RADIO
This week in the WNBA tips off Tuesday with three games on the slate.
The Storm will visit the Fever in the early game, while we'll get some intriguing matchups later in the day, as the Sky visit the Lynx and the Liberty take on the Aces.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/15/21. 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.
Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!
WNBA DFS Game Breakdown: Storm @ Fever
When: 7:00 PM ET
Watch: WNBA League Pass
Players of Interest: Ahh, a Storm/Fever game. I'll watch this one, but I don't think I'll be paying close attention.
Last time these teams faced off, the Storm won 88-73. Maybe the fact this is on the road closes things up, but I don't expect that.
For Seattle, Breanna Stewart averages 43.9 DraftKings points per game. She's the only forward on the team averaging over 20 fantasy points. She had 28 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks last time these teams faced.
Meanwhile, Jewell Loyd has been playing MVP-level ball too. She's coming off her worst game of the season, scoring just seven points against the Sun, but last Fever game she had 18 points, five assists, and two boards. Strong play, as is teammate Sue Bird, who has scored in double figures in three of the last four games. That coupled wth her assists has led to her scoring over 20 DFS points in eight consecutive games.
Looking for a sleeper here? Maybe Epiphanny Prince, who hasn't been playing a ton but has been contributing when on the floor, with double-digit fantasy points in six of the past seven games. Could see some garbage time production from her too if this game gets predictably out of control.
As for the Fever, Teaira McCowan has come off the bench a few times lately, which is bad coaching but she's still made the most of the minutes that she's gotten. She had a double-double against Chicago, and in the last Seattle game she had 12 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks.
The other forwards worry me because their minutes are tough to predict. Jessica Breland has been playing well but struggled in the last meeting of these teams. Jantel Lavender had some solid games, but I can't recommend her this time. And hey, Lauren Cox saw a jump in minutes last game and scored seven points with a rebound and a block, so maybe there's sleeper appeal there?
At guard, Kelsey Mitchell is on a solid three-game run, but she's struggled against good teams. Think she's an interesting contrarian play, though there's risk. Think Tiffany Mitchell is another intriguing play, as she's had four games in a row with double-digit points.
WNBA DFS Game Breakdown: Sky @ Lynx
When: 9:00 PM ET
Watch: ESPN2
Players of Interest: Maybe the most intriguing game of the night happens to be the one on ESPN2. Yay!
For Chicago, Candace Parker is back and Candace Parker is BACK. She had 20 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, a block, and two steals against the Fever. Yes, the Fever are bad. But still, this is how the Sky want to use Parker, and it's going to lead to explosive DFS days.
With Parker playing like that, only one other Sky forward ended up having a solid game. That was Stefanie Dolson, who intrigues me because of her value and the fact she's posted 20-plus fantasy points in two straight games.
At guard, Courtney Vandersloot is risky, because both times we've seen her with a fully healthy Parker, she's finished below expectation in fantasy. I probably won't play much of her on this slate at her current price.
Kahleah Copper has 20-plus fantasy points in four consecutive games. Allie Quigley has done it in two straight. Both players interest me on this slate based on their recent play,
On the Lynx side, injuries have hit the team, as Aerial Powers is already sidelined again.
That should leave Kayla McBride in a position to take on a lot of offensive responsibility. I think she'll be a strong play.
There's also the obvious plays for Minnesota: Napheesa Collier is one of the league's best young players and should rebound after scoring just nine points against the Sparks, while Sylvia Fowles is a strong interior player who can throw up double-doubles.
In terms of value, the Powers injury leaves more room open for Damiris Dantas to start again. She hasn't really done a ton with her minutes, but this game should tend towards a high score, giving Dantas an opportunity to do something.
Crystal Dangerfield has been scoring well over the last four games. Last year's Rookie of the Year is a nice value option right now.
WNBA DFS Game Breakdown: Liberty @ Aces
When: 10:00 PM ET
Watch: ESPN3
Players of Interest: The Liberty face the Aces for the second time. Last time, the Aces had a convincing win. This time, New York could also be without Sabrina Ionescu, who missed Sunday to rest her ankle. Will she play on Tuesday? If she does, she's been in a big shooting slump, but gets enough assists and rebounds to make her a solid DFS play, albeit a risky one based on her current scoring.
Regardless of Ionescu's status, Betnijah Laney is my favorite play on this Liberty team today. She's the team's best scorer and last game had 23 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. The assists would go down a bit with Ionescu, but the scoring won't.
If Ionescu is out, play Jazmine Jones, who had 16 points and seven boards in 21 minutes o Sunday.
In the frontcourt, Rebecca Allen has scored 20-plus fantasy points in three consecutive games, a streak that started against the Aces. Allen was moved into the starting five last game with Ionescu out. And then Kylee Shook had a solid showing against Phoenix, and while she played just five minutes in the last Aces game, it appears the team might be moving towards trusting her at the five against elite centers?
For Vegas, things are more clear. New York's shallow interior depth makes A'ja Wilson an incredibly good play -- she had 30 points and 13 boards in the first meeting -- and Liz Cambage almost as good a play, as she had 12 points and nine boards in that game but has shown she can occasionally have dominant inside games.
The Aces have shortened their rotation, so any of Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Dearica Hamby are going to be solid plays. Kelsey Plum is more risky because her shot has been off at times, but her minutes are trending up. Only seven players get minutes here, so there's really no surprises for y'all.
