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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for 8/23/20. Expert WNBA DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for DraftKings and FanDuel.
It's Sunday, the end of another WNBA week. Things are moving quickly, and the top of the league has been shaken up a bit, as the Aces have really cut into Seattle's lead, thanks in large part to beating them yesterday.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/23/20. 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. (By the way, I'm in "oh no the semester starts Monday" mode, so apologies if today and the next few days of pieces aren't quite as beefy as you're used to!)
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WNBA - DFS Guards
Arike Ogunbowale (G, Dallas Wings) – vs Los Angeles Sparks (DK: $10,300, FD: $7,500)
Honestly, until the Wings have Moriah Jefferson and Satou Sabally back, I'm going to keep playing Arike for the upside, as she's got to do more as a scorer and passer without those two.
Sabally might be back today -- she's probable with a back injury -- so this run from Ogunbowale of three games in a row with 20-plus points might be coming to an end, but I think she's worth a spot on today's DFS roster, especially because the other high-priced options come with more downside, like the two Atlanta guards who have to face Minnesota.
Chelsea Gray (G, Los Angeles Sparks) – vs Dallas Wings (DK: $8,400, FD: $6,000)
Coming into 2020, the argument between Gray and Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot for the title of the WNBA's best point guard was at least a discussion, but shooting woes have really swung things in Vandersloot's favor.
But Gray's still a really good lead guard, averaging 12.8 points per game despite shooting 20.7 percent from three. She's also averaging 5.0 assists, 2.8 boards, and 1.5 steals per contest. She's also outscored her season average in three consecutive games, including posting her first 20-point game of the year against Atlanta. Dallas has the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league, by the way.
Bridget Carleton (G, Minnesota Lynx) – vs Atlanta Dream (DK: $7,000, FD: $5,400)
Speaking of targeting a bad defense, Atlanta has the WNBA's worst defensive rating, and Carleton has been playing a larger role over the last few games for the Lynx, a combination of things that I like. She's coming off 14 points and four made threes against Phoenix, a game in which she also added five rebounds and six assists. I like a lot of players in Minnesota in this one, but among their guard options, Carleton's got the lowest salary, which makes her stick out a little more than Lexie Brown and Crystal Dangerfield.
WNBA - DFS Forwards
Napheesa Collier (F, Minnesota Lynx) – vs Atlanta Dream (DK: $11,400 FD: $8,200)
With Sylvia Fowles still sidelined by a calf injury, Napheesa Collier remains the focal point of the Lynx offense as they head into a meeting with the WNBA's worst defensive team. I don't think I really need to say more about this one, do I? If you're playing a bunch of lineups, you might not want to put Collier in them all, but if you're just running a few lines and want the player with the best chance of exploding for a huge performance from today's slate, you're looking for Collier.
Alanna Smith (F, Phoenix Mercury) – vs Washington Mystics (DK: $5,900, FD: $3,800)
Brittney Griner has left the bubble for personal reasons. She missed Friday's game and her replacement in the lineup, Kia Vaughn, had a fine game, but it was Alanna Smith who really stepped into a bigger role, scoring 13 points and grabbing three rebounds in 21 minutes. It was the most minutes she's played all year, and now she has back-to-back double-digit scoring games for the first time in 2020 as well.
Alaina Coates (F, Washington Mystics) – vs Phoenix Mercury (DK: $4,700, FD: $3,000)
Here's today's punt play. Coates played 22 minutes last game because Emma Meesseman was out. If Meesseman sits again, Coates is an intriguing play against a Mercury team that'll be without Brittney Griner inside. Coates had 11 points and seven rebounds last game, and while Myisha Hines-Allen and Tianna Hawkins both have more upside in a Meesseman-less game, Coates would get minutes against a weakened frontcourt in this scenario. It's the last game of the day, though, so be prepared to maybe do a late swap for Kia Vaughn or Sophie Cunningham.
