WNBA Daily Fantasy – June 1, 2019

Today is a great day for WNBA basketball, with a jam-packed four game slate. As we get further and further into the season, trends start to stabilize and we can be more confident in who to play. With some injury returns (and concerns), this is shaping up to be an exciting (and hopefully profitable) slate. Let’s get into it!

Atlanta Dream @ Washington Mystics

The Atlanta Dream have already played twice this year, with one of their games coming last night. While fatigue could have been a worry, none of the starters played over 30 minutes, and many played just 20, as the Dream got blown out of the water by Seattle. They draw the Mystics tonight, who return one of the best defenses in the league, and also one of the slowest paces. Because of this, I can only recommend (again….) Brittney Sykes (6.8k DK, 6.7k FD), and Tiffany Hayes (8k, 6.5k). Sykes has been the most productive member of the Dream for daily fantasy purposes, and is playing enough minutes replacing McCoughtry that she continues to be a good value. Her price is creeping up, however, and likely the value will soon be gone. Hayes, on the other hand, has been very bad to start the year. It is mildly concerning that she has only taken 12 shots in two games, but I expect her to get back to last years’ form soon. Her price is especially enticing on FanDuel. Lastly, Alex Bentley (6.5k, 4.6k) should play over 20 minutes, and could hit 20 fantasy points, which would be great for her low price on FanDuel.

The Washington Mystics lost their first game without the services of Elena Delle Donne. While it looks as though she should return, the amount of minutes she plays remains to be seen. Because of this minutes uncertainty and a high price (10.6k, 7.9k), I can not recommend playing her. Instead, day one DFS star Emma Meesseman (5.1k, 6.3k) has not seen enough of a price bump, and will be in a significant amount of my lineups, especially on DraftKings. Even with the return of Delle Donne, I expect Meesseman to play over 25 minutes, and that should easily be enough to put up 25-30 fantasy points. The only other player I like against this difficult Dream defense is Ariel Atkins (6.4k, 5.7k). The sophomore struggled in the opener, but was very productive last season, and also played 30 minutes to start the year. Especially on FanDuel, where steals and blocks are worth 3 points, Atkins will be a great play.

New York Liberty @ Indiana Fever

The rematch of the season opener for both teams is tonight. Tina Charles (11.6k, 8.6k) was the star on night one, with a massive 32 point 12 rebound effort against a suspect Fever defense. I would expect a similar performance this time around, as Charles’ ability to get to the free throw line really puts a strain on the Indiana defense. Charles is one of the top options on the slate. Besides Tina, Amanda Zahui B. (5.7k, 4.5k), played 29 scoreless minutes in game one, but should be due for a bounceback. The important thing to note is that she did see 29 minutes. At a price of 4500 on FanDuel, these minutes should allow her to reach value very easily. Aside from these two teammates, there really is not a whole lot to like from the Liberty. A wide rotation, especially at guard and at wing really limits some of the upside. It is probably best to look elsewhere for other members of your lineup.

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On the other side of the court, the Fever have two games on the year. Candice Dupree (11k, 7.5k) has played 33 and 35 minutes in these games, and has stuffed the stat sheet in both. Though she likely will end up with ~30 fantasy points, the price is just too high to justify. Instead, if you are looking to gain exposure to Indiana, Erica Wheeler (6.2k 7.2k) could be the right fit. She comes in at a far lower price (on DraftKings) than Dupree, but produces a very similar amount of fantasy points, and is playing over 30 minutes. Wheeler is acting as the true point guard, a role that suits her terrifically, as it seems as though the Fever have given up (for the time being) on Kelsey Mitchell at the point. Natalie Achonwa (8.4k, 4.8k) is a tremendous value on FanDuel, as Teaira McCowan has not been as much of a factor on Achonwa’s minutes as I initially thought. 4800 is especially nice, as the upside for 30 minutes is certainly possible. She is not, however, an option on DraftKings because of her high price.

Seattle Storm @ Chicago Sky

The Seattle Storm have already played three games this year, giving us a good look at what their offense is like without Breanna Stewart. It seems as though no matter the matchup, Natasha Howard (11.3k, 8k) will score and rebound. She is averaging over 16 field goal attempts per game, on top of getting to the free throw line at an elite rate. Her rebounding has been otherworldly, with two of her three rebounding totals above 14 rebounds. If she keeps this up, Howard’s price will soon be up with the Liz Cambage’s and Sylvia Fowles’ of the world. It is best to take advantage of the discount before Howard’s price gets there. Jewell Loyd (9.6k, 7.4k) is another option. It seems as though she so close to having her first truly elite game. Against Atlanta, there were more encouraging signs, with increased peripheral stats (7 boards and 4 assists), but she has not gotten her shot going yet. A bad Chicago defense could be the remedy. Jordin Canada (6.9k, 6.6k) is a secondary option, but last night’s surprise Mercedes Russell (3.6k, 3.7k) has seen increased minutes and is at an extremely low price. She put up 10 points, 7 boards and 2 assists in last night’s game, which is easily pays off her miniscule price.

Chicago, on the other hand, has only played a singular game against the Lynx. They did not play very well, and got blown out by a Collier explosion, but insights can still be gleaned from the game. Coach James Wade elected to play a very wide rotation, with 10 players all receiving over 10 minutes. This distribution of minutes really hinders us in finding good DFS value. The only two players I would consider on this team are Gabby Williams (5.9k, 5.6k), who saw an increased usage rate, but only played 25 minutes, and Diamond DeShields (8.2k, 6.1k), who only played 11 minutes due to foul trouble. DeShields should rebound from her 0/7 night, and score close to 30 fantasy points, which is a great deal on FanDuel. There just is not a whole lot to love here.

Minnesota Lynx @ Dallas Wings

Minnesota heads to Dallas to take on the now slow paced Dallas Wings. Coach Bryan Agler has implemented his philosophy, and it looks like the Wings are going to use every second of the shot clock. This slow pace, multiplied by the effect of the Lynx slow pace, makes this game very unattractive for DFS. Sylvia Fowles (12k, 8.2k) should always be in consideration, but she has not really impressed this year, having only taken single digit field goal attempts in both of the Lynx’ first two games. Odyssey Sims (7.2k, 6.8k) has continued to fill up the stat sheet, and has shot a combined 24 field goals in the first two games. Napheesa Collier (7k, 5.8k) and Danielle Robinson (6.3k, 6k) are options, but in a game with such a low number of possessions, both will struggle to pay off their mid-range price tags.

The Wings have only played one game, and it was a frustrating one. They seemed to start Tayler Hill and Kaela Davis for no real reason, as their backups are much better. As well, they return Azura Stevens (8.1k, 6k) after she missed the first game with a concussion. Stevens had foot issues throughout the preseason, and I’m sure her minutes will be on some sort of limit. Again, the slow pace and solid defense of the Lynx really put a cap on the upside of the Wings. With that said, here are two of my favorite plays from the Wings. Glory Johnson (7.8k, 6.8k) should play around 30 minutes, and is in line for a lot of rebounds, almost grabbing a double double in her first outing before getting into foul trouble. Kayla Thornton (5.7k, 5.7k) should slot back into the starting lineup over Kaela Davis and provide an impact. She took 13 shots off of the bench in the Wings’ opener, which could mean big things for her in this one.

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