When the dust settled on Round 14, two names really jumped off the page when it came to FNWSL scores: Julie Doyle and Elyse Bennett.
Orlando forward Julie Doyle notched her first two goals of the season in the span of eight minutes in Washington to log the only brace of the weekend in the NWSL. Elsewhere, OL Reign striker Elyse Bennett logged a goal and an assist, both in the last ten minutes of the game. Both Orlando and OL Reign have lost a lot of their scoring to the World Cup, and both Doyle and Bennett took advantage of the opportunity.
Doyle has typically either started the game and come off in the second half, or come on as a second half substitute. She started and logged 58 minutes this week with both Marta and Adriana off to the World Cup with Brazil. She moved over to left winger against Washington and immediately made an impact, scoring in both the 8th and 16th minutes.
Bennett has been primarily used as a substitute this season, but in the absence of Jordyn Huitema and Megan Rapinoe, she was in the starting XI and did not disappoint. It appears that Reign will continue to utilize a 4-2-3-1, and with Bennett as the lone striker, she should continue to rack up the fantasy points.
I’d say Bennett is the higher-priority add this week, as Doyle’s playing time was similar to what it’s been most of the season, while Bennett appears to be gaining more minutes as a result of World Cup absences.