Here it is, the last decent double-game week of the season. If you still have a wild card, now is the time to use it. If you don’t, then I hope your planning has worked out to help you maximize the number of DGW players on your team. As alluded to in recent past articles, I don’t recommend making any trades this round without considering the Round 32 schedule. That limits your player pool, but there are still several good options.
Below is my list of players who I think will help you transition from the DGW to the bye round.
Keeper
Differential Pick: After some early struggles, Seattle’s defense is improving and that makes Stefan Frei ($6.1 SEA) an interesting option if you want to break from the template team. His strength lies in his opponents. Seattle starts the round hosting a Chicago (10:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE) team that does not excel at scoring on the road and wraps up their week traveling to Vancouver (8 pm ET; FS1 in US | MLS LIVE in Canada) who they shutout just two rounds ago. It’s one of the best DGW schedules of the round and Frei could return a solid score.
Defenders
Iron Man: While the Rapids may not be known for their offense, one of their best attacking options is still defender Marlon Hairston ($5.6 COL). He’s started the last three games and earned two clean sheets and an assist over that time. Hairston could come away with both offensive and defensive bonuses this round as Colorado hosts a Portland team (9 pm ET; MLS LIVE) that currently ranks near the bottom at scoring and keeping clean sheets goals on the road.
High & Low: As mentioned above, I believe Seattle has one of the best schedules of all DGW teams this round, so they are an ideal team to invest in if you want a premium defender. My favorite option is Chad Marshall ($8.7 SEA) due to his defensive bonus point potential and goal threat on set pieces. However, if you’d rather go the budget route, then Joevin Jones ($6.7 SEA) will give you the most bang for your buck.
Midfielders
Differential Pick: Scoring has not come easy for San Jose in 2016, but when they have, Simon Dawkins ($8.5 SJ) is frequently involved. His goal last week brought his total to four for the season and made him the Quakes’ second highest scorer. He’ll have his best chance for more against Montreal (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE), who currently have the worst home defense in the league, but don’t count him out against Real Salt Lake (10:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE) who are allowing almost two goals per game on the road.
On Form: If you’re looking for one of the most reliable point earners in the game then go no further than Nicolas Lodeiro ($12.3 SEA). Since joining the league in Round 22, he’s scored a goal or earned an assist in every game. This makes him one of the top captain picks for Round 31 and in addition to not having a bye in Round 32 and will also play three more games at home over the next four rounds.
Forwards
Goal Machine: If you did not jump on the Ola Kamara ($9.1 CLB) train, then you’ve missed out on the five goals and two assists he’s earned over the past three rounds. But don’t worry, getting him now is not just chasing points thanks to their promising DGW. D.C. United (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE) will pose the biggest challenge but the following game against Chicago on Saturday (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE) will more than make up for it thanks to the Fire’s poor away defensive record.
These are the players who I think are worth considering for Round 31, who are you targeting? Post your thoughts in the comments below and if you are interested in more charts and tips, check out the latest posts over at MLS Fantasy Boss and advice from the other MLS Fantasy Experts.
