Usually by this point in the season there is at least one rookie who has grabbed some attention, one player that people are starting to take notice of, one player that gets the early jump on the Rookie of the Year race. But not so in 2008. It seems that the trend now is for MLS teams to turn to foreign talent more so than to the college products, and who can blame them? For all its excitement, the college game is certainly not the great producer of talent in soccer like it is in just about every other mainstream American sport. Which brings us to the question on everybody's mind: Why do they call it the SuperDraft if it's not very Super?

 Well, maybe that wasn't the question on everybody's mind, but it's a decent one. As the league continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how the American college players fair in the league. So far this season, it hasn't looked too great. Sure, it's early, and I have no doubt that there are some talented rookies among the MLS teams, but is the next Ben Olsen or Clint Dempsey out there? And perhaps more importantly, at least here, is this question: What does this have to do with Fantasy Pro?

Frankly put, the rookies in this game come pretty damn cheap. If you can find the right one, you could be in for a nice surprise. Where you turn is up to you, but perhaps one of these players is poised for a breakthrough.

Chance Myers (Defender, Kansas City Wizards) - The UCLA product has played in four games for the Wizards so far this season, including 90 last weekend in Toronto. Though Kansas City fell on the road, Curt Onalfo seems to have put together a pretty solid squad, especially in the back. They've earned shutouts in half of their games so far, so taking a 'chance' on Myers is probably a pretty good idea. Nice pun, huh?

Luke Sassano (Defender, New York Red Bulls) - Here's another California product (Berkeley) defender who has jumped right into the fray. He also went the distance this weekend, helping the Red Bulls to a 2-0 victory over the expansion Earthquakes. New York's defense is likely a bit more suspect than Kansas City's, but Sassano, who was a third-round pick in this year's (not so Super) draft, looks set to rack up some serious minutes. It doesn't hurt that coach Osorio's options are pretty limited.

Shea Salinas (Midfielder, San Jose Earthquakes) - No, I haven't forgotten about the sitter that he shanked a couple of weeks ago in the Quakes' home opener. But I'm still pretty high on this kid. He's got a bit of creative flair and he's not afraid to take people on. He came to MLS through Furman University, which also provided us with the aforementioned Dempsey. Salinas only got a few minutes against the Bulls Sunday, but as he's playing for a side that is struggling, he's sure to get more chances. He could be a late bloomer though; I can see him needing a season or two to get used to the pro game.

Geoff Cameron (Midfielder, Houston Dynamo) - Cameron has one goal in four appearances as a rookie, but that one goal was a scorcher. Given how badly the defending champions are playing right now, they could use some more help from the Rhode Island product. If you have an extra spot in the midfield that needs to be filled and very little money to work with, he's a good candidate to keep in mind. He may even blast another shot or two into the net for you.

Dan Stratford (Midfielder, D.C. United) - The former Fulham Reserve and West Virginia player did it all Saturday night against RSL. He made his first pro start, he passed the ball out of bounds, he failed to win 50-50 challenges, and he even got exposed on defense. Then he got substituted. And best of all, he did it all before halftime! There's no other way to put it: Stratford was horrible, and the fact that he got the hook five minutes before the break -- using the Black-and-Red's second substitution in the opening stanza, no less -- proves that my assessment is not skewed. Dan, that guy who yelled "YOU'RE HORRIBLE!" as you left the field on Saturday ... yeah, that was me.

Stephen King (Midfielder, Chicago Fire) - I bet you think I'm going to make some joke about the horror writer, but I'm not. It's too easy. Even Shea Salinas could put that one away. However, King had a stellar college career at perennial powerhouse Maryland and has already made four appearances for the Fire. He's likely got a long pro life ahead of him, but it remains to be seen if he's got the stuff to make much difference as a rook. Anything is possible.

Any of the players above could go on a tear, light things up and run away with the Rookie of the Year Award. Or it could be somebody not on this list. Or they could spend the rest of the 2008 campaign in the Reserve Division, only to fade away into obscurity and grad school in 2009. But you have to take the gamble to have any chance of winning big. Go ahead, give it a shot. My money's on Stratford.

WOW (Worst of the Week) Award - It was very tempting to continue my tirade against Dan Stratford here, and he comes in a close second for this week's award. But as horrible as he was, this week the honor of Worst of the Week must go to the Houston Dynamo. The two-time defending MLS Cup champs are the only team in the league still without a victory. That's not good. The season is a marathon and not a sprint, and the kick at the end is extremely important. Yet if Dom Kinnear can't get things going soon, his side may just be out of the race by the midway point. Don't count on it though.

See ya next week, and good luck.