For the purposes of this article, all prices and points are via our partners Mondogoal.
We have a bit of an oddity this week; instead of only two matches to choose from on a Wednesday set of fixtures, we get three matches instead. That single game can make all the difference in finding enough variety in your lineup to really set you apart from the pack. I, for one, am very happy that we get the additional two teams to make up some differential players.
Our matches are:
NYCFC v Toronto
New England v NYRB
San Jose v Montreal
There you have it folks. I'll be entering into a contest or two myself on Wednesday, so I hope to see you there. And apologies for the lack of a wrap-up article for the last set of contests. These MLS games just came at me too quickly this week to fit that article in there before this one was published. Expect me to be extra hard in grading myself this time around as penance.
Clean Sheet Potential
This week we're really only looking at the San Jose v Montreal match as the game that could stay low scoring. San Jose are only just a couple of weeks removed from that run of clean sheets they produced, and Montreal actually traveled into LA and were able to keep a shutout against a very strong Galaxy squad. We probably don't want to spend too much time thinking that either game featuring a New York team is going to stay low scoring.#1) GOALKEEPER AND DEFENDER TIPS
We have to start with the biggest price on the board for keepers and peg David Bingham ($8.3) as our keeper of choice. Bingham leads the pack with 10 CS and 9 Single Goal Matches on the year. And you also have to analyze the situation that this game offers to San Jose. The 'Quakes are just two points out of the playoff spots, and they'll be extra diligent this week in trying to capture as many points as possible to rise up the table a bit. On the other hand, you have to consider Evan Bush ($4.4) for Montreal. Montreal are in the sixth and final spot for the Eastern playoffs, and they'll be doing everything they can to at least come away with a point from San Jose. When you look at what they were able to do to shutdown LA at home, you realize that when this defensive unit collects itself, they can really drive a game into the mud and tough-out a road point. I think that Bingham obviously has the upper hand being at home, but if you're looking for a budget option, Bush is your next best bet. Pairing in the back for these guys is fairly straightforward. Clarence Goodson ($8.3) is going to be your high-cost option for San Jose, but he easily has the best chance to get forward a bit and get back to his typical 8 points per game range. For Montreal, Donny Toia ($6.3) has been a nailed-on starter for the Impact and he's coming off of a 9.08 point performance in LA. He's not going to break your bank, and he should fare well in what's expected to be a low-scoring affair. Outside of these two teams though, you're going to just have to pick with a bit of caution. NYCFC are horrible defensively, and their opponent Toronto is equally as bad. New England have been on the great run lately, so you may consider a player like Chris Tierney ($7.7) as a decent option that can get forward into the attack occasionally.Attacking Potential
One thing is certain, outside of the San Jose match, there should be an abundance of attack. Toronto is looking healthy once again (re: Giovinco is active), and New England and NYRB have both come into a very potent scoring streak in their respective clubs as of late. You will want to check lineups before locking anything in though. David Villa was subbed off in his last game with a "precautionary" response to a slight injury -- but in MLS injury-report terms, that could mean anything from a cramp to a leg amputation. Also, Didier Drogba has been rumored to be due a game of rest at some point in this week. Odds are, if he's afforded that rest, he'd take the San Jose game off to be able to play at home over the weekend. Just keep on eye on the lineups prior to finalizing your squad.#2) MIDFIELDER TIPS
How do you not take Lee Nguyen ($15.0) right off the bat? The New England midfielder just completed his eighth straight match with double digit points. That's a phenomenal achievement. More amazing, Nguyen has five assists in his last two games. There simply isn't a defensive answer for Nguyen right now. Maybe he was miffed about being left off the USMNT squad again. Who knows? What we do know is that he's playing the best ball of his career and you have to strike when the iron is hot. The boldest move of the week would be to leave Nguyen off of your team. The next most obvious choice comes from the same match. Sacha Kljestan ($12.6) is trying to put together a string of performances that would rival Nguyen's output. Kljestan has a streak of four straight games in double digit points -- and his last two scores were monsters at 17.25 and 14.75. With Bradley Wright Phillips conceding the penalties now to Kljestan, he also has that added factor of being the complete set-piece taker for the Red Bulls. In short, there really isn't much downside to him anymore. Even his price is still very manageable. Finally, even though there are more than a few other mids I could recommend from the various teams, I have to key in on Diego Fagundez ($8.4). Fagundez's last three games have all seen him score a goal - and that means that he has three straight matches now of 15+ points for his owners. It's always fun when a players gets on one of these scoring streaks. The more they score, the more confident they get. When will Fagundez finally run out of gas? At his price, hopefully no time soon.#3) FORWARD TIPS
The last time that he played in Yankee Stadium, Sebastian Giovinco ($13.4) scored an astounding 31.04 points. He's slowed his pace a bit since then, but it appears he's been deemed fully healthy, and a return to the scene of one of his greatest performances should yield another huge haul of points. If nothing else, with the current midfield scheme that NYCFC are employing, City have gotten even slower in defense. All of this points to Giovinco really having another field day out in the baseball yard. Honestly, who's going to catch him? Lampard? Pirlo? Already Giovinco has two fewer players he has to worry about avoiding -- and the NYCFC defense wasn't up to the task last time he came to town. Giovinco could really seize the day for you. Bradley Wright Phillips ($12.5) is probably a steal at this price. But what you have to consider is that he's going to be facing a bit of stiff competition from the Revs back line; the scoring may not come as easily as it has in his past pair of games. Just to refresh your memory, BWP has scored three goal in his last two matches and posted very impressive scores of 11.09 and 23.81 points. Another thing going in the favor of the Red Bulls: even though this is an away match for them, they are the only Eastern Conference team with a positive road goal differential. So don't rule them out, they should be able to continue their scoring pace in this situation. Lastly, I think that given what we've gone over above, you have to look at Chris Wondolowski ($11.0) for a potential third striker. San Jose desperately need a win, and Wondo is the man that's been providing all of their scoring for them recently. Over his last five matches, Wondo has accumulated four goals and an average Mondogoal score of 10.75 points per game. Even though Montreal was stout against LA this past weekend, expect Wondo to at least be getting shots on net against them to bolster his score for you.There you have it folks. I'll be entering into a contest or two myself on Wednesday, so I hope to see you there. And apologies for the lack of a wrap-up article for the last set of contests. These MLS games just came at me too quickly this week to fit that article in there before this one was published. Expect me to be extra hard in grading myself this time around as penance.
