Week 3 of the MLS season is in the books and before we look to next week’s action, it’s important to look back at the biggest fantasy storylines from this past weekend and pick out what you need to know heading in to Week 4.
From New England’s terrible start to a dominant display from Bradley Wright-Phillips, here are five things you need to know about from Week 3 from the MLS season in terms of fantasy.
New England Is Terrible In March
The Revolution have become known as slow starters in the MLS and this year is no different. They have just a single point to show for their first three games of the season and still haven’t found the back of the net even once. New England’s scoreless draw versus the Montreal Impact was another reminder of this team’s inability to get going from an offensive standpoint in particular and while they have more than enough talent to bounce back from another slow start, it might be smart to wait until April before investing in New England’s best players from a fantasy perspective. This team has a history of letting fantasy GM’s down with slow starts and here we are again.
The Timbers Are Slow Starters As Well
While they have actually scored a pair of goals, the Timbers are another team that might be worth staying away until the warm weather of April hits as they are once again off to a terrible start to the season. Saturday’s scoreless draw left Portland with three straight draws to open the 2015 campaign and they are now 0-3-8 in March over the past three seasons. Last year’s early struggles eventually cost them a playoff spot and while this time around they have at least earned three points, it might be smart to stay away from them from a fantasy perspective – at least until they show signs of heating up.
Wright-Phillips Shines Bright Again
One team that had no problem scoring goals this past week was the New York Red Bulls as Bradley Wright-Phillips led the way with a goal and an assist in their 2-0 win over DC United over the weekend. The Red Bulls attacked in waves with Wright-Phillips leading the way at the top of their 4-2-3-1 formation and he was all over the field in this game. DWP did benefit from a favorable matchup against a relatively mediocre DC team but the fact that the Red Bulls looked so dominant could be a sign that Wright-Phillips is worth investing in as a somewhat undervalued player leading their attack.
The Case For Investing In Seitz
While they did benefit from the fact that Union went down a man, there is no denying how good FC Dallas has looked while compiling three straight wins to open the 2015 campaign. While Tesho Akindele and Ryan Hollingshead might have taken the majority of the attention with goals in their 2-0 win over Philadelphia over the weekend, there is something to be said for the clean sheet earned by goalkeeper Chris Seitz. Seitz made five saves to earn the shutout for FC Dallas and with just one goal allowed through the first three games now is the time to invest in him.
Earthquakes Holding Their Own Up Front
In terms of pure scoring numbers this season, only FC Dallas has more goals than the five that San Jose has registered through their three games. Their 2-1 win over Chicago on Sunday was another reminder of how potent this team can be. Veteran Ty Harden found the back of the net for the Earthquakes second goal but it was the rookie Fatai Alashe that turned heads as he scored less than five minutes in to the game. There is no shortage of fantasy options on the San Jose roster and with plenty of goals to go around, it’s worth taking a look at who is available heading in to Week 4.
