And no, Allen, I'm not writing this post just to rub it in.

After 11 matches in La Liga, the leaders in the Villarreal USA fantasy football league have taken shape. The top few teams have stayed the same, but the splits have widened at the top.

Kudos to Maniche Street Preachers and Red Star Belgrade (but why not Crvena Zvezda?), who have been out front for most of the season. I've climbed my way up to third place after struggling with injuries and plenty of last-minute roster surprises, but Menlo FC and FC Solros are on my heels.

Remember that the top three finishers overall earn special prizes. So there's still hope for most of you. And we will recognize the best XI each week, so please join us!

A few thoughts on the structure of the Superliga. I'd love to hear your comments on how we can improve things for next year. Let us know!

Pros: 

1. I have a greater interest in the lower lights of La Liga. Even Granada has valuable players, depending on the matchup.
2. Defenders and goalkeepers finally have a say, thanks to clean sheet bonuses and pass interceptions. And there's value in searching for diamonds in the rough.

Cons:

1. No appreciation of player values. For example, buying striker Radamel Falcao García of Atlético Madrid at the start of the season was a prudent move, even if he can't score away from the Calderón. But if I wanted to replace him for away matches, I'd have to sell him at the pre-season rate, which won't get me a comparable substitute. So if your team is working, you have limited flexibility.
2. Injuries. Maybe it's just me, but I can't find an authoritative clearinghouse such as what exists for American sports. And I'm not sure why we can't have until lineups are announced to make changes.
3. Midfielders are worthless. Rewarding every completed pass might be too much, but the list of top fantasy players does not match the best at the position. Consequently, most of the top fantasy teams own the same handful of players. Boring.