This article is part of our The Armband series.
There were a lot of fantasy points to go around in Week 8, with three teams scoring at least five goals and five others three. Unfortunately, that also meant going with a safer captain didn't work as well because 28 players reached double-digit fantasy points. Sure, Nicolas Lodeiro and Sacha Kljestan had fine outings (both with eight points), but neither maximized the captain position and that's the goal.
Week 9 has a couple teams that stand out, so there will be a lot of fantasy bosses giving the armband to the same player. That most likely means Miguel Almiron playing at home against Montreal without starting defender Victor Cabrera, who is suspended. Atlanta have 14 goals from four home matches, while the Impact have allowed 12 in their last three overall. Almiron is the clear choice, already with four goals and four assists and scoring at least eight fantasy points in his last six starts. Josef Martinez is more of the differential play and only worth it when Atlanta reach four or five goals. He has double-digit fantasy points just once this season mainly because he doesn't get as many bonus points as someone like Almiron, who is around the ball more often.
Another team worth considering is NYC FC even with a grueling schedule that had them in Portland last weekend. Dallas have allowed just three goals this season, but they have only played one road match and that came at New England. NYC FC will be a bit different, with three wins from their three home matches, scoring eight and allowing one. David Villa played 90 minutes against the Timbers and that's the best news coming out of that loss. Unlike Martinez, Villa often picks up bonus points from other categories, which makes him a safe captain with tons of upside from goals. Of course, Maximiliano Moralez is probably safer and has reached at least 10 fantasy points in every home game. If the Dallas defense is for real, Moralez is also a better bet not to have a two-point performance.
There isn't another matchup that stands out, but LAFC against Seattle should produce goals in LAFC's stadium debut. The Sounders may have come around offensively since a slow start, but the defense still has its questions, which leads to Carlos Vela having another huge game. Vela has shined in the early going with five goals and three assists in six road matches. Playing for the first time at home, it'd be surprising if he didn't reach 10 fantasy points. Diego Rossi has slowed down since a hot start and will be much harder to trust for the armband. The same goes for anyone on Seattle in case LAFC runs them off the field. Lodeiro is always worth captain consideration, but I'm not putting him above Vela or Rossi in this game.
Toronto will likely rest players again after their CCL second leg against Guadalajara on Wednesday. There's little reason to trust them at home right now and the same goes for Chicago on the road, even against a B-squad. Nemanja Nikolic is goal dependent and Bastian Schweinsteiger has played more of a center-back role the last few matches.
If the Union were playing well, they'd be intriguing at home against D.C., but they've scored one goal in their last five matches. I'm slightly more comfortable with backing Columbus at home against San Jose, but the Crew have one point from their last four matches. Gyasi Zardes and Federico Higuain may deserve a roster spot, but neither should be captained ahead of Almiron or Vela.
It's the same situation for teams playing on the road, with Kansas City (at NE), Houston (at MIN), New York (at LAG) and Orlando (at COL). Graham Zusi has reached double digits in his last three, but he's not worth it against a solid Revs side. The same goes for Bradley Wright-Phillips, who has to go across the country and the Red Bulls have already struggled on the road. Kljestan and Dom Dwyer are playing well, but the Rapids have been surprisingly stout with seven points from three home matches.
The players that warrant a conversation from those matches are Alberth Elis and any Houston forward that starts. Romell Quioto is the forward of the moment, but he came off the bench in the first four matches. The downside is that Minnesota have played well in two home matches, holding Chicago and Atlanta both to one goal. If you feel good about your squad, Carlos Quintero is worth a look after a goal and assist in his first two starts.
Last but not least, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romain Alessandrini will be considered because they're at home against an East coast team, but no one on the Galaxy can be trusted right now.
