Every year, it’s the same thing. You pick a handful of guys based on the previous year’s performance, you take a flier on a couple of players you thought you heard from someone somewhere were gonna be sleepers, and what happens? You spend the entire season looking up at everyone else in your MLS fantasy league.
Or perhaps I’m just projecting…
Shootout at the Fantasy Factory: Must-Haves for your Fantasy MLS Team
This year to try to make things turn out differently for my team, I’ve asked seven of my friends who cover seven different teams for Last Word for advice. I’ve asked them to give me two names – one from the team they cover, and one from a team they DON’T cover – of players you absolutely, positively MUST HAVE on your fantasy team, and why.
That should give me a starting XI plus one. Unless everyone goes all NYCFC on me and buys nothing but midfielders.
Let’s start at the bottom of last year’s table, with Fire Confidential Live’s Jeff Krause, whose knowledge of the Men in Red is second to none. Jeff, who’s your Chicago Fire “Must-Have”?
“Matt Polster. Of anyone on the current 22 man roster, Polster has been the player who’s proven to be the best and most consistent so far in 2016. He’s not going to get you crazy fantasy points or score golazos, but what he does bring is a destroyer mentality in the midfield that is more mature and athletic than his rookie campaign – which nearly got him league honors. The only downside from Polster is that he’s going to earn you the occasional yellow card, which isn’t optimal for fantasy points. But that’s The Chicago Way.”
Slim pickings in the Windy City to be sure, but Polster makes sense. And on the non-Fire side? “Kei Kamara. He was a dangerous threat when he was with Sporting KC before heading to Europe, and last year with Columbus he showed what he can do with a little discipline, maturity, and a good system under Gregg Berhalter. There’s no reason to think Kamara’s 2015 season was a fluke, and it’s scary to think he could be even better this year. Captain this dude.”
Jeff brings up the possibility of a sophomore jinx, and while he dismisses it in Kamara’s case, one has to wonder if it will affect the man who actually brought home the MVP hardware last season. So we asked Arslan Sidd who covers Toronto FC for Last Word if he thinks Giovinco in 2016 will be a repeat of his amazing performance in his debut season.
“Having watched the Italian every week, I have witnessed his ridiculous amount of skill on the field, and having spoken with him, you can see the maturity and work ethic that makes you believe he will not slump this year. So yes, Sebastian Giovinco is my Toronto pick.”
And on the non-Toronto side? “Robbie Keane. I’ve watched Keane’s career for years now and everywhere he goes, he scores goals. As a Canadian, it was hard to not to select Cyle Larin. However, with the strength of Keane’s teammates, as well as his own ability to create assists, he was the right choice for me. In his last four years in MLS, he has scored at least 16 goals and added over 9 assists per season.”
Matt Pollard, who covers the LA Galaxy, thinks that Keane’s a bit of a no-brainer too. “Yes, it’s a bit of a cliche, but the fact is Robbie Keane scores goals. He creates for the Galaxy. And if they’re having success, it’s because he’s playing well.”
Great, two votes for Keane on my front line. And on the non-LA side?
“I’ve got two.”
Two’s good! Maybe someone on the backline?
“First, Dax McCarty. The new fantasy rules changes favor holding mids. Dax is going to get more defensive bonuses and he’s a lock for passing percentage bonuses. Plus he’s on a good team which puts him in a great position to succeed.”
Can’t argue with Dax, always been a fan, in spite of the RBNY/NYCFC rivalry. And another midfielder starts to fill out the team. Who else?
“CJ Sapong. He’s due for a break out year. And I think he’ll be the focal point of the Union offense. He’ll be getting shot bonuses. He could score 15 goals this year. At a reasonable price, he’s a solid second striker option for any fantasy owner.”
Great. Another Forward. That makes four. This should make our goals-against average something that even NYCFC is embarrassed by. Come on guys, can I get someone on this team on the backline? How about you, Alec? You cover DC and Birnbaum’s been getting some play on the National team. Any love for a defender?
“Afraid not. Because it’s been years since D.C. United played with a true creative attacking player, and Luciano Acosta will see the field immediately and often. In the first leg of the CCL quarterfinals, he seemed to be a step ahead of his teammate Fabian Espindola. Once that strike partnership is on the same page, MLS defenses everywhere are in trouble.”
Great. Another forward. And a non-DC player? Let me guess, Robbie Keane?
“No, Darlington Nagbe. He’s a hell of a player and does work in the Portland midfield. The icing on the cake? He’s gonna earn you a ton of fantasy points as one of the most fouled players in the league, refleting a change in the points system taking effect this season. It’s tough not to choose at least one player from the defending MLS Cup champions, and there is no better choice on the Portland Timbers’ roster.”
Laura McFayden, who covers SKC for Last Word, agrees with Alec. “Nagbe had such an impressive run with the Timbers last season, he earned a national team call-up as soon as he was eligible. This season, surrounded by a relatively unchanged MLS Cup winning side, expect to see even more game changing magic from the midfielder. His runs are creative, well-timed, and accurate.”
But what about the guy who covers the Timbers Army, Eric Walcott? You gonna make it three for three for Nagbe?
“Afraid not. I’m going with Diego Valeri. Don’t be deceived by his modest numbers in 2015. He missed the first third of the season recovering from an ACL tear, and was nagged by injuries throughout. Plus, the Timbers attack didn’t really get clicking until the switch to the 4-3-3 near the end of the season. With an attack that’s clicking and new fantasy rules giving points for things like passes and shots, Valeri‘s numbers should get a nice boost.”
And on the non-Timbers’ side? Please tell me you’re not grabbing Robbie Keane too.
“Nope, Andreas Ivanschitz.”
Who?
“Ivanschitz is a great budget option in center midfield for Seattle who should pick up a lot of points. He started to get going late season last year, and now with a full pre-season, he should be a big part of their attack. And at only $7.5, he’ll provide a great bang for the buck.”
Well I can honestly say I did not see that coming.
“Here’s another one you probably weren’t expecting” says Ned Joyce, who covers New England. “For my non-Revs pick, I’m going with Cam Porter, the darling of Montreal. Last year he was set to take off before an ACL injury derailed his season. Now sitting alongside Drogba has him poised to move into the 15 goal range.”
Cam Porter? Do I dare pick up a 5.0 Forward? I mean, terrific upside, but which of the 700 other Forwards already suggested should I drop? “Oh, and I expect Harrison Shipp will be right behind him as a possible 10 and 10 player.”
This is not helping. This is not making it easier for me.
“You want something easy? The easy pick for a New England fantasy player, of course, is Lee Nguyen. He posted 18 goals two years ago and 7 goals and 10 assists last year.”
Okay, Nguyen. I get that. Solid, reliable MLS player. Makes sense.
“But if you want a real true diamond in the rough, look to Kelyn Rowe. Two years ago he had 5 goals and 5 assists. Last year it was 7 and 6. At only 24 he is coming into his own and strong. We are looking at easily a 10 and 10 season if not more.”
I said “easy”.
“Oh, well, then just go with Dempsey or Giovinco or Drogba.”
Or Keane?
“Yeah, I’d say Keane was an easy pick.”
How about Dwyer?
“Yeah Dwyer’s easy, too.”
“I don’t think Dwyer’s necessarily an ‘easy’ pick, but he’s my home pick from SKC” says Laura McFayden. “He only played 165 minutes in four of the six Desert Diamond Cup games this preseason, but his contribution was high. In fact, he tied Conner Hallisey with most goals (two) and assists (two) for the club despite playing 134 minutes less. Dwyer has always been the go-to for SKC, and he’s still growing.”
Final tally? 7 forwards (you can only select 4), 7 midfielders (five’s the maximum), no defenders, no goalies, and, with 2 players left to pick, a payroll of 127 – 7 million over the cap.
But that leaves me the final two picks, and since money’s no object any more, let’s see if this old goalie can find someone on the defensive side of the ball to join this party.
Now, if this team didn’t already have Giovinco, Kamara, Keane, Sapong and Dwyer on the top line, of course my NYCFC pick would be David Villa. Or I might make a surprise grab for Tony Taylor who has shown some speed and creativity in the pre-season that’s opened up some interesting space for the Captain.
But I’m trying to find someone on the defensive side of the ball and with NYCFC that’s no mean feat. Not only because last year was such a clownshow, but because Vieira has brought in so many new players, I have to believe we’ll see a lot of rotation in the first weeks. So as much as I like, say, RJ Allen, or was impressed by Frederic Brillant or Ronald Matarrita or Ethan White, I don’t want to risk a bench warmer with my Must-Have recommendation.
So I’m gonna take a fantasy flyer on the one guy I KNOW will be trying to keep the ball out of the net for the Citizens, NYCFC’s #12, Josh Saunders. And I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the tremendous effort he made last year, combined with an upgrade in front of him, will yield more points.
That lets me to pick a defender from the rest of the league, and here I’m going with the Hoops’ Matt Hedges. Dallas has a young team that looked scarey good and built to last. For me Hedges is the standout on a backline that has the kind of stability those of us who follow the Citizens can only dream about. And as we know, where there’s stability, there’s teamwork, and where there’s teamwork, championships. Plus I think Hedges has a chip on his shoulder about the USMNT and that always helps.
So that leaves us with a roster for a one-five-four formation, with tremendous fire power, not a lot of defense, and at $141, a mere $21 over the cap.
Sounds like exactly the kind of team a guy who spends his summer in Yankee Stadium would field.
Special thanks to Ned Joyce, Jeff Krause, Laura McFayden, Matt Pollard, Alec Rivera, Arslan Sidd, and Eric Walcott, for their time and insight into their teams and the league. Be sure to follow them on twitter and read their terrific work all season long.
Main Photo: Jamie Sabau, Getty Images
