This WNBA season continues to be defined by teams playing back-to-backs. This week we have only one repeat, though the venue has changed. Seattle hosts the Sparks three days after their 84-74 win in Los Angeles. The other two matchups feature teams that haven’t played each other in at least three weeks. Minnesota hosts Dallas in what should be a good game for fantasy. It helps that most of Dallas’s fantasy production comes from the backcourt and Minnesota has struggled to defend guards while they have been great against forwards. In the other game, Phoenix will try to end the Aces’ four-game winning streak. That will be a tall order; the Aces are a league-best 8-1 at home this season.
| Guards | |||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
| Arike Ogunbowale | DAL | MIN | 9400 | 31.64 | 7500 | 30.75 | |
| Minnesota is allowing the most fantasy points to guards, and Ogunbowale is averaging 31.5 fantasy points in two games against the Lynx. Ogunbowale hasn't shot the ball well lately but that won't last forever. | |||||||
| Kelsey Plum | LV | PHO | 8200 | 23.81 | 6200 | 22.89 | |
| Plum bounced back from an awful game against the Sparks Friday to score 38.75 fantasy points in 25 minutes against Atlanta. Plum has scored at least 24.25 fantasy points in six of her last seven games, with at least 37 fantasy points in three of those. | |||||||
| Epiphanny Prince | SEA | LA | 5700 | 11.97 | 5200 | 12.40 | |
| We probably just saw Prince's best game of the season, when she had 31.5 fantasy points in 31 minutes on 6-12 shooting. Even if Jewell Loyd is out again, I doubt Prince will repeat that production. That being said, Noelle Quinn appears to be unwilling to play Jordin Canada more than 20 minutes per game, and Prince should benefit from that if Loyd cannot go. | |||||||
| Karlie Samuelson | LA | SEA | 4200 | 7.88 | 3300 | 7.41 | |
| Samuelson didn't exactly crush it in the battle for Samuelson supremacy, she did play 31 minutes despite only shooting 2-8 from the field. If Kristi Toliver is out and Samuelson starts again, I will take a shot on her. If she plays 30 minutes again she will almost certainly return value, but she doesn't need to play that many minutes to be a worthwhile fantasy play. If Samuelson comes off the bench, Te'a Cooper would be a must-start. | |||||||
| Marina Mabrey | DAL | MIN | 7300 | 28.62 | 5600 | 27.59 | |
| Her hot streak won't last forever, but she is averaging 39.5 fantasy points in her last two games. She had 39 fantasy points in 18 minutes in her last game against Minnesota, but had 5.0 fantasy points in 17 minutes against Minnesota two days before that. Mabrey is strictly a GPP play but Minnesota has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing guards. | |||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
| Allisha Gray | DAL | MIN | 7700 | 22.8 | 5900 | 23.46 | |
| Gray has played at least 30 minutes in three straight games, scoring between 24 and 34 fantasy points in those games. She has averaged 19.5 fantasy points in 23.5 minutes in two games against Minnesota. | |||||||
| Diana Taurasi | PHO | LV | 9300 | 26.82 | 6000 | 24.71 | |
| Only two guards are more expensive than Taurasi on DK, but she is the 11th-most expensive guard on FD. She is a must-play on FD and a reasonable alternative to Arike Ogunbowale if you need to save $100 on DK. | |||||||
| Forwards | |||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
| Ezi Magbegor | SEA | LA | 6400 | 12.69 | 4700 | 13.00 | |
| Magbegor had a season-high 23 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes Wednesday, and Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said she would continue to give Magbegor minutes while she "flourishes." Magbegor has averaged over a fantasy points per minute in both WNBA seasons and with Candace Dupree no longer in the mix, the sky is the limit. Magbegor could still lose playing time to Mercedes Russell, but the potential valud here is hard to deny. | |||||||
| Brittney Griner | PHO | LV | 10400 | 38.36 | 8500 | 38.29 | |
| The Aces have allowed the most fantasy points to forwards and Griner had 52.3 fantasy points in her only game against the Aces. Sylvia Fowles shut Griner down on Saturday, ending Griner's streak of eight straight games with at least 30 fantasy points. I expect Griner to begin a new streak Wednesday. | |||||||
| Breanna Stewart | SEA | LA | 11500 | 44.07 | 9100 | 44.34 | |
| Steart had 38.5 fantasy points against Los Angeles Sunday, giving her at least 35.5 fantasy points in nine of her last 10 games. She is the safest player on the slate, but she is not cheap. | |||||||
| Alanna Smith | PHO | LV | 4000 | 5.92 | 3300 | 5.75 | |
| Smith played 17 minutes and had 11.25 fantasy points against Minnesota Saturday, and Phoenix could use her size to match up with the Aces. That was her first game in three weeks, and she isn't guaranteed to play Wednesday, but she could be a nice punt play if she gets some minutes. | |||||||
| Brianna Turner | PHO | LV | 8400 | 25.45 | 6000 | 26.68 | |
| Turner had 21.3 fantasy points in 22.5 minutes against the Aces in their first matchup. She has played at least 29 minutes in eight of her last 10 games, and if she reaches that threshold Wednesday, she should be a nice value. | |||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
| Lauren Cox | LA | SEA | 5400 | 6.91 | 3500 | 7.26 | |
| In three games with Los Angeles, Cox is averaging 12.9 fantasypoints in 18.0 minutes per game. She wasn't great against Seattle, but I think there is a decent chance she bounces back. She doesn't really have anyone who compete with for playing time, especially if Amanda Zahui B and Nia Coffey wind up in foul trouble again. | |||||||
| Kayla Thornton | DAL | MIN | 6700 | 20.39 | 5000 | 19.99 | |
| Thornton has been surprisingly good against Minnesota this season, averaging 22.0 fantasy points in 25.3 minutes per game. Thornton has played at least 35 minutes in each of her last two games, but she doesn't need to play that much to be useful for fantasy, especially in cash lineups. | |||||||
| Draftkings Core Plays | ||
Top Tier | Arike Ogunbowale | $9,400 |
| Brittney Griner | $10,400 | |
Mid Tier | Kelsey Plum | $8,200 |
| Ezi Magbegor | $6,400 | |
Value Tier | Karlie Samuelson | $4,200 |
| Alanna Smith | $4,000 | |
| Fanduel Core Plays | ||
Top Tier | Diana Taurasi | $6,000 |
| Breanna Stewart | $9,100 | |
Mid Tier | Allisha Gray | $5,900 |
| Ezi Magbegor | $4,700 | |
Value Tier | Karlie Samuelson | $3,300 |
| Lauren Cox | $3,500 | |