Someday, we are going to get an entire FNWSL round with exactly zero 1-1 final scores. That was not the case this week, though one is better than four, so we are making progress!

Overall though, it was a tricky Round 2 for FNWSL. There was some unexpected last-minute injury news, and though Temwa Chawinga did end up playing a full 90 and scoring a goal despite being listed as questionable, many FNWSL managers were scrambling before the deadline. In the Mansers Answers mini-league, I believe the name is no longer pending for leader Amber Waves of Pain, which had a big score of 114 in Round 2.

Remember that we have an earlier deadline this week, as two matches kick off on Friday evening at 8e/7c/6m/5p: Washington hosting Bay FC and Houston hosting Gotham.

What did I learn at the Chicago-Houston game?

I went to my first NWSL game of the season on Sunday! The Dash were in town for the Stars home opener, and this reporter was in attendance despite some truly dismal weather in Bridgeview. Here are my thoughts on the game, both FNWSL-related and otherwise:

• Hot chocolate is really good and makes me happy.
• Both teams looked significantly more dynamic than in their first matches. Both played more aggressive formations than in Round 1 and there was a lot of end-to-end action.
• Houston rookie MF Maggie Graham ($75k) scored again, and now has three goal involvements across her first two NWSL games. Especially for those FNWSL managers adopting the top-heavy roster strategy, keep Graham and fellow NWSL newbie Gia Corley in mind. Graham is the first NWSL rookie to score goals in each of her first two matches since Jaedyn Shaw in 2022, while Corley is the first player to score in her first two career NWSL matches since Lindsey Heaps (Horan) in 2016.
• Chicago is obviously missing Mal Swanson, especially on chances in the penalty area. However, Jameese Joseph ($100k) is third in the league right now in my favorite FBref stat, Non-penalty Expected Goals plus Expected Assisted Goals (npgxG+xAG), trailing only Temwa Chawinga and Debinha. She’s also already got four shots on goal, tied with Chawinga and trailing only Barbra Banda, and she’s played all 180 minutes so far. If you are trying to solve what I’ve decided to call The Mystery of the Third Forward, Joseph is definitely a possible solution.

Which players are taking set pieces?

We’ve talked a lot over the past few seasons about the importance of set pieces (especially free kicks, corner kicks, and penalty kicks) in FNWSL. While players don’t get points directly for taking set pieces, they lead to passes, crosses, shots, chances created, and of course, assists and goals. Therefore, a player who consistently takes set pieces for their team will usually have a high ceiling for fantasy points each week.

We will revisit this topic a bit later in the season, once we have some more data points, but here are a few key observations about set pieces so far:

• Lo’eau LaBonta, Marta, and Olivia Moultrie have attempted the only PKs so far this season. LaBonta and Marta converted their attempts.
• Jess Fishlock has taken all 7 corners for Seattle, Taylor Huff has taken 15/16 corners for Bay, Makenna Morris has taken 9/10 for Washington, and Claire Emslie has taken 6/7 for Angel City.
• Free kicks aren’t quite as helpful, since so many are taken by keepers, but there are a few standouts: Natalie Jacobs leads the NWSL after two weeks with 11 FKs, while Taylor Huff and Emily Sonnett have each taken 10 and Abby Dahlkemper has taken 9.

Most of these numbers track with what we saw last season, but there are two highlights: they show the high level of confidence that Bay has in rookie Taylor Huff ($75k) and the increasing role of Makenna Morris ($150k) in Washington, both of whom are becoming legitimate weekly starting candidates in FNWSL.

Which players are on the most FNWSL teams?

It’s no surprise that Temwa Chawinga (53% TSB), Ally Sentnor (50%), and Barbra Banda (42%) are by far the most selected players in FNWSL after two rounds. Hal Hershfelt is the only other player with a TSB above 30%. Chawinga and Banda were far and away the most popular captain selections in Round 2.

Considering the current landscape of FWs in FNWSL, I recommend having both Chawinga and Banda on your team. However, the popularity of both these players is such that, if you want, you can go differential while still keeping one of them on your roster. Several of the highest-scoring FWs through two rounds have very low TSBs: Michelle Cooper at 12%, Delphine Cascarino at 7%, and Reilyn Turner at 6%. Bringing one of these players in could free up some money for the higher-cost players at MF and DF, such as Debinha or Marta.

What are your plans for Round 3? Comment or Bluesky @MansersAnswers!