MLS Fantasy 2018: Gameweek 25 - Captaincy Picks
Picking a Captain to double down on in MLS Fantasy is the most important choice ahead of each of the 34 regular season Gameweek's in MLS's season. There's a lot of self-help out there for MLS enthusiasts, with our Hype Team providing three major considerations for the armband for each and every Gameweek. We'll be detailing the top choice for captain in home and away matches, and a Wildcard pick of our choosing to add to the chaos. All aboard.
MLS Fantasy: Gameweek Deadline
For the 2018 MLS Fantasy season there is a 'Rolling Lockout', which means you can make substitutions and transfers until the second a player's game kicks off, which means you can chop and change your lineup as any Gameweek progresses.
You can view the schedule and a real time Gameweek deadline countdown clock (in the London GMT timezone) on our dedicated MLS Fantasy page.
Captaincy in MLS Fantasy
There are a few differences with picking a captain in MLS compared to playing other games such as FPL. The major element to note with our Captaincy article is that we'll be picking a captain who is playing home and away, as well as a Wildcard player of our own choosing.
We've listed the differences below that make captaincy in MLS Fantasy unique:
- With the Rolling Lockout, you can change your captain until the selected captaincy pick plays
- Once the team your captaincy pick takes to the field, you can no longer change your captain
- If your captaincy pick doesn't play, then you'll end up with nothing
- There is no option to select a vice captain
CAPTAINCY HYPE: 2018 SEASON PERFORMANCE
In each Captaincy article we track our progress throughout the 2018 MLS Fantasy season. Below you can check how our captaincy selections have performed by week to week in Major League Soccer.
GW1
Home: Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto 0-2 Columbus Crew) - 3pts
Away: Josef Martinez (Houston Dynamo 4-0 Atlanta United) - 5pts
Wildcard: Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders 0-1 LAFC) - 9pts
GW2
Home: David Villa (NYCFC 2-1 LA Galaxy) - 10pts
Away: Yamil Asad (Atlanta United 3-1 D.C. United) - 2pts
Wildcard: Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo 1-2 Vancouver Whitecaps) - 9pts
GW3
Home: David Villa (NYCFC 2-0 Orlando City) - 0pts
Away: Nemanja Nikolic (Minnesota United 2-1 Chicago Fire) - 2pts
Wildcard: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 4-1 Vancouver Whitecaps) - 10pts
GW4
Home: Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew 3-1 D.C. United) - 2pts
Away: Maxi Moralez (New England Revolution 2-2 NYCFC) - 4pts
Wildcard: Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls 3-0 Minnesota United) - 13pts
GW5
Home: Felipe Gutierrez (Sporting Kansas City 1-0 D.C. United) - 6pts
Away: Carlos Vela (LA Galaxy 4-3 LAFC) - 15pts
Wildcard: Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo 0-2 New England Revolution) - 3pts
GW6
Home: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 5-0 LAFC) - 20pts
Away: Carlos Vela (Atlanta United 5-0 LAFC) - 3pts
Wildcard: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy 0-2 Sporting Kansas City) - 2pts
GW7
Home: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 2-2 NYCFC) - 10pts
Away: Sacha Kljestan (Philadelphia Union 0-2 Orlando City) - 8pts
Wildcard: Maxi Moralez (NYCFC 4-0 RSL // Atlanta 2-2 NYCFC) - 23pts
GW8
Home: Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls 1-2 Chicago Fire) - 10pts
Away: Miguel Almiron (LA Galaxy 0-2 Atlanta United) - 14pts
Wildcard: Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo 5-1 Toronto) - 8pts
GW9
Home: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 4-1 Montreal Impact) - 15pts
Away: Dom Dwyer (Colorado Rapids 1-2 Orlando City) - 2pts
Wildcard: Carlos Vela (LAFC 1-0 Seattle Sounders) - 5pts
GW10
Home: Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto 3-0 Philadelphia Union) - 12pts
Away: Miguel Almiron (Chicago Fire 1-2 Atlanta United) - 10pts
Wildcard: Darwin Quintero (Minnesota United 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps) - 3pts
GW11
Home: Carlos Vela (LAFC 2-0 Minnesota United & LAFC 2-2 NYCFC) - 18pts
Away: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta 0-2 Sporting KC & Orlando City 1-2 Atlanta) - 12pts
Wildcard: Darwin Quintero (Toronto 1-2 Seattle & New England 3-2 Toronto) - 16pts
GW12
Home: David Villa (NYCFC 4-0 Colorado Rapids) - 17pts
Away: Magnus Eriksson (Vancouver 2-2 San Jose & San Jose 1-3 D.C. United) - 7pts
Wildcard: Kei Kamara (Vancouver 2-2 San Jose & Dallas 2-2 Vancouver) - 9pts
GW13
Home: Carlos Vela (LAFC 1-1 D.C. United) - 5pts
Away: Diego Valeri (Colorado Rapids 2-3 Portland Timbers) - 7pts
Wildcard: Ola Kamara (LA Galaxy 1-0 San Jose Earthquakes) - 2pts
GW14
Home: Miguel Almiron (New England 1-1 Atlanta & Atlanta 3-1 Philadelphia) - 18pts
Away: Alberth Elis (RSL 2-1 Houston & Montreal 1-0 Houston Dynamo) - 8pts
Wildcard: Maxi Urruti (LA Galaxy 2-3 FC Dallas & FC Dallas 2-1 LAFC) - 3pts
GW15
Home: Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo 2-0 Colorado Rapids) - 2pts
Away: Sebastian Giovinco (Philadelphia Union 0-2 Toronto) - 6pts
Wildcard: Mauro Diaz (FC Dallas 2-0 Montreal Impact) - 13pts
GW16
Home: Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto 4-4 D.C. United) - 9pts
Away: Josef Martinez (Columbus Crew 0-2 Atlanta United) - 6pts
Wildcard: Teal Bunbury (San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 New England Revolution) - 2pts
GW17
Home: Josef Martinez (Atlanta United 1-1 Portland Timbers) - 3pts
Away: Sebastian Giovinco (NYCFC 2-1 Toronto) - 3pts
Wildcard: Dom Dwyer (Orlando City 0-2 Montreal Impact) - 3pts
GW18
Home: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 4-0 Portland Timbers) - 14pts
Away: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (San Jose Earthquakes 3-3 LA Galaxy) - 13pts
Wildcard: Adama Diomande (LAFC 4-1 Philadelphia Union) - 17pts
GW19
Home: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy 2-2 D.C. & LA Galaxy 4-0 Columbus) - 18pts
Away: Miguel Almiron (FC Dallas 3-2 Atlanta & Philadelphia 0-2 Atlanta) - 21pts
Wildcard: Alberth Elis (Houston 2-2 LAFC & Houston 3-0 Minnesota) - 19pts
GW20
Home: Maxi Moralez (NYCFC 3-0 Montreal & NYCFC 2-0 Columbus) - 18pts
Away: Ignacio Piatti (NYCFC 3-0 Montreal & Montreal 2-0 San Jose) - 17pts
Wildcard: Nemanja Nikolic (Chicago 3-4 Philadelphia & Dallas 3-1 Chicago) - 8pts
GW21
Home: Darwin Quintero (Minnesota 2-1 New England & Minnesota 5-1 LAFC) - 23pts
Away: Diego Fagundez (Minnesota 2-1 New England & New York Red Bulls 2-0 New England) - 13pts
Wildcard: Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders 2-0 Vancouver Whitecaps) - 17pts
GW22
Home: Wayne Rooney (D.C. 0-1 NY Red Bulls & D.C. 2-1 Colorado Rapids) - 8pts
Away: Maxi Moralez (Orlando City 0-2 NYCFC & Seattle Sounders 3-1 NYCFC) - 17pts
Wildcard: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LAFC 2-2 LA Galaxy & LA Galaxy 4-3 Orlando) - 29pts
GW23
Home: Josef Martinez (Atlanta United 2-2 Toronto) - 15pts
Away: Raul Ruidiaz (Minnesota United 1-2 Seattle Sounders) - 7pts
Wildcard: Ignacio Piatti (Montreal Impact 1-1 D.C. United) - 3pts
GW24
Home: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy 2-2 Minnesota United) - 8pts
Away: Bradley Wright-Phillips (Chicago Fire 0-1 New York Red Bulls) - 8pts
Wildcard: Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers 1-2 Vancouver Whitecaps) - 13pts
Totals
Home Total: 3 (1), 10 (2), 0 (3), 2 (4), 6 (5), 20 (6), 10 (7), 10 (8), 15 (9), 12 (10), 18 (11), 17 (12), 5 (13), 18 (14), 2 (15), 9 (16), 3 (17), 14 (18), 18 (19), 18 (20), 23 (21), 8 (22), 15 (23), 8 (24) = 264 points
Away Total: 5 (1), 2 (2), 2 (3), 4 (4), 15 (5), 3 (6), 8 (7), 14 (8), 2 (9), 10 (10), 12 (11), 7 (12), 7 (13), 8 (14), 6 (15), 6 (16), 3 (17), 13 (18), 21 (19), 17 (20), 13 (21), 17 (22), 7 (23), 8 (24) = 210 points
Wildcard Total: 9 (1), 9 (2), 10 (3), 13 (4), 3 (5), 2 (6), 23 (7), 8 (8), 5 (9), 3 (10), 16 (11), 9 (12), 2 (13), 3 (14), 13 (15), 2 (16), 3 (17), 17 (18), 19 (19), 8 (20), 17 (21), 29 (22), 3 (23), 13 (24) = 239 points
Gameweek 25: Home Captain
Fixtures: LAFC vs. Real Salt Lake & LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids
Player: Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Position: Forward (CAM)
Player Price: $10.3 million
When picking your MLS Fantasy lineup this week there's no better place to start this week than with LAFC.
Licking their wounds following a first-ever home defeat to Sporting KC during Week 24, in which Bob Bradley's side was heavily rotated after playing in the U.S. Open Cup semi-final earlier in the week, the Californian side have play-off hopes in their sights and consolidate their claims with a Double Gameweek this week.
Home fixtures against the Rocky Mountain duo, Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids, is the perfect opportunity for Carlos Vela to regain momentum after the Mexican international was involved at this summer's World Cup festivities in Russia. Vela missed Week's 14-18 due to Mexico's path to the Last 16 in Russia, and has only scored once in the resulting 6 MLS matches, which shows the his form has been massively derailed.
Vela is the standout Forward option this week, even ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, due to his likeable fixtures against fellow Western Conference opposition, and with the majority of Bob Bradley's first team rested in the 2-0 defeat to SKC, there's no doubting that league points are the main priority once again, which means the big guns will be out on show in midweek against Real Salt Lake.
LAFC are currently 5th in the West with 36 points, only 3 ahead of 7th place Vancouver, so there's a real chance that this impressive debut season for Carlos Vela and his teammates could ultimately end in disappointment
Vela managed 18 points during Week 11's last Double Gameweek, so if you're too back on one top player this week, the Mexican is your go-to for double Fantasy points.
Gameweek 25: Away Captain
Fixtures: D.C. United vs. Portland Timbers & Sporting KC vs. Portland Timbers
Player: Diego Valeri (POR)
Position: Midfielder (CAM)
Player Price: $12.0 million
Diego Valeri flourished in our captaincy article last week, picking up 13 points against Vancouver Whitecaps, despite being on the losing side of affairs. With Portland's unbeaten streak ended by an unlikely source (as it is always the case with football).
The Timbers face the prospect of two tricky away ties against a D.C. United side who have performed admirably at home since a move to Audi Field, before travelling to Sporting KC in a top of the table clash in the Western Conference, so it goes without saying that Portland will not fielding weakened sides as they look to make of their games-in-hand.
Valeri's selection is one of pure faith that regardless of the opponent, or the situation posed on a weekly basis, that the Argentine playmaker is a solid pick for points. Portland's primary set-piece taker notched his 9th goal of the season against Vancouver, and is only one goal away from back-to-back MLS campaigns with 10+ goals and assists. The feat will be reached sooner rather than later, so there's no better place than at Audi Field, with Audi Field already soaked in a few history making moments since its doors opened in the capital.
The only grain of contention with Valeri as a captaincy option is the competition posed by both Carlos Vela and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with both players high on the radar. For active MLS Fantasy players Diego Valeri will make the squad as an automatic pick, but there will be some doubters who leave it at that and refuse to acknowledge him as anything more than someone who negates the points from other players (due to everybody already owning him).
Gameweek 25: Wildcard Captain
Fixtures: D.C. United vs. Portland Timbers & D.C. United v.s New England Revolution
Player: Luciano Acosta (DC)
Position: Midfielder (CAM)
Player Price: $9.0 million
Rounding off our selections is a pick straight out of left-field, with Luciano Acosta selected as our wildcard pick.
On the surface of it, Acosta's pick is a lazy one due to the hype of a hat-trick against Orlando, but on the other hand if you didn't fancy Zlatan or Vela this week, or Valeri twice away from home, the choice for nailed on captaincy options are few and far between, so to us it makes sense to gamble on D.C. United continuing their good home form as they host Portland and New England, with a slender chance of play-offs if a few surprise wins are on the cards this week.
Below you can read more about the fantastic week the midfielder has had, and the impact Wayne Rooney's arrival has had on Acosta at the club, and why form might just trickle over onto unsuspecting Fantasy players this week.
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All aboard.
