Club: Newcastle United
Position: Defender
Price: £4.0m
Just five starts in the Barclays Women’s Super League 2 doesn’t appear to be the basis of a solid Fantasy Football pick for the 2026/27 season. However, Newcastle United Women’s Kaitlyn Torpey could well be the cheat code you need to win your Mini League.
The Australian international joined in January this year from Portland Thorns in the NWSL and made an immediate impact on the Magpies, helping them pick up seven points from the first four games she started. So, while she may well represent an unknown quantity on English soil, her worldwide reputation and £4.0m price tag are enough to make her a viable fantasy football pick.
Since joining the Lasses midway through the 2026/27 campaign, Torpey has shown she’s not afraid to provide an extra body in the final third, popping up in and around the box on numerous occasions while also boasting the versatility to play on either side of the defence. However, she is still looking for that illustrious first attacking return (goal or assist) in black and white; it doesn’t appear to be far away given the positions she picked up last season.
The 26-year-old has always enjoyed a gallop down the line to venture near the opposition’s goal since her time playing in the Women’s A-League over in Australia and even with the national team, where she has two goals to her name. However, if we just focus on club football for Fantasy Football, she boasts a very impressive 12 attacking involvements in just 69 starts throughout her career. These numbers are incredibly good for a full-back; before then factoring in all the moving around Australia, America and now to England, Torpey has already proved she can adapt to different styles, formations and tactics with ease.
A big moment when she picked up an extremely forward-thinking position was in the Wear-Tyne derby against Sunderland when she took down a bouncing ball in the box, drove towards the byline and teed up Beth Lumsden, who was inches away from tapping home what would have been an equaliser. Although Torpey wasn’t rewarded with an assist on that occasion, her poise on the ball and ability to get her head up when it matters is a huge positive when it comes to fantasy football selections.
Under the watchful eye of her fellow Aussie Tanya Oxtoby, she will have full license to get forward and join in with the attack, as was the case last season with both of Newcastle’s full backs. On numerous occasions last campaign, right back Charlotte Wardlaw was the furthest player forward on that side and her crosses from deep caused chaos in the opposition’s box. So, it’s only natural that with Newcastle looking to push for promotion once again after another summer of impressive investment, Torpey could well see her attacking duties increased.
Then, there is also the matter of systems. In less than 12 months in charge, Oxtoby has showcased she’s willing to change things up in-game and from week-to-week if a current system or formation isn’t working how she would like. There were times last season when she deployed both a back four and a back three that offered her wing-backs the chance to play as wingers almost, knowing the cover was there at the back with three reliable defenders.
To win your mini leagues and finish as high up the overall league as possible, a good start to the season is imperative as it gives you a big boost and forces your rivals to begin chasing you and taking more risks. And to do this, capitalising on Newcastle’s on-paper good start to the season would be a very smart move. In their opening five games, they face newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers, before then an albeit tricky away trip to Bristol City; however, that is then followed up with two games against sides who finished in the bottom three last season in Sheffield United and Durham, with their third home game sandwiched in between those bouts against relegated Leicester City.
Playing for a team that now has two seasons of BWSL2 experience under their belt and has recruited 11 new faces over the summer, and being managed by someone who’s won a league title at this level and boast eye-opening fixtures on paper, is there a viable reason to not pick Torpey?
