The WNBA regular season is drawing to a close. It’s always dicey to play any DFS sports when a season is wrapping up, so just keep that in mind. I would imagine any players that are banged up are going to be tough to trust, while prospective playoff teams may opt to rest or limit their players.
In addition, non playoff contenders could be unpredictable as far as who they play and how much they play them. For now, we’ll go off of the projections, roles, and matchups we can see, and adjust if news trickles out that certain players will be out or limited.
With that, here are my top three WNBA DFS picks to build around at DraftKings on Thursday night.
Kamilla Cardoso, F, Sky ($10.5k)
Assuming she isn’t limited or rested, Cardoso looks to be the top stud of the slate. She absolutely does not offer the highest ceiling, but she gives us the most bang for our buck and comes into Thursday night with the second best projection on the board.
The big thing to watch for is the status of Angel Reese, who has missed the last few games. If she’s held out and there’s no word on Cardoso being limited, I’m game to run her out there in most of my WNBA DFS lineups.
Cardoso hasn’t been limited at all lately, logging 31+ minutes in each of her last three contests. A date with the New York Liberty could obviously spell disaster, but don’t forget that she crushed in this matchup not too long ago (54 fantasy points) – a game Chicago actually won.
Alanna Smith, F, Lynx ($7.9k)
Jessica Shepard is also going to be in play here, but she and Alanna Smith are basically the same price and Smith projects better.
You can make the case to go either way or even play both, though, as Napheesa Collier sat out Minnesota’s last game and is once again Q for Thursday.
Smith is the call for me right now, but I have zero qualms pairing them together or pivoting to a lesser owned Shepard if the slate calls for it. Other Lynx players such as Kayla McBride, Hiedeman, and Williams are also viable, but not musts.
Rebecca Allen, G, Sky ($3.8k)
This slate very well may come down to whether or not you play A’ja Wilson, and what transpires after you make that call. She has the top projection by nine fantasy points and offers a superior ceiling compared to every options – but she’s also egregiously priced at over $15k.
I am personally out on Wilson for this slate, but whether you want to play her or not, Rebecca Allen feels like too good of a value to pass up. Ariel Atkins won’t play for the Sky tonight, is the big reason why.
Allen logged 23 minutes last game and could end up pushing for 30 in this one. She could also be blowout proof, so while rostering two Chicago players makes me die a little bit inside, I think it’s the correct build.
Of course, if you’re not rostering Wilson, you could make the case to avoid a dicey punt like this and go more balanced.
FanDuel WNBA Core Plays for 9/11
The core doesn’t change for me. Alyssa Thomas is also on this slate, but on both sites Cardoso is the better value and way cheaper. The only real issue is if you feel Wilson is a must or not (I don’t).
I will say that if Reece is in fact out, Elizabeth Williams feels too cheap on FD. She’s far more viable there than she is on DK. I’d be more inclined to go balanced on FD than DK, while it’s worth noting Rebecca Allen is useful at both G and F on FD.
Dearica Hamby is a stout pairing option with Cardoso on this slate, too.
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