Whether you're brand new to Fantasy WSL or want to refresh yourself with the game before heading into the 24-25 season – welcome! With so much talent old and new in the league this year, we can't wait to get started.
The Barclays Women's Super League season will be officially kicking off with Chelsea vs Aston Villa on the 20th of September, so you've got plenty of time to get your team looking its best before the action begins. Here's your 10-step guide on how to play, from choosing your team name to adapting your squad throughout the season.
Setting up your squad
1. Create an account
Before you can build your dream team, you'll need to create a Fantasy WSL account. You can do this via our website, or on our app, which is available on iOS and Android. Simply fill in a few details, tell us which club you follow, and decide whether you'd like to receive our emails.
2. Choose your team name
Arguably, the most important decision you'll make all season is your team name. Some people opt for a pun on their favourite player, while others like to use it as an opportunity to rep their team. The good news is that your choice here isn't final as you can edit your team name later on, so don't worry if you need time to settle on the perfect name.
3. Pick your squad
This is the fun bit. It's time to pick the set of players that are going to form your core squad. In Fantasy WSL, you pick a squad of 15 players (two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders, and three forwards). However, like in a real football match, you can only pick 11 of those players to be in your team each week (more on that later). That means that there will always be a goalkeeper and three outfield players on your substitutes bench.
When picking your squad we'd recommend thinking about consistency, talent, and how easy their upcoming fixtures are. You'll be able to transfer players in and out throughout the season, so your main focus should be on securing your best team for the first few fixtures. Which teams will have the 'easiest' fixtures? Who is more likely to score goals?
Before you get too carried away, it's worth mentioning that you'll only have 100M to spend, and each player is priced differently depending on the team they play for and how they performed last season. With this in mind, you'll have to think carefully about who are the expensive must-haves, and who are the budget-but-brilliant hidden talents.
Navigating your first gameweek
4. Choose your GW1 starting XI
Once you've decided on your 15-player squad, you've got until an hour before the first game of the season kicks off to pick who will feature in your team that week. Put the players in your team that you think will get you the most amount of points in the fixture they have that week. You’ll get points for goals and assists of course, but there’s plenty of other ways to get ahead.
You’ll get points for the following:
1 point - playing one minute or more in a single match
1 point - playing sixty minutes or more in a single match
6 points - a goal scored by a goalkeeper or defender
5 points - a goal scored by a midfielder
4 points - a goal scored by a forward
3 points - an assist
4 points - a clean sheet by a goalkeeper or defender
1 point - a clean sheet by a midfielder
5 points - a penalty saved by a goalkeeper
However, be careful - you can lose points too!
-1 point - receiving a yellow card
-3 points - receiving a red card
-2 points - scoring an own goal
-1 point - for every two goals conceded by a goalkeeper or defender
-2 points - for a missed/saved penalty
Additionally, after every game, three players will receive Bonus Points. This will be based on how they’ve played in the game, whether that’s through tackles, aerial duels, or successful passes. More on that here.
You'll also need to pick your team Captain and Vice Captain. If your Captain plays, they'll get double the points that week. Your Vice Captain will become your Captain if your Captain doesn't pick up any minutes that week. If neither of them play, then you won't get any double points.
Coming soon: visionary points
This season, we're introducing new rewards for those brave enough to take risks on players who aren't widely selected. Keep your eyes peeled, as we'll explain more after Gameweek 1.
5. Join some leagues
When you sign up for Fantasy WSL, you'll automatically be entered into the overall league against all other fantasy managers, and a league for everyone who supports your favourite club. But there are plenty of other leagues you can join too. Set up your own league and send the league code to your friends and family, or join a league set up by some of our favourite content creators.
6. Tune into the game!
The best part about Fantasy WSL is watching your fantasy team players on the big screen (or live, if you're lucky!) So sit back, (try to) relax, and hope that you've made the right decisions this week. If you're missing the game, or you simply want to be the first to the action, make sure you turn on your notifications in the Fantasy WSL app to get score updates.
During the matches, we'll also be live tweeting all the games on X. If you want to chat to other Fantasy managers while the games are on, you can also join our Discord.
7. Check your points
As players score goals, gain assists, and keep clean sheets, your points are updated in real-time, so check back during the games to see how you're doing. Bonus points are awarded after each game finishes. The league tables are updated regularly too, so you can also see whether you’ve risen through the ranks, or have been overtaken by your friends.
Going for glory
8. Get scouting
After each gameweek, you'll have the opportunity to make up to two transfers from your current squad. But how do you decide who to bring in?
To take the top spot in your league, you'll need more than just some high-scoring strikers. You need to dig deep into teams across the league, and uncover those hidden gems that rack up the points. You never know, you could get an additional reward for recognising a talent that other fantasy managers seem to miss (you'll hear more about this soon).
If you're stuck on who to bag for your squad, don't worry. The Scout will be publishing their recommendations every week to give you a helping hand. You can check out these recommendations by visiting the website, or keeping an eye on our social feed.
9. Navigate price changes
Each week, players will vary in price based on the number of Fantasy managers who are selling and buying them. These will be published across the Fantasy WSL socials. If you own a player that's going up in value, you'll earn the same amount when you sell them – meaning you can increase your budget. But if everyone else sells a player while you hold onto them, you might get back less than you paid.
It works the other way, too. For example, if you're late to buying a player that's already doing well (and therefore being bought by lots of other people), then you might need to pay a bit more. Make sure you keep this in mind while making those transfers.
10. Rinse and repeat
Lock in your team before the next gameweek deadline, and it's time to go again. Enjoy!
Images: Fantasy WSL
