Whether you look at BWSL or BWSL2 this weekend, you'll see a similar story. The teams at the top of the table face each other. That leaves a conundrum about whether to keep picking the players in those teams. And which players elsewhere in the tables could be good pickups?
The Big Game Conundrum, Part I
Over the course of a season, fantasy seems quite simple: pick the best players, and they'll score the most points. But on a week-to-week basis, there's also form and fixtures to consider too. Fixtures are a particularly big topic this week.
Chelsea and Man City have established themselves as the front runners this season, and the top three scorers in fantasy all play for these two clubs: Shaw, Hemp and Carpenter. That throws up a dilemma; should you still pick players from these teams?
Well, firstly, you've probably got a few of these players in your squad already. Unless you've rolled any transfers over, you'll only be able to take two players out without paying for extra transfers.
If you are going to keep players in your squad, there's then a consideration of which team you should back. Chelsea have the home advantage, but after drawing their last two (1-1 v Everton & 0-0 v BK Häcken), City are the more in-form team.
Another consideration is which players you should pick. Both teams played away in UWCL (Chelsea at BK Häcken and City at Inter) and the managers rotated their squads too. Here are the top fantasy scorers per team (excl. injured), with how many minutes they played midweek.
Chelsea: Carpenter (90), Walsh (90), McCabe (0), Bronze (90), Malard (69), Baltimore (58), Hampton (0), Thompson (90)
City: Shaw (0), Hemp (45), Casparij (90), Fowler (90), Wamser (64), Fujino, (45), Rose (45), Hasegawa (15)
Take these minutes into account when looking at who you select this for this weekend. It's also worth noting that the lineups will be out 15 minutes before the deadline, if you really want to gain an upper edge.
The Big Game Conundrum, Part II
We've spoken about the top two in BWSL, but it's the same situation in BWSL2. Not only is it also 2nd place hosting 1st place, but there's an extra edge to it as it's the Wear-Tyne derby, aka El Lassico.
Newcastle players have been fantastic assets in fantasy, with Lumsden (60), Thomas (57) and Torpey (51) being some of the top-scoring players in the league.
Sunderland have some high performers of their own, though. Katy Watson (52), Katie Kitching (43) and Elise Hughes (41) have all accumulated good points totals. The Black Cats are great picks for anyone looking for differentials; Watson and Hughes, both 4%, are the only players that aren't under 2% selection.
There's the same dilemma as Chelsea v Man City: is it worth picking the best players if they're playing a high-quality opponent? The answer to that question, and which players are picked, is what separates the best fantasy managers from the rest.
Budget enablers
Leg 2 has seen some of the premium options score big hauls of points. Players like Bunny Shaw, Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp, Melvine Malard and Viviane Asseyi and more have all been great assets in recent matchweeks. However, they're all £8m or more, so to fit them in your team, you need some budget enablers: cheaper players that leave you with the money for premiums. Here are the top-scoring players at £5m or less:
Martha Thomas (Newcastle United)
£5.0m
Avg pts: 8.1
Total pts: 57
Daniëlle van de Donk (London City Lionesses)
£4.5m
Avg pts: 6.0
Total pts: 54
Kaitlyn Torpey (Newcastle United)
£4.0m
Avg pts: 7.3
Total pts: 51
Courtney Brosnan (Everton)
£5.0m
Avg pts: 5.6
Total pts: 50
Akane Okuma (Aston Villa)
£4.5m
Avg pts: 5.4
Total pts: 49
Amber Hughes (Wolves)
£5.0m
Avg pts: 6.6
Total pts: 46
Freya Jupp (Southampton)
£4.0m
Avg pts: 6.6
Total pts: 46
These aren't necessarily players for MW10, but good options for the season in general. Due to the nature of a budget enabler, you're unlikely to be transferring these players in and out during each leg. Therefore, having options that can maintain a decent number of average points, no matter the opposition, is key.
Is there value at Charlton?
The Addicks may be at the bottom of the league, but there is hope.
Last time out, they lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace, but it was a much improved performance compared to what they have managed so far this season. It was also the first time a Charlton team, men or women, has scored twice in a top-flight match since 2008.
According to the Form Guide, only Aston Villa and Man Utd have an easier MW10 and MW11 than Charlton, who have West Ham (A) and Aston Villa (H).
Sophie Whitehouse is currently the only Charlton player who isn't sitting at 0% selection. There are a few other players who could be worthwhile pickups for anyone wanting a differential.
Jodie Hutton (£6.5m) is Charlton's top scorer in fantasy so far with 35 points. She's already got a goal and an assist to her name, and has also picked up 9 Attacking Actions points in the first 9 games.
Leah Davidson (£5.5m) picked up 9 points at Palace last weekend. She is averaging 3.4 points per match.
Elisha N'Dow (£5.0m) got Charlton's first goal on Sunday, after not featuring in the loss to Chelsea. She has 5 points from Defensive Actions this season, plus points for a goal and a clean sheet.
