WNBA DFS Lineup Advice – 8/31/2018 (Fanduel and DraftKings)
By EJ Whelan
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.
It’s the last day of the work week, the last day of the month, and could be the last day of the Pheonix Mercury’s season if they lose to the Seattle Storm tonight. Once again we have two WNBA playoff games starting at 8pm ET. The venues have changed, there is some injury news to keep an eye on, and the stakes are high 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 – $6 entry fee (150 max) 8,824 total entries 1st place prize – $10,000
DraftKings – $10 entry fee (150 max) 5,882 total entries 1st place prize – $10,000
Tianna Hawkins was a major disappointment last game, putting up a big ole’ zero on the scoreboard – and in my lineups. Despite that, if she gets the start tonight I will have a lot of exposure to her in my lineups. Aerial Powers makes a decent pivot too if EDD misses and I don’t mind playing them together in my lineups with Elena out of the picture.
8 pm ET Atlanta Dream #2 vs Washington Mystics #3 161.5 O/U WAS -3
Key Players:
Elena Delle Donne – She played a great on Tuesday EDD before hyperextended her knee towards the end of the game. Even if she plays I don’t want much exposure to her tonight. The chances of her having much impact on the game with bum knee are slim. LineStar has her projected to score 40.77 points on DraftKings. That seems a little high to me. She will have a hard time creating her own shots without full mobility, and she would need to dish out a lot of assists to have any sort of chance at returning value.
Kristi Toliver – Toliver is fairly priced on both sites today and I will have some exposure to her. She has been a little bit underwhelming lately though and has struggled to hit value at this price for quite some time. That could change tonight and she is one of the top candidates to see a bump in usage and fantasy points with EDD hampered by injury. I like Cloud and Atkins too, and you can save over 2K on Fanduel by pivoting down to either of them.
Latoya Sanders – If EDD misses or is limited in this game, I would rather target the value picks in the paint. The guards should see a bump in usage too. On Fanduel $500 will get you Stewie over Sanders. I would rather roster the 2018 WNBA MVP over a mid-tier center priced like a stud. You can get her for $2200 less on DK, but I still don’t have much interest, regardless of what the starting five ends up being.
Jessica Breland – Breland had a huge game against the Mystics on Tuesday, helping Atlanta tie the series. On Fanduel I would rather pay up for Stewie, or Sanders. LineStar has her projected to score 31.08 points on Fanduel. If EDD misses this game Breland becomes a better play. That said, I would rather roster her on DraftKings, where the gap in price between her and the other studs at the top is a little wider.
Tiffany Hayes – She had a decent game against the Mystics on Tuesday and is under 7k on Fanduel but I still think the guards from Seattle or on the other side of the ball in this game are better plays. Bentley has been playing well off the bench too and has seen decent minutes during the postseason. She isn’t a bad play tonight, but there are too many pivots with more potential on the slate in the same price range for me to gives Hayes much consideration.
Value Picks: Tianna Hawkins (FD &DK), Aerial Powers (FD & DK) Crystal Langhorne (FD & DK)
10 pm ET Seattle Storm #1 vs. Phoenix Mercury #5 174.5 O/U PHO -2
Key Players:
Breanna Stewart – Stewie isn’t racking up many fantasy points from peripheral stats during the playoffs but she is making enough baskets every night to keep her DFS viable. She has 55 points in the first two games of the series, has taken 40 field goal attempts, and is 7-13 from behind the arc. LineStar has her projected to score 40.53 points on Fanduel. Shes under 8k there and I will have a decent amount of exposure to her in my lineups.
Jewell Loyd – Her price on Fanduel is still too good to pass up. She is one of my favorite guards on the slate and has the potential to hit 7x value on FD. She’s more likely to come in around 5x but that still makes her a decent cash play and I want a few pieces of her in my GPPs lineups as well.
Sue Bird – Bird has been solid for the first two games of the series and is one of the best options for cash lineups tonight. She has some GPP upside also and should have no problem returning value at this price. LineStar has her projected to score 29.47 points on DraftKings. If you are paying up for a guard on DK and they aren’t wearing a purple jersey it should be Bird.
Diana Taurasi – Taurasi has turned back the clock this season and continues to play with the energy and raw passion of a rookie mixed with the cold, calculating expertise of a vet. LineStar has her projected to score 39.20 on Fanduel. She has scored 106 points in 4 playoff games so far, and I expect her to have a big game tonight in a do-or-die situation. Diana has a way of stepping up when her team needs it, with the crowd behind her and the series on the line the stars seem aligned for Taurasi to put up some big numbers tonight.
DeWanna Bonner – Bonner has got to be getting tired. She’s now averaging 39.25 minutes per game in the playoffs and we saw her fantasy production drop a bit in the last game, despite playing 43 minutes. LineStar has her projected to score 48.18 points on DraftKings. She’s the most expensive player on DK. We have seen some great games from Bonner lately and she is a risky fade, but I will have a higher amount of exposure to Taurasi and Griner in my lineups tonight.
Brittney Griner – Griner is one of my favorite studs on the slate today. She has had a few solid games in a row and will be anchoring down my DK lineup tonight. LineStar has her projected to score 40.43 points on Fanduel. To me that feels like her floor tonight and not her ceiling I will have a good amount of shares in Griner tonight. I’m hoping that she stays relatively low owned.
Value Picks: Cyrstal Langhorne (FD & DK ) , Angel Robinson (FD & DK)
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Final Thoughts
- If you are playing the single game on Fanduel tonight (SEA vs PHO) I would suggest playing the four stud guards in the game and Turner as your other utility pick. It has worked out well for me in the first two games of the series.
- The rotations opened up in Game 2 and we saw some players impact the game for the first time in the playoffs. With the stakes high tonight don’t expect as much action from the benches especially if the games stays close.
- If I am placing side bets today I will be putting my money on Atlanta against the spread and the SEA vs. PHO game to go over, with PHO covering the spread.
- I will be posting spreadsheets for Game 1 and 2 of the series so far, projections for tonight, and probable starting lineups on my Twitter account today. Be sure to follow me to stay updated.
- There’s plenty of value to go around if EDD misses, don’t be afraid to mix some punts from the paint in with some studs on the slate for your GPP lineups.
DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns. dark. Next