WNBA DFS Lineup Advice – 7/12/2018 (Fanduel and DraftKings)
By EJ Whelan
Welcome to the Thursday edition of WNBA DFS Lineup Advice, a fantasy basketball column dedicated to finding you the best key players and value picks on today’s slate to build your lineups around.
We have a special edition of WNBA DFS Lineup Advice today for the single game GPPs on Fanduel and DraftKings. Most other sites don’t bother doing write-ups for single game slates. Some analysts don’t want to “waste their time” on a short slate. Others are afraid of making recommendations with such a small player pool where there is less room for error and mistakes are magnified. Here at FantasyCPR.com no potato is too small, if there’s a WNBA slate – we want to help you win money – whether it is for 1 game or 6 games!
As for mistakes, nobody likes to make those. We try our hardest breaking down the slate to provide you with the best picks to build your lineups around. It’s important to remember these articles are just a first look at the slate. For injury updates, starting lineups, and any other developments follow me @whelan_ej on Twitter.
Now that we have that out-of-the-way let’s jump into today’s game. The Dallas Wings take on the Los Angeles Sparks at 3:30pm ET. We will discuss MVP candidates, possible stars and pros, and the best utility plays to build your lineup with and go win some money!!!
GAME TIMES, O/U, SPREADS
3:30pm Dallas Wings (11-8) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (13-8) 163.5 O/U LOS -7
*all game times are in Eastern Time. Teams with ( – ) point spread are favored to win.
WNBA DFS – WHERE TO PLAY
Fanduel – $3 entry fee (71 max) 2,380 total entries 1st place prize – $500
DraftKings – $10 entry fee (28 max) 941 total entries 1st place prize – $1,500
On Fanduel you will select a MVP (x2) STAR (x1.5) PRO (x1.25) and two utility spots.
On DraftKings you will select a MVP (x1.5) and five utility spots.
For those of you who haven’t tried WNBA DFS out yet, it’s a great day to start! Fanduel has a free contest today. You can win WNBA Store gift codes, a WNBA League Pass subscription, or a an entry to the WNBA Fantasy Championship!
WNBA DFS – MVP, STAR, PRO PICKS:
Candace Parker – Coming off a huge game against Seattle she was one rebound shy of a triple dub. I expect a lot of people to roster her in their MVP position today or fade her, especially on DraftKings where she costs 18,900. On Fanduel I think her ownership will a little bit higher, and you will find her at either the MVP or STAR position. I’m not huge on Parker today, but she does get a better matchup than Ogwumike. It’s an up pace game for the Sparks, and Dallas is giving up 7..8 rebounds a game and 7.4 field goals a game to F1s. I will throw her in a couple of my Fanduel lineups but I am staying away from her on DK.
Nneka Ogwumike – She costs $2,400 more than Chelsea Gray on DraftKings. Ogwumike is another player that I have more interest in on Fanduel today than DK. She has the upside (scored 50 fantasy points against on WAS July 7th) but Parker is the safer bet I think to get you 40+ this game. Depending on how you build your lineup she may fall into the PRO position, but I wouldn’t roster her any higher than that.
Liz Cambage – I love Cambage today as MVP on either site. She has played well in both games against the Sparks this year, with about 45 fantasy points last time these two teams met. The Sparks struggle rebounding the ball and they are giving up about 30 fantasy points a game to opposing centers. Liz should be able to take advantage of the matchup and do well today. The recent play of Glory Johnson and Azura Stevens might draw some people away from Liz, but I don’t mind stacking her with one of them in this matchup.
Skylar Diggins-Smith – I don’t have a ton of interest in Skylar today. Her price is a little high, she has had 2 rough games against the Sparks this year already, and there are better options on the slate. She does have the kind of GPP upside that can spoil a small slate like this if you fade her, but that is chance that I am willing to take today. The Sparks aren’t giving up many baskets to guards, it’s a paced down game for her, and Dallas is 7 point underdogs. I’ll pass.
Chelsea Gray – I like Gray in the PRO spot today on Fanduel. Her first game against Dallas this year didn’t go that well, but she scored almost 35 fantasy points in their last meeting. She plays a ton of minutes, and Dallas gives enough rebounds and assists up to guards to make me feel good about her chances today. That said, if you want to play her in the utility spot and bring one of the Dallas utility plays up to PRO, I think that is a good option as well.
WNBA DFS – UTILITY PICKS:
Azura Stevens – The Rookie is starting to play like a vet lately, scoring in double digits in her last 4 games, with plenty of other stats to fill the sheet with. Her minutes tend to fluctuate a bit though, but she got around 24 minutes in both previous games versus the Sparks. I feel a little safer playing Glory Johnson. Especially on DK where Johnson is $900 cheaper – but Azura is in play for me on Fanduel.
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Glory Johnson – I like Johnson on both sites today as a solid utility option and possibly a PRO spot on Fanduel. The matchup won’t be easy, but she played well against the Sparks both times this year, and she has been seeing more time on the court recently. Stevens has a few inches and pounds on Johnson though. The Wings may lean on Stevens size more to help slow down Parker, limiting Johnson’s value.
Alana Beard – She is a decent utility play if you want to save some cash and roster some of the more expensive options on the slate. She get’s a decent match up in a pace up game. She played 28 minutes against the Wings last time these two teams met and put up about 24 fantasy points. Her playing time has been trending up since then. Furthermore, Dallas is a little sloppy with the ball, currently ranked 2nd in turnovers at 15.1 per game. Beard has a chance to grab a few steals and pull down some rebounds in this game, she should pay off her price tag today.
OTHER UTILITY SPOT CONSIDERATIONS: Allisha Gray (DAL) , Essence Carson (LA) , Ariel Powers (DAL)
Next: Today's MLB FanDuel Plays and Game by Game breakdowns
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