First big slate of the season. All 12 teams are on it. This is early in the season and for those who have been playing the single games, you know just how influential some rookies have been. I cannot promise to know the next breakout rookie, but you should keep in mind rookies could break the slate. Let’s get this started. First up, we have:
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Las Vegas Aces @ Connecticut Sun
The Aces – previously the San Antonio Stars – have undergone a complete re-branding for this season. Whether that re-branding is also felt on the court this season is completely up in the air. They were the worst team last year, resulting in them getting the #1 overall pick, which translated into A’ja Wilson. Expect a lot from Wilson this season. The Aces are missing 3 starters to overseas commitments in Kayla McBride, Kelsey Plum, and Isabelle Harrison (health reasons). They also don’t appear to have any guards available if Moriah Jefferson is out. The matchup against the Suns is a tough one for a short-handed Aces team, but if we must go here, the target is A’ja Wilson. Don’t sleep on Ji-Su Park either.
The 2017 Suns were a good defensive team and we should expect that to continue this season as they retained all their pieces. This is great spot to target Sun players. Of great interest are Jonquel Jones and Alyssa Thomas. Chiney Ogwumike also recently returned from injury and should slot right back in. On the guard front, I’ll go Courtney Williams and then Jasmine Thomas. This should be a great game for all four of these Sun players. I’ll wait first to see how their new acquisitions and rookies perform before considering them.
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Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics
This is a B2B game for the Fever, going into DC to face a good Mystics team after being blown out by the Sky. This is not a good spot for the Fever, and you should be wary of playing any of their players. That said, Candice Dupree and Erica Wheeler are more than capable of having great games. If the game gets out of hand early and quickly, the likes of Jazmon Gwathmey, Kayla Alexander and Erica McCall could see some extended garbage time run.
The Mystics lost star Emma Meesseman, so they will have to rely on Elena Delle Donne. This is EDD’s team and you can expect big games out of her. Krystal Thomas is another person to watch, she and EDD should play big minutes and put up great fantasy numbers. Kristi Tolliver is the point guard of this team and she has a great command of the game. Other options are Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and rookie Ariel Atkins. I’m not sold yet on Monique Currie’s impact on this team.
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Atlanta Dream @ Dallas Wings
The Dream take on a good Wings team today. Brittney Sykes has always found a way to ball against the Wings. Tiffany Hayes has had okay games in this matchup, but watch for the injury news here. Clarendon has struggled against the wings, but could be in line for more minutes today if Hayes doesn’t suit up and could make use of it. Elizabeth Williams will have to go up against Liz Cambage, I’ll be staying away from that. Instead Jessica Breeland and Angel McCoughtry should be the players to target here.
After being beaten by the Mercury on opening night, the Wings are looking to bounce back in their home opener. Glory Johnson might not be available after picking up a hamstring injury on Friday. Look to Skylar Diggins-Smith to continue her stellar performance against the Dream. With Johnson out, the Wings might go to Azura Stevens to fill the role, this will put her in play. After the performance Liz Cambage put in on opening night, expect her to be extremely chalky and with good reason. She is a superb value play. Finally, don’t sleep on Allisha Gray in this matchup either. Honorable mentions will be Kayla Thornton and Kaela Davis.
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Los Angeles Sparks @ Minnesota Lynx
We have a rematch of the WNBA finals, unfortunately the Candace Parker injury has taken a little bit of the shine off this game. The Sparks are one the best teams in the league, however without Parker it will be tough to go into Minnesota and take on the league’s best team. Nneka Ogwumike and Chelsea Gray will have to carry a lot of the load. Ogwumike struggled against the Lynx all last season, with one good game which was the one in which Parker went missing. This might bode well for her today, but I doubt it. Chelsea Gray continues to lead this offense from the PG spot and always comes ready to play. Cappie Pondexter should see quite a bit of minutes.
The champs welcome the Sparks into their home to begin the challenge of defending their championship. Leading the way are Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore. Fowles has always performed well against the Sparks and should be in line for a good outing today. The Sparks have done a much better job on Moore, but the best player in the league could always breakout for a huge game. Lindsay Whalen is a Maestro at the PG position and she will have plenty of opportunity to showcase her skills today. Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson are good mid-tier options.
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New York Liberty @ Chicago Sky
The Liberty take on the Sky, with Tina Charles leading the way. This is a great spot for Tina Charles, expect her to make the most of it. Other than Charles, it’s hard to figure out who the next Liberty option is. The 4 guard rotation – Epiphany Prince, Sugar Rogers, Shavonte Zellous and Bria Hartley – they run makes it nearly impossible to pick the right one (they basically go with the hot hand). A sleepy pick here will be Kiah Stokes off the bench.
This is a B2B for the Sky, so they are already at a slight disadvantage. That said, look to Allie Quigley and Stefanie Dolson (if she can keep her hands to herself) to lead the way. Diamond DeShields and Gabby Williams are also good value options here.
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Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm
The Mercury are looking to continue their strong opening night performance. The Storm have no one able to stop Britney Griner. Diana Taurasi can be counted on to perform in this matchup. Finally, DeWanna Bonner returned with a bang on Friday and she will look to build on that performance.
The Seattle Storm come into this season with high hopes and are ready to open against a formidable Mercury team. Breanna Stewart is the engine behind this team, expect her to have a great game. While Sue Bird has always struggled against the Mercury, Jewell Lloyd has enjoyed this matchup. Look to Llyod to find a way to continue her dominance over the Mercury.
TOP PICKS
Guards:
Elite: Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Llyod, Brittney Skyes, Allie Quigley, Chelsea Gray, Diana Taurasi
Value: Courtney Williams, DeWanna Bonner, Diamond DeShields, Lindsay Whalen
Forwards:
Elite: Britney Griner, Tina Charles, Sylvia Fowles, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, Elena Delle Donne
Value: Liz Cambage, A’ja Wilson, Kiah Stokes, Angel McCoughtry, Chiney Ogwumike (DK)