It’s Blande over here at the DFS Army, with coverage on another huge WNBA slate today. 10 of the 12 teams are in action, providing a lot of options for us. Let’s dive in and breakdown this slate for potential nuggets!
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Seattle Storm @ Dallas Wings
This is the second meeting of the season between these two teams. In the first meeting it was all about the Storm bigs, and the numbers suggest we can expect the same pattern today. Breanna Stewart and Natasha Howard have superb matchups here and should be among the higher scoring bigs on the slate. With Alysha Clark doubtful, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis is in position to get some minutes, but she hasn’t done anything with them so far. I have no interest in the Storm guards today, not with the other options available on the slate.
For the Wings, it all begins with Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins-Smith. The matchup for both is not good, however, they are more than capable of performing in it. I would only use them in contrarian GPP lineups. The other pieces for the Wings are in tough spots and can be faded on this slate. Allisha Gray can be used sparingly as an option in that price range. A final sneaky play in this game is Aerial Powers. She is finally getting minutes and at min price is good value.
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New York Liberty @ Los Angeles Sparks
Let me start by saying I have zero interests in any of the Liberty guards not named Brittany Boyd. Not only do they have the worst matchup, they also limit each other’s upside. The only reason to play Boyd is because she is near min-priced. That said, the matchup gets only marginally better for the Liberty bigs. Only Tina Charles is playable here, and that’s only because she is a superstar. Play Charles only in GPPs.
The Liberty are a good defensive team; however, they take on a Sparks team coming off a poor loss and looking to avenge. Candace Parker is in prime position here to have a great game. The matchup for Nneka Ogwumike is also a good one. Parker is my preferred option here, based on the history between these teams. The matchup is tough for the Sparks guards, and the form of the guards has not been great recently. Chelsea Gray can be utilized as a GPP leverage play, but do so cautiously.
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Connecticut Sun @ Indiana Fever
The Fever have been surprisingly good defensively against bigs. Unfortunately, they’ve been burnt by guards so far this season. All the Suns guards are in play, from Jasmine Thomas to Courtney Williams, and even Alex Bentley. With Alyssa Thomas still questionable, Chiney Ogwumike and Jonquel Jones can be used in GPP, but not in cash. I have no interest in either Shekinna Stricklen or Morgan Tuck.
When these teams met earlier this season, there was very little fantasy goodness from the Fever side of things. The high scorers were Erica Wheeler and Candice Dupree in that game. The Sun are among the best against guards and centers. However, they can be attacked through forwards which makes Candice Dupree playable today. The Fever guards are too expensive to roster in this matchup.
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Minnesota Lynx @ Las Vegas Aces
For the Lynx, it all begins with Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore. Their recent form has been good, and I love the matchup for Moore. They can be used in all formats. Rebekkah Brunson is a potential value play in this matchup as well and can be used as a cash punt. Cecilia Zandalasini has been getting minutes recently and is beginning to perform with them, she’s a usable GPP punt in this matchup. Seimone Augustus and Danielle Robinson are also in play here. Lindsay Whalen has a good matchup but she is very inconsistent, so play her with caution if at all.
The Aces rely heavily on A’ja Wilson to get them going. Unfortunately, the matchup is a tough one for her. Though just a rookie, Wilson has made her claim as one of the superstars in this league, and is more than capable of performing well in any matchup. She’s a viable GPP play today. The best place to attack the Lynx is at guard. This puts Kayla McBride and Kelsey Plum in play. McBride can be used in all formats, while Plum is only a GPP play. Nia Coffey is still cheap and can be utilized as a GPP punt.
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Phoenix Mercury @ Chicago Sky
Chicago is the worst defensive team in the league. Literally everyone on the Mercury team is in play, beginning with Britney Griner. Griner is as close to a lock as you’ll get on this slate and she should be highly owned. Diana Taurasi has been on flames recently, and there’s no reason this trend should come to a stop today. She and Griner should be among the highest owned players on the slate. DeWanna Bonner and Sancho Lyttle are in a great position, the only worry might be limited minutes due to a blowout.
For the Sky, they’ll need all the help they can get to be competitive in this one. It all begins with their guards, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley. They’ll both need to perform well in order to keep the game close, and the matchup is neutral for them. Stefanie Dolson being back makes it difficult to roster her, Astou Ndour, or Cheyenne Parker, especially in this tough matchup. The only other Sky of interest here is Gabby Williams who has shown she is capable to perform in the matchup.
TOP PLAYS
Guards
Elite: Diana Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jasmine Thomas, Courtney Williams, DeWanna Bonner, Kayla McBride
Value: Gabby Williams, Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray, Alex Bentley, Danielle Robinson
Forwards
Elite: Britney Griner, Breanna Stewart, Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker, Maya Moore, Natasha howard
Value: Sancho Lyttle, Rebekkah Brunson, Nia Coffey, Cecilia Zandalasini, Aerial Powers
