RADIO
The first weekend of WNBA action is over, with the weekend capped off by an offensive explosion from the Atlanta Dream, which was definitely the most unexpected thing we saw. An undermanned Dream squad who had to rely on a rookie point guard making her first start went out and put up 105 points against a team coached by Brian Agler? How did that even happen???
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 7/28/20. These lineups picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
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 Guards
Chelsea Gray (G, Los Angeles Sparks) – vs Chicago Sky (DK: $8,600, FD: $6,600)
There are a lot of interesting guard options on this slate. Courtney Vandersloot is the most expensive on both sites and is always a strong play. DeWanna Bonner -- who is dealing with a knee injury and also really, really should be classified as a forward and not a guard -- has a great ceiling, but also is risky since she's injured and we don't know her status yet.
But I like saving a little money and going with Gray. Arguably the second-best point guard in the WNBA behind Vandersloot, Gray averaged 14.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game last year. In the team's opener, she put up 13 points and seven assists in just 19.7 minutes of play.
Gray also seems to always rise to the occasion against Vandersloot. Last year, in three games against this team, she put up two 25-plus point performances, with at least five assists in each game. This is the kind of matchup where Gray's athleticism is going to come into play and she'll be a slightly bigger piece of the offense than she might usually be.
Seimone Augustus (G, Los Angeles Sparks) – vs Chicago Sky (DK: $4,000, FD: $4,200)
Augustus was great in her Sparks debut. In just 18 minutes of play, she had 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting and added three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
The veteran guard is capable of really filling up the box score, and she should have ample opportunities to do so on Tuesday against a Sky team that's going to push the pace of this game a lot more than the Mercury did.
Plus, Augustus comes with the added bonus of being really affordable. I don't thnk I'd be as interested in her if she was $1,500 more or something, but she can really help round things out and on a star-studded Sparks team, she'll have lots of chances to get easy, open jumpers.
Crystal Dangerfield (G, Minnesota Lynx) – vs Seattle Storm (DK: $3,300, FD: $3,800)
Today's big value play at guard is Lynx rookie Crystal Dangerfield.
After playing just four minutes in the first half of her WNBA debut, Dangerfield was on the floor for 16 second-half minutes. Her final score line saw the UConn product go 4-for-8 from the field, scoring 10 points and adding two rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
Dangerfield has earned more playing time based off of that game, especially when you factor in how much the team's other guards -- Lexie Brown and Shenise Johnson -- struggled. Dangerfield's a really interesting option if you choose to build a lineup using some of the higher-priced options and want an upside play to fill things out, though she's not without risk, as she's a pretty small player and is going up against a good Seattle Storm defense.
Additional Notes: Ariel Atkins had a tough first game, but the talent is there if you're looking for a solid mid-priced option on either site. And if Diamond DeShields doesn't play due to injury, there's a ton of value in playing Kahleah Copper, who had 18 points in Chicago's first game. Sue Bird ($4,600) is a really nice value on DraftKings, though I'm not quite as enthralled by playing her on FanDuel, where she's closer to the top of the pricing.
WNBA - DFS Forwards
Breanna Stewart (F, Seattle Storm) – vs Minnesota Lynx (DK: $10,600 FD: $8,000)
There were concerns about how Stewart would look in her first WNBA game since 2018 -- she missed all of last year with a torn Achilles -- but, uhh...I guess we didn't need to be concerned. 18 points on 50 percent shooting, plus eight rebounds, two assists, and four steals. Minnesota might be a little better controlled than New York was, limiting Stewart's steal numbers, but I also don't think she commits five turnovers again either.
Stewart's the best player in the league this year with Elena Delle Donne sitting out. Her ceiling is sky high, and it's going to take a really bad matchup or some regression for me to not like her as DFS option on any given night.
Sylvia Fowles (F, Minnesota Lynx) – vs Seattle Storm (DK: $9,900, FD: $6,500)
Will Sylvia Fowles put up a 17 and 18 like she did in the team's opening game? No, probably not.
But Fowles averaged a double-double with a scoring total in the high teens in both 2017 and 2018 before she dropped down to 13.6 points per game last season. Fowles is capable of being the focal point of the Lynx attack on both ends of the floor.
And until these DFS sites price her like the top performer that she can be, I'm going to keep coming back to Fowles. She has as much upside as anyone -- I mean, on Sunday she had 51.5 points on DraftKings and 52.59 on FanDuel -- and remains $500 or so less expensive than she probably should be.
Myisha Hines-Allen (F, Washington Mystics) – vs Connecticut Sun (DK: $7,000, FD: $6,000)
Alright, let's ride the hot hand!
Hines-Allen did virtually nothing in her first two WNBA seasons, but that's because she was buried on the depth chart on one of the league's deepest teams. By virtue of all the opt outs for the Mystics, Hines-Allen played 28.5 minutes in Washington's first game and...wow.
27 points on 17 shots, as well as 10 rebounds and a pair of assists. It might have been a fluke, but the talk around most people who closely follow the Mystics was that Hines-Allen was just getting a chance to show how talented she was.
I'm also good with assuming that Hines-Allen being one of two players on this team with double-digit shot attempts is a sign that even if her usage drops some -- and it will -- she'll still be among the team leaders in attempts.
And with Tianna Hawkins injured -- she's expected to miss the game with a back injury -- and the other center on the roster being Alaina Coates, Hines-Allen should once again be set to play a ton in this game. So yeah, let's ride the hot hand!
Additional Notes: Mikiah Herbert Harrigan didn't play in the opener for Minnesota. Don't use her in DFS until we see her actually in the team's rotation. As for deeper values, Brionna Jones played well in Connecticut's first game and got plenty of playing time. Another player who is cheap and had a good first game is Alaina Coates, but Coates hasn't been the most consistent player in her career, so while there's upside at a low cost, I'd probably fade her.
