RADIO
Welcome to RotoBaller's WNBA DFS coverage. We're in the third week of the WNBA season and it's been a fun start, with players like Lynx rookie Napheesa Collier jumping out of the gate strong. Tonight, we've got three games on the docket, including an exciting Sparks/Sun matchup. But today's also a day where some of the league's best defensive teams are in play, making it tough to build fantasy lineups.
Let's look at these three games and talk about what players should excel. In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/6/19. 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: @juscarts
WNBA - DFS Guards
Chelsea Gray (G, Los Angeles Sparks) – @ Connecticut Sun (DK: $9,300, FD: $6,300)
After a slow start to the year, Gray exploded on Tuesday against the Liberty, scoring 29 points on 10-for-20 shooting and going 4-for-7 from three. She added four assists and three rebounds as well. Gray might be the best scoring point guard in the league, and with the Sparks currently missing Candace Parker and Alana Beard, Gray will be asked to do a lot against the Sun. Connecticut has a stout backcourt defense, but Gray's a good discount at her current price, so I'm betting on opportunity and talent here over the defense.
Yvonne Turner (G, Phoenix Mercury) – @ Minnesota Lynx (DK: $5,900, FD: $5,300)
Want value? Turner is one of the cheaper options and is coming off an 18-point outing against the Aces in which she also had 10 assists and played 36 minutes. With Diana Taurasi out, there's been an opening in backcourt minutes, and while I have similar concerns with Turner has I did with Gray (the Lynx boast a stout defense), the price for Turner is just too low for me to ignore. The Mercury did just re-sign Leilani Mitchell, but even if she plays on Thursday, I don't see her really cutting into Turner's production.
Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (G, Los Angeles Sparks) - @ Connecticut Sun (DK: $4,900, FD: $4,400)
Want cheap? Ruffin-Pratt, who just moved into the Sparks starting lineup, is cheap on both sites. She's not much of a scoring option, but she's a good rebounder and defensive presence who can collect steals and blocks. She had 28.9 FanDuel points and 25.8 DraftKings points in her last game, and while that's too much to expect against Connecticut, Ruffin-Pratt's a starting guard available at rock bottom prices, so if you build a lineup of stars, she can help bolster that.
WNBA - DFS Forwards
Liz Cambage (F, Las Vegas Aces) – @ Atlanta Dream (DK: $9,500, FD: $8,000)
CAVEAT ALERT
Cambage has come off the bench in her first two games as a member of the Aces, and I wouldn't necessarily want to play her if she's on the bench again on Thursday, but if she makes her first start, there's some good value here. Cambage is one of the league's best bigs, and the Dream allow the second-most rebounds and fourth-most blocks to opposing teams. If Cambage is off her minutes restriction, she should feast against this team, so monitor pregame reports before setting a final lineup.
Damiris Dantas (F, Minnesota Lynx) – vs Phoenix Mercury (DK: $6,500, FD: $6,400)
Dantas has been part of a surprising Lynx team and is averaging career highs in points, assists, and steals while also grabbing five rebounds per game. Dantas is also draining two threes per game on 3.3 attempts, and Thursday's opponent, the Phoenix Mercury, are allowing opponents to shoot 40 percent from deep on the season, the highest mark in the league. Dantas should be in for another good shooting night.
Dearica Hamby (F, Las Vegas Aces) - @ Atlanta Dream (DK: $7,500, FD: $5,900)
With the Dream's aforementioned struggles at defending in the paint, Hamby is a great option to pivot to if Cambage is still on a minutes restriction. (Reminder: Monitor news of the Aces starting lineup.) Hamby has emerged as a consistent presence on the Aces bench and has scored in double figures in all three of Vegas' games this season. Hamby's rebounding numbers have sunk a little since Cambage returned, but she's a good, affordable option in this slate of games.
Napheesa Collier (F, Minnesota Lynx) – vs Phoenix Mercury (DK: $7,100, FD: $5,600)
FanDuel hasn't kept up with Collier's hot start as well as DraftKings has, but the rookie's had a strong start to her career and has shown herself to already be on the way to correcting one of her biggest flaws in college, her three-point shooting. Collier's a combined 5-for-10 from three this season and, as with Damiris Dantas, should get a bump in this meeting due to meeting with Phoenix and their porous long distance defense.
