Welcome to Round 15 of Fantasy NWSL! We will preview the Match of the Week selected based on which fixture features the teams with the highest combined fantasy points per game played (FP/GP).
San Diego Wave FC vs Houston Dash:
With a combined FP/GP of 185.59, the match between San Diego Wave FC and Houston Dash is the highest ranked Round 15 fixture when considering teams’ average earning performance. Note that Round 15 started on the earlier side this week, with Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC having played on Wednesday. The table below does not account for fantasy points earned from that fixture.
| Fixture | Combined FP/GP |
| San Diego Wave FC vs Houston Dash | 185.59 |
| North Carolina Courage vs Chicago Red Stars | 179.43 |
| Kansas City Current vs Angel City FC | 176.75 |
| Houston Dash vs NJ/NY Gotham FC | 161.09 |
| NJ/NY Gotham FC vs Orlando Pride | 132.09 |
Statistical Comparison:
| San Diego Wave FC | Houston Dash | |
| League Standing (Points) | 3rd (25) | 2nd (28) |
| Regular Season Record (W-L-D) | 7-5-4 | 8-4-4 |
| Record Last Five Games (W-L-D) | 1-3-1 | 4-0-1 |
| GF/GP | 1.31 | 1.75 |
| GA/GP | 0.88 | 1.13 |
| Goal Differential | 7 | 10 |
Players to Watch:
San Diego Wave FC:
- Naomi Girma (DF): The rookie center back has been a standout for the Wave all season. Apart from three games in which she was away on international duty, Girma has been on the pitch for every minute of the squad’s season. As Janet points out in her Fantasy NWSL Rookies article, it’s not a shock to see the #1 overall draft pick performing well. But to stop a high-scoring Dash offense, Girma will need to continue to show the poise that has helped lead San Diego to the best average GA/GP stat in the league.
- Taylor Kornieck (MF): Kornieck has proven to be one of the best value FNWSL players in the league. She ranks second on the team in FP earned, just behind Alex Morgan. However, she is less than half the cost. It will be vital for Kornieck to get involved in the Wave attack to help awaken an offense that has been on the quiet side the last few games.
Houston Dash:
- Ebony Salmon (FW): Salmon was featured in the Round 13 NWSL Match of the Week preview. She gets the nod again here because of her scintillating form. Since joining the Dash in June, she has scored seven goals in seven games played. That puts her in 4th place in the Golden Boot race, and she seems to be on a mission to prove her value after having seen her minutes reduced at her former club.
- María Sánchez (MF): Sánchez is another Dash player mentioned in the Round 13 preview. Like Salmon, Sánchez gets another shoutout for keeping up the impressive form. She is still tied for first place in the league in assists provided. The playmaking ability from Sánchez, including her set piece skills, (see Nick’s article highlighting Sánchez) could be a difference-maker against a stingy Wave defense.
Prediction:
This will be the second and final meeting between the squads in the 2022 regular season. The prior matchup was each squad’s first game of the regular season; a game that ended in a 1-0 victory for the Wave. These teams are sitting right next to each other in the league table, helping to ratchet up the tension for this clash.
Momentum is in favor of the Dash as they are riding a five-game unbeaten streak while San Diego has dropped some games recently and relinquished their pole position in the league standings to Portland. This match will pit one of the best offenses in the league in the Dash against one of the strongest defenses in the Wave. And although San Diego may benefit from home-field advantage, it’s difficult to see the Wave keeping the Houston offense out of the net. It could be a challenge for the Wave offense to match. Therefore, it’s likely Houston continues its impressive form and secures three points this weekend.