The Back Line

Hannah Hampton (Chelsea) – £5.5m
The England number one is our pick in goal this week, and it’s hard to look past what’s in front of her. Chelsea have conceded just three goals in six games, the best defensive record in the league, and Hampton has kept four clean sheets in that time. She’s also been reliable when she has been called on, saving 83% of the shots on target she’s faced. In terms of fantasy, she’s averaging 5.2 a game, and those numbers will keep climbing if the clean sheets keep coming.

Her points tend to come from clean sheets rather than saves so picking Hampton is mostly based on the fixtures, and this one looks a good one. Chelsea are up against Crystal Palace, who have only scored five goals in six games and lost 1-0 at home to West Ham last time out. With a really solid defence front of her, there could be a strong fantasy score on Sunday for Hannah Hampton.

Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea) – £7.0m
What a season Ellie Carpenter is having! She’s the top-scoring defender in the game on 63 points (she’s actually scored more points than any midfielder), averaging 10.5 a game, and she added two more goals against Tottenham, one of them was a real strikers finish as well. It’s not often you see a full back score twice in a game like that, and Carpenter is starting to make it a habit.

At 39% ownership plenty of people already know how good she is, but given her current form, you simply can’t leave her out. She’s key to pretty much everything Chelsea do going forward. She’s bagged three goals in six games, and she’s averaging nearly six crosses per 90 minutes, so she’s a threat every time she gets in the final third. That’s what sets Carpenter apart from most defenders, she doesn’t need a clean sheet to score big points.

Kaitlyn Torpey (Newcastle United) – £4.0m
Next up we have Kaitlyn Torpey. At £4m she’s the cheapest player in our team, but she certainly offers big pointes returns. She is currently averaging 8.6 points a game, with a goal and an assist already to her name. She’s a marauding left back for a Newcastle side who have conceded just once all season, and that’s where most of her points come from, with the attacking returns a nice bonus when she gets forward.

Newcastle visit Nottingham Forest this week, and it’s their toughest test of the season so far. Forest are unbeaten and have scored eight goals in five games, but Newcastle’s defence has been very hard to break down so we’re backing them to continue their excellent form.

Ruby Mace (Everton) – £5.5m
Ruby Mace has been one of the most consistent defenders in the game this season. She’s averaging 7.2 points per game and has picked up six bonus points, which tells you she’s making an impact in matches as well as helping her team to keep clean sheets. With only six goals conceded in six games, Everton have the second-best defensive record in the league behind Chelsea, and that solid base is what gets her into our team this week.

Aston Villa are the visitors to Goodison Park, and they’ve been struggling for form of late. Even though Villa managed to pick up all three points against Liverpool last time out, we’re backing Everton at home. We fancy Mace to be in the points again, and at £5.5m, she’s a reliable pick for very little outlay.