Featured image credit: Katie Chan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
With many highly-owned players in ShePlays out injured, along with some players yet to return from the international break, managers have the tough decision on whether to take a negative points hit from multiple transfers, or keep players in their team that are unlikely to score points in Game Week Three. The upside is that many of the injured players come with a premium price tag, meaning that you can bank funds to use elsewhere with cheaper replacements.
TOP TIPS
- Look to your bench first before going ahead with transfers. This is a great way of minimising multiple transfers in one week, which will lose your team points. It is also an effective way of replacing a player who will only be out for a short time.
- If you do decide to take a -5 hit with two transfers, a -10 with three, or even a drastic -15 with four, it is vital that you choose players who are likely to give you a net gain i.e. score 6 points each or more.
- Replacing a player with a long-term injury should always take priority over a player that will only miss one game week.
- Think fixtures! If you have the luxury of being able to use a transfer on a normally indispensable player who will only be out for a week, look for players from a team that are playing an opponent who they tend to win against.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at the best replacements for your injured squad members:
Defenders
Alex Greenwood (£45k) has proved herself to be arguably not only the best value pick, but also the best overall fantasy pick so far. The Manchester City centre-back is the highest scoring defender in ShePlays, and has amassed an incredible 17 attack points, even outscoring Beth Mead. She scored an impressive brace in the Lionesses’ game against Luxembourg, before being substituted off injured. It is not known what the injury is, with England boss Wiegman only saying that she doesn’t ‘think it is too bad.’
Manchester City are likely keeping it under wraps because of their crucial away game against Arsenal this Sunday, where they will be without Esme Morgan (£30k), who broke her leg in the game against Spurs, and likely also Steph Houghton (£80k), who pulled out of international duty with an ankle injury. With Ellie Roebuck, Karen Bardsley, and Lucy Bronze also out, City are in a desperate defensive situation, and so it is perhaps safest to look elsewhere when finding replacements.
Brighton’s back four rightfully steal the limelight from last season’s top three teams’ defenders, after two clean sheets were topped off with two goals in their game against Birmingham from Emma Koivisto (£35k) and Victoria Williams (£20k). Whilst it is difficult to pick out any stand-out long-term fantasy picks after only two games, it is notable that so far, teams playing against Brighton have averaged a non-penalty expected goals (xG) per 90 of 0.74. This is bettered only by Chelsea (0.66 xG per 90) and Manchester United (0.47 xG per 90). Brighton’s next five fixtures read well too: home games against Villa, Spurs and Leicester are sandwiched by potentially more challenging trips to Chelsea and Everton.
Looking further north, Ona Batlle (£35k) is a must-have, with the joint-highest number of tackles and progressive carries into the final third contributing towards her 28 ShePlays points. However, Manchester United don’t have the easiest fixture run, facing Chelsea, Manchester City, Everton and Arsenal in their next six games.
Noelle Maritz (£25k) will potentially return for Arsenal this weekend after missing international duty for Switzerland, whilst Millie Turner (£50k) is out for United with a dislocated knee, and Jonna Andersson (£60k) is yet to return for Chelsea from the international break.
Midfielders
Most midfielders have survived what is often the injury curse of the international break. Ji So-yun (£60k) is unlikely to return for Chelsea in time for their away game versus Manchester United, after international duty with South Korea. Inessa Kaagman (£30k) is by far and away the stand-out midfield pick, with 35 points from just two game weeks. Table-topping Brighton host a Villa team who are yet to keep a clean sheet; Kaagman is a must-have.
If you already have Kaagman in your team, then the Red Devils’ Katie Zelem (£40k), and the Villa duo of Sarah Mayling (£25k) and Remi Allen (£20k) have all had strong starts to the season. Mayling has the fourth-highest number of progressive passes in the league and the third-highest number of crosses, which translated into 8 attack points from her first two games. Zelem will provide both attack and defense points, with the joint-most carries into the final third, and six aerial duels won. Whilst Janine Beckie (£40k) is also up there with 23 points, the breakdown of her tally reads at a lopsided 19 in GW1 and 4 in GW2. With City facing Arsenal this weekend, it could be risky to bring her in.
Chelsea’s Guro Reiten (£45k) could be the midfield steal of the season. Her lack of minutes last season saw a drop in her ShePlays price, but so far she looks to have cemented her place in Emma Hayes’ starting XI at left wing-back. With 5.43 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, and the joint-highest number of crosses in the WSL so far, she looks set to retain her unofficial title of ‘Assist Queen’.
Forwards
After selection disappointment for Team GB at the Olympics, Erin Cuthbert (£60k) looks to have broken into Chelsea’s starting XI, albeit in the unconventional position of right wing-back. Her rocket of a goal for Scotland against the Faroe Islands was cruelly overshadowed by her later exiting the pitch on a stretcher with a likely concussion. There are, however, plenty of forwards that can replace her, none more impressive than Arsenal’s Beth Mead.
In a similar fashion to the Scot, Mead has bounced back from Olympics disappointment to take the WSL by storm, and is top of goals and assists per 90 minutes, and goal-creating actions. Even better, she will not cost ShePlays managers a penny, matching Cuthbert with a £60k price tag.
However, if you are looking to increase your bank balance, Manchester United’s impressive duo of Ella Toone (£40k) and Kirsty Hanson (£30k) are also excellent choices. Hanson tops shot-creating actions with Toone in third, contributing to a total number of attack points of 13 and 11 respectively. Hanson has played every minute of the season so far, and whilst only one point separates her and Toone in ShePlays, she is £10k cheaper. With forwards often taking up the largest proportion of your budget, Hanson could be a shrewd choice to free up funds.