Fantasy Tennis: Last-minute wildcards before US Open

Well, compadres, we’re on the eve of the US Open and it’s always good to take one last gander at your fantasytennisleague.com team before locking it in.

With everyone vying for a major, there is plenty of choices in front of you – the challenge is knowing which ones are contenders and which are pretenders.

With monthly competitions it is never too late to enter fantasytennisleague.com

Last week I dished on the more obvious players, so here are some wildcards that could net you a handy point of difference in Game Week 28:

Elina Svitlona ($14.29m): She’s been threatening all year and it’s only a matter of time before she breaks through with a Grand Slam. You’d be paying a pretty penny, especially given she’s never been further than Round 3 in New York, but I like the pick.

Marin Cilic ($13.85m): He’ll never excite you, but the Croat got a whole lot more attractive when he took Murray’s generous spot in the draw. One of the few left on the men’s side with a Grand Slam to his name. I like him a lot.

Nick Kyrgios ($5.69m): Enjoyed some good recent form with a finals run in Cincinnati. May end up burning you but for the price he’s worth a flyer.

Jelena Ostapenko ($11.32m): She’s got Grand Slam pedigree as proven by her Roland Garros title and Wimbledon QF. The risk is the age (20-years-old) and her poor form on US hard courts.

Tomas Berdych ($10m): Probably his last legitimate shot to win that all elusive Grand Slam, and with an injury-laden men’s draw he’s in with a solid chance. Given he won’t lose to anyone he shouldn’t I’d give him one last shot.

Maria Sharapova ($9.18m): The former world No.1 and former US Open champ is the great unknown. With a heavy chip on her shoulder, Masha has some merit – but a first round clash with Simona Halep has me very nervous.

RELATED: Fantasy Tennis Game Week 28 preview

Insider moves:

After long deliberation, #USOpen Fantasy Tennis League trades are:

-Thiem??Garbi
-Dasha??Woz
-Querrey??Fed (captain)

— FantasyTennisLeague (@FTL_Update) August 28, 2017

I decided to pay a premium for quality. Given the empty competition and his current form, Federer is the best shot to win it all and net me 60 extra bonus points in the process. I’ve heard the argument about bringing in mid-price guys like Goffin, Berdych and Isner and hoping one of them hits, and it has some validity, but I’d rather play the odds and stick with a 19-time champion who you know won’t disappoint.

I feel good about bringing in two in-form women who are safe bets to go deep into the second week. Losing Gavrilova hurts, especially on the back of her maiden WTA title, but as I said two weeks ago: it’s not personal, just business.