Lay off Lamar
Lamar Neagle has been picked up by about 2100 managers this week, beating out teammate Clint Dempsey for the highest total in that category. Neagle has two goals and an assist in his past two games, stats that become more appealing once you notice his $7.7 price tag. Despite his form, both Neagle's minutes and production remain volatile. He has started seven of Seattle's eight games this season, but has only gone the distance in his last two. He has been in competition with Marco Pappa and Brad Evans for Seattle's two flank positions, and his starter status will likely not be definitive until Brad Evans heads off to Brazil. In terms of offensive production, Neagle is too heavily reliant on getting on the board to supply for his fantasy teams. He is on pace for around 13 goals and 13 assists this season, but, considering that that has only been done a handful of times--the last time coming in 2001--it is highly unlikely that he reaches that mark. When Neagle's production begins to fizzle, so too will his points. Of course, he is going to score fewer points when he is not scoring or assisting on goals, but, unlike other players, he does not have the auxiliary stats to keep him afloat when he has trouble finding the score sheet. While Neagle has garnered at least six recoveries in four of the seven games that he has started this season, he has failed to record three completed crosses or key passes in a game. Instead of adding Lamar, try some similarly price midfielders who will provide a consistent number of bonus points in addition to however many goals or assists they happen to score.
Shea Salinas ($7.9) is pretty much a lock to get at least two offensive bonus points every week, and he also earns a fair amount of recoveries. Salinas is also San Jose's set-piece taker, serving up balls to the likes of Alan Gordon, Chris Wondolowski, Steven Lenhart, Victor Bernardez, and Clarence Goodson.
Another player to consider is Lloyd Sam ($7.1), who, despite his hot start, has been extremely unlucky this year. Sam has had four games this season where he was only one something--whether it be a cross, a key pass, or a recovery--away from two bonus points. Sam plays nearly 90 minutes every match, and he has the potential to provide both assists and, with a little more luck, a ton of bonus points.
The last alternative is actually one of Neagle's teammates: Gonzalo Pineda ($7.5). Pineda has played the whole match in his last six games, and has been a consistent source of points over that stretch. He has the ability to complete three crosses and three key passes every week, and, playing in central midfield, can rack up enough recoveries, and clearances, blocks, and interceptions to add to his bonus total.
Bearish on Boswell
630 people have added Bobby Boswell this week, and they will soon pay for this. DC United has had a fairly easy schedule so far, and their fortunes will soon change as they will not have the luxury of playing listless teams at home. DC has had a pair of shutouts this season, both of which came at home against fairly listless New York and New England sides. DCU will travel to Portland and Philadelphia in the coming weeks, then they will return home to host Montreal and Houston. Both the Timbers and the Union are on the brink of a turnaround, and Houston is still working to get their players healthy. An $8.1 price tag is just too steep for a DCU defender, even if his individual defensive stats are solid.
Doneil Henry ($6.4) would be an excellent alternative to Boswell. While Toronto only plays five times over the next six weeks, four of those games come at home. In his first three games, Doneil recorded 51 CBIs, and 17 recoveries: an absolutely ridiculous haul. He could threaten to total four bonus points per game, and that would be amazing production for a player of any price.
Both Giancarlo Gonzalez ($7.5) and Michael Parkhurst ($7.7) would be very good players to have on your roster over the next few weeks. Both players will get two to three bonus points per week, and their double game week next week makes them an even more attractive pair.
Obafemi Martins has been picked up just over a thousand times this week, and his play has completely warranted that figure. Oba has three goals and four assists so far this season, and has shown that he can proDEUCE even when he's not scoring. His partnership with Clint Dempsey is terrifying, as was that pun, and look for it to continue over the course of the season. Now, Clint isn't going to score 50 goals this season, but Oba and Dempsey can produce enough to carry both their actual team, and your fantasy team. With a home game against the Union this week, and a double game week next week, Martins should put up some solid offensive numbers.
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