And just like that, there are only five rounds remaining in Fantasy NWSL this season! I think it’s time we can start using the term “run-in” (unless there’s a specific definition I’m unaware of, in which case please comment), as the KC Current have officially clinched the NWSL Shield. Congrats to the Current!

Washington has a healthy lead on the #2 spot in the standings (and the second NWSL Champions Cup place), but there are many other things to sort out before the regular season ends. Nine teams are in realistic contention for the six other playoff spots, so there’s plenty to play for. (It also appears that the Stars could set the record for draws in a single season, though, while interesting, I’m not sure that helps us from a fantasy perspective).

Round 22 kicks off at 8e/7c/6m/5p on Friday, and it’s a good schedule for fantasy managers: we’ll know the starting lineups for four teams (Gotham, Portland, Kansas City, and Chicago) before the deadline, and should have full availability reports for San Diego and Orlando as well. Furthermore, the play in the Champions Cup will not resume until after Round 21, so each team should be on full rest.

Has Racheal Kundananji entered the premium FW conversation?

Kundananji entered the game against Gotham as a late sub and scored the equalizer. It was her second goal in as many matches, and her fourth goal contribution since the summer international break. We’ve talked a lot about which premium-price FWs can be matched with Temwa Chawinga on your front line, and you may be wondering if Kundananji should be included in that group.

I personally don’t think so, mainly because Bay simply doesn’t score enough goals. This means Kundananji has a relatively low weekly floor for fantasy points, and for $400k, I want a very safe investment. If Kundananji was in the $150-250k range (like say, Ludmila or Manaka Matsukubo), it would be a different story. But for now, I’ll be sticking with Chawinga and Esther at FW.

That all being said, Kundananji is a good differential, as she’s generally selected by only around 5% of FNWSL managers each week.

Which team has the most favorable remaining schedule for goal scoring?

Due to the consistent unpredictability of the NWSL, I usually don’t worry too much about analyzing teams’ schedules when it comes to fantasy decisions. However, now that we’re down to only a few weeks left and have 20+ rounds of data to look at, I think it’s worth analyzing the remaining opponents for each team and see if we can glean anything helpful.

This chart ranks each team by the average Goals Allowed of their remaining five opponents. In general, teams near the top of the list should have the most favorable schedule for scoring goals during the run-in, and those near the bottom have the least favorable:

Here are my thoughts:

• The schedule looks positive for both San Diego and Utah. The only issue is that both the Wave and the Royals have such unpredictable goal scoring that it’s difficult to identify specific fantasy plays. Angel City also has a good schedule for goal scoring, but since the departure of Alyssa Thompson, they’re just as unpredictable. Outside of maybe Kenza Dali, I don’t think I’ll be starting any attackers from these three teams (though I still have Riley Tiernan rostered as a backup FW).
• On the other hand, Chicago and Louisville also have good schedules and are much more predictable. Ludmila’s scored almost half of the Stars’ goals this season and is a good investment. The Racing schedule is especially favorable over the next three rounds (21-23), so if you have the budget for Taylor Flint, now’s the time. Also, if you’ve been overlooking Janine Sonis, she’s now the fourth-highest scoring fantasy FW this season, has played every minute for Louisville since mid-June, and only costs $200k! She’s been playing more of an outside back role recently, and though she won’t get clean sheet points due to her FW designation, if nothing changes, you will reap the fantasy benefits of the stats the position lends itself to if you decide to pick her up.
• At the bottom of the list is Kansas City. By the opponent GA metric, the Current have the most difficult remaining schedule. On top of this, KC has already clinched the shield and the #1 seed in the playoffs. That means that we could see a significant drop off in fantasy output from Current attackers for the rest of the season, as they may see fewer minutes and have more difficult matchups. Personally, I’m considering keeping Temwa Chawinga for the next two rounds (good matchups against Chicago and Angel City), then reevaluating for the final three rounds and potentially transferring her out for another premium attacker.
• For the final two weeks, Portland and Gotham really stand out as good options. This would be when you want to bring in players like Esther (especially if you’re planning on dropping Chawinga), Olivia Moultrie, or even Rose Lavelle (who now has goal contributions in three of Gotham’s last four matches). Keep your eye on the NWSL standings though, as things could change as various playoff scenarios are sorted out.

Next week, we’ll talk about the remaining schedule for DFs and GKs.

What are your thoughts on the last few rounds of the season? Comment or Bluesky @MansersAnswers!