Round 20 DiffeRANCHals

Every week, I’m going to go over my suggestions from last week, and determine if they were a good or bad pick based on position and points. To describe in detail the ranking system here is the metric: bust = 3 or fewer points (or not starting/on the bench), average = 4-5 points, good = 6-8 points, great = 9+ points. Players not available for selection I am disregarding and not counting as a positive or negative in the article.

 

• George Campbell – Bust (3 points)
• Tristan Blackmon – Bust (0 points)
• Justin Meram – Average (4 points
• Dylan Borrero – Didn’t Travel
• Romell Quioto – Great! (13 points)
• Karol Swiderski – Bust (2 points)

Week 19 Final Results: 1 Great, 1 Average, 3 Busts

Full Season Results: 15 Great, 20 Goods, 16 Average, 55 Busts

Whoops! Missed the LAFC-Seattle game. That’s okay, there weren’t many talking points in that game anyways. The real magic is in the games on Saturday and Sunday this week! The picks this week speak for themselves. Let’s get into it!

 

Carlos Teran, $6.1m (Chicago Defender)

Do you want a Chicago defender, but don’t want to spend the $10m for Czichos? Carlos Teran is your guy! Coming in at a cheap, cheap $6.1m, Teran has scored 9, 9, and 3 points across his last 3 games. He also is a tall center back, making him a set piece threat. Playing against an Atlanta team that looks like they don’t have an identity, Chicago is a good team to look at for a clean sheet this week. For any of the people who knew me from last season, Teran also happens to be one of the 3-4 differentials I talked up like crazy last year! 

Henry Kessler, $6.5m (New England Defender)

The New England Revolution has not had many clean sheets recently. Toronto has turned into the Italian team of MLS with all their new signings. Both of these are true statements, but what also is a true statement is that Toronto played 90 minutes on Tuesday with all their starters playing most of the game. This lines up nicely for New England to record their second clean sheet in a row, this time at home. Kessler should play a big role in any clean sheet that happens while recording bonus points.

Mauricio Pereyra, $10.5m (Orlando Mid)

The price tag doesn’t always equate to a differential. Some players can be expensive with nobody looking at them as options. Pereyra travels to DC United, a team that can’t figure out what their problems are defensively. Even though Orlando played a 90 minute US Open Cup game on Wednesday, I still see Orlando putting another 3-5 goals on DC for the Sunday fixture (see what I did there???).

Gregore, $8.4m (Miami Mid)

Inter Miami versus FC Cincinnati… previously this matchup would have been called the “battle of the wooden spoon.” This season, however, it is a battle between 7th and 11th place, with only 3 points separating the two. This is a big game for both teams. Since Alejandro Pozuelo joined Inter Miami, Gregore has been the beneficiary of his presence. Gregore is suddenly more involved in the attack while also generating bonus points. I can easily see him finishing on a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 15.

CJ Sapong, $7.1m (Nashville Forward)

CJ Sapong is more of a straightforward pick than you would think. I mean it’s a Nashville team that hosts a team still on the high of winning the Canadian Championship on Tuesday. Let Vancouver celebrate the rest of the week while Nashville brings them back to reality.

Maxi Urruti, $7.4m (Austin Forward)

This pick comes from the co-host of the MLS Fantasy Insider Podcast, Blayne Riffle: “I don’t see him on anybody’s team this week, as a talking point, so I will say it here. Maxi Urruti is the guy that you want to look at this week if you’re going to bet against Sporting. He’s got that speed to go over the top, he likes to play through the lines. His style of play exposes the center backs of Kansas City, and that’s the weak point in this defense. It’s not the midfielders banging through the middle and coming up on us with a ton of bonus points. It’s that speedster that’s getting in between the center backs, getting in position, and able to beat them on the dribble. Urutti is a guy that nobody ever wants to take in fantasy, especially on the road because he hits about 1 in 5 games and nobody ever gets it right. But he’s the type of player that’s a perfect example when talking about this team (SKC) because he’s the guy that’s going to benefit the most from the Sporting side.” – Blayne Riffle

 

Thanks Blayne! To add on to this, Urruti gets to play against a tired and defeated Sporting side that played 120 minutes on Wednesday against a USL team and LOST! They will have tired legs, a rotated lineup, and low morale. The perfect recipe for success for a player that only hits on 1 in 5 games.