MLSFB Player Roundup – Round 6

So…. if anyone else wants to act like Round 5 never happened, I would support that. Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan saved my week, what little that was worth saving. I was pushed to the brink of wildcarding, but I did not in the end and now I’m VERY ready for Round 6. So who’s looking good?

Keepers:

The most important keeper news you should know for this week is that Nick Rimando is out with a knee injury right now. He could be back next week, but he will miss Round 6. So if you are running a team with Rimando as your only premium keeper, you NEED to find a replacement. So who are some of your top choices?

If you want to stay with a premium keeper, you’re in luck, Donovan Ricketts (9.9% @ $5.9m) is back in action and he has a favorable game (at least on paper). Chivas has been able to grab some clean sheet shattering goals, but Portland at home tends to be a safe bet. If you are looking to save some cash, you should consider Chris Seitz (6.3% @ $5.2m). The Dallas defense has not kept a clean sheet this season, but he is tied for highest scoring keeper, is cheap, and has a nice schedule over the next 5 weeks…and did I mention that Dallas is at the top of the table right now?

Another strategy would be to take this injury opportunity for a little Double Game Week planning. Tally Hall (14.0% @ $6.0m) has a promising away game against a struggling New England team, Louis Robles (4.7% @ $6.0m) is one of the promising away keepers even if DC has been finding the back of the net recently, and Zac MacMath (10.9% @ $5.0m) has only allowed 1 goal at home so far this season.

Defenders:

Normally it’s the midfielders who I find hardest to pick, but this week it was defenders. With the lack of clean sheets this year and the small game sample size to draw statistics from, it’s been hard to find consistent players. This week I’ve gone with two different strategies.

First: who has a good game and has good bonus point production?

Once again Norberto Paparatto (1.4% @ $7.7m)  makes my list. I know it may be strange to tap a player who just allowed 4 goals, but now that Ricketts is back I think Portland will play better and will be energized by their home crowd. Chivas has been playing better than expected, but I think this is a game that Portland should win and Paparatto has the 4th highest CBI total right now so bonus points are in his future.

On the higher end of the price scale, you have Victor Bernardez (4.0% @ $8.6m) and Matt Hedges (5.6% @ $8.6m). What I like about these two players is not only their CBI producing ability, but that they are both goal threats on set pieces. What I don’t like is that each of these teams have tougher matches, Dallas is going up against a hot Seattle team and San Jose is hosting the in form Columbus. Tough matches, but I’m not focusing on clean sheets for these picks.

Several of the best cheap picks are either out this week or not playing much any more, but if you want someone under $7.5, you could take a risk on Hassour Camara (2.5% @ $7.3m). Montreal has not been great at defending at home, and Chicago is one of the better away scoring teams, but Camara has good CBI production and I always favor home teams. Could be a good 1 game differential.

Second: who has a change at a clean sheet?

This strategy is looking more like a roll of the dice at this point, but  still gave it a shot this week. Philly has played well at home and only allowed 2 goals, they will face a tough RSL team, but they have the best chance of the home teams. Austin Berry (1.3% @ $7.8m) is the player I like from PHI, but he’s been injured so you’ll need to wait for the starting XI if you want him. For the away teams, there are two who are averaging allowing 1 goal every 2 games, Columbus and Vancouver. If I had to pick one of these teams, I’d go with Columbus because I think LA will be able to get goals at home. Parkhurst and Gonzalez are your best options. Both have good CBI production so go with what your budget allows.

Midfielders:

So many midfield choices this week. I’ll start with the ones that need little explanation.

Mauro Diaz, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan are all top players on their teams and have been involved in the attack. The cheapest option is Diaz and his teams is on great form right now.

Shea Salinas (5.8% @ $7.6m) is back this week and has a promising game against Columbus. I really think this is an evenly matched game, but I like the service that Salinas provides and his price is fantastic. Speaking of great prices, Lloyd Sam (9.7% @ $6.7m) is a dream. He’s earned 3 assists in 5 games and I have yet to see the rotation that many people were worried about. With Brad Davis being injured, Ricardo Clark (8.0% @ $7.0m) is an ideal replacement. He does not have the service that Davis does, but he’s a lot cheaper and has scored 1 goal in each of his last two games. Finally, Justin Mapp (3.0% @ $8.6m) is still at it. He’s racking up offensive bonus points, assists, and is under $9m. Montreal’s schedule is not the best over the next few weeks, but Mapp is quickly becoming a standout midfielder.

Forwards:

This week’s forwards picks are the same as last week, but with one addition. Balas Perez (2.9% @ $9.0m) got a little rest last week, but I expect him to start against Seattle. Dallas has a lot of attacking options, so it’s hard to predict where goals will come from, but that means it’s also hard to know who to defend. I believe Perez has a good chance this week.

After Perez, we’re back to the three usual suspects. Robbie Keane, Marco Di Vaio, and Federico Higuain. The first two have promising home games, a good midfielder to provide service, and are on form. Higuain generates bonus points.

These are my picks, if you think there should be more names on this list, please leave a comment or come to r/FantasyMLS and comment on this post. You can also send a message to me on Twitter @MLSFantasyBoss, or join the Live Chat in the sidebar. Keep checking back for more updates through the week for other positions. Good Luck!