Fansided

WNBA DFS Lineup Advice – 8/10/2018 (Fanduel and DraftKings)

By EJ Whelan

PHOENIX, AZ - JULY 30: Stephanie Talbot #8 of the Phoenix Mercury attempts a lay up shot past Dearica Hamby #5 of the San Antonio Stars during the first half of the WNBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on July 30, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Silver Stars 81-64. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - JULY 30: Stephanie Talbot #8 of the Phoenix Mercury attempts a lay up shot past Dearica Hamby #5 of the San Antonio Stars during the first half of the WNBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on July 30, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Silver Stars 81-64. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
WNBA DFS
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 24: A basketball on the court during Game One of the WNBA finals featuring the Los Angeles Sparks against the Minnesota Lynx at Williams Arena on September 24, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.(Photo by Andy King/Getty Images) WNBA DFS /

Welcome to the Friday 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.

T.G.I.F. my friends! It’s been a good week of WNBA DFS let’s keep the momentum going and end things right tonight! We have two games starting at 9 p.m. ET. Both games have blowout potential (the most overrated narrative in fantasy sports analysis according to some, wink-wink) so don’t blow your cash on bad picks tonight. It’s a short slate with just a few stars, you want to find the right players with low enough ownership to set you apart from the pack.  So let’s jump into the slate find some key players and value picks to build our lineups around and go win some money!!!

For those of you stopping by for the first time, I would like to thank you for checking out WNBA DFS Lineup Advice here at FantasyCPR.com Here is a brief summary of what I cover in each article:

  1. Where to Play (Websites, contest rules, and prizes)
  2. Game Times, O/U, Spreads from Oddshark.com
  3. Key players from each game (Over 6K on Fanduel,10K on DraftKings)
  4. Value picks from each game (Under 4.5-K on Fanduel, 6k on DraftKings)
  5. Team stats from WNBA.com
  6. Player projections from LineStarApp.com
  7. Final Thoughts on the slate. (Stacks, fades, injuries, etc.)

It’s important to remember these articles are just a first look at the slate. For injury updates, starting lineups, pictures of my dog, and any other WNBA DFS news throughout the day – follow me on Twitter @whelan_ej

daWNBA DFS – WHERE TO PLAY

Fanduel – $4.44 entry fee  (150 max)  8,043  total entries  1st place prize – $5,000

DraftKings – $10 entry fee  (105 max) 3,529  total entries  1st place prize – $5,000

PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 05: Jasmine Thomas #5 of the Connecticut Sun high fives Morgan Tuck #33 and Alex Bentley #20 during the first half of WNBA game against the Phoenix Mercury at Talking Stick Resort Arena on July 5, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 05: Jasmine Thomas #5 of the Connecticut Sun high fives Morgan Tuck #33 and Alex Bentley #20 during the first half of WNBA game against the Phoenix Mercury at Talking Stick Resort Arena on July 5, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Connecticut travels to the Windy City to take on the Sky and hope to walk away with their sixth win in a row. They are finding their rhythm at the right time and head into tonight’s game as big point favorites. Chicago currently sits on the brink of being eliminated from the playoff race. It’s do-or-die for the Sky tonight and I expect them to get up for this game.

9 p.m. ET   Connecticut Sun (17-12)  vs. Chicago Sky (10-19)  176 O/U CHI +10

CON – Off rating 107.2  Def rating  100.4  Pace  80.9  Off ppg  87.2  Def ppg  81.5

CHI – Off rating  101  Def rating  110.1  Pace  81  Off ppg  82   Def ppg  89.8

Key Players:

Courtney Williams – I’m having a hard time deciding between Williams and Jasmine Thomas in this game. The Sky are not great at defending the perimeter. Opponents are making 36.59% of their shots from beyond the arch against the Sky. Thomas has been taking more three-pointers lately, but Williams can fill up the stat sheet in other areas.  Williams is a little cheaper on FD, Thomas is cheaper on DK. Pick your poison. I’m going with Williams.

Courtney Vandersloot – Sloot finally came back down to Earth against the Lynx, scoring just over 20 fantasy points. LineStar has her projected to score 36.51 points on Fanduel. I won’t be rushing to stick her in my lineups today. I will probably only pay up for one guard, there are plenty of mid-tier and value options in the backcourt on this slate.

Alyssa Thomas – Thomas has started to pick up the pace lately and put up around 40 fantasy points in her last game out. She get’s a great matchup today, and I don’t mind her price tag on DraftKings. LineStar has her projected to score 33.16 on Fanduel. That feels a little low. Jonquel Jones is a decent mid-tier pivot today, or Cheyenne Parker on the other side of the ball.

Value Picks:  Shekinna Stricklen (FD)  Layshia Clarendon (FD & DK) Kahleah Copper (FD & DK) Morgan Tuck (FD)

WNBA DFS
PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 30: Stephanie Talbot #8 of the Phoenix Mercury attempts a lay up shot past Dearica Hamby #5 of the San Antonio Stars during the first half of the WNBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on July 30, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Silver Stars 81-64. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Stephanie Talbot has started for the Mercury during their last 3 games and is playing over 30 minutes a night. Her price tag has risen $1,300 on Fanduel since during that time frame. Will she return value tonight at home against the Fever? Keep reading to find out.

10 p.m. ET  Indiana Fever (5-24)  vs. Phoenix Mercury (16-14) 166.5 O/U PHO -11.5

IND –  Off rating  94.6   Def rating  105.2  Pace  78.9   Off ppg   75.3   Def ppg  84.3

PHO – Off rating 104.7  Def rating  102.9   Pace  80.3   Off ppg  84.5   Def ppg  83.3

Key Players:

Brittney Griner – There aren’t many elite options upfront today. Griner has one the highest ceilings on the slate, and the highest price tag. LineStar has her projected to score 41.24 points today on Fanduel. She’s not blocking shots at the rate she was earlier in the season, but she has taken an average of 22 field goal attempts in her last two games. The Mercury are currently sitting 7th in a tight playoff race. I expect them to come out and play hard tonight, in an attempt to secure a first-round bye. I want at least one stud from PHO today, but they may come from the backcourt.

Diana Taurasi –  Taurasi gets a better matchup today than Griner and is a bit cheaper on both sites.    Indiana gives up 6.48 three-pointers a game and Taurasi is leading the league with 95 so far this season. LineStar has her projected to score 38.96 points on DraftKings. Bonner feels like a safer play for cash today, but I want Taurasi in my GPP lineups.

Candace Dupree –  Dupree has stepped up recently, scoring almost 40 fantasy points in three out of her last four games. She played well against Phoenix the last time these two teams met, and has plenty of experience dealing with her former teammates on the court. She’s been on the Fever for two years now but was on the Mercury from 2010-2016. LineStar has her projected to score 32.11 points on DraftKings. That feels a little low to me. I want a good amount of exposure to her today.

Value Picks:  Briann January (FD) Cappie Pondexter (FD) 

More from FanSided

Final Thoughts

  1. There are virtually no punt plays in the paint today. Talbot has been eating up all the minutes for Phoenix, and none of the other teams have a cheap forward I feel comfortable playing. It’s gonna be hard to build a studs and scrubs type of lineup on this slate. If Talbot was listed as forward I would play her today, but there are better options in her price range today at guard.
  2. The spreads are ugly today, but I’m still not too interested in the bench players on this slate. I will stick to a more balanced approach to building my lineups.
  3. If I’m placing side bets today I like both games under the point totals and CHI against the spread.
  4. I probably won’t be looking to stack either one of these games. There’s enough value on Indiana to run back a few Phoenix star but I don’t like the game script.
  5. Injuries that could impact the slate: None so far!

Next. DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns. dark

Thanks for stopping by and reading the article I hope you enjoyed it! Remember to check out FantasyCPR for all your DFS needs. Our experts cover WNBA, MLB, NFL, NBA and more, breaking down slates, analyzing matchups and providing you with the best players to build your lineups around.