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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for 8/17/21. Expert WNBA DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for DraftKings and FanDuel.
The WNBA returned on Sunday with a six-game slate. It was a lot of fun and featured an overtime thriller between Seattle and Chicago.
After a Monday off, the W is back in action on Tuesday, with five games on the docket, including an exciting Lynx/Sun contest as those two teams battle to see which is the third-best team in the league.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/17/21. 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
Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) - @ Sky - DK: $8,400, FD: $6,900
This is very much a "save money at guard, spend it at forward" slate, which is why Arike is the priciest guard I'm recommending.
Last time Dallas played Chicago, the Wings scored 100 points in regulation. Arike had 18 of those points, plus added two assists. She didn't have any rebounds, which hurt her fantasy production.
Based on last game and Arike's five assists, it appears the team is going to use her at the point a little more in the second half of this season. That increases her upside even more. I think we're in for a strong game from one of the Ws top scorers.
Aari McDonald (Atlanta Dream) - @ Sparks - DK: $5,000, FD: $3,400
Here's where we start talking value. The Dream are short two guards right now, which is why McDonald played 21 minutes on Sunday. She scored just five points on 2-for-7 shooting, but her four rebounds, five assists, and four steals helped her have a strong fantasy line, especially when factoring in how affordable McDonald is.
Until the Dream get Tiffany Hayes or Chennedy Carter back, I'll continue to love taking a risk on McDonald as a value play. She has to get a little more efficient at some point too, right?
Sophie Cunningham (Phoenix Mercury) - vs Fever - DK: $4,700, FD: $3,500
Speaking of value plays, Cunningham remains super cheap as well and has been solid in two of her last three games. On Sunday, she played 23 minutes, scoring 17 points and adding two rebounds, a block, and a steal.
The Mercury don't really have a lot of bench options, which is why Cunningham is playing so much. She's proving to be the best reserve on the team, which will keep her on the floor, especially if Kia Nurse is struggling. Cunningham doesn't have the highest ceiling, but like McDonald, she's a great value play. I might even take a risk and play both in some lines.
WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Forward
A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) - vs Mystics - DK: $11,700, FD: $8,500
It's a forward-heavy night for me, starting with Olympic gold medalist A'ja Wilson.
Wilson is the best traditional four in the W, and her ability to rack up the double-doubles play a big role in that. She's had one in three of the last four games, with 40-plus fantasy points in each of those contests.
Wilson had arguably her worst offensive game of the year against Washington earlier in the year as she shot just 3-for-14 overall. But add in some free throws and Wilson still wound up posting 15 points and 15 boards, even on a super off night.
In fact, that was her best rebounding total all year. If Wilson can get close to her normal efficiency, she could dominate on Tuesday night.
Jonquel Jones (Connecticut Sun) - vs Lynx - DK: $11,500, FD: $9,100
Jones has at least 48.75 DK points in three straight games. Against Dallas, she finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds, making it three games in a row she grabbed 15 or more boards.
Minnesota isn't a great matchup for her as they have Sylvia Fowles and Napheesa Collier to check her, but she scored 22 points last time these teams faced.
She only grabbed five boards that night, which hurt her overall fantasy numbers. But if Jones can score like she did then and just get close to her normal rebounding numbers, it'll be a great night for one of the MVP frontrunners.
Myisha Hines-Allen (Washington Mystics) - @ Aces - DK: $8,700, FD: $6,700
Playing for the first time since June 17th, Hines-Allen had 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds on Sunday against the Aces. She also added two assists, one block, and two steals.
It was a strong showing in MHA's return, and her DFS salary didn't get adjusted enough to make me not recommend her for the second slate in a row, especially with her facing the team she just had a strong showing against.
Maybe the Aces figure Hines-Allen out. But with so much defensive pressure needing to go towards Tina Charles, I expect Hines-Allen to get some really good looks in this one. She's a strong DFS option.
