Transfer Deadline: Wednesday, 7 pm ET
Alright MLS Fantasy managers, we're hours away from one of the biggest double-game weeks of the season, so let's get to it.
Here are your weekly injury updates (GIFs included), a revised copy of the fantasy schedule for the rest of the season (image below) and my picks for Round 21.
Initially, I was set with only one transfer this week: Chris Rolfe. But after seeing what Javier Morales did vs. Montreal, I felt obligated to insert him back into my lineup somewhere.
So I swapped Mark Bloom for Igor Julião to free up some extra cap space and dropped the No. 1 overall player in MLS Fantasy, Pedro Morales, to make room for the Real Salt Lake playmaker. It cost me -4 points, but hopefully it pays off.
Oh, and you better believe utilizing the schedule below will pay off as you make a late-season push.
Injury Updates
Seth Sinovic – Possibly the biggest injury news this week. Pulled up lame chasing after Dominic Oduro and had to leave the game shortly after. Kevin Ellis came on in Sinovic's stead.
The 55th-minute exit was rare. Sinovic's gone the full 90 minutes in every single game this season except one. If you have him in your lineup, look for a replacement ASAP.
Chris Tierney – New England's starting left back exited last week's game vs Columbus after just 21 minutes with what is now being reported as a MCL sprain. Severity of the injury is unknown, but teammate Andy Dorman has been sidelined with the same injury for a few weeks already and the Revs gave him an initial timeline of 10-12 weeks to recover.
The Revolution have struggled on defense, but Tierney offered a bit more than most outside backs in MLS at the attacking end. He leads all defenders in successful crosses (33) and key passes (31), both by substantial margins, and he's also used regularly on corners and set pieces. Expect Kevin Alston or Darrius Barnes to fill in while he's out.
Two other injuries worth noting are Matt Hedges and Jared Watts. Hedges left last week's game with concussion-like symptoms at halftime, so you shouldn't expect him to be ready to play vs Chivas USA on Sunday unless he rebounds quickly.
Watts was substituted in the first half vs. Chivas with a right ankle injury, but Colorado have not ruled him out just yet. They did, however, give updates on Deshorn Brown, Shane O'Neill and José Mari. All are expected to miss the midweek trip to New England, but could potentially be ready to take on RSL this Saturday. (Read more about it HERE)
Top 5 Transfers IN
Here are the top five transfers IN for Round 21 as it stands right now. I own three of them: Bradley Wright-Phillips, Dillon Powers and Rolfe.
It's possible that Powers and Rolfe are rested in one of their games this week or pulled early in the first game to keep them fresh for the second. Keep this in mind when selecting your captain.
Player |
Selected |
Price |
Total Score |
Transfers IN |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
<img alt="New York Red Bulls" class="ismShirtData" src="http://cdn.ismfg.net/static/mlsf/img/shirts/data_view/shirt_11.png" title="New York Red Bulls"> |
Bradley Wright-Phillips |
26.7% |
$8.6 |
122 |
<strong>631</strong> |
<img alt="Colorado Rapids" class="ismShirtData" src="http://cdn.ismfg.net/static/mlsf/img/shirts/data_view/shirt_3.png" title="Colorado Rapids"> |
Dillon Powers |
8.0% |
$8.2 |
97 |
<strong>537</strong> |
<img alt="D.C. United" class="ismShirtData" src="http://cdn.ismfg.net/static/mlsf/img/shirts/data_view/shirt_5.png" title="D.C. United"> |
Bobby Boswell |
14.2% |
$8.6 |
97 |
<strong>415</strong> |
<img alt="Real Salt Lake" class="ismShirtData" src="http://cdn.ismfg.net/static/mlsf/img/shirts/data_view/shirt_14.png" title="Real Salt Lake"> |
Joao Plata |
18.1% |
$7.6 |
90 |
<strong>401</strong> |
<img alt="D.C. United" class="ismShirtData" src="http://cdn.ismfg.net/static/mlsf/img/shirts/data_view/shirt_5.png" title="D.C. United"> |
Chris Rolfe |
5.8% |
$7.0 |
80 |
<strong>345</strong> |
My Picks
A lot of people I've talked to have the captain's armband on Wright-Phillips this week. With that in mind, I've decided to go with a differential pick: Jermain Defoe.
It's possible I'll change it last minute to someone else, but I've been trying to avoid second guessing late in the game. Last-second changes have cost me this season. Sometimes it's just better to stick with your initial instinct, unless of course something happens (injury, suspension, etc.) that warrants a change.
How does your team stack up to mine for Round 21? Tell us in the comments or hit us up on Twitter at @MLSFantasy.
