MLS Fantasy Tips: Week 16

'Bullets' take midseason prize; grand prize still up for grabs

By Dave and Jimmy Bowers / Special to MLSnet.com

Dave and Jimmy Bowers are high on Guillermo Barros Schelotto's fantasy potential this week. (Getty Images)

Wow! What an unbelievable and exciting ending to the midseason point of the MLSFC. Congratulations to "Bullets" for winning the midseason Grand Prize: a trip to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game! For the rest of you, don't feel discouraged. You still have the chance of winning the grand prize at the end of the season, a trip to the 2009 MLS Cup in Seattle and many more prizes.

Now that the FIFA Confederations Cup is over, it's time for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Many players will be involved in this exciting tournament, so adjust your teams accordingly. This gives a great opportunity for players in MLS who don't play much to start shining and making an impact for their team.

This week, thanks to the Gold Cup and bye weeks for Toronto FC, Seattle Sounders FC and Chivas USA, it's going to be a difficult week for a lot of you to have a full squad of players. Be careful with your trades for this week and next and you will be back on track.

This week's Fire and Ice:

On Fire:
1. Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB): 7 goals, 2 assists in last 8 games
2. Nate Jaqua (SEA): 5 goals, 1 assist in last 6 games
3. Ryan Johnson (SJ): 4 goals in last 7 games

Cold as Ice:
1. Josh Wolff (KC): 0 goals last 3 games (4 goals in previous 3 games)
2. Steve Zakuani (SEA): 0 goals, 0 assists last 7 games (2 goals, 3 assists in previous 7 games)
3. Rodney Wallace (DC): 0 goals, 0 assists in last 7 games (2 goals, 2 assists in previous 4 games)

Things to keep an eye out for this week:

Injuries. The following link is updated by the league on Tuesdays and Fridays: http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/injuries

Keep an eye on injuries to Carlos Mendes, Juan Pablo Angel and Macoumba Kandji (NY) and Osvaldo Alonso (SEA), and adjust accordingly.

Lineup changes. In last week's starting lineups: Andrew Boyens, Luke Sassano (NY); William Hesmer, Frankie Hejduk, Steven Lenhart (CLB); Fabian Espindola, Ned Grabavoy (RSL); Tyson Wahl, Sanna Nyassi (SEA); Mike Chabala (HOU).

Discipline: Emmanuel Osei (NE) is out due to a red card.

Tip(s) of the week: Chivas USA, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC are all off this week. Many players will be away for the Gold Cup games this coming week for their respective countries.

This week's Top XI for points:

Goalkeeper: Nick Rimando (RSL). The former UCLA product had a clean sheet last week, giving him four on the season. Look for him to get his fifth with a home game against a San Jose team that struggles to score.

Defender: Drew Moor (DAL). With three goals this season, the sixth-overall pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft out of Indiana University is the leading goal scorer among MLS defenders. Playing at Pizza Hut Park this week against a New York Red Bulls team that has been hit with the injury bug and has only scored one goal in 10 away games should allow Moor to get clean sheet points for you.

Defender: Frankie Hejduk (CLB). Finally back from an injury, look for Hejduk to be roaming up and down the right flank all game in his home game this week at Crew Stadium versus D.C. United.

Defender: Jamison Olave (RSL). The 28-year-old Colombian is a beast in the middle of RSL's defense. Coming off a red card suspension last week, look for Olave to be well rested and help Rimando get his fifth clean sheet this season.

Midfielder: Javier Morales (RSL). The 29-year-old Argentinean played very well last week, assisting on one goal and looked very dangerous on other opportunities. With a home game against San Jose at Rio Tinto Stadium, look for Morales to add to the attack again this week.

Midfielder: Brad Davis (HOU). The Saint Louis University product should get more opportunities this week as the likely central playmaker since Stuart Holden is away for Gold Cup duty. Look for Davis to add to his two goals and seven assists with an away game against Kansas City.

Midfielder: Cuauhtemoc Blanco (CHI). Now back to MLS action after his World Cup qualifying and SuperLiga action, look for Blanco to add to his three goals and five assists he has on the season with an away game against Colorado.

Forward: Landon Donovan (LA). The 2008 Golden Boot award winner is back from World Cup qualifying and Confederations Cup action and is ready to tear it up. With six goals and four assists in only 11 games, look for Donovan to add to these totals with a home game against a New England club with many injuries.

Forward: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB). A pro for 16 seasons in Argentina's top flight, GBS has 10 goals and three assists on the season and looks poised to get his second straight MVP nod. Playing against a D.C. United team that has allowed 17 away goals, look for him to add to these totals.

Forward: Yura Movsisyan (RSL). The fourth overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft had a goal last week and looks ready to add another this week with a home game against San Jose.

Coach: Jason Kreis (RSL). With only one home loss in seven games this season, look for Kreis to get his seventh home game win of the season with a game versus Western Conference cellar dweller San Jose.

Here are our official teams for Week 15:

Dave:
GK Nick Rimando; DF Omar Gonzalez; DF Jhon Kennedy Hurtado; DF Jordan Harvey; MF Brad Davis; MF Colin Clark; MF Chris Pontius; MF Macoumba Kandji; FW Guillermo Barros Schelotto; FW Landon Donovan; FW Juan Pablo Angel. Coach: Dominic Kinnear. Bench: Jim Brennan, Amado Guevara, Fredy Montero. Captain: Landon Donovan.

Jimmy:
GK William Hesmer; DF Jordan Harvey; DF Aaron Hohlbein; DF Omar Gonzalez; MF Mac Kandji; MF Colin Clark; MF Chris Pontius; MF Stuart Holden; FW Landon Donovan; FW Guillermo Barros Schelotto; FW Juan Pablo Angel. Coach Robert Warzycha. Bench: Adrian Serioux, Dwayne De Rosario, Fredy Montero. Captain: Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Questions? Comments? Contact us at mlsfantasygurus@comcast.net.