Team of the Season - Zack Steffen

Following a 169-point campaign for this seasons campaign with Columbus Crew Zack Steffen was not on many people’s watchlists coming into this term. The early adopters were to be proved correct as the Black and Gold’s keeper excelled to deliver another outstanding top-flight season.

Steffen proved to be the perfect “fire and forget” option for our 15-man squads, providing consistent returns right until the final weeks of the season.

Such was Steffens dominance as the stand-out option, he gained selection in our Team of the Season with a massive 77% of the vote.

THE STATISTICS

With a starting price of just 4.5 in MLS Fantasy (FMLS), and based on his 2016 output, it was something of a surprise to see Steffen only owned by less than 10% of managers back in Round 1.

The USA international first displayed his potential as a budget option with a 10-point haul in the 2-0 victory over FC Dallas in Round 3, when he picked up his first maximum bonus point haul.

That ability to dominate the bonus points whenever Gregg Berhalter’s side kept a clean sheet would prove pivotal to Steffen’s appeal throughout the season.

He would delivered three clean sheets in his first ten Rounds, when he registered his second double-digit score of the season in a 2-0 win against New England Revolution.

The Columbus keeper made 5 saves at the Revolution – ecilpsing the 4 saves he made the previous round against Toronto FC – and scooped maximum bonus points once again.

Another six point haul again against Toronto FC, would cement him as a definitive Fantasy option for many.

Between Rounds 10 and 14, Steffen scored 31 points in a spell which included two clean sheets, and two 10 week bonus points taken against New England Revolution in Round 10 and Toronto FC in Round 13.

It was during this period that his price in MLS Fantasy hit the 4.8 mark and went down to 4.7, by Round 13.

Steffen had a major week in Round 17 against Montreal Impact, assisting on a goal in a 4-1 demolition of the Canadian outfit and finished the campaign with 9 clean sheets from 33 starts, for the Mapfre Stadium club.

His price peaked in Round 24, at 4.9and going up as far as 5.2 in the final week, although Berhalter’s men did record two clean sheets in their last five encounters.

Steffen ended the season as the top scoring goalkeeper in MLS Fantasy with 169 points – having not actually played a single minute in the previous campaign – way to go!

THE PROSPECTS

Due to his impressive production this season, a price hike for Steffen seems almost inevitable next season, although if he remains under the 5.5 mark, he will doubtless prove a popular option once again.

Given that Berhalter’s men eventually finished 5th in the Eastern Conference, a price point of 5.0 would appear likely.

Steffen has shown in just one season that he can be relied upon for around 10 clean sheets, as well as save and bonus points, so that price should still represent solid value.

Steffen’s ability to keep clean sheets in less difficult home matches is the primary reason for his appeal as a Fantasy asset.

But as he demonstrated with his two double-figure hauls on the road, he also has the ability to produce in any match via save points.

While 4.5 options are always popular when budgets are tight at the start of a season, Steffen’s output over the last nine months suggests that we can’t overlook him when we begin to formulate our 15-man squads in January.

Goalkeepers such as Stefan Frei and Luis Robles definitely influenced matters, but Steffen could well remain the obvious one-stop shop option again, paired with a £4.0m asset – perhaps even Jesse Gonzalez out of Dallas – in a £9.0m configuration.