MLS Fantasy 2018: Gameweek 19 Review - Player of the Week
After each round of matches for MLS Fantasy players, we'll be providing our Player of the Week, the player who we think is deserving of top spot, even if they didn't finish on the most points for a week. We'll take a look at the impact the player is having on his team, as well as the MLS Fantasy returns that they are providing. Strap in, it's time to get nostalgic. All aboard.
MLS Fantasy: Gameweek 20
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.
MLS Fantasy Week 19 - Player of the Week: Philippe Senderos (Houston)
We're quickly approaching the end of the Spring Season in MLS Fantasy and we've just experienced arguably the best Gameweek of the season. With 11 teams featuring in two matches, there was big performances from the usual hitters - Martinez, Almiron, Elis, Lodeiro, Ibrahimovic, Allesandrini - whilst their were some mammoth performances from differentials in LAFC's Blessing and Diomande, whilst Houston provided points at both ends of the field this week.
Ultimately, our Superstar of the Week appeared in his 5th and 6th matches this season, and has amazingly amassed 51 points, whilst averaging 10.33 points-per-match in the process, and yes it is from the most unlikely of sources.
Former Arsenal central defender and Swiss international, Philippe Senderos, is a throwback of his own making this week. An unrivalled 29 points puts him well clear of the chasing pack from Week 19 after scoring three goals over the course of two games, as welled as keeping a second clean sheet of the season against Minnesota United at the weekend.
Philippe Senderos's Week 19 Points - Houston Dynamo 2-2 LAFC:
90 mins played: 2pts
1 goal: 6pts
64 passes: 1pt
4 interceptions: 1pt
10 recoveries: 1pt
2 conceded: -1pt
Total: 10pts
Philippe Senderos's Week 19 Points - Houston Dynamo 3-0 Minnesota United:
90 mins played: 2pts
2 goals: 12pts
Clean sheet: 5pts
42 passes: 1pt
Yellow card: -1pt
Total: 19pts
Senderos was a star-turn during Week 1 after the Defender managed 19 points in the 4-0 rout of Atlanta United, finishing as the week's top player. As it turns out, lightning does strike twice for the Swiss national, who has scored 4 goals from 6 appearances this season.
The inclusion of Senderos is down to his importance for the 5.62% of players that banked on his threat from set-pieces. Defensively speaking, only Houston and Seattle were reliable assets this weekend, alongside Atlanta's Michael Parkhurst. Senderos or a Houston defender could have, and probably would have, pushed the scales in your favour in a Gameweek which witnessed a wide array of attacking returns from both LA sides, Atlanta, and Houston.
Four points from the last 2 matches has kept Houston within play-off contention in the Western Conference, with Senderos's side sitting in 7th place on 25 points from 17 matches, and have 2 games in hand over 6th placed Vancouver, with the Canadian side only 1 point ahead with 26 points.
Next up for Houston is a visit to Colorado Rapids, who sit in 11th in the West with just 15 points from 18 matches. Houston will be expecting to claw themselves into playoff contention with a victory, though MLS Fantasy might think twice about Senderos's inclusion, especially as NYCFC, Montreal Impact and Chicago Fire all play twice.
The 2018 MLS Fantasy Season
MLS has returned, and you can join our very own MLS Fantasy League by clicking here, or alternatively by using the league code RDPUAHR2 whilst on the MLS Fantasy site, or checking out our pinned tweet on our @HypeTrainMLS Twitter account. We'd love to have you aboard for the ride.
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All aboard.
