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THE WNBA IS BACK Y'ALL.
And it's not just back -- it's back back, with all 12 teams playing on Sunday. That makes for some really, really interesting DFS playing, as you almost never have this many options.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/15/21. 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.
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WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Guard
Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) - @ Sky - DK: $8,900, FD: $6,400
WHAT IS THAT FANDUEL PRICE. WHAT IS IT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING FANDUEL.
Also, DraftKings, to a lesser extent.
Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird are resting for this game, which means Seattle is going to be all Jewell Loyd. She's averaging 31.6 DraftKings points per game this season and that's when she's sharing offensive responsibilities with Stewart and ball-handling duties with Bird for much of the season.
Loyd's going to shoot the ball like 15-20 times in this game. At this salary, there's zero reason not to play her in like every lineup you have. She's a darkhorse MVP candidate who'll be playing without her ball-dominant teammate.
Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) - vs Mystics - DK: $7,600, FD: $6,200
All the Aces guards are weirdly cheap right now. In fact, their backup center Ji-Su Park is more expensive on DK than all their guards. Must be some weird Olympic holdover numbers. IDK.
Anyway, Young is fresh off a 3x3 gold medal and was playing some strong basketball before the break. She has the occasional stinker, but for the most part, Young is one of the league's most improved players this year. She shot at least 58.3 percent in three of the final four games before the Olympic break, for instance. She's been good at working her way to the free throw line, and Washington allows the sixth-most free throw attempts per game. Their opponents also shoot the third-highest field goal percentage in the W.
Aari McDonald (Atlanta Dream) - @ Mercury - DK: $5,000, FD: $3,400
The punt-play sleeper of the slate: Aari McDonald.
Think of it this way. No, Aari hasn't really looked too good yet. But the Dream are without Tiffany Hayes and Chennedy Carter for this one, so minutes are there for McDonald, and she has one non-tangible factor going for her: Arizona.
McDonald was a college star for Arizona. This will be her first WNBA game in the state. This just...seems right, doesn't it?
And McDonald had a good game just before the break, playing 24 minutes against the Sun and posting 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Aari is on an upward trajectory right now.
WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Forward
Jonquel Jones (Connecticut Sun) - @ Wings - DK: $11,800, FD: $9,100
The Commissioner Cup game didn't go well for the Sun, who lost to Seattle 79-57. But even with that, Jones had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
I expect better results against the Wings, considering they allow the fifth-most points per game.
Jones hasn't faced this Dallas team yet, so we don't have a record of just how dominant she'll be against them. But, uhh...she's going to be dominant against them. Especially with Satou Sabally out with an Achilles injury, I can't really see a way that the Wings slow down Jonquel Jones. They don't have the personnel to keep her off the boards. They can't stop her from scoring. They could throw Bella Alarie at a player like Brittney Griner, but Jones is just so much more versatile.
Myisha Hines-Allen (Washington Mystics) - @ Aces - DK: $8,900, FD: $6,600
Every picks article has to have a gut pick, right? Someone who might not look like the absolute top play on paper, but has a chance to put up some good numbers.
For me on this slate, that's Myisha Hines-Allen.
She's only appeared in eight games this season and hasn't played since June 17h, but it sounds like MHA is healthy for this one.
In the four games that she's played 30 or more minutes, Hines-Allen is averaging 18.5 points and 9.8 rebounds. If she gets minutes, she's extremely productive. And with Elena Delle Donne still out, frontcourt minutes for Hines-Allen should be aplenty.
Sure, her long, long layoff could scare you off of her. That would be fair!
But for me, I'm playing a lot of Hines-Allen and hoping that no one -- except you, dear reader -- else is playing much of her.
Natasha Howard (New York Liberty) - @ Lynx - DK: $7,500, FD: $5,800
Natasha Howard is back and you need to play her before the DFS providers realize that and boost her salary back up.
Howard was trending toward playing before the break, so I assume she's close enough to 100 percent for me to consider her without injury reservation.
Howard's played just two games this year, but is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds on 55.6 percent shooting. She's New York's best big by a wide margin, and that's going to be what keeps her glued to the floor. If she's healthy and isn't in foul trouble, Howard will play her most minutes of the year. Her ability to step out and shoot while playing the five will challenge this Lynx team, whose center, Sylvia Fowles, is pretty paint-centric.
Love the value on Howard in this one.
