LA Wildcats (1-2) vs NY Guardians (1-2)

Saturday, February 29, 2020 2:00 pm EST @ MetLife Stadium on ABC

East Coast vs. West Coast

Although both teams sit at 1-2, the Los Angeles Wildcats hold the upper hand against the New York Guardians. The Wildcats are currently coming off a huge win over the Defenders, meanwhile, the Guardians have lost 2 straight, losing both in blowout fashion. The Guardians have had some issues with team chemistry on offense including Quarterback Matt McGloin calling out his coaching staff on the live broadcast.

However, the Wildcats are trending in the exact opposite direction. The Wildcats will only improve from here as Josh Johnson is practicing more. Johnson missed the entirety of training camp and was limited in practice the week before his start. The Wildcats were also missing 2 starting CB’s and their starting RB but did not miss a beat at those positions.

Key Matchups

Matt McGloin (14) vs Kevin Gilbride (##)

This is not your usual match but it is definitely one to watch. Matt McGloin has called out his coach, on live TV and ruffled feathers. McGloin has not played well at all the past two weeks and McGloin was even benched towards the end of last week’s game. If benched, Luis Perez would take over the starting duties. Perez was traded from the Wildcats so that in itself would also be a matchup to watch.



Tre McBride (15) vs Jamar Summers (21)

Although Summers plays CB on the left side, watching him guard Tre McBride will be a great matchup. Although Summers is an amazing corner McBride had 2 TD’s last game so it will be interesting to see if he can duplicate that performance.

Storm Norton (72) vs Joey Mbu (94)/ TJ Barnes (93)

In every football game the battle at the line of scrimmage is arguably the most important battle. Storm Norton, an LT for the Wildcats is one of the best offensive linemen in the XFL. He will be going against one of the best defensive line duos in the XFL as he takes on Joey Mbu and TJ Barnes



Injury Report (as of Wed, 2/26)

LA Wildcats

Latarius Brady DE Hip Did not participate Martez Carter RB Ankle Did not participate Nelson Spruce WR Knee Did not participate Brandon Barnes TE Knee Limited participation Jaylen Dunlap DB Ankle Limited participation Josh Johnson QB Thigh Limited participation Chad Kanoff QB Shoulder Limited participation Tre McBride WR Thigh Limited participation Harlan Miller DB Thigh Limited participation Larry Rose RB Foot Limited participation

NY Guardians

Garrett Brumfield OL Head Did not participate Darius Victor RB Ankle Did not participate Jawuan Johnson LB Head Limited participation Matt McGloin QB Thorax Limited participation Avery Young OL Shoulder Limited participation Garret Dooley LB Ankle Full participation

Fantasy Preview

The two guys that stand out on fantasy wise are the WR’s for the Wildcats. With Nelson Spruce out Tre McBride, Jordan Smallwood, and Adonis Jennings will see more targets than usual. However, try and grab Smallwood and Jennings in DFS plays as McBride will most likely be covered by Jamar Summers. LA’s secondary looked amazing against the Defenders so I would not expect Mckale McKay to have a big day. On the other hand, the Wildcats have not had much success stopping the run so Tim Cook has potential to have a big day.



Preview Summary

Even with the same record, these teams are heading in different directions. The Wildcats are the favorites but traveling to the opposite coast and then playing a morning game can turn ugly for some teams. Injuries have plagued the Wildcats and they don’t stop as WR stud Nelson Spruce will be out but LA has the depth necessary to cover from Spruce missing the game.



My prediction: Wildcats Win

To keep up on the latest Wildcats news and updates follow Matthew on Twitter @_matthewshapiro

