Fantasy Focus: Phantom of the Opara

With a score of 78 points, Castillo Blanco led the round and rose to 2nd overall in the standings. Kaka (ORL, $11.3) tallied a goal and an assist on the way to a captaincy-aided 24 points to lead the side. Meanwhile, Ike Opara (SKC, $7.4) scored a goal, and earned a clean sheet, while Tyler Deric (HOU, $5.0,) posted a clean sheet and 9 points. Poor Man's Porales remains the overall leader.

Positional Leaders

Goalkeepers

Two other goalkeepers joined Tyler Deric as positional leader for the round on 9 points. DCU's Bill Hamid ($6.2) and Kansas City's Luis Marin ($5.6) each posted a clean sheet.

Defenders

Ike Opara's 17 points led the defenders and all players. In addition to scoring the goal and earning a clean sheet, he put together 5 defending bonus points, primarily thanks to 24 clearances, blocks, and interceptions, which is two more than he totaled in the previous two games combined (22.) Chicago's Adailton ($7.1) scored a goal and earned a clean sheet on his way to 13 points and 2nd among defenders, while Opara's teammate Matt Besler ($8.9) scored 12 points with a clean sheet and an assist. Three United defenders scored 8 points -- Bobby Boswell ($9.1), Sean Franklin ($8.1), and Kofi Opare ($8.1), while Taylor Kemp ($7.5) earned 6 points, and Steve Birnbaum ($7.5) hobbled off with just 1.

Midfielders

Kelyn Rowe (NE, $8.7) scored 13 points on the strength of two goals, leading the midfielders. Kaka's 12 points were just behind Rowe, and just ahead of Javier Morales (RSL, $10.9) and his 11 points, aided by two assists. For United, match winner Chris Pontius ($7.0) scored 8 points; while Nick DeLeon ($6.5) scored 6; the trio of Davy Arnaud ($6.6), Perry Kitchen ($7.5), and Chris Rolfe ($8.6) each scored 3; and Michael Farfan ($6.5) appeared for 1.

Forwards

Bradley Wright-Phillips (NYR, $10.9) tallied a goal and an assist for 11 points and the lead among forwards. Chris Wondolowski ($10.8) scored a goal and 8 points, while both Jack McInerney (MTL, $7.6) and Fanendo Adi (POR, $9.3) netted a goal and 7 points. Jairo Arrieta ($6.6) led the D.C. forwards with 2 points and roughly 24 muggings by Galaxy center backs, and Conor Doyle ($5.5) came on for 1 point.

Looking Ahead

The MLS schedulers were drunk again, as we face another early season round with 4 byes: Columbus, Montreal, New York, and the Red Bulls. Everyone else plays once. Philadelphia couldn't score against Chicago, so I'm employing a rare same team, goalkeeper/defender recommendation of Luis Marin and Ike Opare from host Kansas City, with a goalkeeping honorable mention of Clint Irwin (COL, $5.1) at home to New England, with his 3 consecutive clean sheets to start the season. In the midfield, Harry Shipp (CHI, $7.8) is heating up, with a goal, an assist, and 18 points over his last two matches, as Chicago plays host to Toronto. At forward, I feel like I'm throwing stuff at the wall and hoping that it sticks, so it's Blas Perez (DAL, $9.3).

Everyone's Adding: G - Chris Seitz (DAL, $5.1, +147), D - Opara (+386), M - Shipp (+239), F - Octavio Rivero (VAN, $8.7, +148)

Everyone's Dropping: G - Steve Clark (CLB, $5.6, -42), D - Axel Sjoberg (COL, $4.7, -81), M - Mix Diskerud (NY, $9.1, -202), F - David Villa (NY, $10.2, -282)