RADIO
It's another WNBA Sunday slate, headlined by Seimone Augustus taking on her former team in the first game of the day, when the Sparks head to WNBA Court A to face Minnesota, though Augustus is listed as probable for the game. This is the also the first day where the schedule gets a little strange for those of you who might have saved the league schedule more than a few days ago, as there's been so rearranging of game times to take the Liberty off national television as much as possible now that they're without Sabrina Ionescu.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/9/20. 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
Lexie Brown (G, Minnesota Lynx) – vs Los Angeles Sparks (DK: $9,200, FD: $6,300)
Oh boy, Lexie Brown made a price jump.
With Odyssey Sims set to return soon, Brown's current run of strong performances won't last, but on a slate that doesn't have a lot of the league's top guard options on it, it makes some sense to ride the hot hand with Brown, who's had two huge games in a row and leads a depleted Lynx backcourt.
I think if teams like Connecticut and Chicago were playing today, I'd pivot away from Brown, but she is coming off a 26-point, nine-assist effort, and she was 11 steals in the past two games. She's also been a surprisingly good rebounder for her position. The Sparks also allow the most assists per game.
Leilani Mitchell (G, Washington Mystics) – vs Indiana Fever (DK: $7,500, FD: $5,300)
I think I want a Mystics guard since Indiana has the worst defensive rating in the league, but the fact that the Fever have done a solid job of not allowing assists and threes means I don't want to risk paying all the way up for Ariel Atkins, so I'm pivoting to Mitchell.
Mitchell is coming off a stinker, a two-point game against the Liberty where she couldn't get anything going. But before that, she'd scored in double figures in three consecutive games, she has a really safe minutes floor, and her three-pointer is going to start falling -- she shot 43 percent from deep last year, and even with three bad shooting games in a row is still at 36.8 percent this season.
Tiffany Mitchell (G, Indiana Fever) – vs Washington Mystics (DK: $7,200, FD: $6,100)
The Mystics are actually allowing the most made threes per game -- which is probably a function of them getting some big leads and teams trying to shoot back in, but it's working for opposing teams, who connect at the fifth-highest percentage from deep against Washington as well.
This likely sets up for a big Kelsey Mitchell game, but if you want a value play, Tiffany Mitchell is right there. She's second on the team in three-point attempts per game and third in field goal attempts, but poor shooting numbers have made some people forget here. Yes, shooting 29.6 percent from three is bad, and Mitchell's never shot over 30 percent in a season, but the increase in volume this year hasn't come with a drop in her efficiency -- it's just that her efficiency has always been a question mark. Still, I think sometimes it's okay to chase volume, which is what we're doing here.
WNBA - DFS Forwards
A'ja Wilson (F, Las Vegas Aces) – vs New York Liberty (DK: $11,200 FD: $7,800)
New York finally won a game! But they're still the 2020 Liberty, which means this is still a good matchup for the Aces.
New York allows the second-most rebounds per game, second-most blocks per game, and while they've actually done a decent job at not allowing points in the paint, Wilson's stretching out to the midrange more, so even that one possible positive doesn't really help the Liberty.
Wilson's also having a big year. With no Liz Cambage, A'ja is once again the lead force here, averaging 20.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Her block numbers aren't up to where they have been, but hey -- New York gets blocked a lot!
Amanda Zahui B (F, New York Liberty) – vs Las Vegas Aces (DK: $8,800, FD: $5,900)
The thing about Amanda Zahui B is that she's one of the few veterans on this Liberty team, so she's going to get chances. And sometimes, she's going to shine with those chances, as she did against Washington, with 14 points and 14 rebounds, plus a pair of blocks.
Zahui B's a big, but she's a shooting big, taking nine of her 10 shots against the Mystics from deep. Vegas has held opponents to some low shooting numbers this year, which does worry me, but they also allow the most blocks per game, which is good news for Zahui B.
There's risk here because of the volatility of the three-point shot, but hey...the upside is too great to ignore.
Lauren Cox (F, Indiana Fever) – vs Washington Mystics (DK: $4,300, FD: $3,000)
BOOM OR BUST ALERT.
Cox has never scored more than two points in a WNBA game, but that's also because she's only played two WNBA games. But with Natalie Achonwa and Stephanie Mavunga out, there's room for Cox -- the cheapest forward on FanDuel! -- to step into a bigger role.
She's already done plenty of non-scoring things in her limited minutes. In 15.5 minutes per game, she's averaging 4.5 rebounds, an assist, and a block. Give her 25 minutes or so and get the ball to her in a position for her to attempt some shots, and Cox has a chance to contribute some solid numbers.
Washington does allow the fourth-most rebounds in the league, and their defense has been getting steadily worse as the year goes. If you want a dart throw for a lineup or two that allows you to spend up on some big names -- maybe you can now afford both Candace Parker and A'ja Wilson??? -- then Cox is an intriguing name. Sure, she could remain in her ancillary role and this all blows up, but sometimes you need to take a risk, right?
(Another cheap option who might be less risky: Washington's Tianna Hawkins, who is back and should see more minutes in this meeting.)
