Fantasy Focus: Manneh on Fire

A delay in stats updating on the MLS Fantasy site has meant a delay in the posting of this column. It's a good thing everything was in order Tuesday because there is a match tonight. Let's get to it.

By scoring 75 points this round, St Marys SC led the league. Mike Magee (CHI, $10.2M) scored a goal and added an assist for an armband-aided 22 points, leading the team. Jose Goncalves's (NE, $6.5M) clean sheet and goal scored earned him 13 points, and each of Aurelien Collin (SKC, $7.0M), Will Johnson (POR, $8.0M), and Tally Hall (HOU, $6.0M) scored 8 points. SGV Galaxy leads overall by 6 points.

Positional Leaders

Goalkeepers

Three goalkeepers scored 8 points, tying for first at the position -- Tally Hall, Matt Reis (NE, $4.8M), and Jimmy Nielsen (SKC, $5.6M). D.C.'s Bill Hamid ($4.8M) scored 4 points and helped remind us that D.C. is open for business.

Defenders

Goncalves's 13 points led all defenders. Ike Opara (SKC, $4.5M) earned 10 points with a clean sheet and 4 big defending bonus points. A whopping seven defenders tied for 3rd with 8 points -- Jalil Anibaba (CHI, $4.8M), Warren Creavalle (HOU, $4.6M), AJ Soares (NE, $4.8M), Futty Danso (POR, $4.2M), Collin, and SJ teammates Jason Hernandez ($4.9M) and Steven Beitashour ($5.2M). For United, Chris Korb ($3.9M) scored 4 points, Dennis Iapichino ($4.3M) scored 3, and Daniel Woolard ($3.8M) scored 2.

Midfielders

Shea Salinas (SJ, $7.6M) notched an assist and 6 attacking bonus points to lead all midfielders with 12 points. Mike Magee tied with two other midfielders for 2nd with 11 points -- Mauro Rosales (SEA, $8.5M) and Daigo Kobayashi (VAN, $6.5M). For DCU, eight players scored -- Nick DeLeon ($7.4M) scored a goal and 8 points, Lewis Neal ($5.2M) assisted that goal for 6 points, Perry Kitchen ($5.5M) scored 4 at center back, Chris Pontius ($8.1M) and Luis Silva ($6.7M) scored 3 each, Jared Jeffrey ($6.0M) scored 2, and both Sainey Nyassi ($5.6M) and Kyle Porter ($4.7M) scored 1.

Forwards

Vancouver youngster Kekuta Manneh ($5.0M) scored a hat trick and 17 points to lead all players. Kenny Cooper (DAL, $8.9M) scored twice for 12 points, and behind them both was Juan Luis Anongono (CHI, $7.3M) with 7 points. For United, Conor Doyle ($6.1M) scored 2 points, and Lionard Pajoy ($7.6M) was pulled from the mothballs to score 1 point.

Looking Ahead

Chivas USA are on bye, and Montreal and Los Angeles play twice, with their extra game coming against each other on Wednesday, so make your changes promptly. With the Galaxy stars returning from international duty, do your due diligence before making the decision to start guys like Robbie Keane, Jaime Penedo, and Landon Donovan (injury). For Montreal I wouldn't recommend anyone except maybe Marco Di Vaio, who's scored just 2 points in three of four matches. Kansas City is playing DCU, so take your pick(s) of Jimmy Nielsen in goal, Graham Zusi ($9.6M) in midfield if he's healthy after the Panama match, and Ike Opara in defense, because Aurelien Collin is serving a suspension for yellow card accumulation.