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Blande’s Bland Take: WNBA DFS Rundown and Picks 8/21/2018

Hi there! I’m Glen but I go by Blande and you can find me on twitter as @DfsBlande . I’m here over at the DFS Army with coverage of WNBA. If you are not yet an Army member, join us over here for the greatest coverage in the industry on not just the WNBA but other sports as well. Use the link here and promo code “BLANDE” to get 10% off your subscription.

It’s playoff time and it doesn’t get better than these Win-Or-Go-Home WNBA playoff games. The teams on the slate today have one shot to move forward to the next round. They must win tonight! This creates a very interesting game dynamic. Specifically, you can expect shortened rosters, implying the starters will be in there for over 30 minutes of game time today. There’ll be very little room for bench players today, with the exception being in the case of foul trouble or someone getting extremely hot when they come in for a relief spell. As a result, the targets for DFS purposes are starters, with solid role players being used as punts. Now, let’s dive in!

  • Dallas Wings @ Phoenix Mercury

The Plays for the Wings: Liz Cambage, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Azura Stevens, Glory Johnson, and Kayla Thornton.

Liz Cambage is a beast and is a favorite play for many. However, she is going against Britney Griner here today. I’ll start this analysis by making my first hot take: I’ll be fading Liz Cambage tonight! Her ownership will be high, and she has a terrible matchup against Griner. I want no part of that. My interest in Diggins-Smith is limited as well. The spot against Briann January is a poor one, and she is a little too expensive for my liking. My favorite play here is Allisha Gray. She is underpriced for her recent form, and the matchup is a good one. Stevens, Johnson, and Thornton will split time tonight. I expect Johnson and Stevens to get the most minutes of the trio, making them good plays.

The Plays for the Mercury: Britney Griner, Diana Taurasi, DeWanna Bonner, Stephanie Talbot, Briann January

I’m sure you guessed this already, I’ll be fading Britney Griner as well. I really want no part of that matchup. Griner is better placed than Cambage tonight though, for those who want to go there. Taurasi and Bonner are my favorite plays here. Not only do they have the best matchups on the board, they have been on fire recently. If you can find a way to fit both into a lineup, that’s definitely one unique way to attack the slate. Stephanie Talbot has been solid in the starting role; however, she has a limited ceiling so use her cautiously. January on the other hand is so inconsistent she is relegated to GPP punt status. Camille Little could be a great punt here today, but this is an extremely risky play.

  • Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks

The Plays for the Lynx: Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Tanisha Wright, Rebekkah Brunson/Cecilia Zandalasini

Sylvia Fowles is the top play for the Lynx. She is playable in all formats today. Maya Moore has an extremely difficult matchup here. She’ll be blanketed by Alana Beard today and that’s never a good thing. However, this is arguably the best player in the WNBA, and I won’t be counting her out of any matchup. You can play her in GPPs. Augustus, Whalen, and Wright all have very tough matchups today. I never play guards against the Sparks, and the only reason to go there today is if you are looking for salary relief. Wright and Whalen are cheap, and Augustus can go on a streak at any time. Use them carefully, but never together in the same lineup.

The main unknown here is Brunson. If Brunson plays, fire her up. She loves this matchup against the Sparks and is cheap enough to do damage. Without Brunson, Zandalasini gets the start and makes for a nice punt.

The Plays for the Sparks: Candace Parker, Chelsea Gray, Riquna Williams, Alana Beard, Nneka Ogwumike/Jantel Lavender

Candace Parker is the top play for the Sparks, and she loves playing against the Lynx. Fire her up in all formats. I love Chelsea Gray today! The lynx are one of the worst teams against guards, and Gray could exploit that. It helps that she loves playing against them. Riquna Williams makes for a great punt play today in a good spot. I have little interest in Beard, who will have to deal with Maya Moore (especially if Brunson plays). This brings us to the injury situation we need to watch for. I have interest in Ogwumike only if Brunson does not play. If Ogwumike doesn’t play, Parker becomes and even better play while Lavender will make for a good GPP punt play as she slides into the starting lineup. Do not sleep on Odyssey Sims, who could be a nice GPP punt play here.

TOP PLAYS

Guards

Elite: Diana Taurasi, DeWanna Bonner, Chelsea Gray, Allisha Gray

Value: Riquna Williams, Stephanie Talbot, Seimone Augustus

Forwards

Elite: Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker, Glory Johnson, Azura Stevens, Maya Moore

Value: Rebekkah Brunson/Cecilia Zandalasini, Kayla Thornton, Jantel Lavender*, Camille Little