With the first season of ShePlays Fantasy NWSL in the books and the new year upon us, it’s time to start planning for the 2023 FNWSL season! Today, we’ll count down the players with the highest increases in Teams Selected By (TSB%) over the course of the 2022 season. As a reminder, TSB% is simply the percentage of all FNWSL teams on which a player appears in any given week. Strong performances by a player will typically result in an increase in TSB as managers identify ways to maximize value on their teams.
This list includes some breakout rookies and some established veterans – all of whom appeared on drastically more FNWSL teams in Round 20 than they did in Round 1. Keep all of them in mind for Round 1 of 2023 and maybe you can take advantage of their value over the whole season!
10. Megan Reid (DF – Angel City): 6.47 percentage point increase from Round 1 to 20
$75,000
LA’s rookie center back played every minute of her first NWSL season, and FNWSL managers who took advantage of her low price were rewarded with 124 fantasy points. Reid’s TSB% increased by almost six times over the course of the season as she played a major role in Angel City’s four clean sheets during the second half of the year. This was the second-highest increase of any defender (regular readers of this column may be able to guess who is first), and though Reid’s cost will likely increase next year, she should be an excellent building block for your FNWSL defense in 2023.
9. Taylor Korniek (MF – San Diego): 8.27 pp+
$150,000
Korniek was a trendy selection in Round 1 (on 24.8% of FNWSL teams), and just got more popular as the season progressed. Her performance was rewarded with her first senior national team call up in the June international window. With the Wave making a run all the way to the semifinals in their inaugural season and Korniek collaborating with Golden Boot winner Alex Morgan in the league’s most-prolific scoring duo, she will likely be a FNWSL favorite again next year.
8. Sophia Smith (FW – Portland): 8.43 pp+
$400,000
Smith was also an FNWSL favorite from the very beginning of the year, and rewarded those managers who paid her premium cost with a scintillating season-long battle against Alex Morgan for the Golden Boot and an NWSL Most Valuable Player trophy. As the top goal scorer on the league’s highest-scoring side, Smith will be a must-have on your FNWSL squad in 2023.
7. Sam Coffey (MF – Portland): 8.59 pp+
$75,000
Smith’s Thorns teammate Sam Coffey steadily increased in TSB for nearly the entire season as savvy FNWSL managers identified the rookie midfielder as a low-cost way to get a valuable piece of Portland’s prolific attack on their teams. Like Korniek, Coffey received her first national team call up in June, and she should only get better next season.
6. Tatumn Milazzo (DF – Chicago): 9.52 pp+
$150,0000
Milazzo’s TSB% increased from 6% to nearly 16% over the course of the season – by far the highest increase among defenders. While that rise may have been slightly assisted by some very consistent cheerleading by this reporter, it was primarily due to a stellar Red Stars defensive performance during June and July and Milazzo’s remarkable consistency on the Chicago backline. Her season was rewarded with a selection to the NWSL Second XI and a contract extension, and she’ll definitely be a part of my FNWSL team in 2023.
5. Diana Ordoñez (FW – North Carolina): 9.97 pp+
$75,000
The Courage striker was only on about 3% of FNWSL teams in Round 1, but an almost unbelievable stretch of 9 goals in 6 games between June and August catapulted Ordoñez into the Golden Boot race – and onto over 13% of teams by season’s end. She also made her first appearances for Mexico in April. While her cost will likely be significantly increased in 2023, she is the primary goal scorer on the league’s second-most prolific goal scoring team – a recipe for success in FNWSL.
4. Ebony Salmon (FW – Houston): 9.98 pp+
$300,000
It seems safe to say that the trade from Louisville to Houston worked out for Ebony Salmon. The England international scored nine goals for the Dash despite only playing in 13 games, including six goals in just three games between Rounds 11 and 13. Her TSB% doubled after that stretch and finished the season north of 12%. Houston scored the third-most goals in the NWSL this season, so look for Salmon’s performance to continue to improve in 2023.
3. Jun Endo (FW – Angel City): 12.28 pp+
$200,000
FNWSL managers were quick to pounce on Jun Endo following her dominant Round 1 performance of a goal and assist against North Carolina. Her TSB% rose by over 11 percentage points by Week 2 and would stay consistently high throughout the rest of the season. Though the Angel City winger logged only one more assist and no goals after that game, she racked up the fifth-highest season point total among forwards – she’ll be a popular choice again next season.
2. Alex Morgan (FW – San Diego): 13.52 pp+
$400,000
While some FNWSL managers may have been put off by Morgan’s premium price at the beginning of the season, it soon became apparent that including her on your team was essential. Her TSB% had nearly quadrupled by midseason, and the Golden Boot winner was on over 18% of teams by Round 20. Morgan has undergone a renaissance in her club career in San Diego, so make sure you don’t wait until midseason to play her in 2023!
1. Savannah DeMelo (MF – Louisville): 24.86 pp+
$75,000
Kudos to the 11 FNWSL managers who selected Savannah DeMelo in Round 1… you may be clairvoyant. By season’s end, the Louisville rookie would be on well over a quarter of all FNWSL teams. She proved to be one of the most consistent offensive players in the league and provided incredible value at a cost of $75k. DeMelo is also the fourth player on this list who received her first international callup in 2022 (seems like there’s a theme here) and was by FAR the highest-value player in the league. You will probably have to pay more than $75k next season, but whatever the cost, DeMelo should be well worth it.
Any surprises on this list or predictions for 2023? Tweet me at @MansersAnswers!