WTR MLS Fantasy League: Week 22 Recap & tips

Highlights of the Dream Team:

• Who else but the ageless Zlatan Ibrahimovic (L.A. Galaxy) to put in a hat trick performance en route to leading his team to a 4-3 victory over Orlando City? His three goals plus his assist in the Galaxy’s first game this week led to Ibra popping off for 29 points (58 if you captained him). His teammate Gio Dos Santos picked up the leftover slack with a goal of his own and an assist to Ibra, good for 17 points.
• NYCFC players benefitted from a double header this week as well as they beat Orlando 2-0 but fell to Seattle 3-1. Their efforts were led by Maxi Moralez (17 points), Anton Tinnerholm (19 points) and alexander Callens (14 points). Moralez as usual led the effort with a goal and assist. Tinnerholm got on the scoresheet this week as well while Callens helped to lead the clean sheet against Orlando.
• Speaking of Seattle, their 3-1 victory over NYCFC and 1-0 victory over San Jose proved crucial in their playoff chase as well as fantasy points. Kim Kee-Hee (13 points) and Stefan Frei (12 points) led the defensive efforts for the Sounders while Harry Shipp chipped in a goal and an assist for 17 fantasy points.
• Enjoy seeing Alphonso Davies in MLS while you can as the wonder kid has recently signed for the Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich. He’ll depart overseas at the end of this campaign but not before he’s embarrassed a few more MLS defenders. His two goals and two assists this week were enough for 22 points. It’ll be a sad but due time when he leaves for greener pastures.

Top Teams This Week!

• Continue to bow down to our perennial top three led by BL4CKnRED followed by Zahlan and Oldergoaler.
• Guy and Rosen jostle for places this week in fifth and sixth.
• Schmarten moves up a spot to eight place this week from ninth last week.
• Bellows rejoins the top ten in ninth place on the back of a solid 168 point performance.
• Highest score of the round might be the highest thus far...? Trotter put in a huge 187 point performance, well done!

Recapping tips from week 22:

• If you’ve stuck with me this far into the season I hope you’ve noticed we are actually getting better at this. Not to mention the value of the team is gradually increasing week to week as expected which is a nice help and makes the selection a bit easier each week. As such, some of the more expensive guys like Bradley Wright-Philips and Luis Robles of NY Red Bulls who put in a 10 and 11 point performance are easier to justify for their $8.8M and $9.2M price tags.
• Moralez and Tinnerholm from the blue side of New York continue to impress as both made the Dream Team this week with 17 and 19 points respectively. Chalk that up as another win.
• Harsh reality does for my fantasy squad as the San Jose Earthquakes continue to underwhelm. Two of their better performers in Danny Hoesen ($10.7M and three points) and Vako ($8.1M and 10 points), left me wanting more. I halfway saw this coming and accept it as a price to pay on gambling on double headers, lesson learned.
• My Orlando duo came through in the form of Dom Dwyer and Sacha Kljestan getting 10 and 11 points respectively. As expected Kljestan was the provider and Dwyer the finisher.
• Let’s just forget I even mentioned Houston. Damarcus Beasley and Alejandro Martinez decided to chip in just four and five points respectively, enough said.

Tips for Week 23:

• This week turns out to be a real test. No mathematical advantages as there are no double headers. Just stay clear of the only bye week team, Columbus Crew SC.
• Since it’s a clear slate to start from this week Dallas looks like a nice place to start. Western Conference leaders FC Dallas host bottom dwellers San Jose. I’ll hope Dallas grabs the clean sheet, cue Matt Hedges ($8.6M) and Reggie Cannon ($7.1M). Do not take Mauro Diaz in this game, I forgot he was let go by the club this transfer window. So unless you want to waste $10.9M ignore Diaz.
• The Portland Timbers are still undefeated at home and welcome the Philadelphia Union this weekend. I know it’s pricey but Diego Valeri ($13.8M) is usually worth his dollar. Also from Portland I’m taking Sebastian Blanco who is one of the top three fantasy performers for the Timbers.
• It’s a little bit of a stretch but I kind of like the surging Minnesota hosting Seattle. Both teams are on the rise but I like Minnesota at home, cue Darwin Quintero ($10.2M). Side note I’ll go out on a limb and say there won't be many goals here (watch this end up 4-3 now.)
• I have to stick with the guys in form from NYCFC. Maxi Moralez at $14.5M is probably a little overvalued but I’ll splurge for him. I also still have faith in Tinnerholm ($9.0M) and the even better valued Ben Sweat ($6.0M). Sweat and Tinnerholm always seem to pop up on the score sheet every now and then and we can hope for the clean sheet here.
• LA Galaxy travel to Colorado this week and I saw Colorado recently traded Dominique Badji away to Dallas!? Someone correct me but wasn't Badji THE guy in Colorado (other than Tim Howard who isn't scoring goals anytime soon). Anyway, a toothless Rapids squad look doomed against **Ibra ($10.7M) and David Bingham ($8.8M) and the rest of the Galaxy.
• Bring in the autofill now, I've been pleasantly surprised what autofill has done for me lately aside from the occasional bonehead move.

Good luck to all this week!

*Note I steered clear of the Atlanta vs Toronto game this week regarding fantasy. Some things are better left not talked about and I am in no way jinxing anything by making any sort of prediction.

**Also note, since the writing of this article, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been ruled out for the Colorado vs LA Galaxy game.