RADIO
We're back! The 2024 WNBA season tips off tonight and features a four-game opening night slate. Included on that slate is the WNBA debut of former Iowa star Caitlin Clark, as her Indiana Fever take on the Connecticut Sun. How will the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history adjust to the WNBA game?
Also, hi! Welcome back to another season of DFS coverage for the W here at RotoBaller. My name is Justin Carter and I've been your guide on this WNBA DFS journey since 2018. I'm back again to help you win some money in 2024. With the league's popularity rising, I bet we see a lot more people talking about WNBA DFS, so don't forget that RotoBaller was here first.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. These lineup picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slates lock on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. 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 Picks: Forward
A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) vs. PHO (DK: $11.6K, FD: $8.8K)
A'ja Wilson finished a surprising third in the WNBA race last year despite having arguably her best season, as she averaged career-best marks in points, rebounds, and blocks while tying her best steal number. Wilson won Defensive Player of the Year and led the Aces to a second consecutive WNBA title.
Heading into 2024, Wilson remains—in my opinion—the best player in the WNBA. Breanna Stewart can match her offensively, but Wilson's devastating defensive abilities push her over the edge.
Wilson's primed for a huge 2024 debut. Brittney Griner is out for the Mercury, so the team's starting frontcourt is... well, I'm not even sure I know who it'll be. Maybe they go small with Sophie Cunningham or Rebecca Allen at the four? Maybe they play Morgan Bertsch and Natasha Mack together? Whatever the situation is, Wilson should eat because Phoenix doesn't have a defender who can stop her.
Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) @ WAS (DK: $10.8K, FD: $9K)
One thing I love about the first slate of the season is that there are always some outrageously mispriced players, which allows you to pay up for two elite players since you're getting such value in other places. You can easily fit both Wilson and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart in your lineups on Tuesday.
Stewart, who won MVP last season, should find it easy sledding on Tuesday against a rebuilding Mystics team that really lacks a defender who can stop Stewie. If the Mystics go big with some combo at the four and five of Stefanie Dolson, Shakira Austin, and Myisha Hines-Allen, none have the legs to keep up with her. If the team goes small, Stewart can overpower people.
Last season, Stewart averaged 23.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. A 20-point double-double almost feels like a given on Tuesday night.
Natasha Mack (Phoenix Mercury) @ LV (DK: $3.9K, FD: $3K)
Brittney Griner is set to miss the beginning of the season with a toe fracture, leaving an already thin frontcourt for the Mercury in really precarious shape.
Natasha Mack was selected at no. 16 overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2021 #WNBA Draft out of Oklahoma State. It's amazing to see her get a roster spot with the Phoenix Mercury in the upcoming regular season. #ValleyTogether https://t.co/kaWC7B5Wot
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) May 13, 2024
I've seen a lot of hype for Morgan Bertsch as the player to target with Griner out, but I think the situation is more flat than that. Bertsch will get increased minutes, but so will Natasha Mack and Liz Dixon. Bertsch might wind up being chalky on this slate, so I love pivoting off her and onto Mack. While she hasn't shown a ton in her limited WNBA minutes, she was a rebounding machine in college and should be able to protect the rim. She won't score a ton, but at under $4K on both sites, I'm really just hoping the rebounding and blocking are enough.
WNBA DFS Picks: Guard
Brittney Sykes (Washington Mystics) vs. NYL (DK: $9.6K, FD: $7K)
Love this spot for Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes. The Mystics got worse this offseason, losing Elena Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud. That leaves Sykes and Ariel Atkins to do most of the scoring work in D.C., and I trust Sykes and her shot creation more than Atkins. Additionally, an increase in ballhandling time for Sykes should up her assist numbers by a good bit.
In addition to her increased usage, Sykes has a killer Game 1 matchup. New York's Courtney Vandersloot/Sabrina Ionescu backcourt is incredible on the offensive end, but it also has a strong argument for being the worst defensive backcourt in the league. Sykes will eat in this spot.
Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) vs. PHO (DK: $9.4K, FD: $6.4K)
Chelsea Gray is set to miss the opening game for Vegas, so Jackie Young should see increased usage against the Mercury. The big question, really, is which Aces guard gets the matchup with Diana Taurasi, which is the matchup you want if you're a DFS player. For my money, I think Kelsey Plum's strong shooting gets her a defensive matchup with Natasha Cloud, while Young might get the shot to eat against Taurasi.
(I should probably mention Caitlin Clark here real quick since there are a lot of new eyes on the WNBA because of her. I think that because of that, she's likely to be over-rostered in DFS tonight, so I'm fading her in GPPs, but I think she'll have a good debut and can be played in Cash game.)
Skylar Diggins-Smith (Seattle Storm) vs. MIN (DK: $4.7K, FD: $7.2K)
This play is specifically geared toward DraftKings because... well, because whoever set the prices for DraftKings for this slate must have been smoking something. Skylar Diggins-Smith should not, under any circumstances, cost $4.7K on a DFS slate. That's fantasy malpractice. It's like if DraftKings said in Week 1 of the 2024 season that since Joe Burrow was hurt in 2023, they're going to price him as the 34th-most expensive quarterback. Players who were waived this week in roster cutdowns cost more than Diggins-Smith does.
To put this in perspective:
On FanDuel, Skylar Diggins-Smith has the 11th-highest salary.
On DraftKings, she’s 59th. https://t.co/2TKaK3xeIu
— Aidan Cotter (@AidanCotterFD) May 14, 2024
So, why is this such a misprice? Because while SDS didn't play in 2023, her 2022 numbers were really good. She was a First-Team All-WNBA selection and averaged 19.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game that season. Diggins-Smith is a top-10 player when she's on the floor. It also helps that the Lynx don't have a very good defensive backcourt, with Courtney Willians and Kayla McBride likely to start at the one and the two.
(If you're playing on FanDuel and want a value guard, I think Diamond Miller at $4.9K is a great deal—she's in for a breakout year. Want someone even cheaper, though? How about Jordan Horston at $4.1K, who is also set for big things, or Erica Wheeler at $4K who is likely to start in the Fever backcourt with Kelsey Mitchell being doubtful. There is some really good guard value on FanDuel, even if they didn't make an egregious mistake like DraftKings did.)
