MLS Fantasy Rekrap Round 32

The average score this week was a robust 20. With only 6 teams playing and all of the call ups for international play, this was an exceptionally odd week for fantasy. Add in the usual issues with squad rotation and certain players being mysteriously left out of lineups and it was hard to even know where to start picking a lineup. I ended the week with 77 points, ranked in the top 700 for the week, and was back in green arrow territory thanks to the good fortune of Nico Lodiero and Chris Wondolowski coming back early from international duty.

To understand really how weird of a week this was, the Dream Team featured 5 defenders, 2 midfielders, and 3 forwards. Marcelo Bielsa couldn’t think up a formation that weird. Get ready to say ‘who?’ a lot... onto the Rekrap.

Words I never thought I would type are: Joe Willis led goalkeepers in points this week with 12 thanks to a clean sheet and an impressive number of bonus points against Seattle.

More words I never thought I’d type: three Houston defenders joined him on the Dream Team. Sheanon Williams, don’t say ‘who?’ he’s the Boston Boateng, led defenders with 15 points. His teammates DaMarcus Beasley and David Horst each scored 9 points.

Shockingly, only one Rapids defender made the Dream Team and it was Marc Burch. He made the list thanks only to an assist against San Jose.

Some guy named Roman Torres scored 9 points for Seattle’s back line, those 9 points represent nearly 30% of his fantasy total score of 31 for the year.

Only two midfielders this week managed to score more than 9 points, and both were from Colorado. Dillon Powers scored 10 points for his first double digit game of the year against Houston, and he added another 5 in the second game versus San Jose.

So he wasn’t on the Dream Team, but Lodiero, Seattle’s Saint Nick, earned another yellow card and was suspended again. This time it was in a World Cup qualifier, so he got to play in Seattle’s game on Thursday and scored 7 points.

Combined, the three forwards on the Dream Team cost $16.5, or one Giovinco plus $3.4. If you left Dominique Badji on your bench as a scrub and played him this week, he did well for you earning a cheap 17 points. Nobody has Adam Jahn, I mean it, he has .7% ownership. He scored 13 points and answered the question of why Ola Kamara didn’t play this week. Mauro Manotas made Colorado look less like they’d parked the bus and more like they couldn’t figure out how to get it out of gear. The Houston forward scored a brace against them, his point total for the week was 13.

Duds

Without a doubt, the most dumbfounding play of the week was Ozzie Alonso taking Will Bruin’s bait on Wednesday night and getting a red card. He’s suspended next week and might get further discipline, he earned fantasy managers 1 point.

Pablo Mastroeni and the MLS injury report is next. Marlon Hairston did not make an 18 for Colorado this week and there was no explanation from the Rapids and his name did not appear on the injury report. Bill Belichick would do well in this league.

Ethan Finlay has had a terrible season, taking a giant step back this year. Columbus had a sliver of hope to get to the playoffs this year and only needed to beat the lowly Chicago Fire to keep it alive. They failed and Finlay was a complete non-factor in the game earning 2 points.

Picks - There’s unlimited transfers this week and with it the unlimited potential to get your hopes up with the promise of a new beginning. So take a deep breath, let go, and let your paintbrush flow across the canvas and fill in all the happy little trees that you want!

Goalkeeper

This is a mess of a position. My instinct is to go with David Bingham against Vancouver this week at home. San Jose has been pretty solid at Avaya Stadium this season and the Whitecaps are awful. For a cheaper option, Andre Blake of Phily is at home for the final two games of the season. One of those games is against Orlando, who hasn’t scored much lately.

Defenders

Walker Zimmerman - FC Dallas has lost one game at home all season and still needs wins to lock up the Supporters Shield. He’s coming off of 23 points over his last two games, get him in.

Marc Burch - He’s the least expensive Colorado defender and if you can’t afford Axel Sjoberg and Zimmerman, go with Burch.

Keegan Rosenberry - Again, Phily is at home for both games coming up and I think no team needed a break like the Union did. This is a gut call, but he’s performed in the past and with two home games coming up, he’s hard to pass up at his price.

Midfielders

Sacha Kljestan - With matchups against Columbus and Phily to end the season, the Red Bulls’ attackers should have big game. Start celebrating Mo-vember now and get Stasha in.

Mauro Diaz - If Dallas rises to the occasion with home field advantage in the playoffs and the Supporters Shield on the line, Diaz will be a big part of their success if they can win the next two games.

Lloyd Sam or Lamar Neagle - Two of the players who have had the biggest impact for DC United’s goal outburst over the past few weeks. Make a call and get one of them in.

Benny Feilhaber - This is more of a differential pick since he’s only owned at 5%, but Benny has scored 8-10-8 in his last 3 games. SKC and RSL play in one of the better rivalry games of the year this weekend with RSL sliding out of the playoffs. The last game of the year, SKC hosts San Jose who is not the same team on the road as they are in California.

Forwards

David Villa - 18 and 14 points in his last two games, enough said.

Bradley Wright-Phillips - See Kljestan, Sacha.

Giovinco - If you have the bank and if he’s in the starting 11 against Montreal.

Dominic Oduro - If you need a cheaper option and Drogba isn’t in the starting 11 for the Impact, Oduro should find a place on your team. Lineups will come out before the fantasy game locks, so check how the Poutine Princes will set up before picking him.

Dominique Badji - If you want a really inexpensive option Badji is in form and really inexpensive. Did I mention he’s really inexpensive?