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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for 6/8/21. Expert WNBA DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for DraftKings and FanDuel.
It's a new week of WNBA basketball!
Tuesday, we've got two games on the slate. The Lynx visit the Mystics in the early game, while the second game sees the Wings face the Mercury.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/8/21. 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.
WNBA DFS Game Breakdown: Lynx @ Mystics
When: 7:00 PM ET
Watch: Twitter
Injuries: Minnesota: OUT: Aerial Powers, Rennia Davis, QUES: Damiris Dantas
Washington: OUT: Elena Delle Donne, Sydney Wiese, QUES: Ariel Atkins
Players of Interest: Minnesota is currently on a three-game winning streak after an 0-4 start. That's been spearheaded by the return of Napheesa Collier, who is averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game this season. She hasn't been as efficient as usual, but this matchup with the banged-up Mystics team should be a great time for Collier to explode.
Sylvia Fowles is another strong play, especially with Damiris Dantas still hurt. Even if Dantas plays, I wouldn't expect a ton of minutes, giving Fowles a chance to post a double-double.
At guard, Kayla McBride remains a top play with Aerial Powers sidelined, while Crystal Dangerfield has been going under the radar. Layshia Clarendon took a step back last game and might be getting priced out of being a sleeper pick. If you want a Lynx sleeper, Bridget Carleton is cheaper and has about the same floor as Clarendon, though not as high as a ceiling.
On the other end, Washington has two forwards who can post 20 and 10s and are top plays: Tina Charles and Myisha Hines-Allen. MHA is a cheaper pivot off of Charles if you think Charles is too expensive, while both do have a lower floor than usual against a good Lynx defense.
At guard, Ariel Atkins has a back injury, so even if she plays, I'll steer clear. Natasha Cloud should see more usage, but I have to say that if Atkins is out, I'll be all over Shavonte Zellous as a sleeper play. She played 24 minutes last game, finishing with six points, two rebounds, and two assists, but she was also 0-for-3 from deep. Higher minutes and some better shooting luck would make her a much more appealing play.
WNBA DFS Game Breakdown: Wings @ Mercury
When: 10:00 PM ET
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Injuries: Dallas: None
Phoenix: OUT: Diana Taurasi, Bria Hartley
Players of Interest: This is going to be a fun game.
On the Dallas side, you can't go wrong with any of the team's top three guards: Arike Ogunbowale, Marina Mabrey, and Allisha Gray. Don't be scared off by Mabrey not starting last game; she still finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a block, and two steals. Dallas is a perimeter-oriented team without a ton of players behind those three who score much, and all three should play 30-plus minutes.
At forward, Satou Sabally has played two games this year. One was a monster. The other was...basically nothing. Hit or miss, but Sabally has a huge ceiling. I think Phoenix might have the defense to slow her down, but there's upside.
Right now, I don't really know how to trust the other forwards, because minutes distribution is weird. Isabelle Harrison scored 14 and grabbed eight boards in 27 minutes last game, but the matchup with Brittney Griner could hurt her.
Speaking of Brittney Griner, she's someone I'll be targeting a lot on this slate. Last time Griner faced Dallas back in May, she was just dominant. 27 points on 12-for-16 shooting, plus 16 rebounds, four assists, and a block. Dallas doesn't have the size to slow Griner down, so I expect another big night.
Brianna Turner was surprisingly held in check in that game, scoring three points on 1-for-5 shooting. But she did grab nine boards in that one, so an uptick in her play wouldn't be a shock.
Skylar Diggins-Smith and Kia Nurse won't have a lot of pressure from the Wings defense, making both of them strong plays. SDS is a little pricy, so you could save you some salary and get Nurse and potentially get some similar production, though maybe with a little drop in rebounds and assists.
I also like Megan Walker as a sleeper because she's playing over 30 minutes per game and this is a defense that she could torch. Meanwhile, I'm avoiding Mercury bench players because they aren't going to play more than 15 mintues apiece.
