Paige Bueckers went off last night, dropping a career-high 44 points for the Dallas Wings. She was naturally one of the top players I suggested using, but I – like many – got burned by a JJ Quinerly injury in the fourth quarter.
Hopefully you found your way to some money if you played last night’s Showdown slate at DraftKings. On Thursday we get a much more appealing four-game slate, with two of the best studs in action. The question, of course, is which one to play, or whether you need to pair them.
Find out as I break down my top WNBA DFS picks for 8/21.
A’ja Wilson ($13.5k) – Las Vegas Aces
The price is steep, but Wilson is typically worth it. She has an insane 50-point fantasy projection and offers the best floor+ceiling of the entire slate. She’s coming off of a 66-point fantasy outing and has topped 52+ fantasy points in five straight games.
Wilson is also in the best game of the night, as her showdown with Phoenix has a 1-point spread and a 171 total.
You could make a case for dropping down slightly to Alyssa Thomas or Sabrina Ionescu (in that order), or you might even want to pair Wilson with one of them. However, she’s the Jokic of the slate. I don’t see a reason to fade her – just make the rest of your lineup different.
Ariel Atkins ($7.1k) – Chicago Sky
This one is a tad dicey, as Angel Reese should be back to soak up some usage, and the Sky are in a game with a 15-point spread. Yuck, right?
Even so, Atkins is coming off a huge 38-point fantasy outing and should be locked into 30+ minutes if the game can stay close. She looks like one of the best mid-range plays of the slate.
Worried about the blowout? Consider saving $7k with DeWonna Bonner or drop down to Jewell Lloyd ($6.9k).
Satou Sabally ($9.1k) – Phoenix Mercury
Sabally is typically someone I’d only force into my WNBA DFS lineups if Alyssa Thomas were sidelined, but she has a steady role and has been fairly productive of late.
More than anything, she projects well, is in the top game of the slate, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Her floor can be unstable, but she does have a ceiling and is putting up strong averages 17.7 ppg and 6.6 rpg on the year.
The only issue is I am assuming she’ll be a bit owned. I don’t mind getting numerous pieces to the last game of the night, though, so long as you’re making sure your lineup isn’t like everyone else’s.
For the other three slots, I’d focus on at least two low-owned options. Wilson and Sabally/Thomas should be a chalky build, while Atkins is also probably going to garner ownership. Just make sure you’re doing something in 1-2 spots that nobody else is doing.
Also, the price on Emma Meesseman has come up to the point where I no longer think she’s a must. She’s fine, but I’d rather play Jonquel Jones at $1.3k more or pivot to someone else in her price range.
FanDuel Core
- FD Core: Thomas/Jones, Atkins, and Sabally
I am not as into paying up for Wilson on FD. She’s still a beast and you can make it work there, but the top studs are just super pricey compared to how the rest of the pool is priced. It’s way easier to cram 1-2 studs into DraftKings WNBA lineups that it is to do so on FD.
If you like that build, by all means, fire up Wilson. She still has the best projection of the slate and with 4 games, I think it’s feasible enough.
It’s just not super comfortable, so I’d prioritize Alyssa Thomas or Sabrina Ionescu on FanDuel. Emma Meesseman is a much more palatable play there, too, while Satou Sabally and Atkins both still look fantastic.
While I like Ionescu, I will say I’d prefer Jonquel Jones to her. Jones is $600 cheaper and they project the same. I’d only plau Sabrina if I am chasing a high ceiling and she’s coming in at much lower ownership.
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