The WNBA rolls out a fun 4-game slate on Friday night, which also coincides with the return of baseball. Both are fun to play and we can win some cash, so I’ll be handing out my top WNBA DFS picks. I also encourage you to use our WNBA DFS lineup builder if you haven’t started yet.
Today’s slate is ruled by stars, as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Alyssa Thomas, and Nneka Ogwumike are all pricey and project well. Who should you pay up for and build with, though? I’ll point you in the right direction as I break down my top core plays, some values, and my favorite GPP picks for tournaments. Let’s build!
Top WNBA DFS Picks for Friday
- Alyssa Thomas ($11.2k)
- Rae Burrell ($7.7k)
- Dominique Malonga ($9.8k)
Alyssa Thomas looks like the best play on the board. Angel Reese is right there with her, but she’s more expensive and less versatile. I’ll roll with AT here. She’s our top projecting player and she’s in the #1 lineup at the moment, per our tool.
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Reese is also in there with her, so you can opt to pair them. That stretches you pretty thin, though. I’d much rather go get Dominique Malonga, who is back to crushing skulls as of late. Her minutes can be wonky due to foul trouble, but when she pushes for 30 minutes she possesses as much upside as anyone.
Feel free to consider Malonga more of a tourney play, but with a top-4 projection and way cheaper than Reese, it’s an easy call for me.
I also continue to be very high on Burrell. Kelsey Plum is still out and that’s just an absurd amount of usage being spread out amongst the Sparks. You can pay up for Nneka Ogwumike or Dearica Hamby (I prefer Hamby for savings), but the best dollar for dollar play in this offense right now is Rae.
Ideally she does more than just score, but she popped off for 24 points last game and has cleared 17+ in four straight. That’s led to 33+ fantasy points in three of four and we know the playmaking ability is there. I think she’s too cheap for her role. I’ll admit she is not making the #1 lineup at the moment, though, so feel free to go cheaper if you want to go get Reese or another stud.
Best WNBA Fantasy Picks for Tournaments (7/17)
- Caitlin Clark ($11k)
- Marina Mabrey ($10.6k)
I would imagine a good chunk of the money is going to Reese/Thomas/Nneka. And a lot of people might join me on Malonga or go get Hamby. This should drive Mabrey’s ownership down, even though we know she has a high scoring ceiling.
Recency bias is also a hell of a drug. Mabrey was horrendous in her last game, so if people are scared to play her I’ll fire her up without hesitation. She still comes in with the 7th best projection per our tool, and is cheaper than the top five projection studs.
Clark is a YOLO play. She has been slowly worked back into her role for the Fever, but I gotta think she plays the most minutes she’s had in weeks tonight. Aliyah Boston being questionable and expected low ownership plays into my interest here. CC is quite expensive and doesn’t project like a god or anything, either.
Put simply, if nobody wants to play CC because her minutes ceiling might max out at 30, I’m game to fire her up at miniscule ownership.
Friday’s Best WNBA DFS Value Picks
- Gabriela Jaquez ($4.8k)
- Elizabeth Williams ($5k)
- Makayla Timpson ($4.2k)
I’ll stop here, but it’s a four-game slate and we do have questionable tags all over the place. Depending on who is in or out, we should be ready to roll with some punts.
I am mildly concerned about the growing role of veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot, but until she tops 20 minutes, I think we can exploit the absence of Skyler Diggins and cash in on Jaquez. She’s still pretty cheap and has logged 17+ minutes in each of her last four games. Low floor, but decent role that gets us some savings.
Williams could be a smash play if Kamilla Cardoso (Q) doesn’t play. Azura Stevens would be the main lady to benefit at a high level, but we could also go with some cheap Sky forwards. Williams takes the cake for me, especially after she excelled to the rune of 29 fantasy points in 27 minutes last game.
Let’s not forget about Timpson, who could have a clear path to elite value if Aliyah Boston doesn’t suit up. In that case, Timpson would quickly become the top value pick of the slate. Our lineup tool already has her grading out as the second best overall value, as she’s a lock to see 15+ minutes no matter what.
Need more help with WNBA? Refer to our WNBA DFS guide for extra strategy and tips.
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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