Welcome to Round 17 of Fantasy NWSL! As usual, we are here to answer all of your team selection questions through the magic of statistics. This week, we are taking a look at how, if you’re short on team budget and can’t afford some of the premium-priced players, you can fill out your team with some statistically comparable players that have a lower cost.
Round 17 Match Overview:
It’s another standard six-game week in Round 17, featuring two games per day Friday-Sunday. The round begins with Portland visiting Orlando Friday evening and concludes with Angel City at Houston on Sunday evening.
Individual Stats:
We all wish we could select any player we wanted for our teams each week, but part of the fun of FNWSL is determining the best possible way to use your team salary cap. While fifteen $400k players would be fun, we only have about half that much money to work with and therefore you have to pick and choose which slots on your team can be filled with the premium-cost players, and which slots will be filled with players that have a lower cost. So this week, we are taking a look at some of the most popular and highest cost FNWSL players, and some alternative options that have similar statistics but at a much lower cost.
Can’t afford Sofia Huerta? Take a look at… Hailie Mace:
OL Reign (and tucked-in fashion icon) left back Sofia Huerta is by far the highest-scoring defender in FNWSL, but she is priced accordingly at $400k. Part of Huerta’s immense value is due to her high level of involvement in OL Reign’s attack, which gives her goal and assist upside every week. Kansas City’s Hailie Mace is a great alternative at only $150k. She spends time at both left midfield and left back for the Current, but is classified as a defender in FNWSL. Therefore, like Huerta, Mace can give your team a lot of attacking/goal scoring points even as a defender.
Can’t afford Sophia Smith? Take a look at… Morgan Weaver:
Portland’s Sophia Smith is in contention for the Golden Boot and is no doubt one of the premium players in FNWSL. In addition to her goal scoring, she has the second most attacking points so far this year. If you don’t have the money for Smith, take a look at her Thorns teammate Morgan Weaver. Smith and Weaver are by far the two highest scoring forwards on the Thorns, and with Portland boasting the most prolific offense in the league by a wide margin, Weaver can get you a piece of that offense at only $175k.
Can’t afford Rose Lavelle? Take a look at… Cari Roccaro:
OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle racks up points on both sides of the ball and is understandably one of the most popular players in FNWSL. If you are a little short on cash in your midfield, consider Angel City’s Cari Roccaro. She’s a fixture in the AC XI and was on fire in August, with a goal in four out of her last five games. Additionally, like Lavelle, Roccaro racks up defensive points to complement her goal scoring. At just $125k, she could be a huge addition to your team for the last few weeks of the season.
Can’t afford Debinha? Take a look at… Kristen McNabb:
Like I said last month, NCC center mid Debinha is one of the most important players to have in FNWSL. She plays a massive role in the Courage attack and consistently scores defensive points as well. San Diego’s Kristen McNabb is an outstanding alternative option if you need to save some money. At only $150k, she’s the third highest-scoring player on the Wave. She does tend to line up pretty deep and scores a bunch of defensive points, but also can score goals. Additionally, she’s played 90 minutes in all but one game this year, giving her one of the highest FNWSL point floors for the remainder of the season.
Can’t afford Trinity Rodman? Take a look at… Ava Cook:
Washington winger Trinity Rodman is one of the most selected forwards in FNWSL In addition to her goal scoring prowess, she’s scored 34 defensive points so far this year. Coincidentally, Chicago forward Ava Cook has also scored 34 defensive points. While she has only two goals to Rodman’s four, Cook’s cost is only $75k and her $/FP is only 0.74 (less than a third the cost of Rodman’s points). Her minutes have been steadily increasing in the second half of the season and is looking like she’ll be a major part of the Red Stars’ push for the playoffs.
Any other lower-cost options you’ve been relying on this season? Comment or tweet me at @MansersAnswers!
