Big news in the NWSL this week as Boston has been granted the 15th league franchise! Time to start guessing team names… maybe the Breakers will be back? Or maybe the Breakahs? Comment if you have any ideas.
Anyway, we also have a busy week in FNWSL. If emotionally processing the retirements of both Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe wasn’t enough, we also have to deal with Sophia Smith’s injury and Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s transfer to the WSL. Also, we have a rare Monday Night (Association) Football game in Los Angeles in this round, as the Disney Rivalry (Angel City-Orlando) match has been rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 2 and will count as part of Round 20.
Only three weeks left! Let’s dive in and finish the season strong.
How do we replace Phallon Tullis-Joyce?
PTJ has been the most popular GK in FNWSL over the last two years, and she’s off to Manchester. So what do we now?
Well, the first bit of good news is that, like we’ve previously mentioned this season, there isn’t actually too much variance in fantasy production among the top GKs in FNWSL. In fact, only nine points separate the top four fantasy GKs. That means that there are some good alternatives available for your roster. Also, though OL Reign started the season as a defensive juggernaut, they haven’t been quite as effective during the second half of the season. The Reign have only logged two clean sheets in league play since the beginning of June (after logging three in their first six matches) – which means that you may actually be able to improve your GK position with another option.
Specifically, take a look at Louisville’s Katie Lund. After a rough start, Racing have allowed only eight goals in that same time period (since the beginning of June), and like we mentioned last week, have moved all the way up to second place in the NWSL in Goals Allowed. In fact, if you need to save money, you may want to consider finding an alternative option for some of the higher-priced OL Reign DFs too. With the rise of Kylie Strom, Caprice Dydasco, and Ryan Williams, FNWSL managers have the ability to select some lower-price DFs that provide just as much value as the high-priced Reign back four.
Has the midfield situation clarified?
A few months ago, we discussed the difficulty of finding consistent point-scorers at midfield in FNWSL. Since then, midfield has continued to be the position at which FNWSL managers likely have to spend the most money to get consistent fantasy production, especially with Jess Fishlock and Crystal Dunn seeing fewer minutes since the World Cup break, but a few additional effective options have become available over the second half of the season.
Sam Coffey has become essentially a must-start player in FNWSL. She’s the second highest-value fantasy player in the league behind Lynn Williams and is the only midfielder that appears in the top 13 highest-scoring players. If you’re sticking with a 4-3-3, you could pair Coffey with Narumi Mirua and Paige Metayer and start three of the top eight midfielders for a grand total of $375k – let’s call this the Midfield Value Approach. This is one way to go if you’re committing $1 million or so to your front line and need to save money at midfield.
Of the premium options, you’ll find the most goal-scoring upside from Crystal Dunn, Savannah DeMelo, and Debinha. With Coffey somehow logging 191 fantasy points without scoring a single goal, there is a good strategy available by combining Coffey’s incredibly high weekly floor with the goal-scoring fantasy ceiling of one of these three players. With three goals in her last five matches, Debinha is probably the most exciting option of the trio – especially if you’re looking for a higher-risk, higher-reward fantasy player that may help you jump up the table over the final few weeks of the season.
Who should get the armband this week?
At this point in the season, you’ll want to consider your strategy for the final rounds. In other words, is it time to consider some differential options at captain? If you’re lower in the table, especially in a mini-league, you still have the opportunity to make big moves
The good news is, in the absence of Sophia Smith, there isn’t really a go-to captain in FNWSL. That means almost anyone could really be considered a differential option. If you are leading your mini-league and therefore looking for a safer option, Coffey or Lynn Williams are probably the two players you want to consider.
If, like me, you’re looking for a differential captain with a high ceiling in Round 20, I think there are three very good options. I personally have given the armband to Morgan Weaver for the last few weeks, and she’s paid off with goals in three consecutive matches. I personally expect her to shine again in the top-of-the-table clash Saturday evening in Oregon. Kerolin came back down to earth last week after a phenomenal performance in Round 18, but should have a reasonably good chance of finding the back of the net again this weekend with OL Reign in a transition period following PTJ’s departure. I also like Adriana to continue her hot streak on the road in LA (at least one goal or assist in the last three matches).
Who’s your captain this week? Comment or tweet @MansersAnswers!