MLS Fantasy Boss A Fantasy MLS Community
Well here we are, Week 32. If I can borrow a term from horse racing, we’re in the home stretch now. If you have not already noticed, significant jumps from points are getting hard to come by so proper planning of trades will be important, but also keeping an eye on the injury report can be critical. This is a very tough week with many strong teams having away games, tough matches, or are unable to field key players due to injury.
If you want to see more, keep reading after the break. But please join the discussion at r/FantasyMLS, that’s where a lot of planning is made and last second decisions finalized. If you have questions, please stop by!
Keepers:
There are a lot of tough matches this week and I’m not sure how many clean sheets there will be, but I think these will be two of the best options and one decent differential. I’m giving the top spot to Michael Gspurning (9.1% @ $5.8m) again. Seattle has allowed the fewest home goals and they are going up against a weakened New York team who look to be without Henry and Olave. Next I’m going with Donovan Ricketts (8.3% @ $5.4m). Not only does Portland have the second best home record, but LA will be coming off a CCL game and they have struggled on the road. The big X factor for this game will be if Donovan plays. Finally, my differential pick is Joe Bendik (4.7% @ $4.6m). Hear me out on this one. DC has the worst away scoring record in the league and even though Toronto will be without Osorio and Caldwell, they have been able to win at home. Which is more than can be said for DC on the road recently.
As for the guys I passed over Jimmy Nielsen has a good chance this week, I just don’t like all the away games SKC has for the rest of the season. Tally Hall has been a popular choice, but Houston has struggles on the road and NE has been successful at scoring at home. I also passed over Raul Fernandez (who have only allowed 15 goals in 14 home games) simply because of Higuain.
Defenders:
So as always, I’ll touch on the top defenders that I’m sure you all have. Wallace, Collin, Goncalves, and Gonzalez all look to have promising games. If clean sheets are not possible, bonus points seem well within reach.
If you’re looking for some differentials, these are the ones I like the best. I’ll start out with the Seattle vs New York matchup. With injuries on both sides, then game could end in a draw. Not good for offense, but great for defenders. WIth Olave looking questionable, Markus Holgersson (10.5% @ $5.1m) again is a standout choice for NY. If Seattle is more your speed, I’m still a fan of Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (4.1% @ $4.4m). He has solid playing time and good bonus numbers and he’s cheap. Finally, Chad Marshall (4% @ 5$5.9m) is in store for a tough game against Dallas, but that means that there are many opportunities to rack up more defensive bonus points. He is a long shot because even though Dallas has not been solid at home, Columbus has been even worse on the road.
Midfielders:
The top midfielder picks this week are Magee, Zusi, Rosales, Davis, and Valeri. All of these are good choices this week, but my only reservation is with Zusi because he’s just not been getting reliable numbers recently.
I’m sure many players have several of the high cost players above, so here are three bargain players that could be a good way to round out your midfield for the next few weeks. If you picked up Kelyn Rowe (5.5% @ $6.0m) then you were pretty disappointed, but I like his chances against Houston at home. Jonny Steele (6.8% @ $6.7m) has been asked to step up many times this season and he’s been able to deliver, not just for NY but also for fantasy managers. If you need a cheaper 5th, he’s a good option. Finally, With Clint Dempsey and and Eddie Johnson questionable to the New York game, there is a good chance that Lamar Neagle (10.7% @ $5.9m) will play a more advanced position. Basically, Neagle does well when Seattle is missing players.
Forwards:
I think we’re at the point where a couple of forwards have become must haves, Robbie Keane and Federico Higuaín. So your big choice is who’s your third. Camilo Sanvezzo (13% @ $8.5m) is an obvious choice after his game last week and two home games in a row. If you’re looking for someone cheaper, you could consider Erick Torres (4.7% @ $7.0m). Chivas will not make it to the playoffs, but Torres is their best chance to score each week. Or you could go with Diego Fagundez (17.9% @ $7.0m ) who has been in excellent form recently. If you have cash to burn, you can go with Marco Di Vaio (19.3% @ $9.5m) but I don’t like him until the next Montreal home game.
Final thoughts
• Many key players could be out injured this week
• Several games will be close with draws and upsets likely
• Don’y forget about the big BYE week coming up
These are our picks, if you think there should be more names on this list, please leave a comment or come to r/FantasyMLS and comment on the post. You can also leave a message on our Facebook page or you can find us on Twitter @FantasyMLSTips. Keep checking back for more updates through the week for other positions. Good Luck!
