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Just one game on Wednesday, and it's a late-night affair as the Aces visit the Phoenix Mercury.
I'll be trying out a new article structure today and going forward (probably), focusing on breaking down each game on the slate instead of just providing some lineup picks. We'll end up talking about more than six players, giving readers some options.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/26/21. 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 Game Breakdown: Aces @ Mercury
When: 10:00 PM ET
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Injuries: Las Vegas: Angel McCoughty (knee) and Kelsey Plum (3x3 qualifiers) are out.
Phoenix: Diana Taurasi (sternum) and Bria Hartley (knee) are out. Kia Vaughn has been activated from her temporary suspension.
What To Expect For Vegas:
Obviously, A'ja Wilson (DK:9,600, FD: $10,500) is the top play on pretty much any slate she's on. Wilson's numbers are slightly down because she's playing beside Liz Cambage again, but she's still averaging 18.3 points and 7.8 boards per game.
But there is a concern with Wilson, which is that the Mercury can throw Brianna Turner on her. Turner is one of the WNBA's best defenders and one of the few people who I actually think could slow down Wilson. Over the final nine games of the regular season last year, Phoenix was the one team to hold Wilson under 20 points.
That's why Liz Cambage (DK: $8,400, FD: $9,500) interests me more than usual, despite her minutes limit. Despite her reputation, Brittney Griner seems to have slipped a bit defensively, and I think Liz has the size and strength and skill to really bully Griner down low.
Phoenix allows the second-fewest assists per game, so I'm not as high on Chelsea Gray as I might otherwise be, but I will say that Jackie Young (DK: $7,400, FD: $8,000) remains high on my radar. She's coming off her worst game of the season, but that was against a good Connecticut defense. I don't trust the perimeter defense for Phoenix, and Young should be able to bully her way to the free throw line and put up some strong numbers.
As for a value play, the Aces rotation is pretty short, but Destiny Slocum (DK: $3,400, FD: $6,000) is taking on that Kelsey Plum bench role, which led to her playing 18 minutes last game. She took just one shot attempt, but the game before she took five attempts. There's a low floor here, but Slocum -- especially on DraftKings -- has some value and could go a little overlooked on this slate.
What To Expect For Phoenix:
The big news here is that Diana Taurasi is going to miss the next month with a sternum injury. Add in that Bria Hartley isn't back from her knee injury yet and you see that a position that should be a strength for Phoenix is now a major weak spot.
With no Taurasi, expect Skylar Diggins-Smith (DK: $7,800, FD: $8,500) to have a big game. On the season, SDS is averaging her fewest points (16.5) since 2016, but she'll shoulder more of the offensive load with Taurasi out. Think this is a good pick to be your captain/MVP in DFS contests.
Kia Nurse (DK: $6,600, FD: $6,500) is another player whose role will increase. Nurse has been the No. 1 option on a team before, but the move to Phoenix gave her a chance to settle into an ancillary role. But now, Nurse is going to be asked to be the No. 2 perimeter player in Phoenix.
Kia Vaughn (DK: $6,800, FD: $7,000) returns, but I think her DFS pricing is just a bit too high. With Brittney Griner and Brianna Turner in the frontcourt already, I don't see Vaughn jumping in and instantly being an impact player. Like...Vaughn costs more than Kia Nurse, who is a starter on this Mercury team. Don't love that. And don't love playing a lot of Mercury bigs, because I don't love the matchup on that end for them.
My interesting sleeper play for Phoenix is Megan Walker (DK:$3,800, FD: $5,000), especially on DraftKings. Walker's a versatile player who can fill in for some of those vacated minutes from the Taurasi injury. She's averaging 13.3 minutes per game and scoring 6.7 points per contest. Give her 20 minutes and I think there'd be some value there.
