Reid, Mike, Andrew and Phil get together to quickly review the high points from that short Round 15 including who got their predictions right on the last show! Then then preview all of the upcoming games for Round 16 including who's hot, who's missing and who has the best shot at a clean sheet. Don't forget to stick around to find out the crazy results from the MLSFI Hosts league!
I hope everyone enjoyed the breather last round. With so few teams playing I was not sure how high scores would be but triple digits still seems to be the norm. Last week it was Ruben N, manager of Witty City, who broke the century mark and earned the high score of 102 points. Congrats!
This week everything is back to normal. No double games, no teams on a bye, few teams went all out for the U.S. Open Cup and the biggest relief…few players are expected to miss time due to the recent international call-ups. The player pool is overflowing with great attacking options, below are some of my favorites for Round 16.
'Keepers
Well Rested: Every U.S. based MLS team participated in the U.S. Open Cup this week and several starting 'keepers played a full 90. This is not true for any of the Canadian teams so Alex Bono (TOR $5.0) is at the top of my 'keeper list. In addition to being well rested, Toronto is also taking on a D.C. United (8 pm ET | TSN1/4 in Canada | MLS LIVE in US) team that has struggled to score on the road against tough defenses.
Home Run: If you’d rather have a 'keeper who is on a hot streak, then pick up Joe Bendik (ORL $5.1). Orlando plays its third-straight home game this weekend and they have already earned clean sheets in the previous two. Montreal (7:30 pm ET | TVA Sports in Canada | MLS LIVE in US) has rarely scored more than one goal on the road so if the Lions can keep a strong backline, they have a good shot at a third clean sheet.
Defenders
Scoring Option: Earning bonus points and clean sheets are the bread and butter of a great fantasy defender, but when you find one who can also score goals, he becomes something special. With three goals, Toronto’s Justin Morrow ($6.5) is the highest-scoring defender in the game and it’s very believable that he could have a shot at a fourth against D.C. United.
Differential: If you want to shakeup your roster, consider Antonio Delamea (NE $6.1). A rough start and few double-game weeks have kept many New England players off the radar of some fantasy managers, but they have the third-best home defense in the league. If Chicago (7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE) is able to bring some of their home form on the road, they could give the Revs a good fight, but that will just give Delamea the opportunity for more bonus points.
Midfielders
Star Player: If you’re having a hard time picking from all the great midfielder options, you’re not alone. My strategy was to prioritize the home players playing the worst away teams. Houston (11 pm ET | UniMás in US | MLS LIVE in Canada) is one of the worst and that makes Romain Alessandrini (LA $10.1) one of the best. He’s the glue that holds the LA Galaxy together and has scored a goal or earned an assist in four of his last five games. Houston has allowed 15 goals over seven away games...I’ll just leave it at that.
Reunited: One of the most exciting moments of the U.S. Open Cup was seeing Atlanta forward Josef Martinez ($9.4) back in the starting XI. If he’s fit for MLS action, that increases the value of Miguel Almiron ($9.6) who quickly developed a strong connection early in the season. Even on his own, Almiron still has a great shot at scoring against a Columbus (7 pm ET | MLS LIVE) team that is reeling from their Open Cup loss and has allowed 17 goals over eight away games.
Forwards
Differential: A lot of the big name forwards are already popular targets this round and I think most teams can easily afford two. If you’re looking for a differential or want to squeeze in a third, then consider CJ Sapong (PHI $8.0). The Union had a rough start to the season but things have started to turn around some for them and Sapong has played a large part in that success. He leads the team with eight goals and has a knack for earning bonus points from shots and fouls. New York (5 pm ET | ESPN and ESPN Deportes in US | MLS LIVE in Canada) has been struggling for any consistency so now is the time for Philadelphia to earn valuable points against a conference rival.
WHICH PLAYERS are you considering for Round 16?
FOR MORE fantasy advice, be sure to check out the articles and charts posted at MLSFantasyBoss.com. And don’t forget, the player with the highest overall score at the end of Round 17 will win the Mid-Season grand prize: 2 tickets to the 2017 MLS All-Star Game!
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