One week after the Houston Dynamo were MLS Fantasy darlings, FC Dallas made themselves heard in a big way on this last round’s Dream Team.
All three of Dallas’ goalscorers made the cut (Mauro Diaz, David Texeira, Kellyn Acosta) as well as the set up man Fabian Castillo. All told that fantasy quartet burned up the pitch for 40 points. Castillo’s performance stands out with bonus points for defending, attacking, and earning a penalty.
Sporting Kansas City contributed two players from their shutout of the Portland Timbers. Goalkeeper Tim Melia made six saves after coming back from a hamstring strain which kept him out of last round. He was joined by defender Kevin Ellis and his three defensive bonus points.
The team was filled out with a sprinkling from around the league. Chicago Fire midfielder Harry Shipp’s goal and assist performance were good for 10 points, while D.C. United forward Fabian Espindola had a goal and three attacking bonus points for the same score.
Orlando City defender Sebastian Hines scored a goal on his way to 9 points. New York Red Bull defender Connor Lade and Houston Dynamo Midfielder Ricardo Clark finish the 11-man roster.
With the Dream Team only worth 103 and an average score of 39, the fantasy struggles this round were real. Team Lucas took the highest points total this round, captaining Bradley Wright-Phillips while grabbing Shipp and Castillo from the Dream Team.
The good news this week is that managers get a universal wildcard. The bad news is only five teams are in action over the international break.
- Transfer deadline is Wed., Oct. 7 at 7:30 pm ET.
- Use the MLS Injury Report, Disciplinary Report, and keep abreast of international absences.
Transfers this round will want to take advantage of the Montreal Impact having a double match week. There’s another universal wildcard next round, so don’t be afraid to go crazy. With the fantasy season winding down, what have you got to lose? These weeks can be a bonanza, if you play your cards right.
Here are some players I’m looking at for the upcoming action:
Evan Bush - goalkeeper - Montreal Impact ($5.5) - No brainer with the Impact having two shots at a clean sheet this round. Both games are on the road, which isn’t ideal, but this pick is just about increasing odds. Same logic applies in picking defenders.
Cristian Techera - midfielder - Vancouver Whitecaps ($7.7) - A bit of risk in chasing the hot hand here, as Techera is yet to score in consecutive matches. This is going to be a wild week after all, and the ‘Caps midfielder is the right combo of inexpensive and productive. Only selected by 1.4% of managers, so pick that sleeper up.
