After a long layoff, we are back tonight with a full six-game slate. Every team in the league is on showcase today. In recognition of this, both Draftkings and Fanduel have more contests available. With all twelve teams playing, there are a lot of different possible ways to go with this slate. Let’s take a look at the matchups and some of the key plays to look at tonight.
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Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream
Atlanta is middle of the pack in defending against all positions. They are best attacked through centers. This puts both Jonquel Jones and Chiney Ogwumike in play. The better option in Ogwumike due to her guaranteed minutes. Jones on the other hand is a true GPP play. Alyssa Thomas should be back today as well and we know how great she is. Both Jasmine Thomas and Courtney Williams are in play today, however there might be better guard options on the slate.
The Sun are the best at defending the center and guard positions, however, they are not great against forwards. This puts Angel McCoughtry and Jessica Breland in play for the Dream. The ownership on McCoughtry should be high today after her performance in the last game. I have little interest in the other pieces for Atlanta in this matchup, especially with the massive slate we have.
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Los Angeles Sparks @ Dallas Wings
The Wings can be attack at the center and the forward position. This makes for a great matchup for Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike. Parker being the more versatile of the duo is the preferred option here, but they are both in play. The Wings are relatively good against guards, but Chelsea Gray is still in play here. She’s one of the best guards in the league, and leads the league in assists. The other pieces for the Sparks have little upside, except for Odyssey Sims who is very inconsistent, but playable.
The Wings face a Sparks team which is a defensive nightmare for guards, and can hold their own against forwards. I have no interest in Skylar Diggin-Smith or any of the Wings guards in this matchup. The same holds true for Glory Johnson and Kayla Thornton, especially at their prices. My interest in this game is on Liz Cambage. The Sparks can be attacked using centers, and Cambage’s size advantage should come in handy in this matchup. She’ll be tough to stop tonight.
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Washington Mystics @ Chicago Sky
We have a repeat of Tuesday’s game on our hands, and the analysis has not changed. The Sky are the worst defensive team in the league against all positions. Elena Delle Donne has one of the best matchups on the entire slate today. Fire her up in all formats. LaToya Sanders is also in a great spot and is cheap. Kristi Toliver, Natasha Cloud, and Ariel Atkins are all viable plays at the guard position tonight.
The Mystics are great against forwards, but can be attacked through the center and guard positions. If Dolson is still out, you can fire up Cheyenne Parker tonight, although her price continues to increase. It’s hard to play Astou Ndour given her price increase and her inconsistency, but the matchup is a good one. On the guard front, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, and even Jamierra Faulkner are in play. Vandersloot and Quigley are expensive, but they are also capable of exploding for big scores.
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Minnesota Lynx @ Phoenix Mercury
The matchup for the Lynx at the center and forward positions is brutal tonight. Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore can always perform even in bad matchups, but given the options on the slate playing them might just be too risky. The same goes for Rebekkah Brunson. Instead, the position to target here will be the guards. Seimone Augustus and Danielle Robinson are in play tonight. Tanisha Wright could be a sleeper, if she can get the minutes to showcase her skillset.
For the Mercury, the forward position is a no-go zone. Rather, the Lynx are best attacked using guards. This puts Diana Taurasi firmly in play, and one of the top guard options on the slate. The matchup is a good one for Briann January, but she is inconsistent, so play her with caution. DeWanna Bonner has been great this season, and while the matchup is not the best, she is playable today. Finally, while the matchup is not great for Britney Griner, she is playable tonight. If she can stay out of foul trouble, she should put up some good numbers.
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New York Liberty @ Las Vegas Aces
The best position to attack the Aces is through their forwards. This aligns perfectly for a great game for Tina Charles. Charles has been a little inconsistent, but she has also put up some epic numbers this season. The matchup for the Liberty guards and centers is a neutral one. The real issue with playing any of them is identifying who among the multitude of options they possess will get the minutes on any given night. Good luck to you if you can accurately predict that.
The Liberty are good defensively against centers and guards. For the Aces the, their forwards will have to do the heavy lifting. Leading this group will be A’ja Wilson. This is in no way an easy matchup for Wilson, but she can step up to the task. Other Players of interest for the Aces are Tamera Young and Nia Coffey.
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Indiana Fever @ Seattle Storm
The Storm have been great this season, and are around mid-pack defensively against all positions. For the Fever to pull off a win tonight, they’ll need to rely on all their players today. Candice Dupree has a tough matchup going up against Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud. Natalie Anchowa’s matchup is not the best, but she can succeed in it especially when she doesn’t have Stewart on her. The guards for the Fever are a great place to target. Kelsey Mitchell, Tiffany Mitchell, and Erica Wheeler are all in play here tonight.
For the Storm, the matchup at forward and center is brutal. I have no interest in Natasha Howard today or any of the other Storm centers and forwards. The only big for the Storm I’m interested in is Breanna Stewart. While the matchup is bad for Stewart, she is basically matchup proof and has been on fire recently, making her a good play in all formats. The best place to attack the Fever is at guard. Sue Bird should make a nice cash play due to her consistency. Jewell Loyd on the other hand has a good matchup but has been very poor lately. Loyd might be a little too expensive tonight, but could be a nice ownership play given her matchup. Jordin Canada is also playable tonight.
TOP PLAYS
Guards
Elite: Diana Taurasi, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, DeWanna Bonner, Kelsey Mitchell, Tiffany Mitchell, Kristi Tolliver
Value: Seimone Augustus, Bria Hartley, Natasha Cloud, Alana Beard, Danielle Robinson
Forwards
Elite: Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart, Liz Cambage, Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, Tina Charles, Angel McCoughtry
Value: Natalie Anchowa, Jonquel Jones, Cheyenne Parker, LaToya Sanders, Nia Coffey
