MLS Fantasy 2019: Week 25 Captaincy Picks
Picking a Captain to double down on in MLS Fantasy is the most important choice ahead of each round of games for players around the world. There's a lot of self-help out there for MLS enthusiasts, with our Hype Team providing three major consideration for the armband for each and every week. We'll be detailing the popular choice for captain, a few alternative picks in case Plan A doesn't go to plan, and a Wildcard pick of our choosing to add to the chaos. All aboard.
MLS Fantasy: Week 25 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.
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 for the 2019 we will have one major essential pick, decided by a poll, as well as a series of alternatives in case your original pick doesn't go to plan, and a wildcard selection who might prove to be a worthwhile differential
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
Week 25: Essential Captaincy Pick
Our essential captaincy picks is voted on by members of our community on Twitter over at @HypeTrainMLS. We pit four popular choices against each other to see who wins the popular vote.
Fixtures: San Jose (H) & LA Galaxy (H)
Player: Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Position: Forward
Player Price: $14.5 million
There are only 7 Gameweek's left in MLS Fantasy this season, with games coming thick and fast as teams scramble to complete their regular season fixtures by the end of September. With 7 left to play, we once again considered the available captaincy options and settled on a pair of in-form NYCFC attackers, Carlos Vela, who plays twice at home, and Wayne Rooney.
Needless to say, if you've been keeping updated with MLS Fantasy, you'll know that Carlos Vela has only hit home runs this season, with a win in our poll almost a certainty to the point that we've actually written this blurb about Vela 10 minutes after putting up the poll.
LAFC are on course to make history in MLS this season. Not only have they qualified for the play-offs in record time after only 25 games, but they're only 13 points shy of breaking New York Red Bulls' 71 points, the most ever in a 34-game regular reason with 9 games remaining.
This remarkable season for LAFC is set to meet a big challenge this week as Rivalry Week comes to MLS, with the black and gold facing Californian rivals, San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy, both at home at Banc of California Stadium.
Spearheading their season has been Carlos Vela, the man we are constantly writing about in our captaincy articles. Our Carlos Vela Weekly Update has now entered the stage of the season where we are simply garnishing a season where he's already the top MLS Fantasy player in a single season - beating Miguel Almiron's 269 points from the 2018 season after just 23 games played this season.
Vela has scored 24 goals and assisted a further 15, whilst he has also won 4 penalties and currently sits with 286 Fantasy points with 9 games left to play. Vela's average of 11.92 points-per-game is unmatched - no player has averaged 10 points-per-game, with Zlatan's 8.62 PPG a distant second to Vela's dominance this season.
We are anticipating more of the same this weekend as LAFC entertain both their state rivals. Vela commands set-pieces, has been at the heart of LA winning 7 of their last 8 matches, and in Fantasy has scored in 11 of his last 13 games, only dropping below 10 points on 2 occasions.
Vela's returns this season have not only been consistent, but his involvement in the league has cannibalised every talking point we have had this season. Vela's name is the first we mention, regardless of opposition, and his points accumulation is unlike anything we as a Fantasy sports website have ever reported on - the numbers and level of performance is ridiculously impressive to the point where we are now acitvely rooting for Vela to keep plugging away and ensuring one fantasy football legacy that we'll refer to forever.
With This people the penultimate Double Gameweek for LAFC in MLS Fantasy, a pair of home games is the last time to cash in on a big return from Carlos Vela. Week 30 is the last Double Gameweek for Bob Bradley's side, and with LAFC hosting Colorado on the final day of the regular season, there will be at least 3-4 opportunities to captain Vela - this Gameweek is one time to do just that.
Week 25: Alternative Captaincy Picks
We don't have one specific alternative captain, but a few choices for consideration. This method bodes well with the flexible approach of MLS Fantasy of being able to chop and change your decision until the minute before a game.
Other Double Gameweek captaincy contenders...
With Carlos Vela likely to dominate captaincy choices this week, given that only 6 teams are involved in a Double Gameweek, it really does limit the viable candidates to challenge Vela this week.
NYCFC appear best placed to provide such a challenge. Like LAFC, they play twice at home, with Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls visiting the Big Apple during Rivalry Week. Leading the charge are the in-form attacking duo of Heber ($10.4m) and Valentin Castellanos ($7.5m). Both are contenders to make the final cut of your MLS Fantasy teams, with Castellanos not only affordable, but rich in form having scored braces in 2 of his last 3 matches. Heber has also managed 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 games, with NYC likely to trust on the pair to get the business done in a crunch week for the club.
NYC also have the potential of Maxi Moralez ($11.1m) this week, a certain lock for most active Fantasy players ahead of Week 25. Moralez has provided 3 assists in his last 2 games, is back playing regularly and given the magnitude of the games at hand, rotation concerns should in theory be thrown out the window.
Elsewhere, if you can look past D.C. United's lack of goals in recent weeks, Wayne Rooney ($10.0m) might be an outside horse as he looks to leave the capital on a high this season. 1 goal in 6 matches however, as Rooney is pre-occupied with preparing to move back home, however, will be enough to sway us from the topic of Rooney as a captaincy contender.
You can read more of our latest news from the world of MLS and MLS Fantasy by clicking here.
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All aboard.
