Welcome to Round 14 of Fantasy NWSL! As usual, we are here to answer all of your team selection questions through the magic of statistics. This week, in honor of the end of “Unlucky” Round 13, we are taking a look at the “unluckiest” players in FNWSL this season: specifically those players that have been creating tons of chances but have not been getting the expected number of assists from those chances. Each of these players may only be one game from racking up the fantasy points, so look out for them in Round 14 and beyond!
Round 14 Match Overview:
We are back to the standard six-game week in Round 14, with one midweek game as Portland goes cross-country to visit Washington on Wednesday evening. Both teams played on Friday night in Round 13, so each should be relatively well-rested.
Individual Stats and Unluckiest Players:
This week, we are focusing on Chances created. “Chances created” is a statistic that is calculated by taking a sum total of assists and key passes. Key passes are passes that allow a teammate to have a shot on goal (provided that shot does not score a goal). This allows the passer to be rewarded even if the shot is not successful, and adds to their Defensive points in FNWSL.
So far this year, the NWSL league average is between 12-13 chances created per assist, meaning that a player can expect to get a successful assist about every 12 or 13 chances that they create. Of course, there are many other factors involved, but if a player is creating many more than 13 or so chances for each assist they get, we can consider them “unlucky,” and project that their assist total should increase over time.
Today, we are taking a look at players (all under $300k) that should see their assist totals rise through the end of the season.
Defense:
Washington’s Sam Staab may be the “unluckiest” player in the NWSL in 2022. The Spirit center back has 18 chances created but not a single assist. With the sheer volume of goal-scoring ability on the Spirit, it’s only a matter of time until a Staab cross finds Rodman, Hatch, or Sanchez… keep her in mind for the rest of the season!
Midfield:
You can’t really go wrong with Portland attackers this season, and Sam Coffey is one of the highest-value players available ($75k). She’s created 19 chances so far with only one assist to show for it. At some point, Sophia Smith and Co. are going to start putting these away – which should only serve to increase Coffey’s value in a very prolific Thorns offense.
Forwards:
The offense in San Diego has been dominated by Taylor Korniek and Alex Morgan, but keep left winger Kelsey Turnbow in mind (also at $75k). She’s created 17 chances but has only notched one assist this season. She’s sharing a front line with the likely Golden Boot winner and could prove to be a great value FW, especially with games against Orlando and Houston coming up.
Her fellow SoCal winger Jun Endo is another forward to keep an eye on. She’s currently creating about 27 chances for each assist and therefore should notch a few more before the end of the season. Angel City’s offense is admittedly a little murky at the moment, but Endo is the primary creator and gets 80+ minutes per game.
Are there any other players that seem to be “unlucky” in FNWSL this season? Comment below and I’ll investigate for next week’s post!
