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Round 2 Big Question – How can dead legs help me?
How are you recovering from Game Week 1? Fired up and ready to go for Game Week 2? Or are you feeling a little tired and round down? Players from MLS teams playing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (CCC) are certainly going to be stretched to their physical limits this weekend, because for eight of those ten teams, these games will be their 4th match in eleven or twelve days. How can you improve your MLS Fantasy score by understanding which of these players and teams have dead legs?
Players and teams playing lots of games in a short time often can’t keep playing well
Certain teams in MLS qualify each year to play in continental competition, vying for the CONCACAF crown and a berth in a future FIFA Club World Cup. Here are the ten MLS teams playing in the opening rounds of CCC and their tough schedules:
In addition to the total number of games, each team has two away games during this time, so they add travel (including grueling international travel) to their fatigue factor. In response to this, coaches either accept worse performances from players, rotate them, or limit individuals’ minutes. Being tired, sitting on the bench, getting subbed early, playing alongside depth players–all of these can limit fantasy returns. Columbus and LA Galaxy earned first round byes in CCC so will be better off than the other eight, but even they have to look out for the extra games ahead.
How can you apply the “Dead Legs” concept to Game Week 2?
Two ways.
- Consider picking good players from teams playing against teams with dead legs.
- If you were thinking of taking a player from a dead legs team, think twice. Were you going to captain someone from one of these teams? Maybe just play him. Were you going to put a player from one of those teams on the field? Maybe put him on your bench if he is playing in an early game (more on putting risky players on your bench in a future article). Or maybe just look for players from non-dead leg teams.
Over time you will begin to appreciate that certain players out there are “Iron Men,” like LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, who seems to transcend these limits. Lionel Messi is once again an outlier; because he walks a lot in games and his ability to recover is outstanding for a player of his age–though even he is not immune to rotation. In general, younger players recover faster. Players who cover less ground (goalkeepers and center backs) may fare better than other players, but soccer is a team sport, and they can’t always make up for the dead legs around them. At the same time, some depth players on these good teams will get unexpected starts, and their lower prices may help you put together your budget. If you take this approach, consider putting those players on your bench.
Week 2 will not be the last week in the season with “fixture congestion.” The CCC continues and will affect Week 3 and beyond. It also won’t be long before teams start to play midweek games in MLS and in the US Open Cup. Don’t just look at a player’s numbers; look at his team’s schedule.
Rest. Recover. Reload your team. Not all MLS players will be ready for Game Week 2, but the staff of Fantasy Strategy Clinic know you will be ready!
The “Fantasy Physician” is Ron Birnbaum, @Half Century City on Discord
The “Fantasy Therapist” is Mike Leister, @Kenobi on Discord
