Fantasy Focus: Acosta Rica

With a whopping score of 133 points, Benny’s Army set the pace this round

I’ve gotta recognize the work, fielding 11 starters who all played. Yes, it helps to get more than ¹⁄₃ of your points from one man, but it’s all good.

Positional Leaders

Goalkeepers

Atlanta’s Brad Guzan ($5.4) banked a clean sheet on the way to 9 points, leading all goalkeepers. Trailing him were Zack Steffen (CLB, $7.3), whose clean sheet helped him to 8 points, and Richard Sanchez (CHI, $5.0), who did Orlando dirty with a clean sheet of his own and 7 points. Bill Hamid ($7.9) scored 4 points for DCU.

Defenders

Johan Kappelhof (CHI, $5.0) paired a clean sheet and an assist on the way to 13 points, leading all defenders. Behind him was the pair of Leandro Gonzalez-Pirez (ATL, $7.7) and Ike Opare ($10.0), who each had 11 points — Gonzalez Pirez with a clean sheet, and Opare with a goal. The D.C. trio of Oneil Fisher ($6.9), Frederic Brillant ($5.0), and Steven Birnbaum ($7.8) scored 8 points each, while Joseph Mora ($5.8) scored 7, Kofi Opare ($4.9) scored 2, and Jalen Robinson ($4.5) scored 1.

Midfielders

Luciano Acosta ($11.5) amassed a goal and three assists over two games on the way to 25 points, easily leading all midfielders and all players. In the rear view were Miguel Almiron (ATL, $11.5), with two goals, and assist, and 17 points, and Felipe Gutierrez (SKC, $7.8), with a goal, two assists, and 16 points. DCU’s remaining midfielders were led by Ulises Segura ($4.8) with 10 points, followed by the pair of Russell Canouse ($7.8) and Paul Arriola ($7.5) with 9 points each, Yamil Asad ($9.2) with 5, Junior Moreno ($6.8) with 4, Chris Durkin ($5.0) with 3, and Zoltan Stieber ($6.9) with 1. What even are these points?

Forwards

Kansas City’s Gerso ($7.9) tallied two goals and two assists on the way to 21 points, leading all forwards. Meanwhile, Bradley Wright-Phillips’s 17 points came via a hat trick, while Wayne Rooney’s ($11.8) 14 points came with the help of a goal. Darren Mattocks ($4.5) was the only other scoring United forward, chiming in with 6 points.

Looking Ahead

D.C. United is, perhaps blissfully, on bye this week, while Portland, San Jose, Atlanta, Seattle, and Philadelphia all play twice. I don’t blame you for going hard with Atlanta guys, like Brad Guzan in goal both at San Jose and against RSL. I like Chad Marshall (SEA, $8.8) in defense at home against Philadelphia and at the Galaxy, and Diego Valeri (POR, $11.5) is slightly less of a midfield must against Columbus and at Minnesota than Atlanta’s Miguel Almiron ($11.5). While you’re adding Josef Martinez (ATL, $14.0) at forward, look at Seattle’s Raul Ruidiaz ($9.5), and his four goals in his last four matches.