MLS Fantasy 2019: Week 28 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 28 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 28: 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: Colorado Rapids (A), Sporting KC (H)
Player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA)
Position: Forward
Player Price: $12.3 million
The countdown to the end of the regular MLS season is rapidly accelerating, with Week 28 starting this week, this being the first of four remaining Gameweek's in MLS this season. There are a couple Double Gameweek helpings left to be devoured this season for MLS Fantasy players, with Week 28 one such week to indulge on big assets from NYCFC, Toronto and LA Galaxy playing twice.
Our captaincy poll featured a trio of their respective players, as well as the in-form Magnus Eriksson from San Jose. As soon as we discovered that Maxi Moralez was suspended for NYC's opener this week against Toronto, we knew that our captaincy poll would have one outcome.
The Lion has come out to play, with us Fantasy players hopeful that after a week off from action, the predator feasts this on those precious points that we seek in order to finish as high in the overall rankings as possible.
Zlatan has the form on his side to suggest that most players in your mini-leagues will back the legendary Swede in unison this week. Ibrahimovic has scored in each of LA Galaxy's last four league matches in MLS, with the Forward scoring braces in three of those matches - 7 in total, with an assist too in those four games.
Opponents, Colorado Rapids, aren't to be trifled with though this week. As our usual targets for the tag of 'whipping boys' in MLS, The Rapids have produced stellar back-to-back performances, beating New York Red Bulls 2-0 away from home during Week 26, before repeating that exact scoreline against Seattle Sounders at home during Week 27, much to the annoyance of Fantasy players (ourselves included) who thought Lodeiro and company were golden for points.
Sporting Kansas are also in a similar position to Colorado, having won a trio of home matches on the spin, conceding just a single goal in those three games.
SKC and Colorado are massive banana peels for LA Galaxy this coming week, especially as LA's form has greatly diminished during the second-half of the MLS season. The Galaxy have only won one match in seven, a 2-0 home win over Dallas during Week 24, a fixture Zlatan scored twice in.
The play-off implications of this match just add to the spice of a Zlatan captaincy this week, with LA dropping to 8th in the West (42 points), outside the post-season bracket, with Sporting (37) and Colorado (33) directly below Guillermo Schelotto's side. It's do or die for LA this week. Continue their poor form and fail to pick up points this week, SKC and The Rapids have essentially pulled LA down into the murky abyss with them. Win, and it's likely highly-likely that after heartbreak against Houston on the final day of the 2018 regular season, that Zlatan could get his moment in the sun in the play-offs.
Zlatan is a big player for the big stage, so there won't be any need of rotation, meaning The Swede is the standout pick this week as he looks to drag his Hollywood team across the line. Even if he fails in his pursuits this week, he's still good for Fantasy points, and that's what really matters, right?
Week 28: 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.
Who else is seeing double this week?
There is a chasing pack behind Zlatan this week, with NYCFC one such side, whose position at the summit of the Eastern Conference puts them in good contention ahead of home matches against Toronto and SKC. With Heber injured and Maxi Moralez suspended for the Toronto clash in midweek, pressure for goals will fall to Valentin Castellanos ($7.3m), Alexandru Mitrita ($8.6m) and Alex Ring ($9.1m) at Yankee Stadium. Mitrita has scored 18 points over 2 games with a goal and assist, central midfielder Ring has 4+ points in each of the last 8 games, earning 60 points in total in that time, whilst Castellanos has scored 5 goals in 7 games, though the attacker has failed to score or assist in each of the last 3 MLS matches.
Opposing NYCFC this week is Alejandro Pozuelo ($9.6m) and Toronto. Pozuelo ended his dry spell for goals or assists in the recent rout at Cincinnati when the attacking midfielder provided a brace of assists in the 5-1 away win and looks set to be in most Fantasy sides this week purely due to the high-ceiling and relatively cut-price of the Spaniard. Set-pieces help too, though with NYC and Colorado in good form, and Toronto a tragedy waiting to happen on a weekly basis, there's been a hesitation to pull the trigger with Pozuelo as the season has worn on.
There's also the curious case of San Jose this week, another team that is good at home, but doesn't turn up when on the road. The Earthquakes have won back-to-back home game, but a treble of away days before that, and even though a pair of games on the road looms, Magnus Eriksson ($11.3m) is worth a passing mention as a left-field captaincy pick.
LA Galaxy also have another attacking outlet, with Cristian Pavon ($10.5m) a viable alternative to the Swede, Ibrahimovic. Pavon has 1 goal and 3 assists from the five fixtures he's played and is averaging 7 points-per-game. It wouldn't be surprising to see those numbers appear this week with a 14-20 point haul.
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All aboard.
