Tuesday’s WNBA DFS slate features just one game, but it’s a big one. The 2026 Commissioner’s Cup Final pits the New York Liberty against the Las Vegas Aces in a DraftKings Showdown contest that looks dramatically different after A’ja Wilson was ruled out.
Wilson’s absence completely reshapes the slate, leaving behind massive usage, rebounding, and minutes that the rest of the Aces will need to absorb. It also understandably hurts their chances to win, with New York’s line moving from -2.5 to -5.5 following the news.
That creates several underpriced tournament options while making New York’s stars even stronger building blocks. Below are my favorite captain plays, GPP pivots, value targets, and Showdown strategy for Tuesday night’s showdown. Let’s build!
WNBA DFS Injury Report for Tuesday
Las Vegas Aces
- A’ja Wilson — OUT
- Dana Evans — OUT
- Janiah Barker — OUT
The big news here is Wilson’s absence. She rolled her ankle in her last game and will miss a big one on Tuesday. She leaves behind almost 50 fantasy points per game, so you’ll definitely want to target some Aces with the amount of usage and stats up for grabs.
New York Liberty
- Satou Sabally — OUT
Sabally serves a solid role in New York’s rotation, leaving behind 20-25 minutes. Look for Leonie Feibich to continue to soak up big minutes, while Pauline Astier will also see solid run.
Top WNBA DFS Showdown Captain Picks
Breanna Stewart
Stewart is my favorite captain on the slate. Our WNBA DFS projections have her grading out as the top spend (41.6 fps), with nobody within five fantasy points of her. The only downside is a possibly blowout, plus ownership.
Jackie Young
Young becomes the clear offensive centerpiece for Las Vegas with Wilson sidelined. Her usage should climb substantially without Wilson, making her one of the strongest leverage captains if New York ownership becomes overwhelming. If the Aces stay competitive, there’s a good chance Young finishes as the highest scorer on the team.
She presently comes in with a 36-point fantasy projection per our DFS lineup tool, making her the second best play on the board.
Chelsea Gray
Gray should be looking at a huge role tonight. More playmaking responsibility, additional shot attempts, and increased usage make her an excellent GPP captain who also fits balanced roster builds.
Wilson’s absence opens the door for a ceiling game, and she enters the slate with the third best fantasy points projection. She’ll be mildly overlooked behind Stewart and Young, which makes her an easy way to get different without sacrificing floor/ceiling too much.
Sabrina Ionescu
Sabrina always carries triple-double upside and can break a slate if her three-point shot gets rolling. She’ll likely trail Stewart in captain ownership, among others, making her an excellent tournament pivot.
I tend to think the fact that she missed a good chunk of the year still weighs her down, but she’s back to regular minutes and this is a huge game. She’s not projecting amazingly, but she has a path to break the slate and could go a little overlooked.
Best GPP Pivots
Jonquel Jones
Jones has one of the best interior matchups she’ll see all season. Without Wilson anchoring the paint, double-double upside becomes much more attainable. She’s not projecting like a god or anything, but she’s still top-4 and is potentially a sneaky Captain pick given the expected ownership tilting toward Stewart and the Aces studs.
Jewell Loyd
Loyd projects as one of the biggest offensive beneficiaries without Wilson. She isn’t afraid to shoot, and increased usage creates legitimate 40+ fantasy point upside if her jumper is falling.
All things considered, she is my favorite GPP pick in the Captain slot, as she probably needs a big game if this thing is going to stay close.
Leonie Fiebich
Fiebich continues to fill every category while rarely drawing overwhelming ownership. She rebounds, defends, knocks down open shots, and provides one of the better point-per-dollar tournament profiles on the Liberty.
The big thing is the safe minutes here with Sabally still out. Fiebich has logged 30+ minutes in three straight games and while her floor is low, I’ll take a stab on that floor time in tourneys.
NaLyssa Smith
Smith should see a larger role in the frontcourt rotation. Her rebounding upside alone makes her interesting in tournaments, especially if foul trouble creates additional minutes.
Best Value Plays
Stephanie Talbot
Talbot stands out as the best salary-saving option on the slate. She appears throughout many of our DFS lineup optimizer builds because she creates lineup flexibility while projecting for meaningful minutes. She allows you to comfortably fit two or even three elite players without sacrificing overall projection.
Pauline Astier
Astier won’t need a huge scoring night to pay off her salary. If she reaches the low-20s in minutes, assists and peripheral stats could easily make her one of the better value plays available.
WNBA DFS Core Plays for Tuesday
- Breanna Stewart
- Jackie Young
- Chelsea Gray
Whether you Captain these ladies is open for debate. However, assuming you’re playing this slate straight up and not angling for a blowout, I’d get all three of these ladies in the majority of my Showdown lineups.
They account for the top three projections of the slate and all reside in our DFS lineup tool’s #1 build so far.
WNBA DFS Showdown Strategy for Tuesday
I’d start with today’s WNBA DFS core plays. I don’t see much reason to fade any of Stewart, Gray, or Young. The only reason for doing so is playing for injury or a really bad blowout.
Instead, I’d get different at the Captain slot. Lloyd stands out as my favorite Captain, but you can pivot off the chalk to any of the other discussed options. I’d lean into a Liberty win, but also exploit the usage left behind by Wilson by stacking up Aces.
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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