Fantasy MLS 2015 Round 6 Review (Part 1)

Vancouver Whitecaps 2 vs. Columbus Crew 2

Highlights

Going into this the Whitecaps were easily the favorite and largely played the part. However, Kei Kamara was the beneficiary of a couple of defensive lapses putting the Crew ahead twice throughout the game. Apart from those two chances the Caps controlled the majority of the game and we saw some exciting play from the Caps youth in Manneh. With double the corners and triple the crosses as well as 20% more possession the Caps looked to seek a winner, but were unable to pull back the lead after early defensive mistakes.

Fantasy Standouts & Fantasy Letdowns

I’m going to leave the judgments on standouts and letdowns for these two teams weekend games. Briefly I thought Manneh showed how dangerous he can be, Morales put up a whopping 5 attacking points and Kei Kamara showed he can score, albeit off of defensive gaffes. For more in depth  standouts and letdowns check the weekend games’ reviews.

FC Dallas 0 vs. Colorado Rapids 4

Highlights

Wow. That’s all there is to say. Also I’ve been expecting this for a while now. The Rapids have not been nearly as bad as everyone has made them out to be. The defense has been solid as seen by the shutouts at the beginning of the season despite defensive injuries, and the Rapids have had some players look dangerous, whether it is Powers, Serna or even Badji. FC Dallas, however is hitting their usual slump, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will break out of it. Dallas had looks on goal and the majority of the service from out wide as well as possession, but just couldn’t convert on the few good chances they had. This was also in part due to the Rapids great defending.  These two teams could be trending in opposite directions for the next few games.

Fantasy Standouts

• Dillon Powers ($7.6): If the Rapids can build off of this performance Powers will be a steal at this price. He was at the heart of the offense with a goal, an assist and an addition 2 bonus points for attack. That’s as solid a performance as you can have, meaning if the Rapids get a goal he’s likely to be involved and I do think more goals will come. Out of their upcoming opponents the Sounders are the only team that looks poised to cause a problem, but past that it’s the same Dallas team, a weak LA team and the Red Bulls. Not the easiest set of games, but if they can put up another offensive showing against the Sounders expect the momentum to carry on.
• Bobby Burling ($4.8): If you have the transfer and need another quality defender for your bench, Burling is the best way to get a piece of the action. He’s much cheaper than Moor and will get bonus points as well. However, there are two things to be wary of 1) Sjoberg could at some point take over his starting job 2) the games coming up are all known for their attack and I guarantee you the Sounders don’t get shut out twice in a row, so stash Burling either on your bench or as an option to pick up after this week.

Fantasy Letdowns

• FC Dallas: Yes Dallas was getting chances and yes the Rapids put up an excellent offensive performance coupled with maybe a poor defensive showing on the part of Dallas. However, They also did that last week, and if you have Dallas players you probably told yourself that next week it’d be ok. If you’re in that category then you might have a chance with against Toronto next week, but I don’t see it happening. Especially with two defensive teams coming up after in the Rapids and Dynamo it might be a good idea to drop your costly Dallas attackers in Perez and Castillo and pick up someone like David Villa for his DGW. If you can afford to stash your Dallas defenders then do that for now.

New England Revolution 0 vs. Columbus Crew 0

Highlights

This is the game I expected out of the Crew during the midweek game, strong defensively and weak offensively. The Crew remained this way the entirety of the game managing 0 shots on goal, despite holding the majority of possession. The Revs only managed 3 shots on goal, but the combination of Agudelo and Nguyen is enticing and they’re ripe for more goals, especially with Jones being back in the mix. The Crew will want to show their offensive prowess from here on out, having not really created great chances in the midweek game and 0 this weekend.

Fantasy Standouts

• Andrew Farrell ($8.0): The Revs have proven to be pretty solid defensively since the start of the season and this has largely been because of Andrew Farrell. He doesn’t get into the attack much via crosses or corners, but he is very consistent with his bonus points and is ripe for a shutout next week against the Union.
• Juan Agudelo ($8.5): I want to put Agudelo and Nguyen together, but Nguyen just hasn’t earned his price tag so for now Agudelo is the best bang for your buck in the Revolution attack. He’s starting to look really dangerous and his call up to the USMNT is only going to bolster his confidence. Expect the goals and assists to start flowing. His creativity was present with some nice passes in the box this weekend, it’s only a matter of time.
• Hernan Grana ($6.6): Unfortunately he didn’t get to maximize his potential during the DGW, but against the Revs he proved why everyone was salivating over the potential he brought at just $6.6. He gets into the attack and he defends well on a team that is solid defensively. There will be more bonus points in his future as well as some assists so don’t be shy in picking him up.

Fantasy Letdowns

• Kei Kamara ($8.2): In the grand scheme of things, this week Kamara was a great fantasy option, however in the even bigger picture I don’t like his chances. He scored two goals mid week that were practically gifted to him by the Caps and then failed to put anything on frame of the limited chances he got against the Revs. At $8.2 he is actually priced well so you can hold on to him, but if he’s standing in between you and David Villa for this upcoming DGW then get him out of there.
• Kelyn Rowe ($8.7): With Agudelo back up top, Nguyen underneath him and Jones back, it’s hard to see the attacking love being evenly distributed. Early on Rowe has provided the Revs with that attacking spark, but this weekend was an example of Rowe just not being able to create with other personalities there and this hurt even more with him being subbed off in the 58^th minute. It wouldn’t be a horrible idea to hold onto him, especially if either Agudelo or Nguyen don’t start this weekend after returning from national team duty.

Philadelphia Union 2 vs. New York City FC 1

Highlights

The Union have surprised me and I don’t know how long it’s going to last. NYC had nearly double the possession of the Union, but was still outshot 12 to 7. David Villa continued to look dangerous, lively around the box, and knows where to be to score goals as is evident from his goal this weekend. He is a must have this upcoming week. The Union, with half the possession, still looked dangerous. Le Toux was causing problems for the defenders and newcomer Ayuk appeared troublesome for the NYC defense. In the end it was Nogueira who hit the heartbreaking goal in stoppage time to grab 3 points for the Union.

Fantasy Standouts

• David Villa ($10.3): With that much possession the chances are going to come. Villa showed he was top class with good movement around the box and showing up in the right place to score that goal. With a DGW next week he needs to be on your team. He’s really the only reliable offensive option right now until Shelton gets some starts.
• Erik Ayuk ($5.0): He may be a bit of a sleeper pick, but he’s started the last two games and basically scored a goal this week. When Ayuk plays the offense is exciting so I expect him to start one if not both of next weeks games, and at $5.0 he could be a good pick for the DGW if you need a cheap midfielder. With the rest of the Union offense not really having any particular bright spots Ayuk is the safest cheap option for the Philly DGW.

Fantasy Letdowns

• New York Defense: NYC has some prospects with Saunders and Hernandez, but the just couldn’t hold it together, despite having the majority of the possession. With a DGW coming up they will still be good bets to at least get one shutout, but don’t rush to hop on the DGW train if you have good options with you already.

DC United 2 vs. New York Red Bulls 2

Highlights

The two goals of the night for DC came from their defensive midfielder summing up the inconsistency in goal scoring. The two teams went back and forth trading punches, but ultimately some sloppy goalkeeping from Bill Hamid brought the game to a draw leaving only a point for each team.

Fantasy Standouts

• Lloyd Sam ($8.8): He was largely involved defensively and offensively looking to be a focal point of the offense. He was also fortunate enough to put away the botched save by Bill Hamid. With a DGW coming up in GW 9 he should be considered especially with a matchup against San Jose next week.
• Matt Miazga ($5.5): He’s entrenched himself as a starter and is racking up the bonus points, with 4 defensive bonus points this week. I like their chances of a clean sheet next week against San Jose and for his price he’s a great DGW option for GW 9.

Fantasy Letdowns

• DC United: Yes this game was tied and DC United had 2 goals, but this is fantasy letdowns not real life. DC United can’t find a consistent scorer. This week the d-mid had to do the scoring. If you don’t believe me go to the fantasy page on the MLS website and show me anyone whose fantasy scores are actually looking good and then we can talk. Before picking up DC United offense they need to score more than one goal a piece.

That’s the breakdown for the first half of Round 6. What do you think? Did any players jump out at you who you think deserve to be highlighted? Mention them in the comments below, or send me or Tyler a Tweet and let us know. Also, don’t forget to get involved with the get community her at MLS Fantasy Boss and over at /r/FantasyMLS.