or clean sheets than Hany Mukhtar, the highest scoring player of the 2021 season.

This year, Colombian international Jhojan Valencia will line up alongside Ring in the midfield. If Valencia plays more defensively as a traditional #6, he may eat into some of Ring’s defensive stats. Though if Ring has freedom to push higher upfield, he may earn additional attacking bonus points. Either way, both Ring and Valencia will likely be high floor, low ceiling options for fantasy.

Lastly in midfield, Diego Fagundez was Austin’s 2nd-highest fantasy point earner in the 2021 season. He will likely line up as a winger this year or be a backup to Sebastian Driussi at the #10 position. He could be a threat to pick up goals and assists (he had 7 Gs, 5 As last season), and he might be an interesting option this year if classified as a midfielder again in fantasy.

Forwards

The only sure option in Austin’s attack – and the only player I would consider in the first week of the season – is Sebastian Driussi. When Driussi entered the squad in August of last season, he immediately became the most talented and most impactful player in the verdinegro attack. This year, Driussi should be tasked with playing the #10 position with a true striker in front of him – something that didn’t always happen last season. If the Austin offense is clicking, Driussi has the potential to become a must-have player.Other than Driussi, Austin’s forward line is full of questions: Which striker will start: returning U22 initiative player Moussa Djitte or newly-signed MLS-veteran Maxi Urruti? Will Danny Hoesen get minutes after undergoing hip surgery last year? Will DP Cecilio Dominguez find success in his 2nd MLS season? As an Austin fan, I hope that the club figures out those questions and finds some offensive success. But as a Fantasy manager, I’ll be avoiding their offensive options to start the season.

Potential Starting XI