NWSL Double Gameweek Round 7

photo courtesy Bola News

Round 7 of the ShePlays NWSL fantasy game brings us both midweek matches — starting Wednesday, May 1 so be sure to set your lineups! — as well as out first double gameweek of the season. Here's the schedule:

Next Round
Orlando Pride	1st May, 4:00 PM	North Carolina Courage
Chicago Red Stars	1st May, 5:00 PM	Washington Spirit
Bay FC	1st May, 7:00 PM	Portland Thorns
Utah Royals FC	3rd May, 6:30 PM	Angel City FC
Seattle Reign FC	3rd May, 7:00 PM	San Diego Wave FC
NJ/NY Gotham FC	4th May, 4:30 PM	North Carolina Courage
Portland Thorns	4th May, 7:00 PM	Washington Spirit
Houston Dash	5th May, 10:00 AM	Kansas City Current
Orlando Pride	5th May, 3:00 PM	Racing Louisville FC
Bay FC	5th May, 5:00 PM	Chicago Red Stars

The teams with two matches this week are the Courage, Thorns, Spirit, Pride, Chicago Red Stars, and Bay FC. That list probably covers a fair chunk of your fantasy team as is but it's worth looking at in a bit more depth.

North Carolina Courage - @Orlando, @Gotham

The Courage are a strong team as always, however they have two road games against tough opponents. Their defense is tops in the fantasy league, but their attack is of the "just enough" category. I would hold and happily play anyone you already own but I'm not sure I'm looking to load up on their players. Ashley Sanchez would be a great midfield pick, but unfortunately she's listed as a forward in the game.

Portland Thorns - @Bay FC, Spirit

Sophia Smith with two game? Yes, please. I'll take some of that. She's a stand-out captaincy option this week. I'm not sure of any other great picks on the team. Sam Coffey is steady if not spectacular. She has the highest floor but lowest ceiling of almost any player in the game. Olivia Moultrie is the opposite - as liable to get twenty minutes to see out a match as she is to start and score. She's on my team and I'm hoping for more of the latter especially as games this close together would have you expect Christine Sinclair's minutes to be closely managed. As for their defence, the less said the better.

Washington Spirit - @Chicago, @Portland

Croix Bethune continues to be one of the revelations among a standout rookie class. She plays so far forward to this Spirit team and has been coming up with goals and assists since settling in. Trinity Rodman is an evergreen pick while Tara McKeown is a surprising fantasy standout in their backline. Ouleymata Sarr would be a risky differential. Like the Courage, the Spirit play two road games and neither are even along the East Coast so buyer beware.

Orlando Pride - Courage, Racing

The high-flying Pride get two home matches this week. Barbra Banda has finally arrived and in two matches (only one start) she has a goal and two assists. She's probably the only player I see to rival Smith for captaincy this week. I'm likely to drop Bia for Banda, as much as that pains me. I would try to bring Bia back (in my best Justin Timberlake voice) immediately, but the extra match and the double home comforts tips it towards the Zambian. It may even be worth a minus five points to bring her into your team. I'm also looking at midfield playing at forward Summer Yates. I'm a bit worried about her minutes getting shared around with Marta and the other Pride attackers but she's been putting up fantasy points and you don't change a winning side, do you? Her being mis-classified (out of position, OOO in fantasy parlance) helps.

Chicago Red Stars - Spirit, @Bay FC

The "so close" team of the last round. They were beaten by the Thorns but they were denied by the woodwork. I have picked around all of Mallory Swanson's fantasy points so far this season so I'm hoping that going with her in the double finally works out for me. There are lots of good, and well priced, fantasy options on this team. They're not the elite of the league but could round out your team. For me, I'm hoping Maximiliane Rall is healthy to return but might consider a minus five to get someone else into the team this week. With two matches to play I would hope to gain points despite starting in the hole.

Bay FC - Portland, Chicago

The other team with two home matches, but I'm not as high on their prospects. That being said, I'll happily field my two players - Denya Castellanos and Lyianne Proulx. I'm not sure I'd bring in any other players save for perhaps Asisat Oshoala, who seems to have just had a cramp that led her to leave the Wave match the other day.

NWSL Week 3 Wrap-Up: We need to talk about Jaedyn Shaw

Ok. Let's talk about Jaedyn Shaw.

Listen, we love her. She's a national treasure. As a San Diego Wave FC (do we need the "Football Club" crap?) fan and season ticket holder I will lay down my life to defend Jaedyn Shaw. What she did for the club last season is being surpassed on a game-by-game basis by what she's doing for the USWNT this year. My favorite fantasy memory last season was captaining Shaw in the Wave's final match, home against Racing Louisville. I was at the game. Shaw scored; the Wave clinched the Supporters Shield. It was honestly one of the best games I've attended for sheer fun and good vibes.

This season my fantasy team is named, "O Jae can you see". 

All that being said, I'm not going to start Shaw in Round 3. I might even sell her from my team. It breaks my heart.

Under Casey Stoney this season, Shaw has been shunted off to the left wing while all of the Wave's play goes through Savanah McCaskill on the right.  She's a peripheral players who's impact on the game comes more from her tracking back on the wing rather than her getting into good areas in the attacking third.

We say how that positioning worked for the US yesterday. It wasn't until Shaw was moved in from the wing to the 10 that the game turned in our favor. She assisted the opener and created (hockey assist!) the second goal.

But until we see Stoney put her in her best position, or at least give her license to create, Shaw is a fantasy no-go.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I'm the king of the reverse jinx, and I'm leaning into this one with all my weight.

As for the week that was, here's the wrap-up:

• nwsl week 3: xG race charts & pass networks
• NWSL Snap: Mentally, I'm still in the Bay
• VAR’s ‘clear and obvious’ question in NWSL; Emma Hayes explains Conti Cup clash: Full Time

My team, the aforementioned "O Jae does that Shaw-spangled banner yet Wave" brought in a huge 105 points. It's always a milestone in fantasy to hit 100 points. The ShePlays game makes it easier than some other scoring systems, and thank them for that. Points are fun! It's why we do this.

My quasi-perma captain (more on that soon), Sophia Smith, returned despite not scoring herself. An assist and 11 (!) attacking points from several shots on goal and chances created for others led to her second double-digit return in three rounds.

Ally Sentor and Deyna Castellanos we other bright spots, with most of the team looking pretty good. The disappointments were Shaw (have I mentioned that?) and last week's start Ji So-Yun. I played Ji despiter her facing San Diego, and while it didn't make for great viewing, I was happy enough for her to be kept quiet by Stoney-ball for the night. If five points is her floor from passing and chance creation, I'm going to enjoy having her on my fantasy team.

Looking forwards, I have two main targets: Mallory Swanson and Vanessa DiBernardo. Last week, I said that, "Swanson has been starting matches this season without impacting them. I want to be able to cash in when, in about a month's time and she has her soccer legs back under her, that changes." Let's just say that my assesment of her timetable may have been pessimistic. She's already scored for the Red Stars and looked good for the national team. My only concern is the knock she took against Canade. I skeeted that I was worried Chicago would rest her against Angel City this weekend. I hope we get some kind of statement from the team. I'm likely to buy and start her regardless. It's good to have her back!

DiBernardo scored again last round and is the ShePlays game's highest scoring player to date. KC's attack looks really good and she's a large part of it. In a game with fewer good midfield options than forwards, I think she's going to be owned by most fantasy managers soon — if they haven't already brought her in.

Looking at the matchups for the two, Swanson at home to Angel City is much more attractive than KC at Gotham. Unless we get hints that Mal Swanson might have her minutes managed, I think she's the pick with DiBernardo being a clear pick up in Round 5 when they host Bay FC.

That brings up my weekly keeper conundrum. The schedule has me leaning towards a third consecutive start for Lysianne Proulx. To reiterate, I expected Cassie Miller to be my every week starter and just added Proulx for Gotham's absence from Round 1. However she's proved a high-scoring keeper in her own right. I like her matchup home to Seattle better than Miller's hosting KC. I don't expect either to keep a clean sheet, but Proulx seems to be the more active, and thus higher-scoring, keeper. Miller will have to wait another week before getting her first start for me.

Finally, as promised above, let's look at captain for the week. Quasi-perma captain Sophia Smith travels to the usually stingy North Carolina Courage, so I'm in the market for a different choice. Right now that choice is Ally Sentor. The rookie is the hub of the Utah Royals and has scored in consecutive games. Home to the Orlando Pride, who have only travelled as far as Kentucky this season, looks a good chance for Sentor to make it three in a row.

I'm tempted to vice-captain Swanson, but may err on the side of caution myself and not do that. Castellanos may just step up into that role.