MLS Fantasy 2019: Statistics ahead of Week 4
As MLS Fantasy players enter the fourth round of fixtures this weekend, we are attempting to find the patterns and trends behind the opening weeks on the Fantasy campaign by pinning down some statistics that might help us explain the start to the 2019 MLS season. To do this, we have gone through the MLS site, MLS Fantasy and Social Media to make sense of the season so far. All aboard.
MLS Fantasy: Week 4 Deadline
For the 2019 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 Week progresses.
MLS Fantasy 2019: Statistics ahead of Week 4
Gaston Sauro (CLB) is the top MLS Fantasy player after Week 3's action, with the Defender earning 36 points, an average of 12 points-per-game. Sauro has scored 2 goals and kept 2 clean sheets for Columbus to start the season.
Sauro (CLB) is also the first (and only) player to feature in the MLS Fantasy Dream Team twice this season. Sauro featured during Week 1 (10 points) and Week 3 (15 points).
Wayne Rooney (DC) is the first player in MLS Fantasy to reach 20+ points in a single Gameweek, and also the second Forward to feature as the top player from any Week:
Week 1) Darwin Quintero (MIN): Vancouver 2-3 Minnesota - 18 points
Week 2) Zack Steffen (CLB): New England Revolution 0-2 Columbus Crew - 18 points
Week 3) Wayne Rooney (DC): D.C. United 5-0 Real Salt Lake - 23 points
Wayne Rooney (DC) is the first player in the 2019 MLS season to score a hat-trick. The Englishman scored 3 and assisted once during Week 3's 5-0 home win against Real Salt Lake.
5 players have managed 5+ points after Week 3, with none being midfielders and the only 2 defensive players playing for Columbus Crew:
1) Gaston Sauro (CLB): 36 points (2 goals, 2 clean sheets)
2) Carlos Vela (LAFC): 33 points (3 goals, 2 assists)
3) Darwin Quintero (MIN): 33 points (2 goals, 3 assists)
4) Zack Steffen (CLB): 31 points (1 assist, 1 penalty save, 2 clean sheets)
5) Wayne Rooney (DC): 30 points (3 goals, 2 assists)
Raul Ruidiaz (SEA) is the only MLS player to score in all 3 matches so far this season. Ruidiaz found the net once each against Cincinnati (Week 1), Colorado (Week 2) and Chicago (Week 3).
There were 7 penalty kicks awarded during Week 3, the most in a single round of games this season, with all 7 spot-kick takers scoring. 4 of the previous 9 penalties had been saved in Week's 1 and 2.
Of the 17 penalty kicks this season, only 1 Defender has taken a spot-kick - Reto Ziegler (DAL) scored past David Bingham (LA) during Week 2's 2-0 home win.
Seattle Sounders are the only team to win their opening 3 MLS fixtures:
Week 1) Seattle Sounders 4-1 FC Cincinnati
Week 2) Seattle Sounders 2-0 Colorado Rapids
Week 3) Chicago Fire 2-4 Seattle Sounders
D.C. United are the only team in MLS to keep clean sheets in all 3 matches this season. DC beat Atlanta United 2-0 at home during Week 1, drew 0-0 draw away at NYCFC during Week 2, and in Week 3 beat Real Salt Lake 5-0.
Columbus Crew are the only other MLS side other than D.C. United to earn more than 1 clean sheet, with The Crew managing back-to-back shutouts - beating New England 2-0 away from home during Week 2, before narrowly beating FC Dallas 1-0 at home during Week 3.
Tim Howard (COL) and Spencer Richey (CIN) are the only players with less than 10 points to be in the MLS Fantasy Dream Team for either Week 1 (Howard, 7) or Week 2 (Spencer, 9). Both are Goalkeeper's.
Júnior Moreno (DC), Nicolas Lodeiro (SEA) and Darwin Quintero (MIN) are all tied with 3 assists so far this season, more than any other players in MLS.
After Week 3, there are 6 players all tied at the top of the scoring charts with 3 goals - Carlos Vela (LAFC), Raul Ruidiaz (SEA), Wayne Rooney (DC), Memo Rodriguez (HOU), Jordan Morris (SEA) and Ignacio Piatti (MTL).
New York City FC have drawn all 3 of their fixtures to far in the 2019 MLS season, the only team to manage this feat:
Week 1) Orlando 2-2 NYCFC
Week 2) NYCFC 0-0 D.C. United
Week 3) NYCFC 2-2 LAFC
10 teams have failed to win any of their opening 3 MLS matches this season, including both of the 2018 MLS Cup finalists (Atlanta and Portland):
Eastern Conference (6): NYCFC, Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, New England, Philadelphia
Western Conference (4): Colorado, Portland, Vancouver, San Jose
Portland Timbers are the first team to concede 10 goals in MLS this season, with The Timbers playing all 3 matches away from home:
Week 1) Colorado Rapids 3-3 Portland Timbers
Week 2) LAFC 4-1 Portland Timbers
Week 3) FC Cincinnati 3-0 Portland Timbers
FC Cincinnati won their first ever match in MLS when they defeated Portland Timbers 3-0 in their first home match. It also marks the first time the club have scored more than once in a league match, as well as keeping a first clean sheet.
3 Cincinnati players featured in the MLS Fantasy Dream Team during Week 3, all defensive players: Spencer Richey (GK, 9pts), Kendall Waston (DEF, 14pts) and Mathieu Deplagne (DEF, 14).
For the second time this season, every team playing away from home has failed to keep a clean sheet (Week's 1 and 3).
From the 35 games of the MLS season after Week 3, only NYCFC, New England Revolution and San Jose have failed to score at home, with all 3 sides failing to find the net at home during Week 2.
Alexandru Mitrita (NYCFC) has taken 17 shots this season (scoring once - against LAFC during Week 3), more than any player in MLS.
Only 2 Goalkeeper's have made 11+ saves this season - Stefan Frei (SEA, 15 saves) and Brian Rowe (ORL, 14 saves).
Wilfried Zahibo (NE) and Maxime Chanot (NYCFC) have been booked in all 3 matches so far this season.
Toronto have had the fewest shots on goal (21) out of all 24 MLS clubs (having played 2 matches) and have converted 6 out of 8 shots on target in to goals.
Chicago Fire have managed 20 shots on target this season after 3 matches, more than any club this season.
LAFC and NYCFC are the first teams to attempt 50 shots this season after Week 3.
2 MLS Fantasy players have managed to reach 300+ overall points after Week 3.
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All aboard.
