Got a couple of positive reviews about the more free form/stream of conscience format from last week, so I’m going to give it a shot again for this week. Input is always welcome.

If you want to see more, keep reading after the break. But please join the discussion at r/FantasyMLS, that’s where a lot of planning is made and last second decisions finalized. If you have questions, please stop by! We also just rolled out a new forum layout!

Midfielders have been a key position for the past several weeks and having five strong players have allowed many manages to rack up a lot of points. Week 13 is going to be one of the last weeks where many of the big names are present, after that, internationals will call them away (as with other positions). We’ve tried to identify a good balance between top players for this week and long term options for the next three to four.

Midfielders

There are four big name midfielders who should jump out to every manager: Graham Zusi, Brad Davis, Landon Donovan, and Amobi Okugo. Both Donovan and Okugo are safe to own. Donovan should be paired up with Keane again this weekend, so the potential for points is very good, but Seattle could put up more of a challenge than Philidelphia did. Okugo is just a fantastic value; he has had great returns all season and even racked up a goal last week. On top of all that, they both have games in week 15.

As for Zusi and Davis, they will both be leaving for internationals soon and will be playing against each other this weekend. The big question you should be asking yourself is: are they worth keeping? This is especially important for Zusi who also has no game in week 16 and might not be back for the week 17 game. Anyone one playing will get more points than the 0 they will be racking up while gone, so it really comes down to the strength of your bench.

Now before anyone gets fussy, I know, I know, there are a few more players that people really like and I’ll cover them now. Mike Magee, I’m sorry, I just don’t think much of him. He’s had four games where he did not hit five points and plays back when Landon is available. He’s not worth his price. Sam Cronin is another player that I don’t find impressive. He’s been picked by a lot of managers due to his price and the few assists he’s gotten. I think there are other players who are under $7m that offer better chances in the long run (Edgar Mejia, Oriol Rosell Argerich, and Brandon Barklage). Finally Will Johnson has been a player that we were unsure of, but he’s managed to keep putting up nice numbers. Just be careful that he’ll be leaving to play for Canada soon and Portland has a bye coming up. Johnson does not look to be listed on the international roster for Canada: SOURCE.

So who’s worth having that might provide a little advantage or differential for your team? Andrew Jacobson ($6.0 @ 12.6%) is at the top of our list. He missed the last three games due to injury and almost 1000 managers have dropped him. Several of these have top players so grabbing him this week could pay off. They are hosting San Jose, so it might not be an easy game, but SJ does not have a strong defense. Dallas also has a promising game in Week 14 before their bye in week 15.

A lot of people are looking for Portland players, and with Johnson leaving soon we think Diego Valeri ($7.9 @ 8.5%) is the best option. He’s had some rough games, but he has the ability to provide great service and score goals. Portland does have a bye in week 14, but they have a game in 15 and a double game in week 16.

A couple of teams also have a nice run of home games coming up. New English does not have really any midfield players we like but Real Sale Lake does. The standout for us is Javier Morales ($8.4 @ 4.3). He has great service and can rack up goals and assists. If you’re looking for a player to replace Zusi or Davis, this could be your guy.

Finally, for those of you who are looking for the truer differential pick, you can one again look to Seattle and also Montreal. Osvaldo Alonso ($7.9 @ 3.8%) and Justin Mapp ($6.8 @ 2.2%) are two players that have some good numbers and have been on form. They both have some bye weeks coming up, so keep that in mind before you go with one of these teams. It looks like Alonso is a high risk of not playing even though he is listed a eligible on the MLS site SOURCE.

Final thoughts

• Start making your Pros and Cons list for Zusi and Davis.

• Keep an eye on Dallas players for this week.

• I don’t like Magee

• Yes I know I left off Kyle Porter.

That’s all I got. I’d love to hear your feedback, plans, and insights.

These are our picks, if you think there should be more names on this list, please leave a comment or come to r/FantasyMLS and comment on the post. You can also leave a message on our Facebook page or you can find us on Twitter @FantasyMLSTips. Keep checking back for more updates through the week for other positions. Good Luck!