So here is my team for week one of the 2009 MLS Fantasy Challenge:
Join the fun: http://fantasy.mlsnet.com/
Goalkeeper:
Zach Thornton - Chivas has been a pretty good defensive team, and playing against a weak offensive team (Colorado Rapids) at home should give him a pretty good chance at getting a shut out. Plus, he costs less than many of the other starting 'keepers, so I can spend money elsewhere.
Defenders:
My main strategy with defenders was picking guys who might actually play midfield, and therefore have a better shot at scoring goals and getting assists.
Jonathan Bornstein - Not only might he get up the field and score, but it is also possible that his team will get the shut out as well.
Eddie Lewis - Once again, a guy who will get up the field. I think it is unlikely that LA will shut out DC, but I think Lewis has a good chance of recording points against a DC team that struggled last year and will be missing some players in the opener. The negatives of this pick is that LA is off next week, so I'll have to replace him, and he'll probably lose points for goals conceeded.
Gonzalo Segares - Good defender on a great defensive unit. He does get up field on occasion. A good all around pick. He can get shut out points as well as goals and assists.
Midfielders:
As much as I like players like Shalrie Joseph, you want to pick guys who are going to be scoring and assisting. I'm going with five midfielder this week, because I liked my options for cheap midfielder better than cheap forwards.
Jorge Rojas - Rojas apparently came into camp this year fitter than he was last year and with some MLS experience under his belt. Look to him to be seeing a lot of the ball now that Dave van den Bergh is with FC Dallas. Plus they are taking on an expansion team, which historically struggle in their first season.
Sainey Nyassi - Rev's winger is ridiculously fast and loves to take players on. Didn't produce extremely well last season, but Wells Thompson will be putting the pressure on Nyassi to perform lest he lose his starting position.
Santiago Hirsig - Hirsig is a relatively unknown quantity to me, but he was a respected player on an Argentine first division team, so he may be a steal at only $250,000. Plus the Wizards are playing at home unlike any of my previous picks.
Darren Huckerby -Huckerby put up big numbers last year in only half a season. This year in fantasy he is listed as a midfielder instead of a forward, which will help him rack up even more points. Playing at home, a big plus.
Robbie Rogers - Rogers had a solid season last year, and he is only getting better. However, he is going to have a hard time scoring away against a good Dynamo team. The plan here is to accumulate some Columbus players, because they play twice in week three.
Forwards:
Landon Donovan - As much as I would have liked to leave LA players off my roster because they don't play next week, I felt like I had to take Donovan and make him my captain. The Galaxy are playing at home against a DC team that struggled on defense last year and will be missing some key starters this game.
Juan Pablo Angel - JPA is a consistant scoring threat. He is used to playing in big football stadiums, so Qwest field's turf should be no problem. Plus the Red Bulls are playing against an expansion team. I like Angel for the long haul this season.
Coach: Preki - I like Chivas USA's chances against the Rapids at home.
Bench:
My theory here is to pick cheap guys who are going to play, and maybe go up in value, and who will be able to plug wholes in my roster in the future.
Omar Gonzalez, Kosuke Kimura, Sanna Nyassi
Guys I would have liked to have (couldn't fit under the cap):
Jimmy Conrad, Chad Marshall, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Kenny Cooper. I'll be interested to see how Christian Gomez fares. I was tempted to take him, but I decide to keep my DC United sympathies in check.
Some general tips:
Get out the schedule (http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/schedule/) and look who is playing in the furture. Try to add guys that are going to have favorable match-ups in the future or multiple games (like Columbus in week three). Also realize which teams aren't going to be playing (like RSL this week and LA next week). Plan accordingly. Also make sure you check injuries and suspensions, to make sure you player is in fact playing this week: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries.jsp, http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp
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