MLS Fantasy 2018: Gameweek 35 - 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 35 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
GW28
Home: Maxi Moralez (NYCFC 0-1 New England & NYCFC 1-1 D.C. United) - 12pts
Away: Wayne Rooney (NYCFC 1-1 D.C. United) - 6pts
Wildcard: Graham Zusi (Sporting KC 1-0 Orlando City) - 9pts
GW29
Home: Wayne Rooney (D.C. United 2-1 Minnesota & D.C. United 3-3 New York Red Bulls) - 14pts
Away: Darwin Quintero (D.C. United 2-1 Minnesota United & Real Salt Lake 1-1 Minnesota United) - 11pts
Wildcard: Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto 5-3 LA Galaxy) - 9pts
GW30
Home: Miguel Almiron (San Jose 3-4 Atlanta & Atlanta 2-0 Real Salt Lake) - 24pts
Away: Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers 3-2 Columbus Crew & Minnesota 3-2 Portland Timbers) - 3pts
Wildcard: Raul Ruidiaz (Seattle Sounders 0-1 Philadelphia Union & LA Galaxy 3-0 Seattle Sounders) - 4pts
GW31
Home: Maxi Moralez (NYCFC 2-0 Chicago & Minnesota 2-1 NYCFC) - 12pts
Away: Nemanja Nikolic (NYCFC 2-0 Chicago & Chicago 3-1 LAFC) - 11pts
Wildcard: Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders 4-0 Colorado Rapids) - 23pts
GW32
Home: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United 2-1 New England Revolution) - 1pt
Away: Carlos Vela (Colorado Rapids 0-3 LAFC) - 4pts
Wildcard: Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders 4-1 Houston Dynamo) - 13pts
GW33
Home: Wayne Rooney ((D.C. United 1-0 FC Dallas) - 3pts
Away: Michael Barrios (D.C. United 1-0 FC Dallas) - 5pts
Wildcard: Darwin Quintero (Minnesota United 0-2 Colorado Rapids) - 2pts
GW34
Home: Wayne Rooney (D.C. United 1-0 Toronto & D.C. United 3-1 NYCFC) - 23pts
Away: Sebastian Giovinco (D.C. United 1-0 Toronto & Montreal 2-0 Toronto) - 3pts
Wildcard: Albert Rusnak (RSL 4-1 New England & Portland 3-0 RSL) - 3pts
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), 12 (28), 14 (29), 24 (30), 12 (31), 1 (32), 3 (33), 23 (34) = 376 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), 6 (28), 11 (29), 3 (30), 11 (31), 4 (32), 5 (33), 3 (34) = 281 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), 9 (28), 9 (29), 4 (30), 23 (31), 13 (32), 2 (33), 3 (34) = 338 points
Gameweek 35: Home Captain
Fixture: LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo
Player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA)
Position: Forward (CF)
Player Price: $14.6 million
We begin our captaincy round up on Decision Day with our home captaincy pick, of which there were only 2 or 3 realistical options. With the Western Conference finally poised on the final day of the season, we have opted for the battle for the final play-off spot.
Real Salt Lake finished their season last weekend with a 3-0 away loss at Portland Timbers. RSL finished their season on 49 points with a -3 goal difference. LA Galaxy are just a point behind with 48 points, and though it is only a point, they'll need to win their final game of the season to leapfrog Real Salt Lake and give Zlatan Ibrahimovic a play-off birth - this is because MLS prioritises wins ahead of goal difference, with RSL winning 14 games compared to LA's 13.
Only Josef Martinez (258) and Carlos Vela (238) have managed more points as a Forwrad than Zlatan this season, though Ibrahimovic has played in 7 less games than Martinez. A massive 31 attacking returns (21 goals, 10 assists) from just 26 appearances is huge from the Swedish international.
Travelling side, Houston Dynamo, find themselves without much too play for, except for denying LA Galaxy a play-off place, with the importance of this game meaning Zlatan gets the nod ahead of Nicolas Lodeiro (SEA) and Bradley Wright-Phillips as our foremost pick.
Gameweek 35: Away Captain
Fixture: Toronto vs. Atlanta United
Player: Josef Martinez (ATL)
Position: Forward (CF)
Player Price: $12.1 million
The final day of the season couldn't be placed any better than it is. The two sides from the Eastern Conference that have run away from the rest of the pack find themselves tussling for the Supporters' Shield trophy on the final day (which is the equivalent of winning the Premier League crown as it represents league success).
Atlanta (69 points) and New York Red Bulls (68) are set to compete in the most entertaining end of season finish in years, with Atlanta potentially lifting the trophy at BMO Field - the second successive season - if they cling hold of their lead in their visit to Toronto.
This away captaincy pick is made out of the season as a representative whole. Miguel Almiron and Josef Martinez have been the best players this season, playing for the best team, and on the whole we would like to see Atlanta cross the line as rightful winners.
If The Five Stripes are to make history and win their first piece of silverware in what will be Gerardo Martino's final season at the club, they'll be relying on 30-goal hero Josef Martinez to finish the season strongly.
36 returns from 33 appearances from the top scorer means that he can't be ruled out, even though Martinez hasn't scored in his last 4 matches. With Toronto's downfall in form though, Atlanta are thee team to back on the road this weekend as they chase history.
Gameweek 35: Wildcard Captain
Fixture: Columbus Crew vs. Minnesota United
Player: Gyasi Zardes (CLB)
Position: Forward (CF)
Player Price: $6.1 million
Rounding off our captaincy picks we have opted for a full house of Forward's to select from, which on the basis of the season is quite unusual, especially with Midfielders being the standout options for the majority of the campaign.
We also keep with the theme of teams with something left to fight for on Decision Day, with Columbus Crew hosting Minnesota, with The Crew's play-off spot in potential jeopardy should their form continue to slip.
Columbus find themselves in 6th placed with 48 points, whilst 7th placed Montreal boast 46 points. A loss against Minnesota, compared with a win for Montreal Impact at New England Revolution, will see Columbus slip outside the Top 6 for the first time this season, and yes it could happen on the final day.
Gyasi Zardes has scored 1 goal in 7 games, though finds himself as a budget option heading into the final day and could be the hero that ensures Columbus progress to the post-season with Columbus. The last day of the season in any league tends to be unpredictable, so there's reason to be optimistic about form picking up out of nowhere.
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All aboard.
