MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 32 results

So at last we come to the end. This week was a pretty good one for me, I got 191 points for a total of 4741 points. I jumped up a surprising nine spots all the way up to fourth place! I will be looking forward to recieving my autographed MLS All-Star Jersey in the mail shortly.

The cap-less team didn't do so hot with only 120 points.

I want to thank everybody for reading this year and enjoy the playoffs (even if you are still bitter about your team getting eliminated in the final minutes of stoppage time).

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 32 line-up

So this is the last week, the last chance to move up in the standings. I'm currently sitting in 12th place, and if I have a good week and some other people struggle, then it is entirely possible to crack into the ten (and maybe higher). Here is my last team.

Every team plays this week, and Chivas USA plays twice this week. I think the best match up is LA at home vs. San Jose, I'd make sure I had three LA guys on my team. I think the best combination would be Ricketts, Donovan, and Beckham, but I also like Gonzalez, Lewis or any of the other starting defenders. I definitely pick up Arena as my coach as well, unless you think that Preki can lead his team to two victories this week. I also like Toronto at New York for Toronto's offensive players (mostly De Rosario). I went with both Montero and Ljungberg, I think that is a little bit risky because Seattle is already in and FC Dallas is fighting to get in, I just hope they play their best team and actually come to play.

Changes:
In: Fredy Montero, Freddie Ljungberg, Bruce Arena
Out: Sigi Schmid, Shalrie Joseph, Preston Burpo

Goalkeeper:
Nick Rimando- I'd prefer Ricketts, but i don't really have strong feeling about 'keepers for the other matches, so I am going to stick with Rimando. Real Salt Lake is playing at home, but Rimando will face two very capable forwards, Omar Cumming and Conor Casey.

Defenders:
Eddie Lewis - At home against San Jose. I got robbed of points last game when Lewis came out early (so he didn't get shut-out points), but I am hoping that he can contribute offensively this game since he is actually playing midfield and not defense.

Omar Gonzalez - He should play the whole game. He has started 29 games so far and has only missed a total of 28 minutes over that entire span. I'm expecting a shut-out.

Kevin Alston - Away at Columbus, tough match up. Only positive is that Columbus has already qualified for the playoff and New England will be playing to get in.

Midfielders:
Dwayne De Rosario - Away at New York, who have been terrible this season. Toronto also has to win to get into the playoffs, so that should provide extra incentive to score goals.

Sacha Kljestan - Two games this week, both against tough opponents. First they go away to Chicago and then they host Houston. If Chivas USA want the Supporter's Shield, then they are going to have to win both games. Kljestan has been great recently after being terrible for most of the season. Hopefully he can keep it up. He'll have to play a big part if Chivas are going to win both games.

Brad Davis - Away at Chivas USA, who should be a little tired from having played mid-week, (although the Dynamo had a game too). I'm not sold on this pick, but I think he is generally solid. It was a coin toss between Stuart Holden and him.

Freddie Ljungberg - At home against FC Dallas. I think this is kind of a gamble because Seattle is already into the playoff and FC Dallas will be coming out hard in order to try and qualify. I hope that Seattle plays their starters and that they really go out there to win the game.

Forwards:
Justin Braun - He's served well recently so I'm going to stick with him. It is also nice that Chivas USA have two games. Hopefully he will be able to score in one of them, even though he's facing tough competition.

Fredy Montero - Like with Ljungberg above, it is a bit of a gamble. I have him in instead of Conor Casey and Jeffrey Cunningham, who will be battling it out for the Golden Boot. They are both obvious choices, so I hope I will be able to pass some people in the standings with some of my unorthodox picks.

Landon Donovan - Great goal scorer at home against a weak team, this pick was a no brainer. He's my captain.

Coach:
Bruce Arena - Has done an awesome job transforming a dysfunctional team into a serious MLS Cup contender. They should be able to take care of San Jose at home.

Bench: Stuart Holden, Jeffrey Cunningham. Conor Casey

Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp.

Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits:

GK- Donovan Ricketts (LA)

Defense-
Eddie Lewis (LA)
Jim Brennan (TOR)
Jonathan Bornstein (CHV)

Midfield-
Sacha Kljestan (CHV)
Dwayne De Rosario (TOR)
Freddie Ljungberg (SEA)
Amado Guevara (TOR)

Forward-
Maykel Galindo (CHV)
Landon Donovan (LA)
Fredy Montero (SEA)

Coach- Bruce Arena (LA)

Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $10K in cap space still. Thoughts, ideas anyone? As this is the last week, I would greatly appreciate any ideas that anyone has. I am really nervous about my picks, so please any suggestions would be awesome. Thanks!

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 31 results

So I didn't do that well, it was about an average week with 109 points, but I guess everyone else didn't do well either, because I moved up to 13th overall with 4550 points. I got points from Schmid as my coach, Justin Braun got a goal (I did a nice job with him, two goals in two games), Kljestan got an assist. I got shut-outs from Alston, Gonzalez, and Rimando. I would have got points from Lewis too, if he had stayed in the game.

The cap-less team did slightly better with 125 points.

The last week is upon us; I'd be nice if I could get into the top ten.

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 31 line-up

So here we are, only two more weeks left. Every team plays this week and next week, with Real Salt Lake playing twice this week and Chivas USA playing twice next week.

I think that there are two match-ups this week that I would focus on taking advantage of: Real Salt Lake vs. New York and Chivas USA vs. San Jose. I think both Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA should be able to win at home against opponents who struggle on the road (Real Salt Lake also has a second game this week, but it will be a much tougher match up away at Toronto).

I would have kept Thorton as my 'keeper, but he is listed as questionable. If he is listed as probable when I check back on Thursday, I may switch back to him. I don't especially like people on offense for RSL, but I would recommend Rimando and their defenders. RSL's offensive guys have not been as impressive this year as they have been in years past. If you really wanted to, you could go with Morales, Findley, or Mathis, but I'm not going to strongly recommend them. For Chivas USA, I would recommend any of their defenders, but especially Jonathan Bornstein, Sacha Kljestan, and either Justin Braun or Maykel Galindo.

I think that Houston should do well at home against Los Angeles and that Seattle should do okay away against Kansas City. I'm going with both Holden and Davis in the midfield. I would have liked to have Montero on the team, but I couldn't work it out. I'm going with Schmid as my coach, even though I think that both Preki and Kreis have better matches this week. I think that Schmid is the most likely to win both this week and next week.

I added Landon Donovan on the bench, because LA plays San Jose next week at home.

Changes:
In: Nick Rimando, Sigi Schmid, Landon Donovan
Out: Zach Thorton, Frank Yallop, Ryan Johnson

Goalkeeper:
Nick Rimando- I like Thorton better if he is healthy, mostly because it means I can make another change somewhere else. Rimando should have a good chance at a shut-out at home against New York. New York has Juan Pablo Angel and Jorege Rojas, two of their offensive weapons, listed as questionable. Also one of the main forward replacements, John Wolyniec, is out.

Defenders:
Eddie Lewis - Away at Houston. Not a good match up, but they do play at home against San Jose next week.

Omar Gonzalez - Away at Houston. Not a good match up, but they do play at home against San Jose next week.

Kevin Alston - Home against the Fire, who play well on the road. Once again, not a great match up.

Midfielders:
Dwayne De Rosario - At home against Real Salt Lake. Hopefully RSL having played earlier in the week will help his chances of scoring. Although if he and no one else on the team scores, than at least I'll get shut-out point for Rimando (unlikely). It was between De Rosario and Kljestan for captain, and I think I'll stick with De Rosario. (Captain)

Sacha Kljestan - Home against San Jose. Should be able to continue his recent impressive form. He has five goals in the last eight games. Also he plays twice next week.

Brad Davis - At home against LA. LA is no push-over, but i think Houston should be able to take care of them at home.

Stuart Holden - It should be an interesting midfield battle, who will be more impressive, Holden and Davis or Donovan and Beckham. LA might have the advantage there, but Houston is a more talented team as a whole.

Forwards:
Justin Braun - Scored last week, hopefully he can do it again. Should be possible against a not so strong San Jose side at home.

Jeffrey Cunningham - He rewarded me last week, let's see if he keeps up the super impressive form. Colorado should prove a challenge, even though FC Dallas is at home.

Conor Casey - What I'm really hoping for is a goal fest, maybe a 4-4 match or something like that, where Cunningham and Casey both score hat-tricks. I don't think I'll be that fortunate. I'd really liek to be playing Montero, or maybe Galindo here, but I couldn't work it out.

Coach:
Sigi Schmid - I think he has the best chance to win both this week and next week, Kreis and Preki are probably better picks for just this week.


Bench: Landon Donovan, Preston Burpo, Sharlie Joseph

Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp.

Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits:

GK- Nick Rimando (RSL)

Defense-
Jamison Olave (RSL)
Chris Wingert (RSL)
Jonathan Bornstein (CHV)

Midfield-
Sacha Kljestan (CHV)
Dwayne De Rosario (C) (TOR)
Freddie Ljungberg (SEA)
Brad Davis (HOU)

Forward-
Maykel Galindo (CHV)
Fredy Montero (SEA)
Jeff Cunningham (FCD)

Coach- Preki (CHV)

Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $29K in cap space still. Thoughts, ideas anyone?

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 30 results

It turned out to be a pretty good week for me. I got big points from Cunningham, Braun, Kljestan, Thorton, and De Rosario. If I had picked a different captain, I might have been a little better off, but there is really no reason to complain. This week I got 178 points for a total of 4441, which sends me up to 18th in the overall standings.

So if I stay between 11-20, I get a home jersey of my choice as my prize, and if I drop to somewhere between 21-50, I get an official match ball (I won't consider the notion that I could drop any lower than that). As a prize, I think I'd like the match ball better than the jersey (and it actually costs more), but I want to finish as high as possible.

The cap-less team did really well with 233 points. It had Preki and Ferreira, but actually lost nine points among all of the defenders.

MLS Fantasy challenge: Week 30 line-up

Ok so here is the deal this week. San Jose plays twice this week and then there are a whole bunch of teams with bye weeks. Chicago, Colorado, D.C., Houston, L.A., New York, Real Salt Lake and Seattle all don't play this week. Next week everyone plays and Real Salt Lake plays twice. In addition to the teams with byes, you also have to remember that people are going to be away with national team duty. The name that comes to mind of teams who are still playing is Amado Guevara.

This week I added two guys from Chivas USA because they play Kansas City this week at home and San Jose next week at home. I think that those are pretty good match ups for them. I also added Jeff Cunningham because he has been on fire and FC Dallas is playing against San Jose who haven't been great this year (although I do have Johnson and Yallop, but San Jose does play twice this week). Unfortunately three guys in my line-up still aren't playing this week.

Changes:
In: Zach Thorton, Jeff Cunningham, Justin Braun
Out: Landon Donovan, Chris Cummings, Chris Pontius

Goalkeeper:
Zach Thorton- Chivas USA play at home against Kansas City this week and then at home against San Jose next week. I think that those are both potential shutouts.

Defenders:
Eddie Lewis - Not playing.

Omar Gonzalez - Not playing.

Kevin Alston - Tough game for the Rev's, they are hosting Columbus. I'm not counting on a shutout here, and I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to have three defenders who weren't playing.

Midfielders:
Dwayne De Rosario - At home against San Jose. This should be a good match for Toronto, they are playing one of the weaker teams in the year, who should be tired from their mid-week match. I like De Rosario's chances for putting up points on the board. (Captain)

Sacha Kljestan - Like Thorton, I like Kljestan's match-ups over the next two weeks. He has really come alive after struggling through so much of the season. I think that Chivas USA should be able to crush Kansas City at home.

Brad Davis - Not playing.

Shalrie Joseph - Tough match, but if someone is going to lead the team to victory it is going to be him. They rely on him to do everything, create, score, and defend.

Forwards:
Justin Braun - I would have probably gone with Santos or Padilla, but both of them show up on the injury report this week. Like I said above, I like Chivas USA's upcoming match-ups.

Jeffrey Cunningham - I have finally ended the boycott and put an FC Dallas player on the team. He is the hottest player and has been on fire in the second half of the season. It just seemed foolish to leave him out any longer. I'm disappointed that I couldn't afford to put Ferriera in the midfield this week as well.

Ryan Johnson - Two games this week, although neither one of them is going to be easy. I certainly think he is capable of scoring in either.

Coach:
Frank Yallop - He was a good choice last week, I'm not so sure this week, but at least he gets two tries at it.

Bench: Stuart Holden, Preston Burpo, Conor Casey

Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp.

Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits:

GK- Zach Thorton (CHV)

Defense-
Jim Brennan (TOR)
Adrian Serioux (TOR)
Ugo Ihemelu (FCD)

Midfield-
Sacha Kljestan (CHV)
Dwayne De Rosario (C) (TOR)
Shalrie Joseph (NE)
David Ferreira (FCD)

Forward-
Justin Braun (CHV)
Ryan Johnson (SJ)
Jeff Cunningham (FCD)

Coach- Preki (CHV)

Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $24K in cap space still. Thoughts, ideas anyone?

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 29 results

I'll keep this brief. I earned 152 points last week for a total of 4263 points. I currently sit 21st in the over-all standings. Forwards did well this week, both of my San Jose picks paid off. Not a whole lot of points anywhere else on the team.

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 29 line-up

So below is the schedule for this weeks games. As you can see, New England plays twice and Real Salt Lake and Toronto have byes. Looking ahead, only Chivas USA, Columbus, FC Dallas, Kansas City, New England, Toronto and San Jose (who play twice) play next week.

Wednesday, September 30 New England Revolution at FC Dallas 7:00 p.m Friday, October 2 Chicago Fire at Los Angeles Galaxy 11:00 p.m. Saturday, October 3 Chivas USA at D.C. United 7:30 p.m. Seattle Sounders FC at Columbus Crew 7:30 p.m. New England Revolution at Colorado Rapids 9:00 p.m. New York Red Bulls at San Jose Earthquakes 11:00 p.m. Sunday, October 4 Kansas City Wizards at Houston Dynamo 3:00 p.m

Changes: In: Ryan Johnson, Frank Yallop, Shalrie Joseph Out: Gary Smith, Luciano Emilio, Steve Ralston I added Shalrie Joseph because New England plays twice this week and plays next week. I think that he is going to be asked to carry more of the offensive load again now that Ralston is out for the rest of the season. It looks like he has taken over penalty kick responsibilities as well. I added two people from San Jose which is a huge gamble. Frank Yallop should be able to beat New york at home this week and hopefully get some points out of their two games next week. Johnson's contributions will be important if San Jose is to do well in the next three games, hopefully he can manage some goals. Goalkeeper: Preston Burpo- Colorado is at home versus New England, which isn't a terrible match-up. New England will be without Ralston, Jankauskas, and Nyassi most likely, so maybe not as dangerous offensively. Burpo not my first choice this week, but he should be ok. Defenders: Eddie Lewis - He played about 30 minutes last week, we'll see if he plays this week. He is still listed as questionable. Chicago should be a tough challenge. Omar Gonzalez - Home vs. the Fire. He should have his hands full with McBride and Nyarko. Kevin Alston - Two away games this week. FC Dallas and Colorado. FC Dallas has probably the hottest striker right now in Jeff Cunningham. Colorado's not easy either because you have to account for two really dangerous forwards, Casey and Cummings. Midfielders: Brad Davis - At home against Kansas City. This is my favorite match up of the week. I think that Houston should be able to handle the Wizards and hopefully Brad Davis can rack up some points along the way. Sacha Kljestan - He has been pretty hot as of late. He got a goal last game, too bad he didn't convert his penalty kick. hopefully that won't weigh too heavily on his conscience. Away at D.C., but if San Jose can win there, then Chivas USA should have a great shot. Also playing D.C. is good for offensive players since they are missing some many guys in the defense. Nice that Chivas USA play next week. Stuart Holden - He has been quiet in the last five games dating back to August with no goals or assists. Kansas City provides the perfect team to help him get back on track. He needs to find a groove before the playoffs start. Shalrie Joseph - If I can't have Ralston then I will take Joseph. In fact Joseph has been a better pick this year than Ralston. He has picked up a lot of the slack offensively with all of the injuries and he should continue to do the same. They are going to need a lot out of him if they want to make the playoffs. Having two games is always a plus too (and they play next week). Forwards: Landon Donovan - Home against Chicago which should be tough. It's a hard choice for me between him and Cummings. Cummings has the better match up, but I think there is no question that Donovan is the better player. Conor Casey - Home against New England who should be tired from the Wednesday game and who are dealing with tons of injuries. I like Casey's chances and he'll need to score to pass Cunningham for the golden boot. (Captain) Ryan Johnson - A little bit of a gamble, but he has been hot lately, plays at home this week vs. the very bad Red Bulls and has two (count 'em two) games next week. Coach: Frank Yallop - Basically the same idea as with Johnson. Because it is an unorthodox pick, if it works out maybe it will help me up the standings. Big "if" there. Bench: Dwayne De Rosario, Omar Cummings, Chris Pontius Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp. Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits: GK- Pat Onstad (HOU) He was originally on my team, but I didn't want to use a pick on someone who wasn't playing next week. Defense- Bobby Boswell (HOU) No question Houston is my favorite to get a shut-out this week. Jonathan Bornstein (CHV) D.C. has not looked good lately. Kosuke Kimura (COL) He is my good luck charm and NE is dealing with injuries, it will be their second game of the week, and they will be playing away at altitude. I can envision the game not going well for them and maybe getting shut out. Plus Kimura has been getting forward. Midfield- Sacha Kljestan (CHV) Brad Davis (HOU) Shalrie Joseph (NE) David Ferreira (FCD) Goal or an assist in the last four games. Forward- Kheli Dube (NE) He's got two games this week. Conor Casey (C) (COL) Jeff Cunningham (FCD) I have a mental block against picking FCD guys, I don't know why, but it has certainly been hurting me this year. Coach- Gary Smith (COL) Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $87K in cap space still. Thoughts, ideas anyone?

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 28 results

It wasn't the huge points week that I was looking for, but things went well enough. I got 176 points for a total of 4111 points. Unfortunately, I still moved down in the overall standings four spots, from 27th to 31st.

The Colorado guys were a little disappointing. The Rapids tied two games that they could/should have won and I only got one goal between Casey and Cummings. One shutout from Burpo is about what I suspected.

My midfield did pretty well. If Ralston hadn't gotten injured he would have taken the penalty kick. Kljestan got a goal and he should have had another, if he could only convert his penalty kick. De Rosario managed a goal and an assist and Ponitus had an assist.

So hopefully I can make a push in these last few weeks and work my way a little further up the standings.

MLS Fantasy challenge: Week 28 line-up

As usual, first comes the examination of the schedule. Houston is off this week, and both San Jose and Colorado play twice. Make sure you get your teams done today, so you don't miss out on players who play today. Next week, New England plays twice and Real Salt Lake and Toronto are off. Heads up, in week 30, only seven teams play, Chivas USA, Columbus, FC Dallas, Kansas City, L.A., San Jose (twice), and Toronto.

I'm loading up on Colorado guys because they play two of the weaker teams in MLS this week. They have San Jose at home on Wednesday and Kansas City away on Saturday. I'm hoping that Burpo can get at least one shut-out and that Conor Casey and Omar Cummings get a bunch of goals between them. I think that it should be two wins for Gary Smith, maybe a win and a tie, so that should get me some good points as well.

Changes:
In: Sacha Kljestan, Chris Pontius, Gary Smith
Out: Matt Reis, Davy Arnaud, Steve Nicol

Goalkeeper:
Preston Burpo- He's not Colorado's usual number one, but Pickens is injuried. He is a nice pick up because he has a good shot at two shut-outs and you only have to pay the league minimum for him, 175K. He plays home against San Jose and away at Kansas City.

Defenders:
Eddie Lewis - Away at Columbus and listed as questionable on the injury list. If Columbus scores a bunch of goals, then it might be a good thing that he is not playing.

Omar Gonzalez - Away at Columbus. I don't like the match up, but I have decided to use my transfers elsewhere.

Kevin Alston - I have been banking a lot on New England lately and they have let me down. That is part of why I let go of Steve Nicol. The Rev's have Seattle at home. I'm not counting on a shut-out based on their recent form.

Midfielders:
Chris Pontius - Playing against San Jose at home, who will hopefully be a little tired from their game earlier in the week. I was thinking about Wallace or Gomez, but I was worried about cost (Gomez), minutes (Gomez), and position (if Wallace plays in the back).

Sacha Kljestan - After being invisible for most of the season, it seems like Kljestan might finally be working himself out of the slump. Playing at home against New york should give him plenty of opportunities for goals and assists.

Dwayne De Rosario - He has been pretty consistent. Chicago at home, however, will be a real test. The only consolation is that Chicago has not been especially strong at home.

Steve Ralston - Home vs. Seattle. Ralston seems to come to play in the big games and he has been pretty consistent this year. I think he should be able to manage some points against the Sounders at home. Sharlie Joseph is listed as questionable, it certainly help the team if he could play.

Forwards:
Luciano Emilio - Home against San Jose. I am counting on a least a goal here. D.C. desperately need points to make sure they stay in the playoff picture, especially considering New England has games in hand and they would be behind teams in the West for a wild card spot.

Conor Casey - Home against San Jose and then away against Kansas City. I really feel like Casey could have two multi-goal games this week. I hope he makes it happen, I could really use the points.

Omar Cummings - Same as above. I'd like to see at least three goals between the two of them. I'm always a little nervous about leaving donovan out of the line-up, but they are away at Columbus, so I think it makes sense.

Coach:
Gary Smith - I'm hoping for two wins, I'd settle for a win and a tie as long as there aren't too many cards.

Bench: Landon Donovan, Stuart Holden, Brad Davis

Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp.

Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits:

GK- Preston Burpo (COL)

Defense-
Chad Marshall (CLB)
Jonathan Bornstein (CHV)
Wilman Conde (CHI)

Midfield-
Sacha Kljestan (CHV)
Christian Gomez (DC)
Chris Pontius (DC)
Steve Ralston (NE)

Forward-
Luciano Emilio (DC)
Conor Casey (C) (COL)
Omar Cummings (COL)

Coach- Gary Smith (COL)

Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $113K in cap space still. Thoughts, ideas anyone?

MLS Fantasy challenge: Week 27 results

Another decent week. The team earned 158 points for a total of 3935 points, which puts me in 27th place overall. I got points out of all of my forwards, which was good, but the real points came from brad Davis. He earned 84 points with a match-winning goal and two assists.

I didn't get up a cap-less team last week, so nothing to report there. Sorry about the sub-par posting last week.

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 27 line-up

I'm having trouble with my computer, so I am going to post just my line-up. hopefully I can get the issues resolved and put up a full post some time on Friday.

GK-Matt Reis
D-Omar Gonzalez
D-Eddie Lewis
D-Kevin Alston
M-Dwayne De Rosario
M-Stuart Holden
M-Brad Davis
M-Steve Ralston
F-Omar Cummings
F-Conor Casey
F-Landon Donovan (C)

C-Steve Nicol

B-Davy Arnaud
B-Luciano Emilio
B-Preston Burpo

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 26 results

I got 157 points this week (3777 total), which normally I don't think is too bad, but I continued to drop in the overall standings, down to 41. I did not see FC Dallas scoring six on L.A., hence why I dropped Cunningham and had two L.A. defenders in. Too bad I missed that one.

I got pretty good points out of Emilio, Wallace, and De Rosario. I wish that I had the 40 points of Guevara and Casey in, instead of sitting on the bench. Like I said the six goals on L.A. really hurt my defense's score and the red card to Edgaras Jankauskas took away even more points for my coach Steve Nicol.

The cap-less team didn't do too hot with 114 points.

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 26 line-up

Let's start with the schedule. Both D.C. and Kansas City play twice this week, San Jose is off. Next week D.C. is off. This week I have D.C. players because they play last week and they play twice this week. Like I said it is hard to predict who will get minutes, but I am hopeful that all three of my guys will get 90+ minutes this week. I didn't pick up any Wizards because they hadn't been playing well and I'm not going to add any, even though they won away at New England last week. If I were going to add any I'd get Arnaud, Wolff, and/or Lopez. They are all pretty cheap, neither New York or D.C. is really a strong defensive team (especially with Jakovic and Burch now out).

I've only made two changes so far this week, and I'm open to suggestions.

Changes:
In: Landon Donovan, Brad Davis
Out: Jeff Cunningham, Marco Pappa

Goalkeeper:
Matt Reis- The Rev's are away at Chivas USA. I just hope that they don't let four in again. I didn't see the game last week, so I'm just going to assume it was a fluke. I don't know that there are any other 'keepers more likely to get a shut-out this week, so I'll stick with Reis.

Defenders:
Eddie Lewis - Home against FC Dallas. It seems like if defenses can keep track of Cunningham (and to some extent Ferriera and van den Bergh) then FC Dallas is less likely to score. Possible shut-out, but I really want goals and assists from Lewis.

Omar Gonzalez - See above. L.A's defense has been pretty solid this year.

Kevin Alston - He can make up for a disappointing performance last week against a team they should have beat by beating a stronger opponent this week.

Midfielders:
Chris Pontius - Plays twice, both at home, one against Kansas City and one against Seattle. They should be able to put in some goals, at least against the Wizards.

Rodney Wallace - See above. I wonder if he will get conscripted to play in the back with all of the injuries.

Dwayne De Rosario - Lost to Colorado away last week (1-0), now they have Colorado at home this week. I think that De Rosario can make it happen on his home turf.

Steve Ralston - I was disappointed with him as my captain last week, but it is probably too much to expect him to produce every week. He can get on the board at Chivas USA.

Forwards:
Luciano Emilio - Only played a few minutes last week, so I'm hoping he is fresh. I'm taking a gamble that he is going to play in both games for some significant minutes. I think that he can definitely score against Kansas City and maybe Seattle. It is after all easier to score at home. (Captain)

Landon Donovan - L.A. is playing at home against a not too strong FC Dallas team. There is a pretty good chance that Donovan will put one in the net.

Omar Cummings - Toronto will be missing two of their defenders to red cards, so hopefully Cummings can sneak a few in in Toronto. I'm wondering if I should play Casey instead.

Coach:
Steve Nicol - I'm going to be really disappointed if they lose twice in a row.

Bench: Amado Guevara, Conor Casey, Brad Davis

Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp.

Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits:

I'm pressed for time, so I'm not going to give reasons here, you're just going to have to trust me .

GK- Donovan Ricketts (LA)

Defense-
Eddie Lewis (LA)
Omar Gonzalez (LA)
Jim Brennan (TOR)

Midfield-
Dwayne De Rosario (TOR)
Christian Gomez (DC)
Chris Pontius (DC)
Davy Arnaud (KC)

Forward-
Luciano Emilio (DC)
Claudio Lopez (KC)
Omar Cummings (COL)

Coach- Steve Nicol (NE)

Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $18K in cap space still and one transfer. Thoughts, ideas anyone?

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 25 results

So this week turned out poorly for me. Shockingly New England lost and I got negative points for Steve Nicol as my coach, mostly due to Shalrie Joseph's red card. I got points from Cunningham and Cummings, but nothing from anyone else.

Too bad I didn't play Conor Casey, that would have helped, but I and everyone else thought he'd be away for World Cup qualifiers.

The team earned an embarassing 28 points this week for a total of 3620, which puts me down to 37th in the over-all standings.

The cap-less team did marginally better with 63 points.

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 25 line-up

So this week only Toronto, Kansas City, FC Dallas, Colorado, D.C. United and Kansas City. Next week D.C. United and Kansas City play twice and San Jose is off. So this week I added some guys from the teams that are playing and maxed out my D.C. United players, since they play twice next week. In hindsight I wish I hadn't picked up Alston because I would have liked to have used it on either Joseph orDube instead.

Changes:
In: Luciano Emilio, Omar Cummings, Jeffrey Cunningham
Out: Landon Donovan, Fredy Montero, Brad Davis

I added in my opinion the three most potent forwards available. I would have substituted Dube for Emilio, but I already had three New England players. Emilio is way too expensive, but I have a soft place for him in my heart because I'm a D.C. United fan. I hope he does well. Davis got red carded last game, so he won't even be available next week, so he is gone. Montero has been off lately, so I'm not too sad about dropping him from the team. I imagine that I will probably pick Donovan back up, next week if possible. For this week I need the cap space.

Goalkeeper:
Matt Reis- The best team playing this week against probably the worst team playing this week. Kansas City's offense has been anemic recently, not having scored in their last four games. This looks like a good chance for a shut-out, especially since New England will be at home.

Defenders:
Eddie Lewis - Not playing, but my first priority was making changes to the forwards.

Omar Gonzalez - Not playing, but my first priority was making changes to the forwards.

Kevin Alston - Like Reis, should have a good shot at a shut-out. I think he is a little over-priced now and I wish I could use his New England spot on Joseph or Dube.

Midfielders:
Chris Pontius - Away at FC Dallas. D.C. can definitely get goals against Dallas. They also play twice next week. One downside is that it is sometimes hard to predict how many minutes D.C. guys will get.

Dwayne De Rosario - Away at Colorado, which is a tough place to play, but if anyone is likely to score on his team, it is him. He leads his team with nine goals this season.

Rodney Wallace - Game away at Pizza Hut Park and then two games next week. He has been getting more consistent minutes than Pontius, so hopefully he'll play the majority of minutes over the next two weeks.

Steve Ralston - He was awesome for me last week, and I'm hoping he can do it again. at home against Kansas City who have really been struggling. He is like the fiber of the soccer world, good for (scoring and assisting) regularity. (Captain).

Forwards:
Luciano Emilio - This may be more of an emotional pick for me than a rational one. I'm not sure that I would recommend him to others, but D.C. United really needs to make a push to get into the play-offs. If it is going to happen, then Emilio will need to be a part of it.

Jeffrey Cunningham - He goal output has exploded since Kenny Cooper left. I don't liek picking against my team, so I'm hoping it is a goal fest, with D.C. edging out FC Dallas 7-6 (and only Cunningham is allowed to score for Dallas).

Omar Cummings - One of my three forwards who is three goals or less behind the lead for the Golden Boot. Colorado is at home against Toronto. I think that Cummings should be able to produce at home.

Coach:
Steve Nicol - Best team playing this week against the worst team playing this week. I think this is another almost guaranteed win.

Bench: Amado Guevara, Conor Casey, Marco Pappa

Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp.

Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits:

GK- Matt Pickens (COL)
There is no question that Reis is the best pick in the position, but I want to use my NE slots elsewhere.

Defense-
Kosuke Kimura (COL)
He's my good luck charm.
Jim Brennan (TOR)
Any NE pick would be good. He's a place filler.
Adrian Serioux (TOR)
I don't really like any of the teams expect NE as a defensive pick this week, but he'll have to do.

Midfield-
Dwayne De Rosario (TOR)
He's been pretty awesome this season.
Christian Gomez (DC)
Once again my rational mind says go with the home team and Ferriera, but I'm sticking with my local team.
Steve Ralston (NE)
He's been the man. (Capt)
Shalrie Joseph (NE)
He's been producing goals and assists at a suprising rate considering most people think of him as a defensive midfielder. I guess it just goes to show how versatile (and awesome) he can be.

Forward-
Kheli Dube (NE)
He is the guy that I don;t have on my team who I want most.
Jeffrey Cunningham (FCD)
I'd be neat to see him win the Golden Boot after a few year out of favor.
Omar Cummings (COL)
He should carry the scoring load with Conor Casey gone on national team duty.

Coach- Steve Nicol (NE)
This is to me as close to a guaranteed win as it will get (expect for maybe last week's game).

Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $121K in cap space still. Thoughts, ideas anyone?

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 24 results

I got 141 points this week for a total of 3592 points and I'm in 25th place over-all. Most of my points came from Steve Ralston as my captain. I also got points from Omar Gonzalez and Steve Nicol, everyone else was pretty disappointing.

The cap-less team got 189 points.

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 24 line-up

So there are two basic approaches to this week, you can try to load up on guys who play twice this week (Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake), or you can try and prepare for next week, when only six out of the 15 teams play (Colorado, D.C., FC Dallas, Kansas City, New England, and Toronto). I chose the latter strategy, since I am not too fond of the player options from Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake. Right now I have nine out of the 12 (11 starters and the coach) filled. The only issue is that Amado Guevara will probably miss that game due to World Cup Qualifiers. Inevitably some other guys will get suspended and injured, but I'll be more prepared than ninety percent of people. Last note about this week is that FC Dallas is off.

Changes:
In: Matt Reis, Steve Nicol, Rodney Wallace
Out: Jon Busch, Denis Hamlett, Cuauhtemoc Blanco

I trade Jon Busch for Matt Reis because the Revolution play at home against San Jose this week and then are one of the active teams next week with a home game against Kansas City. Two really weak opponents at home, nice. I traded Denis Hamlett for Steve Nicol for the same reasons as the goalkeeper swap. I had to get rid of Blanco because both Reis and Nicol are ridiculously expensive at 590K and 397K respectively. In fact Reis is the most expensive player in the game. I picked up Wallace because he is cheap and will play next week. I'll use the cap space and unload a mid-priced player to get an elite player next week.

Goalkeeper:
Matt Reis- The Revolution are at home against one of the worst teams in the league. New England has allowed very few goals at home and San Jose has a hard time scoring on the road. That combination leads to a good chance at a shut-out. Oh, and did I mention he plays next week at home against Kansas City, another team towards the bottom of the table.

Defenders:
Eddie Lewis - At "home" against Chivas USA. These games are usually intense, but L.A. has shown that it is in better form recently, despite Chivas USA only trailing by two points in the standings with three games in hand. I'm not counting on a shut-out, to the contrary, I think it could be a goal-fest, and I hope Lewis takes part in it.

Omar Gonzalez - Earlier in the year I would have put him behind Chris Pontius, Rodney Wallace and Sam Cronin in the race for Rookie of the Year, but I'm not so sure anymore. He might very well pass them all.

Kevin Alston - The injury report says he is out with illness. That's hard too interpret, hopefully he will be feeling better by this weekend so that he can take part in the game against San Jose. I hoping for a shut-out.

Midfielders:
Amado Guevara - Away against Seattle, that is a tough match. He'll also probably miss next weeks game with World Cup Qualifiers. Too bad.

Dwayne De Rosario - Like Guevara, tough game on the road in Seattle. Maybe he can start a new streak after not scoring or assisting last week. Big plus that he plays next week, even if it is an away game in Colorado.

Brad Davis - Away at Colorado. He got an assist last game, I'm hoping for some more production.

Marco Pappa - Pappa only has one assist over the past eight games. Chicago is at home against D.C. United this weekend. Chicago hasn't played particularly well at home and looked vulnerable last week, but D.C. has only won once on the road. It will be interesting to see how this one turns out.

Steve Ralston - He has produced consistently and this week he is playing at home against San Jose. I'm looking for him to get some more points. He is my choice for captain (Captain).

Forwards:
Landon Donovan - "Home" game vs. Chivas USA. He should be motivated and Chivas USA might be a little weary after their mid-week game. I always feel nervous when I choose someone besides Donovan to be my captain.

Fredy Montero - Needs to redeem himself after missing a penalty kick last week and getting a yellow card that forced him to sit out the following game. I think he should be able to manage something at home against Toronto FC.

Coach:
Steve Nicol - New England has only lost twice at home, and San Jose has not won on the road this year. This looks like a definite win for the Revolution.

Bench: Rodney Wallace, Conor Casey, Chris Pontius

Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp.

Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits:

GK- Matt Reis (NE)
He's way too expensive, but I think he'll be worth it. Rimando would be my second choice with two games, but I'm not sure he'll get a shut-out in either, although Neither Kansas City nor Chivas USA are prolific scoring teams.

Defense-
Jonathan Bornstein (CHV)
Two games and he is a threat to get forward.
Jamison Olave (RSL)
Two games. Possible (though unlikely) chance of a shut-out in both.
Nat Borchers (LA)
See above. Clearly any NE choice in the defensive would be good too, but I wanted to use the three slots elsewhere.

Midfield-
Sacha Kljestan (CHV)
Got his first two goal last week after only an assist in all of his previous games. I wouldn't pay the 579K, but since this is a cap-less team I'll take a chance on him. He is playing twice this week.
Clint Mathis (RSL)
Would have gone with Morales, but he is listed as questionable, Will Johnson is another pretty good choice.
Steve Ralston (NE)
Home against SJ. (Capt)
Shalrie Joseph (NE)
I might have gone with Dube as my third guy from NE, but he is listed as questionable. Regardless I think you should have three guys from NE this week.

Forward-
Fredy Montero (SEA)
Home vs. TOR. Maybe consider Findley here instead because he plays twice
Landon Donovan (LA)
Things should be intersting against in-town(stadium) rivals.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB)
Away against NY. Hopefully he will be ready to play after coming off an injury with the game off last week.

Coach- Steve Nicol (NE)
This is to me as close to a guaranteed win as it will get.

Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $242K in cap space still. Thoughts, ideas anyone? I'm not completely sold on playing Marco Pappa and Amado Guevara, should I play my D.C. guys instead? Maybe Casey instead of one of them? Can you think of anyone else to get besides Wallace that is going to play next week? I'd have a budget of $417K, between the unused $242K and the $175K that Wallace costs.

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 23 results

This week was okay, but a little bit of a disappointment. I got 137 points for a total of 3451 points, which puts me ranked 26th over-all. 24th is the highest I have ever been ranked, and I'd really like to break into the top 20.

It was disappointing that neither Eddie Lewis nor Fredy Montero played twice this weekend. I was also really disappointed with the points from Denis Hamlett and Jon Busch. I guess I should have been banking on L.A. instead of Chicago this weekend. I thought the rest of the team performed according to expectations three out of five midfielders got good points and Landon was constisent as usual. Both Alston and Gonzalez grabbed points in the defense. It's too bad that Lewis didn't play the full 90 minutes, or he would have got shut-out points as well.

While my regular team was slightly disappointing, the cap-less team did quite well. It earned 293 points. It's big stars were Joseph, who got 67 points, and Dube, who got 99 points.

It was also nice to see Sacha Kljestan finally get some goals after being so quite so far this year.

MLS Fantasy Challenge: Week 23 line-up

So obviously the strategy for this week was to fill your roster with as many guys who are playing two games as possible. The teams playing twice are Chicago, Los Angeles, New England, and Seattle. I've managed to fill my starting 11 (and coach) with ten guys from those teams. Unfortunately Eddie Lewis won't be playing twice due to a red card. I got rid of Tyrone Marshall because he was red carded too.

Other scheduling notes are that Columbus is off this week and Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake are off while FC Dallas is off. The week after that, only Colorado, D.C., FC Dallas, Kansas City, New England and Toronto play and all of the other teams are off (I had a mistake there is previous posts and said that L.A. was playing instead of New England). My secondary goal this week was to prepare for week 25 when only these six teams play. So far six of the guys on my current roster will play that week.

Changes:
In: Kevin Alston, Denis Hamlett, Conor Casey
Out: Tyrone Marshall , Dominic Kinnear, Maykel Galindo

I replaced Tyrone Marshall with Alston because Alston will play twice this week, unlike Marshall who got red carded last week and Alston will also play in week 25. I added Hamlett because I think he has the team with the best chance to win two games this week. I replace Maykel Galindo with Conor Casey because I needed money to get Hamlett and Casey plays in week 25. It would have been nice to hold onto Galindo because he plays twice next week, but I didn't have that luxury.

Goalkeeper:
Jon Busch - The Fire are the only team this week that play twice at home. I also think they have the best match-ups and are the best team out of the teams that play twice. I'm hoping for at least one shut-out this weekend from Busch and a bunch of saves.

Defenders:
Eddie Lewis - Too bad he was red carded, but he is still a midfielder listed as a defender. He misses the tough game away against Chicago and is back for the game away against D.C. He should be able to get points in D.C. (even though I hope they lose. Go D.C.!)

Omar Gonzalez - Two away games this week. Hopefully two games doesn't just mean more opportunities to get negative points.

Kevin Alston - A brillant pick-up in my mind, plays twice this week and plays in week 25. I should really have three guys from New England, but I think most guys on that roster are over-priced. They have a tough away game against Seattle, then a more managable home game against Real Salt Lake.

Midfielders:
Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Two home games. I just hope he has enough in the tank to get significant minutes in both. I considered him for captain, but his potential for sitting major minutes on the bench disuaded me. He could have a monster week.

Dwayne De Rosario - One of the few players in my line-up who's not playing twice. He has been on such a hot streak that I don't want to take him out anyways. He also plays in week 25, so that is a definite plus.

Brad Davis - He's also not playing twice, but he is reasonably priced at $283K considering his good performance. Houston is home against Seattle, who should be a little fatigued in their second game of the week.

Marco Pappa - Unlike Blanco, Pappa is probably young enough and fit enough to play the majority of minutes in both games this week. Pappa ended his cold streak by getting an assist last week. He was another consideration for captain, but his production is too irregular, so he was too much of a gamble.

Steve Ralston - Six goals and five assists in 13 games. So he seems to get on the scoreboard somehow in almost every game. I'm expecting at least a goal and an assist out of his two games this weekend. I really feel like he is the second best choice for captain...

Forwards:
Landon Donovan - Donovan will be my captain this week. I'm a little worried about the lingering effects of swine flu, but my bet is that he will be fine. L.A. has two tough games on the road, but I think that Donovan will be able to find the back of the net like he so often does. (Captain)

Fredy Montero - Seattle plays twice and Montero has been one of the most prolific goal-scorers this season. Seattle hosts a resurgent New England team and then travels to Houston, a tough place to get points, he should manage to grab some points between the two games.

Coach:
Denis Hamlett - Coach with the best chance to win two games this week.

Bench: Amado Guevara, Conor Casey, Chris Pontius

Make sure you check out the injury list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries (on Friday too), and the discipline list: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp.

Now here is, in my opinion, the best line-up this week starting from scratch and with no salary limits:

GK- Jon Busch (CHI)
Two games.

Defense-
James Riley (SEA)
Two games.
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (SEA)
Two games.
Omar Gonzalez (LA)
Two games.

Midfield-
Cuauhtemoc Blanco (CHI)
Two games.
Marco Pappa (CHI)
Two games.
Steve Ralston (NE)
Two games.
Shalrie Joseph (NE)
Two games. I would have gone with Ljungberg, but he is listed as questionable.

Forward-
Fredy Montero (SEA)
Two games.
Landon Donovan (LA)
Two games. (Capt.)
Kheli Dube (NE)
Two games.

Coach- Denis Hamlett (CHI)
You guessed it: Two games.

Comments, questions, suggestions? I have $9K in cap space still. Thoughts, ideas anyone?