MLSFB Player Roundup – Round 8 Edition

The first double game week (DGW) of the season is now in the books and it really was a mixed bag. Those who were able to pony up the money for Okugo and MacMath were rewarded to the tune of 11 and 12 points respectively. The budget friendly options of Fernandes and Wenger disappointed, and Berry owners were left wondering why their man was warming the bench. Elsewhere, Dempsey continued to rack up points, Collin reminded everyone that he is worth his price tag, and Sarkodie decided to frustrate the ~30% of his owners who were counting on him for DGW 8 by getting a 2^nd yellow for time-wasting.

So how do we prepare for round 8? By looking at round 10! Week 10 presents us with an opportunity to field a full squad of DGW players and in order to make that a reality we must start planning now. Since we all get unlimited transfers in week 11, the next three can be viewed as a “sprint” to obtain as many points as possible.

While Houston and New York play twice in week 8, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Houston (yes again), San Jose, and Seattle all play twice in week 10. Columbus, San Jose, and Seattle are all at home this week. With this in mind, all transfers this week should likely be limited to these five teams. (NY/HOU/CLB/SJ/SEA)

Keepers:

Tally Hall (14.8% @ $6.0) is one of the best keepers in the game, and he plays twice this week. The defense in front of him will be slightly short-handed without Sarkodie but he is still capable of picking up save and recovery points. In the second match, at home, they should be back to full strength and will be hosting the anemic offense of Portland (who would’ve thought we’d be saying that two months ago?). With a game vs. CHV in week 9, and another DGW in week 10, you can plug in Hall and forget about the GK position for the next 3 weeks.

Luis Robles (5.7% @ $6.0) also has the benefit of playing two matches this week. Considered by many as “the other pick” he very well could outscore Tally Hall. Last outing he came inches away from an additional 9 points as he just missed saving a PK by Le Toux, which would’ve also preserved a clean-sheet. If you believe that RBNY is capable of shutting out HOU or bunkering successfully @CLB you can jump on the Robles express; the only downside is that after week 8, you probably will want to look elsewhere for weeks 9, and 10. Using another transfer at keeper is not a luxury many can afford at this time.

Dare to be different? Not convinced DGW 8 is worth the hype? Steve Clark (3.3% @ $5.0) might be your man. Columbus has proven to be no slouch this year and with the aging RBNY squad coming to town on only two days rest, this just might be his night. Steven Frei (9.1% @ $5.2) and John Busch (1.6% @ $5.4) are also in the same category of cheaper keepers with attractive home games this week and a DGW in 10. Nick Rimando (21.2% @ $6.2) is always a good bet at the RIOT – although he has no upcoming DGW’s.

Defenders:

Starting with the DGW teams – While many savvy owners have been riding the David Horst (20.6 @6.0) train for awhile now, Jermaine Taylor (2.5% @ $7.5) captains HOU’s backline and is also a good pick. Corey Ashe (14.9% @ $7.2)’s lack of production makes it hard to recommend him over the two center backs. Seriously, if you don’t have Horst by now – get him.

Jamison Olave (2.8% @ $9.3) is the rock in RBNY’s defense and presents the best opportunity for offensive output; however he is also the priciest. Armando (1.4% @ $6.4) is the alternative and is a lock to start after Sekagya received a red card last match. Armando, however, seems to be a card magnet himself. If you prefer outside backs, Roy Miller (2.5% @ $6.5) is coming off of a strong performance in which he had 3 Key Passes and an assist. Keep in mind though; all RBNY options are essentially a one week play.

Similar to the Keeper’s section, with home games this week and DGW 10 in mind – Chad Marshall (4.1% @ $8.5), Michael Parkhurst (10.7% @ $7.7), and Victor Bernardez (3.7% @ $8.5), are all great options. Over the next few weeks you’ll be well served to consider one or two of these guys as they can be very explosive.

Midfielders:

Starting with DGW teams – Lloyd Sam (17.7% @ $7.0) is all the rage this week and he has already hit the cap of .3mil price increase. Many players who are not going heavy with RBNY this week at least have Sam, who has been the one consistent contributor in the offense. Eric Alexander (3.7% @$ 6.8) is another budget friendly option who has found himself more often recently taking corners/set pieces for the RedBulls. He is a rotation risk, but as he demonstrated last week, is capable of a double digit haul. While Tim Cahill (3.1% @ $10.8) appears to be recovered from an injury that kept him out for several weeks, he hasn’t had a game all season with more than three points. He is a “boom or bust” pick who I would avoid.

Will he or won’t he? That is the question regarding Brad Davis (1.5% @ $10.7). Without a doubt the most potent threat and most productive fantasy player on HOU, Davis has found himself sidelined with an ankle injury the last few weeks. If fit to play (which early indications are that he might be), Davis could be a great differential and potential captain pick given his lack of ownership. Davis’ status limbo means that making yourself available to see Wednesday’s starting lineup very valuable. If Davis isn’t fit, Boniek Garcia (1.3% @ $9.9) becomes much more attractive as he will likely be on set pieces/PK’s. With or without Davis, one could argue Garcia to be a stout pick. Ricardo Clark (10.6% @ $7.2) is a popular pick because he has had a nose for goal early in the season. I would proceed with caution here, although the price is right, his supporting stats suggest that it is unlikely for Rico to continue to produce at his current pace.

Clint Dempsey (22.8% @ $10.4) is sure making up for the lack of fantasy production he had for his owners last year. 41 points in the last three games is insanity, apparently so is not having him on your team. It’s tough to accommodate all of the producing mids right now, but Dempsey’s last three games with 41 points were on the road. His next three games are at home, can you afford to risk not having him?

Shea Salinas (7.1% @ $7.7) has 25 points in his three home games this year, and this week Chivas is coming to town. A model for consistency Salinas is a great bet as San Jose relies heavily on him for service into the box.

Forwards:

Want to make the riskiest play in fantasy this week? Pick up Thierry Henry (10.1% @ $11.0). Henry is capable of a monster round but so far this year he just hasn’t found his form. He has had several chances but his finishing has been sub-par. If you have the money you can take a one week flyer on Henry. Due to his age however, and the fact that RBNY’s 2^nd match is on two days rest, there is always a risk that Henry plays less than 180 minutes.

Will Bruin (24.8% @ $8.4) hadappeared to put his troubles of 2013 behind him by starting off the year with a combined 22 points in his first two matches. Since then, Bruin has failed to break 2 points in each of his last four matches. Could this be the week he snaps out of it? I’m not sold on it.

If the DGW strikers are risky this week, who might be a better bet? Federico Higuain (24.1% @ $11.0) is as solid as they come and is primed to take advantage of a tired RBNY team. The good thing about Higuain is that his floor is usually always 4 or 5 points because everything that CLB does goes through him. Now might also be the time to pick up Obafemi Martins (11.0% @ $9.5) as he and Dempsey are really starting to create a Keane/Donovanesque partnership. Chris Wondolowski (12.0% @ $9.5) has scored in three of his five matches and the schedule doesn’t get much better than this.

Budget Forwards? Don’t bother. These next few weeks are for the big boys only.

How many DGW players are you going with this week? Did we miss any players that should be on this list? Please leave us a comment. 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 throughout the week. Good Luck!