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SBI Fantasy MLS: Week Two Preview

GrahamZusiBestXI (ISIPhotos.com)

By CASEY CANNON

Hello and Welcome to the Soccer by Ives Fantasy Corner – now with almost no shame! Every week I dig through statistics, news, and rumors to provide the reader with the kind of fantasy advice that only a nationally ranked Epeeist can provide.

One of the changes from last year is the ability to carry over a trade. This extra trade is a coupon to save fantasy players four points. Pick some week where you don’t need to make a trade. For example, a week where the only trade is an upgrade to a bench player. Save that pick. That pick is now available for you to use during the season. This week we all have two trades available. Consider saving one now.

Also the league for some reason wants to deny fans accurate and timely injury info. Whoever collects that info and make it publicly available will be a hero.

Now, onto this week’s Fantasy MLS tips and picks:

Team Picks

Take Three – Chicago Fire. The Fire take on the untested New England Stepchildren. New England owner Bob Kraft will not be in attendance but wants to be informed of the results sometime before lunch Monday. On the road New England gave up almost two goals a season last year and Chicago scored a goal and a half per home game. Sweet Home Chicago.

Take Three – Sporting Kansas City. SKC played a bad team on the road last week. That went fairly well. They travel to Toronto this week. Lather rinse repeat?

Avoid – Chivas USA. As we embark on this nascent season I am faced with an early quandary: do I exclude Chivas USA from the avoid category. It already seems like Chivas USA and Lame Duck Coach Chelis will not only spend the season in the cellar they will set up a card table and connect the Playstation to an old TV, hang some Jimmy Hendrix posters and just – you know – make the cellar a real place to be. Only occasionally peeking upstairs to see if mom bought more Cheese-Its. For now I’ll state the obvious but I may institute the five week mercy rule.

Bonus Avoid: Colorado and Philadelphia.  Which of the forwards play better in a foot of snow?  How does the scoring work if the game is canceled?  The interwebs are worried about the weather.   I doubt anyone has gone all in for either of these teams, but just in case use extra care this week.

Individual picks

Captain – Graham Zusi, SKC.  He had a role in all three SKC goals last week.   As I mentioned above SKC at Toronto seems like a good bet.   Zusi was a good pick last year, and with help from Bieler he may be even better.

Value – Jeb Brovsky, Montreal. Nope, I have no idea who he is either. This defender was worth nine points last week and only costs 4.5 M. The Impact (same word in English and French) play at Portland this week and against Toronto next week.

Overpriced: Wondo. Apparently his supporting cast is hurt. Let’s say he poaches a goal out of spite. That’s nice and all but for his Huge price tag we should expect more.

That’s all for today. Come back next time for more MLS Fantasy notes and a brief foray into saving the USMNT.

Performance last weekend:

Soccer games watched – 1

Game of Thrones DVD’s watched – 0

Correction plans in place for this weekend – 1

Comments

  1. Say someone (a first-time MLS fantasy player, point and laugh) accidentally drafted two MF with a bye week this weekend (Davis, Rosales), then transferred one of them (Rosales) with yet another MF with a bye, Mike Magee, while the other free was move to add Oduro. This hypothetical person’s MF corps would now be Le Toux, Kobayashi, Kitchen, Davis, Magee…

    With a defense of Collin, Parke, Bernandez, Ashe (Bye), Woolard… Forwards: Wondo, Higuain, Oduro.

    Two Union players who may not get to play, plus the snafu on MF byes… Would you just use the wildcard and blow it up?

    Reply
    • ..or just use the 4-point penalty and replace Davis with someone for the week, rolling the dice with Le Toux playing.

      Asking for a friend. Not me.

      Reply
      • For future reference do the math. If a player is expected to earn more than 4 points make a trade. If not it isn’t worth it.

  2. My Fantasy team did awful last week.

    This week I’m going 4-4-3

    Soares, Collin, Moor, Lee

    McCarty, Valeri, Nagbe

    Henry, R. Johnson, Wondo

    Reply
  3. Should I play Deshorn Brown or Maicon Santos up top.

    OR

    Sacrifice a striker and play Avila as an extra midfielder?

    Reply

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