MLS Fantasy 2018: Gameweek 28 - Captaincy Picks
Picking a Captain to double down on in MLS Fantasy is the most important choice ahead of each of the 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
GW25
Home: Carlos Vela (LAFC 2-0 Real Salt Lake & LAFC 2-0 Colorado Rapids) - 11pts
Away: Diego Valeri (D.C. United 4-1 Portland & Sporting KC 3-0 Portland) - 4pts
Wildcard: Luciano Acosta (D.C. 4-1 Portland & D.C. 2-0 New England) - 17pts
GW26
Home: Bradley Wright-Phillips (NYCFC 1-1 NY Red Bulls & NY Red Bulls 1-0 D.C. United) - 8pts
Away: Josef Martinez (Orlando City 1-2 Atlanta United) - 7pts
Wildcard: Nicolas Lodeiro (Portland Timbers 0-1 Seattle Sounders) - 4pts
GW27
Home: Bradley Wright-Phillips (NY Red Bulls 1-0 Houston Dynamo & Montreal Impact 3-0 NY Red Bulls) - 4pts
Away: Sebastian Giovinco (Portland Timbers 2-0 Toronto & Toronto 2-4 LAFC) - 13pts
Wildcard: Luciano Acosta (D.C. United 0-2 Philadelphia Union & D.C. United 3-1 Atlanta United) - 16pts
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), 11 (25), 8 (26), 4 (27) = 287 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), 4 (25), 7 (26), 13 (27) = 238 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), 17 (25), 4 (26), 16 (27) = 276 points
Gameweek 28: Home Captain
Fixtures: NYCFC vs. New England Revolution & NYCFC vs. D.C. United
Player: Maxi Moraltez (NYCFC)
Position: Midfielder (CAM)
Player Price: $10.9 million
International football doesn't seem to hinder the MLS fixture list, with 7 teams featuring this week. By virtue of being the only team involved in a Double Gameweek this week, NYCFC players are at the top of the wish list, with Maxi Moralez our top contender for home captaincy.
We don't feel the need to go into great detail with Moralez, though it is worth noting that the Argentine playmaker has a habit of pleasing MLS Fantasy players during Double Gameweek's. Maxi managed 17 points during Week 22's fixtures, 18 points in Week 20 and 23 points in Week 7.
NYCFC have been sub-par in recent weeks, with Moralez managing 2 assists from the last 6 games, which is below the standards set earlier in the season. That said, Moralez is still perhaps a more reliable option than David Villa, especially with rotation on the cards with two home fixtures against New England and D.C. United in quick succession.
Gameweek 28: Away Captain
Fixture: NYCFC vs. D.C. United
Player: Wayne Rooney (DC)
Position: Forward (CF)
Player Price: $11.3 million
The only teams that play away from home this week for MLS Fantasy players to contemplate are New England, D.C. United, Orlando City and Colorado Rapids. Slim pickings indeed. In times such as these it is best to bank on form and overall quality, which puts Wayne Rooney at the top of our captaincy options despite a tough fixture at NYCFC.
Rooney has commanded virtually all set-pieces since his arrival to the Capital, with the former England captain quickly creating a highlight reel of impressive moments. 4 goals and 5 assists later, and Rooney is becoming a consistent performer for Fantasy players, which of course makes him a threat against NYCFC.
Dominic Torrent's side have been wobbling as they chase ground on The Red Bulls' lead at the top of the Eastern Conference, and if there are any cracks, then you can guarantee that it'll be the likes of Rooney and Luciano Acosta, pushing for a play-off spot, that will makes the decisive contributions.
Gameweek 28: Wildcard Captain
Fixture: Sporting Kansas City vs. Orlando City
Player: Graham Zusi (SKC)
Position: Defender (RB)
Player Price: $10.0 million
Last up, with NYCFC seizing most of the Fantasy attention this week, we are anticipating a week that could see Sporting KC and Portland Timbers register comfortable home victories, with both playing lowly opposition in Colorado Rapids and Orlando City.
With 11 clean sheets this season, new contracts for a host of first team players, and an end of season run that is setting up for a brilliant finish, Sporting KC are the best left-field picks, and defensive talisman Graham Zusi gets the nod of approvall.
Zusi has amassed 181 Fantasy points this season, 30 more than any other defender. With Johnny Russell away on international duty, it is Zusi's advanced role on the right that puts him as a likely top scorer this weekend. Zusi's ability to absorbe attacking and defensive bonus points is not only the safe route to points, but a solid choice if you don't fancy NYCFC this week.
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All aboard.
