MLSFB Player Roundup – Round 9

So I have to make this a quick write-up this round because my week has been killer. So busy I could not even ask for the great help of Eternal again. Please let me take a quick moment to give a big thanks to Eternal for writing this article last week. With hope, and maybe a little prodding from you all, he’ll contribute some more in the future.

Is anyone one else glad to have a non-DGW for Round 9? I know I am. They are action packed but these early weeks are killers for picks. The big news is all of the Red cards. Several teams will be without key players this week, and it’s all from the defensive units (as if they weren’t struggling enough).

Keepers:

 I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but the Toronto vs New England game could end in a 0-0 draw so you may want to consider Julio Cesar (4.7% @ $6.0m) or Bobby Shuttleworth (3.4m @ $5.1m) if you are going to transfer in a keeper this week. Toronto is the home team and Cesar has only allowed 1 at home this season. New England has had trouble scoring on the road with only 3 goals in 5 games. On the other hand, Toronto still has A LOT of offensive injuries so they may not be able to throw much at the Revs this week.

But in general, I still favor the home keepers even is Clean Sheets are rare. So play your home keeper and feel free to post a question if you have 2 to pick from.

Defenders:

Ugh, do I have to pick defenders? That’s really the place I’m at right now. This section will really benefit when I run the numbers of CBI and Recoveries per Min in a couple of weeks (or sooner if I get time) But until then, I’m just saying find 3 cheap starters and run with that. If you want to have some more options, get your 3 cheap starters and have one more mid range player. There is an argument or Collin and Hedges being options for those who want premium coverage, but then you definitely want to run with two cheap guys. The defensive landscape is just very bad right now, home games or not.

Some Top options: Horst, Remick (recently back in the picture), E. Miller, Gargan, or Armando.

Midfielders:

There are several top midfielders that need little detailed explanations: Dempsey (30.6% @ $10.8) – Top man last week on incredible form, Donovan (10% @ $10.7m) – A slow start but still generating chances, Zusi (14.6% @ $10.8m) – A good schedule, key to offense, and bonus points, and Brad Davis (1.6% @ $10.7m) – When he plays, he’s the heard of the offense.

These are all expensive options, and it might be hard for most people to have more than 2 of these players on your team. So here are some of the proven lower cost options to consider this week. Lamar Neagle (12.2% @ $7.6m) is your best low cost Seattle player and a top contended if you plan to have 4 players for the DGW. He’s getting goals and assists and has a nice run of home games. Sam Lloyd (22.2% @ $7.1m) is still a key player for the NY offense and with the injuries suffered to Dallas’ defense, his service and nose for the goal could turn into a good return. Stefan Ishizaki (3.1% @ $6.9m) is the ideal player to have if you want LA coverage but can’t afford Landon or Keane. He has 2 goals and 2 assists in 3 games but will be playing several away games…but his price is budget friendly. Shea Salinas’s (9.8% @ $7.9m) bonus potential is a great reason to have him on your team the other is the DGW because SJ have been poor on the road but 2 home games next week could see a 0.3m price rise.

Forwards:

A lot of the forwards I like this week are actually playing in away games. Robbie Keane (14.7% @ $10.8m) is back from a week of rest and playing a Colorado team that is 1-1-1 and home this year. LA has managed to score 6 road goals and Keane has been involved with 4 of them. I expect this week will be no different. Due to the defensive blow SKC took last week with Collin’s red card, the odds just got a lot better for Columbus and that means Federico Higuain’s (22.9% @ $11.0m) chances for a good week have increased. Combined with the fact that he’s been responsible for 4 of their 6 previous away goals and he’s got a really good chance of a nice point return. If you jumped on the Bradley Wright-Phillips (5.1% @7.6m) train last week then I commend you for a great hunch, but with the defensive blow Dallas has suffered (2 reds and an injury) you may be able to squeeze another good game out of him in this round. His price is rising though so you’ll want to jump on him soon.

My last pick, and only home player, goes with Obafemi Martins (14.6% @ $9.7m) who is a no-brainer. Seattle is on a nice run of form, he’s pairing well with Dempsey, and they are starting a series of home game plus an upcoming DGW. A good investment through the World Cup WC I think.

Did I 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!