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WNBA daily fantasy preview: Los Angeles Sparks

By Eric Thiel

LOS ANGELES CA - MAY 14: Chiney Ogwumike #13 poses for a portrait during the Los Angeles Sparks Media Day at Southwest College on May 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2018 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES CA - MAY 14: Chiney Ogwumike #13 poses for a portrait during the Los Angeles Sparks Media Day at Southwest College on May 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2018 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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California Dreaming

The Los Angeles Sparks made a big splash in the offseason, trading for Chiney Ogwumike after a disappointing exit in the second round of playoffs at the hands of the Washington Mystics. Often contenders, the Sparks seek to move back into the upper tier of the league, alongside Connecticut, Washington and Phoenix. It will be a mighty ask, however, after the departure of former head coach Brian Agler, as well as the short-term injury sustained by Candace Parker. Also, the fit of Chiney, Nneka, and Candace will be a strange one, and will definitely need some ironing out on the court. These big personnel changes, as well as a new head coach and vision should lead to some fantasy value on the Sparks. Let’s take a look at the Sparks DFS preview.

What is the opposite of pace and space?

Los Angeles ended last with ranked sixth in net rating, at a mark of 2.3. The real star was their defense, owning the second-best defensive rating in the league. This is, in-part, due to spectacular defenders in Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, Chelsea Gray, and two time DPOY Alana Beard. This unit stays together, and the defense should remain one of the best in the league. The offensive end will be a little bit more challenging. A 101 offensive rating put the Sparks in the bottom five in the league, and though the addition of Chiney should help, it makes the fit very difficult.

Parker will likely move to the three, but she and Chelsea Gray are really their only volume three point shooters. Opponents may pack the paint and disturb shots at the rim. The Sparks played the slowest tempo of any team last year, at a rate of 78 possessions per game.

A new coach, Derek Fisher, comes into the fold. Interestingly, in his last stint as a head coach in the NBA, he played at a very slow pace. I am not sure if this can be trusted, but a combination of the slow pace last year and what seems to be a coach who has coached those types of teams in the past makes me believe that the Sparks will stay slow. This makes them a slow paced team, with a good defense, which is not ideal for opposing players in daily fantasy.

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The Team

The Sparks’ main starting lineup is likely to be Gray, Beard, Parker, N. Ogwumike, C. Ogwumike. They will, however, begin the year without Candace Parker, due to a hamstring injury. This opens a spot for either Riquna Williams or Tierra Ruffin-Pratt to move into the starting lineup and provide DFS value.

Williams, in particular, is a high volume three point shooter, which is great for DraftKings. Even with this high volume, however, she only put up 0.7 fantasy points per minute, so her price will need to be low. Ruffin-Pratt, on the other hand, spent last season with the Mystics. She put up 0.65 fpm, and is more of a role player than a true DFS option. Still, if the minutes are there and the price is low enough, she will certainly be in play at the beginning of the year. Chiney Ogwumike played for the Sun last season, putting up 1.1 fpm. While I expect this number to go down slightly, she is still a premier DFS option. Her sister, Nneka, put up 1.0 fpm last year. This number could be slightly higher as her usage increases in the beginning of the year without Parker, but Nneka will also be competing for rebounds with Chiney.

Chelsea Gray, the starting point guard, puts up about 0.92 fpm, and this number certainly could increase with Parker out of the lineup. As well, the Ogwumikes could provide more assist opportunities for Gray. Alana Beard, while great defensively, only scores just over 0.5 fpm. Her value is definitely higher (but still not incredible) on FanDuel, where she receives 3 points for every block and steal. The backup center logjam has been cleared, and Maria Vadeeva seems poised to step in and play 10-20 minutes per game. Vadeeva is also around a 1 fpm player, and can be an option if her price is low enough.

The Draft

The Sparks chose Kalani Brown 7th overall in the 2019 WNBA draft. While her college career was extremely impressive, it does not seem as though there is a road for her to get minutes in her rookie year. Nneka, Chiney, Vadeeva (and Parker when she returns) are all ahead of Brown in the frontcourt spots. If she does, however, Brown will be very interesting for daily fantasy, as all 6’7 centers are. Marina Mabrey could be the only other rookie who receives some minutes. She would provide three point shooting and spacing.

The Los Angeles Sparks have a tremendous amount of individual fantasy value players. Almost four of their starters are above the 1 fpm mark. While there could be fit issues to start the year, eventually the team will settle in. Though they are a lower paced team, it will be especially great to target the Sparks against higher paced teams, allowing extra possessions for each of the fantasy stars on LA. As well, in the interim, Candace Parker being out may present for value in the form of Riquna Williams, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, and even Alana Beard.

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