One quirk of the WNBA schedule this season is a lot of teams are playing each other back-to-back, much like the NBA did due to the pandemic. As such, you have a lot of situations like Seattle, who played two games at Atlanta this week and two at home against Dallas before that. On the one hand, it is difficult to evaluate some players due to facing the same team(s) back-to-back. Is Aari McDonald slumping because she is a rookie who will have ups and downs, or will she bounce back now that she doesn’t have to play Seattle again for a while? There is no way to know for sure, but if we guess correctly, we have an excellent chance to find some DFS value.
Guards
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Natisha Hiedeman
CON
SEA
5900
20.75
4200
21.17
Hiedeman is averaging 24.0 fppg as a starter this season and even if she doesn't start in this game, I think we will see similar minutes and fantasy production to when she was starting. Connecticut will almost certainly need Hiedeman's scoring if they are going to have any chance of defeating Seattle with Breanna Stewart out, which gives her a nice floor for her price.
DeWanna Bonner
CON
SEA
10800
34.98
7800
34.44
Bonner is in a shooting slump, shooting 31.7 percent in her last three games. Her shots won't get any easier with Jonquel Jones out, but the week off should have helped her get healthy and hopefully regain her confidence. Bonner is certainly risky, but nobody would be surprised if she takes 20+ shots and scores 50+ fantasy points. She is a GPP play, especially on FanDuel.
Ariel Atkins
WAS
ATL
9400
31.61
7200
31.23
Atkins is notoriously streaky, so I think she is a reasonably bet to continue her hot shooting after she went 7-for-10 against Los Angeles Thursday. Atkins has at least 32.5 fantasy points in four straight games, and she is a nice value if she keeps that going.
Aari McDonald
ATL
WAS
5500
13.03
4200
12.68
McDonald was great in two games against Minnesota but then struggled in two games against Seattle. This should be a better matchup for her and if Chennedy Carter is out again, McDonald has a decent chance at 20+ minutes and 20+ fantasy points.
Jewell Loyd
SEA
CON
9800
36.14
7500
35.06
I wish I could explain why Loyd is breaking out after a couple of disappointing seasons, but the important thing is that she has. Loyd has at least 28 fantasy points in nine of her last 10 games, including 45 fantasy points against Connecticut last month. This matchup will be a whole lot easier with Jonquel Jones out.
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Tiffany Hayes
ATL
WAS
8600
28.39
6700
28.02
Hayes struggled against Seattle Friday, but most guards do. She has at least 12 field goal attempts in seven consecutive games, with at least 24 fantasy points in six of those. Hayes is safe on both sites but has a nice ceiling as well.
Forwards
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Beatrice Mompremier
CON
SEA
4800
6.7
3000
7.07
Mompremier is a steal on FanDuel, especially if she starts. Mompremier is averaging 0.72 fantasy points per minute this season, and she could easily play 20+ minutes with Jonquel Jones out. Mompremier will probably split Jonquel Jones's minutes with Natisha Hiedeman and Stephanie Jones but she should be relatively safe. It is worth noting Mompremier averaged 0.95 fantasy points per minute as a rookie last season when Jonquel Jones sat out.
Myisha Hines-Allen
WAS
ATL
10100
32.12
7400
31.90
Only New York has allowed more fantasy points to opposing forwards than Atlanta. Hines-Allen has at least 14 field goal attempts in five consecutive games, with at least 33 fantasy points in four of those. She is just as safe as the other stud forwards but she is significantly cheaper.
Cheyenne Parker
ATL
WAS
7600
16.25
4800
15.82
Parker played a season-high 27 minutes Friday and finished with 23.5 fantasy points. She could easily top those numbers as she continues to work her way back from Covid, and while I like her better in GPPs, I think she could be a value in cash games as well.
Mercedes Russell
SEA
CON
6900
17.92
5400
18.56
Russell has shown a nice floor this season, and she could dominate against Connecticut's depleted front court. I think Russell is the cheapest forward i am completely comfortable using in cash games.
Megan Walker
PHO
NY
6500
12.72
4300
12.26
Walker ended her streak of three games with 20+ fantasy points with 2.75 fantasy points in 19 minutes against Dallas. That's obviously not ideal, but I think she will probably bounce back in a nice matchup against New York. So long as Walker is starting, I think she is a nice GPP play.
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Bella Alarie
DAL
LV
4600
9.06
3600
9.78
I'm surprised Alarie's price didn't increase more after she scored 20.25 fantasy points in 23 minutes at Phoenix Friday. Alarie could see her minutes and production fall off in a tough matchup against Las Vegas, but I'm willing to bet on her talent and her price. Just be aware she is a guard on FanDuel, which probably increases her value on that site.
Brittney Griner
PHO
NY
11500
39.88
8900
40.53
No team has allowed as many fantasy points to opposing centers as New York. Griner has been quite inconsistent even in the midst of the best season of her career, but there is a pretty decent chance she scores 50+ fantasy points and is in every winning GPP lineup.
Breanna Stewart
SEA
CON
10900
43.46
8700
43.88
She is averaging two more fantasy points than any forward on the slate, but she is the fourth-most expensive forward on DraftKings. Connecticut has been a tough fantasy matchup for forwards, but they are a completely different team with Jonquel Jones out. I am worried this game could be a blowout, but that is a concern for most of the top forwards on this slate. I think Stewart is the safest forward on the slate.
Tina Charles
WAS
ATL
11300
41.53
8400
40.10
Charles has been just as consistent as Breanna Stewart, and Charles may have the better matchup. It would be easy to just play whoever is cheapest, but I will have them both in at least one lineup.
