WNBA DFS Lineup Advice – 8/23/2018 (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.
The second round of the WNBA Playoffs starts tonight at 6:30 pm ET. This is the last single-game elimination round before the semi-finals start. There are a lot of players to consider today for our lineups and with the WNBA DFS season dwindling down we need to make the most of tonight. 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:
- Where to Play (Websites, contest rules, and prizes)
- Game Times, O/U, Spreads from Oddshark.com
- Key players from each game (Over 6K on Fanduel,10K on DraftKings)
- Value picks from each game (Under 4.5-K on Fanduel, 6k on DraftKings)
- Team stats from WNBA.com
- Player projections from LineStarApp.com
- 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
WNBA DFS – WHERE TO PLAY
Fanduel – $4.44 entry fee (150 max) 5,362 total entries 1st place prize – $2,000
DraftKings – $10 entry fee (123 max) 4,117 total entries 1st place prize – $10,000
The Sparks defeated the Lynx 75-68 on Tuesday and advanced to Round 2 of the playoffs. Now they face the No. 3 seed Washington Mystics on the road, a team they are 1-2 against this season. This game will be played at the Charles E. Smith Center, not Capital One Arena, which is shut down due to renovations. The Mystics had the 3rd highest offensive rating this season. The Sparks had the 2nd best defensive rating in the league. Can the Mystics high powered offense make up for their vulnerable D? It should be a great game to watch and there are plenty of options to consider for your DFS lineups.
6:30 pm ET Los Angeles Sparks #6 vs. Washington Mystics #3 156 O/U WAS -4.5
LOS – Off rating 100.9 Def rating 98.7 Pace 77.8 Off ppg 78.9 Def ppg 77
WAS – Off rating 107.2 Def rating 103 Pace 78.9 Off ppg 84.5 Def ppg 81.4
Key Players:
Candace Parker – Paker was basically a no-show against the Lynx after scoring the first basket of the game. She was held to 2 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in 29 minutes of action. An upset stomach is said to have hindered her performance Tuesday. She gets a softer matchup tonight and should bounce back if she’s feeling well. There are not as many studs in the paint today, I expect that to drive her ownership up a bit. Fading a player who burnt you last game can feel good, but don’t do it out of spite. She had a decent price drop on DK but went up $100 on FD.
Nneka Ogwumike – She had a big game against WAS earlier this season scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. I usually don’t play Ogwumike much but she makes a decent option for GPP lineups tonight. I feel like Latoya Sanders is a little safer for cash but you will have to pay up for her DK. That said, there’s more value picks in the paint to today than we had Tuesday and I will probably be saving my money for some of the guards on the slate.
Chelsea Gray – Gray put up over 40 fantasy points last game and her price actually went down on Fanduel. She wasn’t in the winning lineup Tuesday on Fanduel but I don’t expect the guards from Phoenix to put up as many fantasy points tonight. I will have a good amount of exposure to her in my lineups tonight.
Elena Delle Donne – EDD was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for August on Monday. She hasn’t put up big numbers against LA this year though and the over/under is 21 points lower than the other game on the slate. LineStar has her projected to score 38.95 points on Fanduel. She feels a little risky tonight, but I expect the Mystics to get up for this game and it should go over the point total. The Sparks have been bouncing back and forth from coast-to-coast and may come into this game with some fatigue. If you are going to pay up in the paint today I would go with EDD.
Kristi Toliver – Toliver is more expensive than C. Gray on Fanduel and priced higher than both of the guards from Sun on DraftKings. She doesn’t have enough GPP upside to warrant such a price tag and the matchup isn’t going to be easy either. Ariel Atkins could be a decent pivot, but I’m not sure she will play the big minutes we usually get out of starters in the postseason.
Value Picks: Jantel Lavender (FD & DK) , Aerial Powers (FD & DK) , Tianna Hawkins (FD)
Chiney Ogwumike missed the last few games of the WNBA season with a knee injury and is questionable for tonight’s game. Jonquel Jones has filled in for her in the starting lineup and has played well. Both these teams are red-hot, winning the last 4 games of the season. The point total for this game is high, but so are the price tags for the starters. It will be a hard game to stack, but there are still some good pieces to pull from for your lineups.
8:30 pm ET Phoenix Mercury #5 vs. Connecticut Sun #4 177 O/U CON -4.5
PHO – Off rating 106.7 Def rating 103.5 Pace 80.4 Off ppg 85.8 Def ppg 83.2
CON – Off rating 108.2 Def rating 101 Pace 80.9 Off ppg 87.6 Def ppg 81.7
Key Players:
DeWanna Bonner – Bonner double-doubled again and has thrived since moving to the No. 4 spot in the lineup. LineStar has her projected to score 43.26 points on DraftKings. The guards are actually more expensive on DK today than the bigs, something we don’t see often. She’s been matchup proof lately but this will be her toughest challenge yet. I’m gonna split exposure to her some of the bigs from the first game on Fanduel.
Diana Taurasi – She has played well against CON this year putting up at least 40 fantasy points in their last two meetings. She should stay on the court for a few more minutes tonight as I expect this game to stay closer than the blowout with Dallas. LineStar has her projected to score 42.51 on Fanduel today. I will have a good amount of exposure to her today on FD. I don’t mind paying up in the backcourt today where I think the starters will see more minutes than the bigs.
Brittney Griner – Griner didn’t need to do much offensively against Dallas in the win but still played big minutes after Robinson got into early foul trouble trying to defend Cambage. LineStar has her projected to score 37.76 points on Fanduel. Rebounds will be hard to come by and she has gotten into some foul trouble against the Sun in the past. She’s the most expensive player on a slate full of solid mid-tier pivots. I’m having a hard time talking myself into paying up for her today.
Jonquel Jones – Even if Ogwumike plays tonight I don’t see why the Sun wouldn’t start Jones instead of Stricklen. In a single elimination game, especially one against a team as good as the Mercury you will need to keep your best five players on the court for most of the game. That includes Jones. With Clarendon, Tuck, Bentley, and Stricklen on the bench, the Sun would be a tough team to beat. Whether she starts or not, she should get plenty of minutes tonight and can easily hit value. That said she’s a little pricey on DK and I won’t have any exposure to her there unless she starts.
Jasmine Thomas – Thomas has shown some upside lately but I’m still not paying up for or Williams on Fanduel today. Williams is a good play on DK, where you can roster her for under 8k. That said I don’t expect the Sun to lean on their bench as heavily as usual in this game and Thomas should be on the court for at least 30 minutes this game.
Value Picks: Layshia Clarendon (FD & DK ) , Shekinna Stricklen (FD) *if she starts
Morgan Tuck (FD & DK) * If Ogwumike and Jones both start.
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Final Thoughts
- There are a lot of mid-tier options on the slate that we have to consider today. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for tonight’s full player pool, starting lineups, and injury news.
- If you are running a stars and scrubs lineup today lock in your punts and mix exposure to she studs on the slate. There are not a lot of options on the bench I am interested in tonight so narrowing down your punts should be an easier task.
- Building a more balanced lineup around a majority of mid-tier starters could pay off well tonight if the games stay tight and the benches stay warm.
- If I am placing side bets tonight I like both games to go over the point total and Phoenix against the spread.
- Fades: Alex Bentley, Kristi Toliver, All punts on FD below 4k (besides Hawkins)
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