August often signals the end of summer and the start of fall festivities (think pumpkin…). We thought it might be interesting to take a look at two different NWSL Teams of the Month of August, and consider how the teams are formed and some of the similarities and differences between two of them – the NWSL Best XI and The ShePlays Fantasy Team of the Month.
NWSL AUGUST Best XI
Forwards: Megan Rapinoe (RGN), Ebony Salmon (HOU), Diana Ordóñez (NCC),
Midfielders: Meggie Dougherty Howard (ORL), Lo’eau LaBonta (KCC), Cari Roccaro (LA)
Defenders:Sofia Huerta (RGN), Elizabeth Ball (KCC), Naomi Girma (SD), Carson Pickett (NCC)
Goalkeeper: Adrianna Franch (KCC)
ShePlays Fantasy August Team of the Month
Forwards: Mallory Pugh (CRS), Megan Rapinoe (RGN), Diana Ordóñez (NCC)
Midfielders: Erika Tymrak (ORL), Lo’eau LaBonta (KCC), McCall Zerboni (NJ/NY), Sophie Schmidt (HOU)
Defenders: Hailie Mace (NCC), Tatumn Milazzo (CRS), Carson Pickett (NCC)
Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy (NCC)
How Teams are Selected
When you look at the two teams, it’s clear that the selection is process is different. The NWSL Best XI is chosen by the NWSL Media Association. They provide a breakdown on why each player is chosen, with many selected for their individual performance as well as their contribution to the team’s success in August. For example, Kansas City Current finished August with a 12 game run without a loss, so the three Current players clearly had an impact on the team’s performance.
The ShePlays team selection is a bit more complex – factors such as salary max and limit on players per team have to be considered and balanced when choosing the team of the month. Cost comes into play in many of the choices. While Hailie Mace and Sofia Huerta have the same defender points in August, and Vanessa DiBernardo and Meggie Dougherty Howard had the same midfield points, selecting Mace and Dougherty Howard on the ShePlays Team of the Month freed up costs for other players.
Both teams were within the Fantasy budget, but the NWSL Best XI earned 468 fantasy points and the ShePlays Team of the Month earned 549 points.
Players by Position
Forwards
Choosing Megan Rapinoe was an obvious pick for both teams – she also received the Player of the Month from the NWSL and led all players in August with 96 fantasy points! The second and third highest forward points were Mallory Pugh (54) and Diana Ordóñez (52). Ebony Salmon was close behind with 47 points. While the NWSL chose Salmon, who scored 5 goals in 5 games, Pugh had more points from her supporting play while only playing in 3 games and scoring 2 goals.
Midfielders
Lo’eau LaBonta was also chosen for both teams, and clearly had a great month for Kansas City, on both the impact on the team’s no loss streak as well as earning the highest points for a midfielder in August (50). McCall Zerboni (46) and Sophie Schmidt (42) weren’t far behind in points so were a solid choice for the ShePlays team. Meggie Dougherty Howard (39 points) had a key goal for Orlando’s win against San Diego, but teammate Erika Tymrak was a bit less of a cost for the same points. Cari Roccaro (32 points) was selected by the NWSL after scoring three goals in the month – see Nick’s article about Affordable Players.
Defenders
Carson Pickett was another player selected for both teams, and had the second most defender fantasy points (47), followed by Hailie Mace and Sofia Huerta, each with 43 points. Tatumn Milazzo received the most fantasy points for a defender in August (56), and is she currently has the third highest points for the season so far. Both Milazzo and Mace were selected for the ShePlay team, with 99 Fantasy Points between them. Mace was also only player also on the NWLS July team and was one of Nick’s Affordable Options. The three ShePlays defenders have two more fantasy points (146) than the four NWSL defenders (142). Naomi Girma (27) and Elizabeth Ball (25) were the other two defenders on the NWSL team.
Goalkeepers
NWLS is loaded with high quality keepers, yet they don’t ofter earn as many fantasy points as players in other positions. Adrianna Franch (13 points) , selected by the NWSL, kept the Current in the top of the bracket. The keeper on the She Plays team, Casey Murphy (27) had the highest August fantasy points.
Who would you choose on your August Team of the Month? Let us know in the comments!