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We have a short turnaround from the weekend games this week (again), and we'll have only a pair of matches that we can enter into contests this Wednesday. At least we're getting a pair of games that should be entertaining from a neutrals point of view. This week we have Chicago away to Montreal and Kansas City away to Houston. The last time that Chicago played away to Montreal, we got the Drogba hat trick that really set the league on fire. So regardless of whether you're playing daily fantasy or not (we know you are), you'll at least get to tune in to see if Drogba takes the game over in the sequel.
There you have it folks. I'll be entering into one of the GPP tournaments for Wednesday, and we here at fplbet hope to see you there.
Clean Sheet Potential
Honestly, we don't have a ton of clean sheet potential this round. Like I said above, Montreal and Chicago should combine for some fireworks -- and Houston and SKC should both to be able to at least snag a goal. The nod for best chance at a clean sheet would tend to tip towards Houston though. Houston are going to be experiencing some heat, and they're usually able to drag teams' pace down quite a bit through their natural conditions.#1) GOALKEEPER AND DEFENDER TIPS
First off, it was just announced today that goalkeeper Sean Johnson and defender Eric Gehrig have been ruled out for the rest of the year due to injury. So even if you were looking to take a real chance at some Chicago budget defense, the prospect is even more dicey with replacements coming into the squad. Chicago have also fired their manager over the weekend, so we really know very little about the lineup that will be presented on Wednesday to replace those players. Jon Busch ($5.4) should be starting in Johnson's absence, but he's even more expensive than Johnson was, so he may not be worth the gamble. Also on the list of questionable players is SKC's keeper Tim Melia ($4.6). Little is known about his definitive status for this week, and if he doesn't play, look at Jon Kempin ($5.1) to replace him. Kempin is also a replacement that is more expensive than the normal starter -- so he's probably not worth the risk either. Given the home fixture and the conditions, Houston's Tyler Deric ($4.4) is probably your best bet for keeping a decent score. SKC have a potent attack when they're firing on all cylinders, but I expect the southern heat to play a factor in the pace of this game. I like Sheanon Williams ($7.3) for Houston to pair up with Deric. Williams is a bit on the pricey end, but he's one of the few defenders that Houston have fully healthy, so he may not be a bad bet. SKC's Kevin Ellis ($8.3) wouldn't be a bad option either. Ellis is an active player that scores decently whether his team are giving you a clean sheet or not.Attacking Potential
I like the attack for this round, and the shoddy defenses will add to the goal totals. Chicago are in complete disarray right now, and Montreal are never shy to press their new attack. Houston have had a bit of a scoring resurgence themselves, and I like them to press their advantage at home and bag a pair of goals.#2) MIDFIELDER TIPS
I like Brad Davis ($10.2) for his recent form. Prior to his meager score in his last round, Davis had a streak of three straight games with a double digit score. Davis also has two goals and two assists in his last four matches -- so he's definitely worth a look while playing at home. Ignacio Piatti ($12.4) is the most expensive midfielder on the board, but his advantage while playing at home against a banged up Chicago team is too good to pass up. Assuming that both he and Drogba start (there is always the risk of a rotation benching in a congested schedule), there really isn't a limit to how much damage he could do against Chicago's replacement players. As a budget play, Chicago's Michael Stephens ($7.0) has been a very steady play since becoming a starter seven matches ago. In those seven matches, Stephens has averaged 5.24 points per game, and he's not really breaking your bank to get you that steady return. It's easy to say that Montreal are going to beat up on Chicago, but this same Chicago side put three goals on Montreal the last time they played up north. I don't expect Chicago to have a chance at winning, but rounding out your roster with a bit of a points grabber like Stephens won't hurt you.#3) FORWARD TIPS
Can lightning strike the same place twice? That's the question we're all going to have to ask ourselves when Didier Drogba ($7.1) takes the field. Remember, that hat trick that he put on Chicago netted his owners 31.9 points. Drogba has all the potential in the world, and he's still at a decent price point to make him worth the risk. We'll have to watch for the lineups to come out to see if either David Accam ($10.3) or Kennedy Igboananike ($5.1) get the nod to start for Chicago. Igboananike was the hero the last time Chicago played in Montreal and he was able to score 17.07 points in that start. Accam is still probably the better choice for a steady points return -- his average over his last five matches is 8.35 points per game. And it's not like Montreal are an air tight defensive team -- they can be scored upon. The only problem we're going to have to worry about is whether Chicago's new coach tries to tinker too much with the system already in place. If the players are trying to learn a new formation on the fly, both of these guys could be affected. Dom Dwyer ($9.4) was able to get a goal in his last game en route to 12.13 points. The SKC forward has scored twice in his last four matches, but even more impressive is the fact that he's been credited with 8 shots on target in that time frame. He may not have a high rate of conversion, but even his missed opportunities will get you a bit of scoring in a pinch.There you have it folks. I'll be entering into one of the GPP tournaments for Wednesday, and we here at fplbet hope to see you there.
