Hi everyone! It’s mid-February, and time to start thinking about the 2026 Fantasy NWSL season! There will be some changes coming to ShePlays FNWSL this season, but rest assured, we will be back and better than ever in 2026. It’s also a year of transition in the NWSL itself, with two new teams joining the league and some significant changes made to the schedule – I’ll discuss the FNWSL impacts of both of these developments in more detail before the season kicks off. For now, let’s dive into the off-season NWSL transactions!

I’ll update this article as we get closer to Round 1, but here are my initial thoughts on some of the key off-season transactions and how they could affect Fantasy NWSL this season:

• The biggest story of the off-season was undoubtedly Trinity Rodman signing an extension with Washington. If this leads to Rodman returning to her 2024 form, when she finished second in FNWSL points behind only Temwa Chawinga’s all-time record, look for her to be an every-week captain pick in 2026.
• Bia Zaneratto left Kansas City to return to her former club, Palmeiras. While I’ll miss Bia, I do see this opening up a crowded KC attacking group and probably raising the fantasy floor for the other KC attackers.
• Speaking of KC attackers, there were two almost simultaneous transactions that sent Claire Hutton to Bay and brought Croix Bethune in from Washington… this puts Bethune in the conversation for must-have 2026 FNWSL midfielder, as she could form a scary partnership with Chawinga. With Hutton and Bia moving on, and Vanessa DiBernardo on maternity leave, expect Bethune to be the leader of the KC midfield.
• Katie Lund signed with Chicago, where she’ll likely back up Alyssa Naeher while rehabbing from her hip injury. This opens up Jordyn Bloomer, one of the highest-value GKs last season, to be the long-term starter in Louisville and a strong fantasy option.
• The roster of the Denver Summit has not been fully confirmed, but I have to imagine that Carson Pickett and Janine Sonis will be locks for the Summit starting XI in Round 1 and beyond, which should give them pretty high fantasy floors.
• It’s a good news/bad news situation in Portland, with Sam Coffey moving to Manchester City but Sophia Wilson likely returning for Round 1. Wilson is perhaps FNWSL’s premium finisher, but she may miss all those chances created by Coffey.
• The third member of Triple Espresso is also planning on coming back from maternity leave this season, but Mallory Swanson’s return date is still up in the air. With Ludmila off to San Diego and Ally Schlegel off to North Carolina, Jameese Joseph becomes the primary scorer in Chicago until Swanson’s return and could be primed for a breakout season after her first cap during the January USWNT camp.
• Speaking of Ludmila, she could step right into the open right wing spot in San Diego following Delphine Cascarino’s move to London City. The Wave scored the third-most goals in the league last year, but were very difficult for FNWSL purposes because no single Wave player scored more than five… meaning there’s a big upside for Ludmila this season.

What are your thoughts on the off-season? Any specific questions? Comment or Bluesky @MansersAnswers!