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That's right Fantasy MLS Owners, now is the chance to get a clean slate, start fresh, and reset those lineups without using up costly points one week at a time. Well, that's mostly true as Round 15 boasts the rare "Unlimited Transfers" option due to the number of teams on a bye week, but it comes at the time when a lot of valuable players will be on international leave so we've got to be careful with our choices looking ahead.
New York City FC, the Montreal Impact, Columbus Crew SC, the LA Galaxy, the New England Revolution, the Chicago Fire, Seattle Sounders FC, FC Dallas, Orlando City SC, and D.C. United are the clubs playing this round leaving the remaining 10 clubs sitting out. Throw in international fixtures and this round becomes increasingly unattractive. However, that "unlimited transfers" option allows us to prepare for not only this round but upcoming rounds as well.
Wildcard Availability
How well you prepare for this round really depends on whether or not you'll have your Wildcard available. If you've saved it (don't worry if you haven't) you can utilize the full firepower potential and stock up on big name players that might be on a bye week in later rounds. If you haven't saved your Wildcard, pay attention to which players aren't available immediately, but will be back from international leave to set up your bench. You may be taking a hit this week and possibly the next, but you're setting yourself up for a longer run and the big potential gains in Round 17.
Wait to Set your Lineup
In the last round of fantasy MLS I, like many other FMLS owners, was thrown not just one, but many curveballs as news dropped about injuries, late scratches, and the benching of key players. I had Bill Hamid, Chris Pontius, and Kei Kamara in my lineup and two of those were scratched from their mid-week game while the other was put on the bench. I had already gotten my lineup ready and I had dip into some of my points in order to make the necessary changes. Thankfully, I was able to make up the points and advance in my H2H and Classic leagues, but I know many others were not as fortunate. Before finalizing your transfers, be sure to make sure that certain players are going to play before the round commences. It of course helps if you have a good bench, but in cases of DGWs and weeks with a lot of teams on a bye, you've got to make a tough call about whether or not you're willing to take a hit and transfer a player. In some cases this is avoidable by waiting until the team announces its starting lineup which gives you a small window to see if players are going to start, or at the very least if players have picked up injuries during the week. This week teams will lock in before the start of the NYCFC/Impact game at 6:00 PM Central on Saturday so BE READY.