The WNBA spotlight shifts to a single-game showdown slate on Thursday night, as the Indiana Fever take on the Atlanta Dream in a matchup loaded with star power. Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese takes center stage, while this game carries massive weight with both teams in terrific form and playing for second place behind the Liberty in the Eastern Conference.
Looking for the best WNBA DFS picks tonight? I’ll highlight the top Indiana Fever vs Atlanta Dream DFS Showdown picks, including the top Captain candidates, favorite flex plays, salary-saving options, and tournament pivots that can help separate your lineup from the field. Let’s build!
Best WNBA DFS Captain Picks for Thursday
- Caitlin Clark ($16.8k)
- Aliyah Boston ($15k)
- Angel Reese ($16.5k)
Our WNBA DFS lineup tool has CC leading the charge. She is the most expensive player on the slate, but she is probably worth it, as she carries the top projection and best ceiling. She’s been cooking lately, as she is fresh off a 51.3 fantasy point outing that saw her hand out 14 dimes.
Clark has been scoring the ball extremely well with 21+ real points in each of her last three games, and that elite double-double upside is what makes her such a good pick. You don’t have to Captain her – and right now our #1 lineup doesn’t have her in the CPT slot – but fading her is ill-advised.
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Boston is leverage on CC, who should be more owned. Atlanta is one of the best rebounding teams in the WNBA, however, so I don’t know if this is her best path to a GPP-winning ceiling. Boston is still capable of erupting, though, while she produced a solid 36 fantasy points in her last matchup with ATL.
Reese is on the other side of this game and seems to always get up to play Clark. She is a nightly double-double threat, which helps her perform at a high level consistently. That’s translated to 40+ fantasy points in four straight games. If I’m not paying for CC in the Captain slot, I’m pivoting to Reese.
Top WNBA DFS Captain GPP Pivots for 6/18
- Rhyne Howard ($15.9k)
- Kelsey Mitchell ($13.8k)
- Naz Hillmon ($10.5k)
- Sophie Cunningham ($8.4k)
The CPT plays above are more stable and worth their salary, but the first pivot away from them is easily Howard. The cool thing about Dream starters is they get force-fed minutes in competitive games, as Howard has logged 36+ minutes in three straight and five of her last six.
Howard’s rock solid role has equated to strong fantasy numbers, too, as she’s topped 38+ fantasy points in four of her last six games. She was a total dude (19 fantasy points) the last time she faced the Fever, but I’m interested in betting on a bounce-back.
Mitchell is a steady play, but I don’t think she is worth her price tag as far as getting to her at a high rate. We can probably bank on her to get 30+ fantasy points, but I’m not enamored with the leverage upside here. I think she’s best suited as a Flex play. That said, in terms of minutes, price, and ownership, putting her in the CPT slot over Clark/Boston is interesting in tournaments.
Hillmon is presently in the Captain slot in our #1 lineup per our DFS lineup optimizer. That doesn’t mean she is an auto CPT play, but she does get a lot of burn and her salary is easy to work in across the board. If her minutes translate to a spike game, she could very well be the missing link to an elite build.
There’s also Sophie Cunninham, who went off in her last game for 24 real points. I doubt she does that again, making her kind if chase-y. That said, the price is nice and she will earn more run if she’s playing well. She’s a solid mid-range Captain to help open up salary and get a more unique lineup.
Value Picks to Target on Thursday at DraftKings
- Isobel Borlase ($5.4k)
- Makayla Timpson ($5.1k)
- Te-Hina PaoPao ($4.5k)
I’m not excited to go dumpster diving on the slate. Most of the values are weak, so they are better served as Flex plays. And we can just switch them up if we’re rolling out a lot of WNBA DFS showdown lineups tonight.
That said, the best option might be Borlase, as he put up 22 fantasy points last time out and has logged 18+ minutes in three of her last four games. Her role is shaky and she has a very low floor, but she’s viable.
Timpson projects worse, but her role is similar in terms of volatility. Another low floor option, but she’s a little cheaper and won’t be very popular.
PaoPao is another option, as her role is also shaky, but she’s the cheapest of the trio. She also has the lowest floor.
WNBA DFS Showdown Strategy for Thursday
If I am entering one lineup I am putting CC or Reese in the Captain slot. If I am entering a lot of lineups, they’d be the go-to spends, but I’d also look to leverage them via Howard and Boston, with a hard lead on Boston.
I like where our lineup tool is at, though, where we can target a mid-range option like Hillmon. The ceiling isn’t massive, but the minutes are terrific and she doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. We can still pair CC and Reese and build a solid lineup.
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
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