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WNBA Daily Fantasy preview – June 11, 2019

By Eric Thiel

UNCASVILLE, CT - JULY 08: Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones (35) defended by Washington Mystics guard Elena Delle Donne (11) steps back to shoot during the first half of an WNBA game between Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun on July 8, 2017, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Connecticut defeated Washington 96-92. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
UNCASVILLE, CT - JULY 08: Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones (35) defended by Washington Mystics guard Elena Delle Donne (11) steps back to shoot during the first half of an WNBA game between Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun on July 8, 2017, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Connecticut defeated Washington 96-92. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Lots of DFS values in today’s matchups

On today’s June 11th WNBA DFS slate, we have three solid games. Each of these games presents different challenges picking players, as there are many top options in Jonquel Jones, Natasha Howard, Elena Delle Donne, DeWanna Bonner, and Brittney Griner available to us. Finding value that allows you to play multiple of these excellent players is going to be key to cashing lineups. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Seattle Storm @ Indiana Fever

Seattle comes up against a surprisingly solid Fever team to start the year. The Fever are 3-2, but their record could be a mirage. They have beaten New York twice, and Dallas once, two of the worst teams in the league. Despite playing some poor teams, Indiana has been fairly below average defensively, giving up a ton of points via free throw.

The obvious candidate to take advantage of this is Natasha Howard (11.2k, 8.1k). Howard has shot 29 free throws in her first 6 games, an average of ~5 per game. The Storm should look to her early and often in this game. Her frontcourt partner, Mercedes Russell (4.8k, 4.6k), started again last game, and played 28 solid minutes. That number of minutes, paired with a sub-$5000 price, should spell fantasy success, allowing you to afford higher priced players in your lineup.

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Indiana has had a confusing rotation to begin the year. It seems as though every night, some of their bench players grabs some extra minutes after they start the game on fire. Though not a bench player, this was the case with Kelsey Mitchell (6.5k, 5.5k). Mitchell averaged 22 minutes in her first three games, before totaling 64 minutes in her last two, due to some incredible shooting. While I think 33 minutes is at the upper range of her minutes played today, her price is great, even if she just plays 30 minutes. That number of minutes, combined with her high 26% usage rate should equal fantasy goodness.

Another option on the Fever is Natalie Achonwa (9.1k, 5.3k) on FanDuel only. Achonwa fell apart against Brittney Griner, and only played 12 minutes, but was still fantasy-point-productive in those minutes. Against Mercedes Russell, Achonwa should get back on the right track and see mid-twenties minutes. Her price on FanDuel is just extremely low for her 1 fantasy point per minute fantasy production so far this year.

Washington Mystics @ Connecticut Sun

This game is going to be absolutely tremendous. In my opinion, these are the two best teams in the WNBA this year, and this should be a battle. I will be going back to Elena Delle Donne (10.2k, 7.4k) in this matchup. Though she has been a bit off by her standards so far this year, this is likely the lowest price we will see for Delle Donne all year. Delle Donne has shot 40% from the field this year, a number which should regress closer to last season’s 49% mark. Connecticut also plays at a fairly high pace, giving Delle Donne more opportunities for rebounds and assists.

I will also be going back to LaToya Sanders (8.5k, 5.5k) on FanDuel. Without Meesseman, Sanders should be locked into high twenties minutes, and produced at 1 fantasy point per minute in 2018. The only worry is that her usage has fallen from 17% to 11%. Hopefully she looks for her shot more today.

It wouldn’t be a DFS article without mentioning Jonquel Jones (11.7k, 8.6k). Jones has been the DFS (as well maybe the real life) MVP so far this year, producing an insane amount of rebounds and blocks. Though she is one of the highest priced players on the slate, it is certainly earned, as she is producing at 1.4 fantasy points per minute. That’s Liz Cambage territory! In order to afford her high price, we may need another value option.

Jones’ teammate, Shekinna Stricklen (4.5k, 4.4k) matches up well with the Mystics, and should launch somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 threes. This price is especially enticing on DraftKings, where Stricklen’s made three-pointers are worth 3.5 fantasy points versus 3 points.

Phoenix Mercury @ Chicago Sky

The Mercury draw a great DFS opponent in the Chicago Sky. The Sky are one of the highest paced teams this year, and on top of that, have a slightly below average defense. This combination obviously lends merit to playing DeWanna Bonner (12k, 8.3k) and Brittney Griner (10.6k, 8k), the latter of which finally showcased what a productive player she can be in her last game against Indiana.

Aside from the big two, Leilani Mitchell (4.6k, 3.6k) has still not seen enough of a price bump, as she is now playing 25 minutes off the bench. Mitchell should be in play on both sites, as her low price allows you to afford some of her more expensive teammates. As well, if you are looking for an extremely sneaky cheap play, Sancho Lyttle (3.6k, 3.4k) could fill that role. She played 16 minutes last game, but is also still coming off of a knee injury, likely capping the amount of minutes she can play. At such a low price, however, she could hit close to 15 fantasy points and be in some of the top lineups.

Chicago is a team that is fairly accurately priced. At the top, Diamond DeShields (10k, 7.2k) and Courtney Vandersloot (9.5k, 7.3k) are neither under nor overpriced. While they certainly are options, I like a couple of values on this team instead. First, Stefanie Dolson (6.4k, 4.4k) comes in at a sub 5000 dollar price, which is significant as she should get mid-twenties minutes. This, combined with her 0.8 fantasy point per minute performance should allow her to hit close to 20 fantasy points, which would be tremendous for a 4400 dollar player.

Along the same lines, Jantel Lavender (6.1k, 5k) should play close to 30 minutes, and also should avoid the great defense of Brittney Griner. This puts her into consideration, as she should also be able to eclipse the 20 fantasy point barrier.

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