RADIO
We've got a three-game slate in the WNBA tonight. The Sparks take on the Wings while the Aces face the Lynx in the 8:00 p.m. games, while the Fever visit the Storm to end the night.
I'll be providing daily fantasy lineup picks for the WNBA this season here at RotoBaller. In addition, 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 and, because I think this is important, that I'll be making myself.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 7/1/22. These lineups picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slates locks on 7/1/2022 at 8:00 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 Picks: Forward
Nneka Ogwumike - Los Angeles Sparks - @ DAL - DraftKings ($9,900), FanDuel ($8,400)
Nneka's consistency this season has been impressive. The Sparks have had a coaching change. A GM change. The lineup has been shifting all year. No one knows which guards will even play on a given night.
But Nneka just keeps chugging along and putting up strong numbers. She's an incredibly safe DFS play, because you're just not going to get a stinker. She's had under 25 fantasy points just one time this season.
Last time against the Wings, Ogwumike had 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting with 10 rebounds and two steals.
Jessica Shepard - Minnesota Lynx - vs LV - DraftKings ($8,300), FanDuel ($7,100)
(Note: on FanDuel, Sylvia Fowles is only $300 more than Shepard, if you want to pay up a tiny bit to get more upside. On DraftKings, Fowles is $600 more, I think, so I went with Shepard to allow me to build the lineups I wanted.)
Shepard was one of the best surprises in the league earlier in the year, but then she hit a rough patch. But that rough patch appears to be over, as she's had 20 or more fantasy points in six consecutive games. Having Sylvia Fowles back has opened up some room for Shepard, making things easier on her since Fowles' gravity forces the defense inside.
Also, Shepard had 22 points and 19 rebounds the last time she faced the Aces. Those rebounds will definitely go down with Fowles back, but I thought that was worth noting.
Emily Engstler - Indiana Fever - @ SEA - DraftKings ($6,100), FanDuel ($5,000)
I brought up Engstler as an option on the 29th and she had her best game in over a month, playing 21 minutes and scoring seven points on 1-for-3 shooting with eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal. Her ability to contribute across the board is nice, though you obviously would like to see Engstler score a little bit more. Still, her increased role recently makes her an intriguing value play, though the matchup against the Storm is worrisome. She probably won't return value in the same way she did against Phoenix, but I think there's at least a little upside here.
WNBA DFS Picks: Guard
Kelsey Plum - Las Vegas Aces - @ MIN - DraftKings ($10,600), FanDuel ($8,200)
Vegas has hit a rough patch, going 1-3 in its last four games. But Plum has continued to play like Plum's been playing over the stretch, including posting two games with 40-plus fantasy points in the last three games.
The last time she faced the Lynx, Plum scored 21 points on 8-for-22 shooting with four rebounds, six assists and one steal. There are some really good guards on Friday's slate, but I think Plum has the most upside of any of them.
Kelsey Mitchell - Indiana Fever - @ SEA - DraftKings ($9,200), FanDuel ($7,600)
Mitchell has been so consistent lately. She's now scored at least 30 fantasy points in five consecutive games. This is the first time she's faced Seattle this season so we don't have that to factor in today, but her current role on this Fever team makes her an incredibly safe play, especially when you factor in that she's slightly below the top tier of guards in salary.
Mitchell is averaging 21.7 points and 4.3 assists per game over the last 10 days and is shooting 46.7% from the floor and 56.3% from three in that span. Seattle having the second-best scoring defense in the W worries me some, but not enough to fade Mitchell.
Lexie Brown - Los Angeles Sparks - @ DAL - DraftKings ($5,600), FanDuel ($3,900)
The Sparks guard rotation has been impossible to figure out...but Brown has hit the 20-minute mark in three consecutive games and she's taken at least seven shot attempts in each of those. In her most recent contest, she scored 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting with two rebounds and a steal.
Brown's risky, but her current usage pattern makes her an intriguing value play. I'd guess she's the safest of the Sparks guards at this point, though even that is a little tenuous.
WNBA Betting Picks for 7/1/2022
Looking to make some WNBA bets? Let's look at some options for you.
Yesterday's Results: 1-1
Aces Spread (-4.5)
The Aces have struggled lately, but a big part of that is because the Aces were in a tough part of the schedule. During this 1-3 slide, the losses were to the Sky, the Mystics and the Storm. Minnesota has gone 3-1 over the last four games, but the wins were against Phoenix and Dallas. I think this spread is just a little too small here when you factor in the talent disparity between these two teams.
Seattle Storm Spread (-13)
Seattle is 13-point favorites. That's a BIG number, but the Fever are struggling. They've lost three in a row by double digits. The Fever have either won their game or lost by double-digits in every game since June 5, when they lost by nine to the Dream. Seattle just added Tina Charles, which increases the offensive upside for the team. I small blowout.
