With six weeks to go, three derby clashes, and all to play for, The Scout is your go-to guru for all things Fantasy WSL, renowned for their sharp insights and savvy gameplay.
Here's what they've got to say about the upcoming fixtures in Gameweek 17.
Goalkeepers & Defence
Hannah Hampton
The fixtures have landed awkwardly for goalkeepers this week, as teams which we usually wouldn't rely on to provide clean sheet points have very favourable defensive fixtures. Amongst this group, Hannah Hampton stands out, facing West Ham on Sunday. While Chelsea's ranks are depleted, and the Hammer's attack is threatening enough at home, Chelsea has batted off similar difficulties so far this season, keeping 5 clean sheets on the road of 7 possible games. Hampton herself is also currently in great form.
Emma Koivisto
The Merseyside derby, at Goodison Park no less, would normally be considered a risky fixture. However, Liverpool's backline is currently in great form and, by the numbers, Everton is currently the weakest attacking team in the league.
Amongst the Liverpool backline, Koivisto stands out because of her consistent ability to score bonus points, scoring 5 since January. Three of those bonus points also came from matches where Liverpool didn't walk away with a clean sheet. Fisk, the league's bonus points queen, is a viable alternative, but Koivisto's attacking threat down the right side has been key to Liverpool's recent success, and has meant she's been much more involved overall.
Sam Tierney
The lack of clear opportunities to score clean sheet points focuses our attention towards defenders with great attacking potential once again. You'd be hard-pressed to find a defender with a better attacking record than Sam Tierney. With two goals and three assists, she's in third place for point returns at Leicester, and second place for defenders overall.
She has a great attacking game, and playing Brighton at home means clean-sheet points aren't out of the question, either. The Seagulls have failed to score in nearly half of their games this season. Tierney also returned points the last time these teams met.
Katie McCabe
McCabe's strong attacking threat makes her a great option this weekend. We admit, this one is risky: McCabe hasn't returned since Gameweek 6, is prone to bookings, and is playing for an Arsenal side who struggle for points on the road. She does, however, have an opportunity to turn that around against Aston Villa. Villa's season has so far been difficult, with a struggling defence and poor form against set pieces. With Villa conceding goals from free kicks in their last three WSL games, McCabe has a great opportunity to bag some points.
Midfield
Marie Höbinger
Despite some great performances, Höbinger has struggled for consistent minutes in Liverpool's midfield. Sofie Lundgaard's season ending injury, and with Fuka Nagano also only recently recovering from injury, this looks like it could change on Sunday. A trio of Höbinger, Holland and Bo Kearns is one with potential, but Höbinger's set-piece duties and stellar track record make her the stand-out choice for fantasy teams this week.
Grace Clinton & Eveliina Summanen
With a match on the road against Bristol City, Tottenham players have an opportunity to score big. Across all the fixtures, this Spurs midfield pairing offers real value. Grace Clinton has, so far, been a safe choice. Her six attacking returns, and four bonus points, make her the second highest returning player for Spurs. I also think Eveliina Summanen is someone to keep your eye on. Her set-piece duties, which gave her great returns against Aston Villa, look particularly attractive against a leaky Bristol City defence. Plus, bonus points, while not guaranteed (they're shared quite evenly across the Spurs team) are certainly on the table.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd
With 8 returns so far this season, including 2 in her last two games, JRK remains one of the best midfield picks in the game this season. While she's struggled for consistent minutes, holding her in your team makes for some great returns. Outside Spurs, there's also no better midfield value this week as Chelsea faces West Ham.
Chelsea are a challenging team to pick from. Besides Lauren James, their attacking returns are spread out across the squad. So, while there are Chelsea midfielders with a potentially higher ceiling this week, for consistency, JRK remains your best bet.
Forwards
Khadija Shaw
With returns in her last 7 consecutive games, and 19 (🤯) returns for the season overall, there is no better pick than Bunny Shaw in Fantasy WSL at the moment. While they are facing a Manchester derby, it's against a Man United team that has, so far, wilted against the WSL's best this season. To put this into perspective, in their last 5 matches against top-five teams, they've conceded 13 goals.
With the form she is in, and a fixture that looks set for goals, giving the armband to Bunny is a relatively straightforward call.
Lauren James
With consistent form and excellent teammates, Lauren James offers a safe place to put your captain's armband, and a pick you can make with your eyes closed. In every combination of Chelsea players you might choose this week, she is a must-have.
Jutta Rantala
Leicester's best pick goes into Gameweek 17 with the perfect fixture. Rantala is a powerful forward against teams below Leicester in the table, providing 7 of her 9 returns this season. A struggling Brighton, at home no less, is very much the kind of game she thrives in.
She scored in their last match-up, and could also bag bonus points on Sunday if she finds her rhythm, grabbing three bonus points in a similar game against Bristol City in Gameweek 14.
