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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for 7/18/23. Expert WNBA DFS advice for DraftKings, FanDuel.
The WNBA returns from the All-Star break on Tuesday with a pair of games. First up, the Lynx head east to take on the Dream, and following that the Mercury host the Sun. It'll be a good night of women's basketball action.
If you're looking for WNBA daily fantasy picks and some betting advice this season, then you're in the right place. I'll be here providing picks for any slate with two or more games.
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 7/18/2023 at 7:00 PM ET. 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
Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun) - @ PHO - DK: $11,000, FD: $9,100
Thomas has been one of the top MVP candidates this season, filling up the score sheet consistently game after game. She's a threat for a triple-double every night, and recorded three of them back in June.
Last game against the Sky, Thomas scored 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting, her third game in a row shooting at least 60% from the floor. She grabbed seven rebounds and dished out 10 assists.
Her assist numbers have been especially impressive this season. She's had at least six assists in six consecutive games, including double-digit dimes in four of those six games.
Michaela Onyenwere (Phoenix Mercury) - vs. CON - DK: $8,000, FD: $5,500
The former Rookie of the Year had a strong showing heading into the All-Star break, scoring 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting in a loss to the Aces. She also added two rebounds and a steal in that one.
It was a good bounce back from a horrible showing the game before, when Onyenwere didn't score. But that game feels like a blip. In the past four contests, it was the only one where she didn't take at least 13 field goal attempts or score at least 18 points. I'm betting on the Onyenwere we saw in 75% of the games leading up to the break to be the player we see on Tuesday.
Emily Engstler (Minnesota Lynx) - @ ATL - DK: $4,200, FD: $3,600
H0nestly, this isn't really a great slate when it comes to value, so if you want a player priced on the lower end of the spectrum, you've got to accept some big risks.
With Engstler, that risk is that she barely sees the floor. She played 16 minutes last game, but that was her highest mark since June 22. And she scored nine points on 4-for-4 shooting, but it was the first time she scored any points since that aforementioned game.
The reason to play Engstler is that you're hoping her showing last game for the Lynx leads to an increase in minutes. And hey, it could—she played well, grabbing five rebounds and recording a steal in addition to the nine points.
WNBA DFS Picks: Guard
Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) - vs. MIN - DK: $10,400, FD: $7,400
Howard ended the first half of the season with a solid outing, scoring 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting to go along with six rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 31 minutes against Seattle.
Of course, I'm more interested in Howard for her ceiling. The game before that one, she was 12-for-22 from the floor for 32 points, showcasing her ability to get buckets. It was the second time in a five-game span that she had 30-plus points.
Howard's also added in at least one steal in seven consecutive games, five or more rebounds in four straight, and four or more assists in six of the last seven.
Diamond Miller (Minnesota Lynx) -@ ATL - DK: $8,500, FD: $5,600
Miller's had some good showings since she returned from injury, scoring 18 or more points in each of her first three games back before her shot's just kind of fallen off over the four games since, as she's shot under 40% in all four games since.
But maybe having this time off at the All-Star break will help Miller get some efficiency back. The rookie took double-digit field goal attempts in the two games heading into the break, so if she can maintain that volume while also making closer to 50% of the shots, then you'll get a good fantasy showing.
I also think that recommending Miller here speaks a larger truth about this slate, which is that I just don't love it. You don't really have many sure-thing plays here, so you've got to take some risks, playing upside players like Miller.
Danielle Robinson (Atlanta Dream) - vs. MIN - DK: $7,400, FD: $5,200
Robinson has started seven consecutive games for the Dream with Aari McDonald sidelined, and she's played some good basketball in that span. Robinson has averaged 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists as a starter this season.
And recently, she's stepped that production up some, scoring in double figures in two of the last three games. She's also had at least five assists in five consecutive contests.
