Today seems like a good day to talk about star players and their effect on their teammates and their teammates’ stats. The Mystics have continued to roll despite Elena Delle Donne’s absence due to illness while the Sky figure to look much different with starting point guard Courtney Vandersloot back in the mix.
The Mystics couldn’t settle on a set rotation even when Delle Donne was healthy, and it seems like they have a different player break out every single game. While the prices on the Mystics remain low enough to make it worth taking a chance on a few of their players, it could be some time before we have an idea of what this team looks like with everyone healthy.
I think most DFS players will avoid the Sky until we see how they look with Vandersloot, and that is probably smart for the ballhandlers like Diamond DeShields, Jamierra Faulkner and Kahleah Copper. DeShields will likely play off the ball more while Faulkner and Copper figure to see fewer minutes. That being said, I don’t think you should be afraid to play the rest of Chicago’s starters. Courtney Vandersloot is a great passer, and even if she takes a couple of shots per game from her teammates, they could get better looks at the shots they do take thanks to her passing.
| Player | FanDuel Price | DraftKings Price | Comments |
| Sylvia Fowles, F, MIN | $ 8,100 | $ 12,200 | Big Syl is averaging 16.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.6 steals this season. She is the star in this slate I trust the most. |
| Courtney Vandersloot, G, CHI | $ 7,100 | $ 11,400 | Vandersloot averaged 11.5 points, 8.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 30.3 minutes per game last season. Chicago's starting lineup probably fits better than it did a year ago, and we have a chance for even better numbers this season. |
| A'ja Wilson, F, LV | $ 7,600 | $ 10,800 | A'ja Wilson is averaging 19.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. She is tied for eighth in the league in scoring and fifth in rebounding. |
| Allie Quigley, G, CHI | $ 6,000 | $ 10,600 | I suspect Quigley's ownership will be lower now that Courtney Vandersloot is back, but even if Quigley gets fewer shots (not a foregone conclusion) she will probably get better looks playing with one of the two best point guards in the league. |
| Stefanie Dolson, F, CHI | $ 5,400 | $ 8,900 | Dolson is averaging 7.3 ppg this season, down from her career-high 14.5 in 2017. He is playing 2.1 fewer minutes per game and taking 2.0 fewer shots per game, but the biggest difference is she is shooting 38.2 percent from the field. Her career-low is 48.2 percent. It is worth noting Dolson averaged 10.5 ppg in May last season before turning it on in June. |
| Chiney Ogwumike, F, CON | $ 6,100 | $ 8,400 | Ogwumike played just 17 minutes in the season-opening blowout of Las Vegas, but she played 31 and 26 minutes in the next two games. I doubt the Sun will win by 36 Friday, so Ogwumike seems like a safe bet to outperform her price. |
| Jasmine Thomas, G, CON | $ 5,300 | $ 8,000 | Thomas could be one of the best guards for fantasy on another team, but her upside is limited by playing with three All-Star frontcourt players. That being said, she has at least 11 points and four assists in every game this season. |
| Jonquel Jones, F, CON | $ 6,300 | $ 7,500 | Jonquel Jones is averaging 10.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game this season. The minutes have to increase at some point, and when they do, she is absolutely winning a GPP for someone. I love her price on DraftKings. |
| Courtney Williams, G, CON | $ 5,300 | $ 7,200 | Like her backcourt mate Jasmine Thomas, Courtney Williams does a bit of everything. He is averaging 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists on the season, and she is significantly cheaper than Thomas on DraftKings. |
| Rebekkah Brunson, F, MIN | $ 5,300 | $ 6,900 | Brunson has scored at least 18.25 fantasy points on DraftKings in every game this season, making her a solid cash play. |
| Tianna Hawkins, F, WAS | $ 4,400 | $ 6,600 | The only game in her last five Tianna Hawkins scored fewer than 13 points happens to be the day I included her in this playbook, so I am a bit gunshy. Also, expect a much more modest return if Elena Delle Donne returns. |
| Nia Coffey, F, LV | $ 4,700 | $ 6,800 | Nia Coffey has the misfortune of costing just a bit more than Tianna Hawkins, and as a result, she just barely missed making my optimal lineups. Coffey is coming off a poor game Thursday night, but I find it encouraging that she continues to get touches in this offense even with Kayla McBride and Kelsey Plum back in the fold. |
| Ariel Atkins, G, WAS | $ 4,100 | $ 6,100 | Like Tianna Hawkins, Ariel Atkins is capable of producing for fantasy even if she is coming off the bench, though she certainly has a higher ceiling if EDD and Natasha Cloud are out again. |
| Gabby Williams, F, CHI | $ 3,700 | $ 5,500 | Williams could benefit quite a bit from Courtney Vandersloot's return, especially if the Sky are able to get out in transition more often. |
| Kelsey Plum, G, LV | $ 4,200 | $ 4,800 | Kelsey Plum played 23 minutes Thursday after playing just 10 minutes in her season debut. While the increased playing time may have been the result of her team getting blown out, I am hopeful she will see more minutes going forward. |