With three MLS teams returning from bye weeks after their CONCACAF Champions League exploits, MLS Rivalry Week is gearing up to be a potential windfall for Fantasy Managers. Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders are all back in action and expect to see some high scoring affairs. A word of caution when making your picks this week however, as Round 4 falls on the same week as World Cup Qualifiers for many players, so expect to be without some of your international stars. Make sure you plan ahead!
With that being said, on to this week's players and featured team of the week:
Graham Zusi ($9.7m), Sporting Kansas City – Normally when you pick a midfielder and he doesn't get on the scoresheet you expect the worst. Fortunately for those of you who have Zusi in your lineup he's proving otherwise. With 10 crosses and 7 key passes he controlled the entire pitch last week against Toronto FC and walked away with 8 points. We expect Zusi to continue his stellar play versus Chicago Fire as he doesn't look to have missed a beat from last season.
Jeb Brovsky ($4.7m), Montreal Impact – Former Whitecaps FC defender Jeb Brovsky is not only playing well for Montreal but he’s also a bargain for Fantasy Managers. At only $4.7m he offers tremendous bang for your buck. Facing Toronto FC in Montreal is a good match up for the young American. Even if he picks up the typical 60+ minutes of playing with an additional 2 defending bonus, coming away with 4 fantasy points at his price is a brilliant return on investment.
Team of the week (Round 3), Los Angeles Galaxy – Fresh off their dominating performance in CONCACAF Champions League they now face a favourable opponent at home in Chivas USA. With Chivas being notorious for low scoring, Carlo Cudicini ($5.5m) looks destined for a clean sheet.
We like the bargain of Todd Dunivant ($5m) on the back end, although if you have a bit more to spend, then Omar Gonzalez ($6.1m) is your guy. Sean Franklin ($5.5m) is a player to watch, as a listed defender Galaxy appear to like playing him in the midfield.
Robbie Keane ($10.5m) is currently owned by 33% of the league. The Irishman will turn into the player Fantasy Managers either hate and fear week in and week out, or the player they ride into the sun with. We prefer the latter as we rather not worry about him exploding against us on any given week.
As always, keep an eye on injury report updates HERE and don't forget to watch this week's edition of MLSsoccer.com's fantasy show: Starting Lineup (below). Good luck in Round 3.
For more information on prizing and how to sign up for the Official Whitecaps Fantasy League click: HERE
