The economy sucks. The market is down, unemployment is up, and the dollar is so weak that developmental players in MLS are moving into training ground locker rooms in order to avoid paying rent. And with tax day behind us now, what better time to examine the places where we're spending a lot of dough?
So in this week's blog entry, it's time to take a close look at the upper echelon of stocks (players) on the (Fantasy Pro) market. Forget Designated Players, forget positions, forget teams. Here are the top 10 most expensive players on the market (going into this past weekend's matches) and an expert evaluation on their performances thus far. Could they improve? Of course. Should you buy or sell them? You decide.
1) Luciano Emilio (D.C. United; $232,600) - The reigning league MVP and Golden Boot winner has one goal and one assist in four games. Those numbers aren't horrific, but his play so far this year pretty much has been. He's missed some chances that should have been buried, and on Thursday night against the Columbus Crew, the Brazilian couldn't get anything right. He couldn't hold the ball, he couldn't pass the ball, and he didn't even seem to have his heart in the game. There's no other way to put it: Luciano Emilio has been nothing but a disappointment so far in 2008.
2) Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls; $223,800) - The former Colombian international has made just two appearances this season, missing one game through injury and only getting 45 minutes in New York's draw with New England Saturday at the Meadowlands. No goals, one assist, and not much else to say. Has he been lighting it up? Obviously not, but it's still too early to call his game into question.
3) Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy; $218,800) - The U.S. captain and David Beckham's new best friend is in great form at the moment. With five goals and an assist in just four games, Donovan is by far the best performer on this list right now. His numbers should even be higher having missed a few glorious scoring opportunities, but he keeps getting chances and putting most of them away. Maybe having Becks in the ranks will help Donovan keep the momentum through the summer. Or maybe he'll cool down when the weather heats up as he has in years past. Only time will tell.
4) Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution; $212,000) - If he had actually played a minute so far this season, I might have something bad to say about him. I'm sad to say that I don't. I do, however, have something bad to say about anybody who still has the injured striker on his or her fantasy roster. If that's you, then you should be ashamed of yourself. Sell him now and make a trade. Then when he's back you can give him a go if you want.
5) Brad Guzan (Chivas USA; $207,600) - Guzan is a great young goalkeeper, and me might just be worth the 200K you'd have to shell out to get him now. But as I've said before, when you buy a 'keeper, you're buying his whole defense as well. Case in point: there wasn't much Guzan could do on either of FCD's goals on Sunday evening. He costs more than the man at No. 8 on this list, though he hasn't put up as many points. The verdict: not much beyond average so far.
6) David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy; $206,900) - The league's first designated player is making a difference again this season, only this time it's actually on the field in addition to in the stands. He and Donovan are connecting at an incredible pace. If only the rest of the team was decent. But as was proven this weekend, as long as both Becks and Landon are in the team, they'll have a chance to pull down some points. And with a few more free kicks around the box, the former England captain will probably be finding the net more himself too.
7) Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire; $204,800) - The Mexican legend is popular with the fans, and he's playing with a lot of passion. Blanco has two goals and an assist in four games, but he couldn't get anything going for the Fire Sunday in their loss to the Wizards. He doesn't come cheap, but he's been pretty good. Assuming he stays healthy, he hasn't shown any reason so far this season for his productivity to drop. Overall, a solid start but nothing spectacular.
8) Matt Reis (New England Revolution; $204,800) - Reis and the Revs have given up seven goals in five games so far en route to a 2-2-1 start. The veteran has one shutout and has made a lot of good saves, so he's about par for the course so far. There wasn't much Reis could do to stop Jozy Altidore's rocket on Saturday, and of the four goalkeepers on this list, Reis has racked up the most fantasy points.
9) Pat Onstad (Houston Dynamo; $193,800) - A shoulder injury has kept the Canadian veteran (aka old man) out for the past couple of weeks. Tony Caig, his replacement, can't be faulted for the two goals that Houston gave up in L.A. Saturday, but with just three points from four games, Houston's not looking good. Onstad was officially listed as "doubtful" this weekend, so who knows if he'll be back by the time the champs hit the field next Saturday in Columbus. Of the 'keepers on this list, Onstad would have to rank at the bottom, though mostly by default.
10) Bouna Coundoul (Colorado Rapids; $191,800) - The Rapids lost at home over the weekend to San Jose, and Bouna Coundoul didn't' have his best match. He left a rebound on the doorstep for Ronnie O'Brien to put away, and perhaps could have been a bit more aggressive on the Quakes' second goal. Two shutouts in four appearances is nice, though. Coundoul is a solid but unconventional goalkeeper, though the team he plays for looks like it could have an up and down season. Proceed with caution.
And finally, I'm introducing a new segment to my weekly entries. We have the Goal of the Week, the Player of the Week, the Player of the Month and all the end-of-the-year awards. But every week there is at least one WOW play, person, event, or team. And by WOW, I mean Worst Of the Week.
The first-ever WOW Award goes to Chad Barrett of the Chicago Fire, whose total shank over the crossbar on a completely open net Sunday should have resulted in his immediate replacement. I don't care how much pace is on the pass, what foot it comes to, or how hard the wind is blowing -- that chance just has to be put away. If you're a professional player, there's no excuse. For that, Chat Barrett, you are the Worst of the Week.