KFC Fantasy MLS Team – Week 1

Well, here we are. After all of the waiting the 2013 MLS season is just around the corner. I have to say that it’s been a lot of fun putting together this site and I’m glad to see that some people are finding the resources helpful. We’ll be doing our best to keep things up-to-date over the coming weeks and keep sending feedback. 
Now, if you have been wondering what our starting team for the 2013 MLS Fantasy season is and the reason why we picked each player, you’ll have to read more after the break. ?;^)

KFC Fantasy MLS Team – Week 1

Going forward, I think it’s important to pick the formation you plan to go with for the majority of the season. This really helps with having an idea about how much you should spend in each position. Changing after the season starts, but I think being focused at the beginning can help a lot. I decided to go with a 4-4-2 formation (See our article about formations).

Keepers

I don’t think you need to spend over $11m to get a quality keeper duo but I also wanted to find one that would not leave me with any weeks where neither keeper played (See our rotation chart). By matching up Carlo Cudicini with Bill Hamid, I’ll be able to field a home keeper for 29 game weeks and I don’t have to worry about them missing a game in the same week. Cudicini is going to be my main keeper for at least the first 6 weeks. LA has a nice run of 4 home games in this time (CHI, No Game, CHV, COL, tor, MON) and their 1 away game is against Toronto. Hamid gives me coverage from the D.C. defensive unit that played well last year with only 1 home loss and 4 ties.

Defenders

When I picked my defenders, I was looking for players from good defensive units and who would be good backups to handle the weeks other were not playing. To do this I avoided the $6.0m players because I wanted to be able to spread around my money as much as possible. Jermaine Taylor (HOU) and Chance Myers (KC) are my main two players. Houston has had a great home record over the past 2 years and Kansas City had a defense that played well above the average last year. To support these two, I picked three players in the $5.0 price range and should start. Gláuber (CLB), Matt Hedges (DAL), and Jeff Parke (PHI). Gláuber was mentioned in our Defenders article and has already gotten on the score sheet for Columbus in Preseason. Hedges played well last year, scoring 3 goals, and has a chance to grow in value if the reworked Dallas defense works out. Parke played well at Seattle last year and I’m willing to give him a shot at Philly and see if that continues.

Midfielders

I wanted to go big with our midfield. These players generate the most points over the season so they can really give you a great return for your investment. These were the hardest players for me to pick, mostly due to the 3 teams who did not have a game in Week 2. I wanted to try to take advantage of LA’s nice schedule after Week 2 so minimizing the trades I make in that week will is important. First is Graham Zusi (KC). No big surprise here as 30% of Fantasy MLS managers agree. Big numbers last year and a good team make his a solid choice.  My next players are in the $8.0m bracket and can be found in our Midfielders article. Diego Valeri (POR) and Juninho (NY). Valeri has had an excellent preseason with 1 goal and 2 assists. I’m taking a gamble and hoping that all the changes at Portland and going to give them a good start to the season. Juninho may not have had as big of a preseason as Valeri, but his still on set plays make him someone I want to have. I’m hoping he’ll be able to serve up balls like Beckham did for LA. My 4th player can also be found in our Midfielders article Daigo Kobayashi (VAN). Kobayashi has had solid preseason performances and scored 2 goals. HE should be playing right behind Vancouver’s forwards so he’ll be in a good position for assists and goals. The final midfielder is Davy Armstrong (COL), bench warmer.

Forwards

And finally, my front line.  As I’ve said before, I don’t think you need two of the $10m+ players, but it’s not bad to have a second solid option. My main guy is Robbie Keane (LA) and I’m pairing him up with Federico Higuaín (CLB). I had Cooper here for a long time, but I took him out for 2 reasons. (1) I’ve already been given a hard time for not talking with the rest of the KFC team about my Week 1 Captains article, which did not have Higuaín in the top 4 and (2) I needed a little more buffer cash for the moves I’m planning for Week 3. My third forward is Jose Correa (CHV). He’s not a complete bench warmer pick, because he should be starting for Chivas, I justwanted to make sure I had someone solid in reserve who would see playing time.

Captain

Like I said, not everyone on the KFC team is happy with my captain choices. It’s Keane right now, but Higuaín is a good choice against Chivas, even if it is away. The call comes down to you in the end. GOOD LUCK!

So those are my picks. Have you made up your mind yet? If you want some advice, please stop by Reddit and visit the r/FantasyMLS subreddit. Share your team to get some advice or give some of your own. And as always, you can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KFCFantasy.

About MLS Fantasy Boss

Founder of MLS Fantasy Boss, moderator of /r/FantasyMLS, freelance contributing writer for fantasy.MLSsoccer.com. Passionate about all things MLS and growing the Fantasy MLS community.

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2 comments

  1. Do you see Kekuta Manneh getting starter’s minutes in the Whitecaps first few games? How likely is Hurtado to see minutes?

    • I honestly can’t say for sure. He is in good form from preseason, but I think most of the concerns center around his size. I’ve seen reports that say yes or no. I think Jose Correa is the safer let in the $5.5 price range.

      But with an opener against Toronto, It’s not a bad game to test him out. And 1.6% ownership could be a nice differential.

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