A gap is opening at the top of the Leg 1 table, with 29 points now separating leader Squeaky Brum Time and seventh-placed Rolling on a Riviere. While that is not unbridgeable, only 19 points separated first and seventh last week.
Squeaky Brum Time is top for a second matchweek on the trot after another impressive haul of 96 points, though they scored the lowest points total of top six players - albeit marginally - as a new contender climbed to within striking distance of the lead.
OnaBattleAfterAnothr is up to second place after a massive 109-point haul - a total beaten by only one Top 100 player - leaving them just 10 points adrift of the coveted number one ranking.
Bunny Hop to the Top is 11 points back in third place, and behind them is a tightly contested chasing pack with only six points separating Williams in fourth and Celtic Dragons in 10th. This is who scored big for Fantasy players this week…
A set-and-forget strategy at captain may not be the wisest move
Who you pick as captain can make or break your week. Pick the wrong player, and you leave yourself short of points. Pick the correct player and you can shoot up in the league, especially if you have selected someone others have overlooked.
This week has shown that points are there to be won if you rotate your captaincy, but also delivered a timely reminder that your best return may not come from the player you handed the armband to.
Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw remains the most popular captain among the top 10, with 40% of players selecting her - though that number is down from last week. Last season’s BWSL Golden Boot winner is still proving her worth, returning 14 points after a goal against Liverpool.
Three of the leading pack, including third-placed Bunny Hop to the Top, gave the armband to Chelsea’s Ellie Carpenter instead, and the Australian right-back made good on that show of faith by outscoring Shaw with 16 points.
That return, Carpenter’s third in a row, came thanks to a clean sheet in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Birmingham, though the best captaincy choice came from matchweek one’s leader, Kangtortion FC, who picked up 24 points from Signe Gaupset.
Yet, there was another option sitting in eight of the top 10 teams that outscored most captaincy picks.
Lauren Hemp racked up an impressive 19 points after a dominant display in Manchester City’s 4-2 win over Liverpool. The winger, owned by 35% of players, scored twice, with a further seven points coming from her defensive, attacking and bonus contributions.
Do not sleep on BWSL2 options
The 54 most-picked Fantasy options ply their trade in the BWSL, yet five of the top 10 points scorers after matchweek three come from the BWSL2. You will not be surprised to find out that players from the second tier feature strongly among the top-ranked squads.
Southampton defender Megan Collett continues to prove her worth as a differential. She returned a third successive haul this week, taking the 4% owned option up to 28 points for the season. It is no shock, then, that the top two have selected £5.5million-rated Collett.
It is also becoming apparent that selecting a Newcastle asset is a wise choice. There is at least one Newcastle option in each of the top 10 teams, while the two leaders have picked a full quota of three.
Goalkeeper Anna Tamminen was an early points scorer with two clean sheets, but Magpies attackers Beth Lumsden (12pts) and Martha Thomas (17pts), and defender Kaitlyn Torpey (15pts) gained the best-placed players' points this week.
Must-have players are emerging
As the season develops, certain regular points scorers will become must-have options if you want a serious chance of competing at the top of the leaderboard.
Man City’s Shaw is owned by 65% of players, and, unsurprisingly, no player currently inside the top 100 has left the goal-hungry Jamaican international unselected. Her teammate Hemp is another risky option to leave out,
Chelsea defenders Carpenter and Lucy Bronze, and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton also feature heavily, to much success. Each of the trio scored at least seven points this week, after a second successive clean sheet.
Alexia Putellas rewarded the 52% of players who kept her in their team by registering her first assist of the season - and the former Ballon d’Or winner is a fixture in the best-ranked teams, with 60% of the top 10 picking her.
Liverpool’s Vivien Endemann was back among the goals, despite defeat to Manchester City. Although only picked by 11% of players overall, the German forward featured in 50% of the top 10 teams.
Who has the edge?
With two matchweeks to go in Leg 1, leader Squeaky Brum Time will be very pleased with their position, but a 10-point lead over second-placed OnaBattleAfterAnothr can disappear quickly.
The wrong captaincy choice, a differential option scoring big, or a dreaded collection of blanks from important players can be enough to sink your ranking in a highly competitive race for first.
Bunny Hop To The Top, Williams, Jay’s Show, ParkAt Your Own Risk, Rolling on a Riviere**, Winter WonTerland,** Kangtortion FC and Celtic Dragons could all still catch the leader - as can many others currently outside the top 10.
The top prize is far from wrapped up.
