So if you haven’t seen, we have some new toys to play with in MLS Fantasy!
The likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo have all joined MLS Fantasy this week, priced at $10m. As you set your lineups for Round 19 and beyond, are you going to pull the trigger on one of these shiny new additions? Here are some thoughts to you help you decide.
Lampard (New York City FC): The Englishman made a total of 38 appearances for Manchester City in the 2014-15 season, scoring eight goals. Used primarily as a substitute, the 37-year-old looked to have plenty of gas in the tank as the Premier League season waned, taking the captain’s armband for MCFC’s last match of the season.
As with the other two players, it’s not yet known how he’ll fit into the squad or how many minutes he can expect to play. However, I believe Lampard has an excellent chance of slotting into the starting XI this weekend. And, since he’s made a career of providing goals from his midfield position, he could be a dangerous option against a Toronto FC roster that’s been decimated by Gold Cup duty.
With a relatively soft upcoming schedule and no bye weeks until September, Lampard is a great option for Round 19 and beyond. Most fantasy managers will wait a week before they add Lamps, meaning you can beat them to the punch if you foresee a great Round 19 from the former Chelsea legend.
Pirlo (NYCFC): Lampard’s newly unveiled DP teammate, however, won’t be ready to go this weekend. The club is looking at the July 26 fixture against Orlando City SC as Il Maestro’s potential first match. Historically he plays in a deeper position, making goals from the run of play an unlikely proposition – he scored five times in 33 appearances for Juventus last season. He can still hit a free kick, though.
He might very well be a good source of assists and the odd goal here and there, but the presence of goal-dangerous midfielders like Benny Feilhaber ($10.3m) and Ignacio Piatti ($10.0m) in a similar price range make the Italian a wait-and-see pick for me.
Gerrard (LA Galaxy): Would it surprise you to know that Gerrard was his club’s leading goal scorer in his final season at Liverpool? The Anfield titan punctuated his final season by finding the net 13 times in all competitions, two more than Raheem Sterling. The question now is whether he can bring that goal-scoring prowess to MLS. With Stefan Ishizaki’s departure to Sweden earlier this week, there’s a clear path for Gerrard to enter the starting lineup right away. Perhaps more than the other two DPs, Gerrard’s work rate and tactical acuity could put him in line for some defensive bonus points, as well.
LA take the weekend off from the MLS campaign, instead hosting Club America in the International Champions Cup this Saturday. One would imagine that match will be a dress rehearsal for Gerrard’s MLS debut, so you might want to target the Galaxy’s home date against San Jose in Round 20 for a potential Stevie G addition. By that time, Bruce Arena should have worked out a way to add Gerrard to a squad that has scored 14 goals in their last three home games – he’ll be a very tempting transfer, especially if he can pry penalty kick duties away from Robbie Keane.
Who do you think will end up being the strongest fantasy addition? Do you think any of them will assume penalty-kick duties for their respective teams? Let us know in the comments below.
