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WNBA action rolls along today with three games on the slate. Chennedy Carter makes her return to Atlanta as the Sparks visit the Dream, the Liberty get a tough test as they travel to face the Sky and the Storm take on the Mercury in what's likely to be a big mismatch in Seattle's favor.
Just as I have for the last couple of years, I'll be providing daily fantasy lineup picks for the WNBA this season here at RotoBaller. But because I also moved to a state with legalized sports betting earlier this year, I'll be sprinkling in some basic betting picks. Not going to get complicated since there's limited space in this piece, but I'll throw you a bet or two each day that I like.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/11/22. These lineups picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slate locks on 5/11/2022 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Want to talk more about the WNBA? I'm always available on Twitter and always down to discuss women's basketball: @juscarts.
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WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Guard
Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) - vs LA- DK: $7,100, FD: $7,400
The rookie came out in the opener and delivered, with 16 points, four assists, three rebounds, four blocks and two steals. While the block and steal numbers aren't sustainable, I also think she'll make some of that production up by shooting the ball better, as she was just 4-for-15 against Dallas. With Tiffany Hayes still out, Howard will get 35ish minutes and will be the focal point of this offensive attack.
(Her price did jump a little too high on FanDuel, though. Might be a good time to pivot down to Jewell Loyd at $6,100 there, who seems very undervalued.)
Chennedy Carter (Los Angeles Sparks) - @ ATL - DK: $6,900 FD: $5,800
It's revenge game time, y'all! The Dream suspended Carter last year for the second half of the season, never really said why, traded her to Los Angeles and then made some shirts for their home opener that threw some shade at Hollywood.
You know what that means: Carter's going off. I was worried when she played just 12 minutes in the opener, but her minutes were up last game, and she had 12 points, five assists, two blocks, one steal and one rebound. I expect her role to continue growing until she's playing around 25-28 minutes per night. Her scoring ability will make her a solid fantasy option when she's getting those kind of minutes.
Dana Evans (Chicago Sky) - vs NY - DK: $6,200, FD: $6,200
Evans came up big in the season opener, playing 35 minutes and scoring 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting with five assists and four steals. Expecting that level of results again might be asking too much, but it appears the Sky will once again be without Allie Quigley and Kahleah Copper. Until they're back, I think you should keep playing Evans because she'll continue to play a huge role.
Note: Didn't write about her, but Betnijah Laney at $6,000 on FanDuel is a steal.
WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Forward
Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm) - @ PHO - DK: $10,800, FD: $9,000
Stewart remains an incredibly safe fantasy play because of everything she does in Seattle. She took 19 shots last game, for instance, and while her efficiency inside the arc hasn't been exactly what you expect from Stewie, she did shoot over 40% from deep in both her games and is averaging eight rebounds and two steals. Phoenix struggled in its first game to slow down the Vegas offense, with their power forward, Dearica Hamby, going 11-for-14 with 24 points and seven rebounds.
Natasha Howard (New York Liberty) - @ CHI - DK: $9,800, FD: $7,500
Howard gets to play the four in New York now instead of the five, which she was forced into last season by roster construction and offensive style. In her first game in this new system, Howard had 16 points on 5-for-14 shooting with three three-pointers, plus added six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal. She should consistently produce defensive numbers this season and if she can get her turnovers down some (four in the opener) then she'll consistently be a top fantasy play. (I also like her more than teammate Sabrina Ionescu, who should be more impacted by Betnijah Laney's return than Howard is.)
Emma Meesseman (Chicago Sky) - vs NY - DK: $9,100, FD: $6,100
Meesseman played 36 minutes against the Sparks, going 6-for-11 with 12 points, plus adding eight rebounds and five assists. Her minutes, volume and skill as a passer make her a great play for this game, which should wind up being pretty high scoring based on the personnel of these two teams.
WNBA Betting Picks for 5/11/2022
Looking to make some WNBA bets? Let's look at some options for you.
Yesterday's results (0-3) [Yikes, that was bad. Missed the Lynx/Fever Under by one point, as it was at 157 and the game finished at 158. We'll do better today.]
Seattle Storm ML
The Mercury looked overmatched against the Aces. Potentially getting Brianna Turner and Diamond DeShields back will help with that, but without Brittney Griner, I'm not sold on this Mercury team being able to beat the good teams in the league.
Atlanta Dream Spread (+6)
This spread has really been widening all day. Saw it at Sparks -2.5 originally and thought "okay, hammering that for the Sparks." Then it kept creeping up. L.A. looked good in the opener, but so did Atlanta, and I'm not confident enough in this Sparks team to pick them when the spread is six.
New York Liberty Spread (+4.5)
New York has all its players back except for Rebecca Allen. Chicago is still missing Allie Quigley and Kahleah Copper. While a healthy Chicago is better on paper, I think New York is playing well enough to win this outright. The 4.5-point spread gives them some wiggle room.
