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WNBA DFS Picks and Lineup Tips for Friday, September 13

WNBA Schedule Today

  • Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx
  • Washington Mystics at Atlanta Dream
  • Seattle Storm at Dallas Wings
  • Las Vegas Aces at Indiana Fever
  • Connecticut Sun at Phoenix Mercury

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Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx

Line: Lynx -12.5
O/U: 156.5

Injury Report – Sky vs. Lynx

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Chicago

Minnesota

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Sky continue to hold onto the eighth and final playoff spot heading into the final week of the regular season, but the Mystics and Dream are only a game behind them. Chicago also enters Friday’s matchup as a heavy underdog against one of the best teams in the league.

The Sky have lost several key contributors over the past few months, as they traded Marina Mabrey to the Sun just before the All-Star Game and lost Angel Reese to a season-ending wrist injury last week. They’ll also be playing without Diamond DeShields on Friday, leaving Chennedy Carter, Kamilla Cardoso and Isabelle Harrison as the team’s three top contributors. Carter missed four games between late August and early September but has been back in action over the last three matchups, averaging 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 29.0 minutes per game. Cardoso had some inconsistent performances to begin her rookie season but has averaged 14.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 31.0 minutes per game over five appearances since the start of September. Harrison has stepped into a larger role since Reese’s injury, averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game over her last two outings.

The Lynx have the second-best record in the WNBA but have been held under 80 points in four of their last five games. However, Napheesa Collier is the team’s top contributor and has remained productive recently, averaging 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 34.3 minutes per game over 11 appearances since the Olympic break. Kayla McBride has consistently seen plenty of minutes but hasn’t been as reliable as usual lately, averaging 11.3 points and 2.5 assists in 31.3 minutes per game over her last four appearances. Myisha Hines-Allen has a mid-tier DFS salary but has been a solid contributor since joining the Lynx, as she’s averaged 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game over her nine appearances with the team.

Washington Mystics at Atlanta Dream

Line: Dream -3.5
O/U: 155.0

Injury Report – Mystics vs. Dream

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Washington

Atlanta

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Mystics and Dream remain alive in the playoff chase, and both teams are one game behind Chicago. This game has significant implications for both teams, as the winner puts themselves in position to compete for the No. 8 seed over the final week of the regular season, while the loser will have a significant uphill battle if they hope to advance to the postseason.

The Mystics will be without Shakira Austin (ankle) for the sixth time in the last seven games during Friday’s matchup, and the team has distributed minutes fairly evenly during recent games. Ariel Atkins has led the team in playing time but hasn’t had significant production, averaging 12.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game over her last six appearances. Brittney Sykes’ production has increased recently, as she’s averaged 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 22.7 minutes per game over her last three outings. Neither player has a particularly high DFS salary for Friday, but Mystics players have had a limited ceiling recently due to the even distribution of minutes.

Unlike Washington, the Dream rely heavily on their starting unit, while bench minutes can be somewhat inconsistent. Rhyne Howard has been the team’s top scorer, but she snapped a three-game streak of scoring at least 30 points by putting up just 14 during Tuesday’s loss to Minnesota. She has a top-tier salary on DraftKings and FanDuel on Friday but has shaky value, especially since the game between Washington and Atlanta has the lowest expected total on the slate. Tina Charles also has a lofty salary but has posted double-doubles in her last six appearances, averaging 17.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 34.2 minutes per game. Allisha Gray is also a reliable scorer but hasn’t been very consistent in secondary categories.

Seattle Storm at Dallas Wings

Line: Storm -9.0
O/U: 174.5

Injury Report – Storm vs. Wings

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Seattle

Dallas

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Storm are chasing the Aces for the No. 4 seed in the playoffs and will square off against a team that’s already been eliminated from the postseason picture Friday.

Outside of blowout victories, Seattle usually relies heavily on its starting unit, headlined by Jewell Loyd, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Loyd is the team’s top scorer but has been held below 15 points in two of her last three outings, and she doesn’t usually contribute enough in secondary categories to prop up her fantasy value when she’s struggling on the scoreboard. While Loyd has been somewhat cold, Diggins-Smith has heated up, averaging 19.8 points and 6.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per game over her last six appearances. Ogwumike is usually a solid contributor in the scoring and rebound columns, but she’s been held to just one double-double over her last seven appearances. Gabby Williams rejoined the Storm after the Olympic break following a solid showing in Paris, and she’s scored in double figures in three of her last four appearances. She has a more reasonable salary than Seattle’s stars and is a player to consider in DFS lineups.

The Wings have plenty of talent on their roster, but they’ve dealt with several injuries throughout the season. While they’ve been relatively healthy recently, they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs, and Natasha Howard will miss Friday’s game while tending to a personal matter. Maddy Siegrist could pick up some of the slack in Howard’s absence, and Siegrist has averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game over her last two appearances. Arike Ogunbowale has been the team’s top scorer and had a streak of eight 20-plus point performances heading into Thursday’s game against the Liberty, but she was held to just 11 points against New York. Satou Sabally is usually productive but has been held to single-digit scoring totals in her last two appearances, while Teaira McCowan is usually a productive scorer and rebounder.

Las Vegas Aces at Indiana Fever

Line: Aces -3.5
O/U: 176.5

Injury Report – Aces vs. Fever

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Las Vegas

Indiana

No injuries to report.

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Aces and Fever squared off Wednesday, and Las Vegas emerged with an 11-point win. However, the Aces are just 3.5-point favorites ahead of Friday’s rematch as both teams attempt to stave off competition for their playoff seeds.

Although the Aces haven’t quite dominated the league as much as they did during the last two seasons in which they won back-to-back titles, A’ja Wilson appears on track to win her third MVP award. She missed Sunday’s game against the Liberty due to a leg injury but didn’t appear to miss a beat in her return to action Wednesday, putting up 27 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks in 34 minutes. While coach Becky Hammon has said that she’s monitoring Wilson’s workload following her one-game absence, the frontcourt option still has a shot at being the top DFS contributor Friday. The Aces’ other key players have been somewhat inconsistent recently, as Jackie Young has been held to single-digit scoring totals in two of her last three appearances, while Kelsey Plum scored just nine points Wednesday after putting up at least 25 points in each of her previous two appearances.

Caitlin Clark has unsurprisingly been the Fever’s top scorer during her rookie season, but she’s also been reliable as a passer while also adding occasional production on the boards. She was held to 16 points during Wednesday’s game against Las Vegas but had scored at least 24 points in each of her previous five appearances, and she averaged 25.0 points, 10.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds in 38.0 minutes per matchup over that six-game stretch. Kelsey Mitchell has had steady production since the Olympic break, putting up at least 20 points in 10 of her last 11 appearances. During that time, she’s averaged 24.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 36.5 minutes per game. Aliyah Boston also has plenty of upside but struggled during Wednesday’s loss, totaling six points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes.

Connecticut Sun at Phoenix Mercury

Line: Sun -8.5
O/U: 157.0

Injury Report – Sun vs. Mercury

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Connecticut

Phoenix

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Sun are coming off back-to-back wins over the Sparks by double-digit margins, while the Mercury have lost their last two games and could be playing without Kahleah Copper (back) on Friday.

Brionna Jones has been on a scoring tear since the start of September, averaging 20.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game over her five appearances this month. Although Marina Mabrey has taken on a bench role for the Sun in recent matchups, she scored a season-high 26 points in Tuesday’s win over the Sparks and has scored in double figures in eight of her nine appearances off the bench. Alyssa Thomas hasn’t been a prolific scorer recently, scoring in single digits in five of her last six appearances. However, she’s averaged 9.2 assists and 9.0 rebounds over her last five appearances and has posted back-to-back double-doubles. DeWanna Bonner and DiJonai Carrington also have DFS upside but have displayed some inconsistency recently.

During her first season with the Mercury, Kahleah Copper has appeared in each of the team’s first 36 games but is dealing with a back injury ahead of Friday’s matchup. She didn’t participate in the team’s morning shootaround, and her absence from Friday’s game would be significant, as she’s the top scorer for Phoenix. If she’s sidelined, Diana Taurasi, Natasha Cloud and Sophie Cunningham could see increased work. All three players have been inconsistent recently but would need to step up if the Mercury hope to keep up against Connecticut. Brittney Griner has been a steady presence in the frontcourt for most of the season but matched her season-low scoring total with a four-point performance against Seattle on Saturday.

WNBA DFS Picks Today

FanDuel

Wilson has the top salary on both DFS platforms Friday, but she’s been the most consistently dominant player in the league this season and should see plenty of work against the Fever, as the game is expected to be one of the most competitive matchups of the night. Collier has posted double-doubles in three of her last five appearances and has a solid floor with decent upside due to her production in the scoring and rebound columns. At her current salary, Charles would have posted 4x value in each of her last 10 appearances, and she’s a strong option to build a DFS lineup around. McCowan and Harrison both have plenty of upside due to the absences on their teams.

Value Plays

DraftKings

As mentioned above, Wilson’s lofty fantasy totals are enough to justify her high DFS salary. Clark was held in check during Wednesday’s game against the rematch but should provide plenty of value if she can bounce back during Friday’s rematch, as she’s a prolific scorer and a consistent threat to post double-doubles and triple-doubles. Howard’s scoring production fell off Tuesday, but she’s generally been productive on both ends of the court in recent weeks. Sykes’ role has gotten more consistent recently, while Brown is another frontcourt player who could step up in Natasha Howard’s (personal) absence.

Value Plays

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jason “The Polish Parlay” Shebilske plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: FavreFanatic, FanDuel: Favre_Fanatic.

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