It's the penultimate gameweek of the season. Your friends are closing in on the top spot in your league. The Scout is here to help you pick up those all-important points to see you to victory.
Goalkeepers and Defence
Courtney Brosnan
There's some decent value in keepers in Gameweek 21 - secure clean sheet points could be difficult to obtain this week but a fair few keepers are a decent shout for bonus and save points. While the keepers in Brighton v Villa & West Ham v Leicester all fit the bill, the impressive Courtney Brosnan, at home to Spurs, has the edge for me.
The game's third-highest scoring keeper, Brosnan is a save machine with an impressive 21 points in her last four games. Spurs tend to shoot a fair bit so we could see an encore on Saturday - the save points could rack up fast. Plus, Brosnan is truly excellent on bonus - 10 in all - and her chances are never hurt by conceding. Of the five games in which Brosnan has collected bonus points, she's only kept one clean sheet. Between the save points & the bonus, her returns are very solid - we could see another classic Brosnan 5-pointer to kick off gameweek 21.
Niamh Charles
Niamh Charles escaped from the carnage under lights at Prenton Park on Wednesday night, remarkably, with a return and a bonus point. Given she collected four points despite conceding four times, you can't afford to go without her in a much kinder double - Bristol City & Spurs - where her ceiling is by far the highest of any defender in action this week. She's been starting WSL games despite Chelsea's packed schedule and is on an incredibly consistent run - she's only failed to return once since GW11. That reliability and consistency is pure gold in a double: Charles is essential this week.
Sam Tierney
There's not too many clear clean sheet edges this week, so that's your cue to throw your weight behind Sam Tierney's attacking upside in a good game at West Ham. Her six returns this season are behind only forwards Jutta Rantala & Lena Petermann at Leicester, an impressive record for a defender. Meanwhile, opponents West Ham have only kept two clean sheets all season - both against a Brighton side prone to firing blanks. Leicester's recent form has been torrid but Tierney's upside is worth chasing - she has the fixture to make good on it this week.
Grace Fisk
The chances of a clean sheet at home to Man United are admittedly not great for Liverpool. But with a lack of clear defensive edges this week, the defenders who are good on bonus are worth exploring. It's definitely close between Fisk and Le Tissier in the same game, but the WSL's bonus points queen wins out here. Barring a repeat of the total chaos from Wednesday night, Fisk's appetite for bonus points is excellent insurance on Sunday - it should ensure she gets something v Man United, which is likely to be a better return than most defenders in action this week. Twice this season has Fisk got two bonus points in a game despite conceding, and you don't get better insurance than that. If Liverpool keep out Man United, it's a haul.
Midfield
Clinton & Summanen
There's no more attractive midfielder this week than Grace Clinton, in the top five Fantasy WSL points scorers in her position this season, with a double of Everton away and Chelsea at home. Seven returns this season, the second-best at Spurs, and six bonus points make her one of the must-have doublers in Gameweek 21.
Especially with the potentially massive downside to the defence in the Chelsea game, there's decent value in a Spurs midfield double up for this week. Look no further than Eveliina Summanen, a midfielder reliable enough to get you four guaranteed appearance points across two games at a minimum.That's the kind of base to plant your feet on in a double and hope to snag a return somewhere along the way - Summanen has a tidy four returns this season & a share of set piece duties only increase her chances of adding to that tally. If you get that return in game one v Everton, this pick's already paid off.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd
There's a lot going for Rytting Kaneryd this gameweek, the other stand out midfield pick this week, beginning with an excellent attacking double of Bristol City and Spurs. She has eight returns this season, behind only Sjoeke Nüsken in that Chelsea midfield, and if you get two starts out of JRK, you should be confident of returns.T hat's mostly because of her underrated consistency - JRK is in the habit of popping up with goals and assists here and there, and this knack should keep her ticking along nicely in the double. She actually hasn't blanked more than three games in a row in the WSL this season. In fact, that's exactly the run she's on at the moment - three games without a return, her joint-worst run of the season. But given the fleeting nature of her dry spells this season, in a good attacking double, with Chelsea needing the goals, it's worth putting faith in JRK to bounce back.
Höbinger
A monstrous dead ball performance on Wednesday night resulted in a 13-pointer for Marie Höbinger against Chelsea, making her the game's second-highest scoring midfielder. She's got another good game this week, at home to a Man United side whose only clean sheets this season bar one have come against the current bottom four. They do struggle to keep out the WSL's better sides.
With 10 returns this season, the most of any Liverpool player, don't be surprised if Höbinger deals Man United yet more damage on Sunday. She's got the form, the fixture, the set piece duties - and finally, she's getting the bonus points too: two at Ashton Gate last week, two more in the burial of Chelsea at Prenton Park.
Forwards
Aggie Beever-Jones
With James and Ramírez under an injury cloud, there's a chance to branch out here and throw your weight behind Aggie Beever-Jones. She's a big differential who could get some serious minutes in the double with all the injury problems in the Chelsea camp. That's two big ticks. The third is the fixtures - a double of Bristol City at home & Spurs away in Gameweek 21.
Having suffered a huge setback in the title race, their only remaining chance at a trophy, Chelsea have all the motivation they need to aggressively chase points and goals. It's a safe bet that Beever-Jones will be involved in that effort one way or another. She's returned in her last four games consecutively, so she's definitely got the form nailed down. If you're really worried about rotation, think back to her absurd scoring run at the start of the season - five goals in five games with just a single start. This is a forward who doesn't need much time to do her damage. She's a decent shout for bonus as well. Across two games, whether in two starts or with one appearance off the bench, it's tough to think of a better captain.
Beth England
Simply the stand out Spurs attacking pick for their double. England has scored in her last three games consecutively, started all three, played 90 minutes in all three - excellent news heading into the double gameweek. The security of minutes is backed up by her remarkable appetite for bonus points. In these three starts, England has grabbed top bonus twice and eight bonus points overall.
All this would suggest she's eminently capable of an absolute haul and you could get it early in the double - Spurs travel to Everton to kick off Gameweek 21. Ordinarily, this is when you'd hope England would get most of her points for the double, given the second game is Chelsea at home. But if their defending is anything like it was on Wednesday night at Prenton Park, you should absolutely fancy England to get something in both games.
Lauren Hemp
Man City are on a run of 14 (!) straight WSL wins & an equally impressive run of recent goalscoring form (they've score three goals or more in their last five games consecutively). Gunning for the title (pun mildly intended), they are at home to an Arsenal side, with Champions League sewn up, on a run of four away games without a clean sheet. All this suggests a great matchup for Lauren Hemp, Man City's leading (fit) attacker. She's a lock for minutes, with six returns in her last five, and an excellent shout for bonus. Combine that with Arsenal usually being much more fallible anywhere away from home, never mind at the league leaders, and you have a superb pick. There are other attacking edges this week, but the quality of the player and the situation make Hemp's the clearest of the lot.
