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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for 5/15/24. Expert WNBA DFS advice for DraftKings and FanDuel.
After a really fun opening night slate, the WNBA is back on Wednesday night with the four teams that didn't play last night in action. The Sky visit the Wings in the first game of the night, followed by the Sparks hosting the Dream.
Tuesday night saw Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark make her WNBA debut. It was a game of ups and downs for Clark, who scored 20 points but also set a WNBA record for most turnovers in a player's first game.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. These lineup picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slate locks on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Want to talk more about the WNBA? I'm always available on Twitter and always down to discuss women's basketball: @juscarts.
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WNBA DFS Picks: Forward
Natasha Howard (Dallas Wings) vs. CHI (DK: $10.2K, FD: $7.6K)
With Satou Sabally set to miss a large chunk of the season with a shoulder injury, the Dallas Wings are going to be very reliant on Natasha Howard this season. Arike Ogunbowale is the team's top scorer, but Howard will be asked to take on a larger role as the team's biggest interior threat.
Last season, Flash averaged 16.5 points per game, her most since her monster 2019 season with the Storm. Her 8.0 rebounds were also her most since that year. In other words, you can argue that 2023 was the second-best season of Howard's career. In the best season, she finished fifth in MVP voting.
Tina Charles (Atlanta Dream) @ LAS (DK: $7.9K, FD: $5.8K)
Tina Charles sat the 2023 season out, but the former MVP is back for the 2024 season after signing with the Atlanta Dream. She'll open her WNBA return against the Los Angeles Sparks, who'll likely be starting rookie Cameron Brink at the five. This has a chance to be a real "welcome to the league" moment for Brink.
I asked Tina Charles what it’s been like to play with Cheyenne Parker-Tyus:
“She’s just got a willingness to receive feedback. She wants to be great — dominant on both sides of the floor.”
She mentioned that they’ve always had a friendship, stemming from overseas play.#WNBA
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) May 14, 2024
That's because Charles is likely still a really good offensive player. Maybe there will be some rust to kick off, but she averaged 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in her last season despite splitting time between two teams. And back in 2021, Charles averaged a career-high 23.4 points while playing for the Mystics, finishing fifth in the MVP voting that season.
Angel Reese (Chicago Sky) @ DAL (DK: $6.8K, FD: $4.3K)
The Sky won't have Isabelle Harrison or Kamilla Cardoso for the opener, so we're likely going to see a lot of minutes at the four—and potentially some at the five—for rookie Angel Reese.
There are questions about Reese's ability to be a successful WNBA player, largely because she doesn't have a very diverse offensive game. She has the size to make plays at the bucket, but it shouldn't be too hard for teams to get the basketball out of her hands.
Still, those concerns don't necessarily deter me from playing her in fantasy on Wednesday because the Sky don't have the luxury of bringing Reese along slowly. She'll be thrown into the fire and should have fairly high usage right off the bat.
WNBA DFS Picks: Guard
Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) @ LAS (DK: $10.4K, FD: $7.4K)
2022 Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard averaged 17.5 points per game last season while also adding 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest. She improved her field goal percentage from 36.1% to 38.5%, showcasing some improved shot selection.
With starting point guard Jordin Canada ruled out for this game with a hand injury, Howard should see heavy usage. The team has Crystal Dangerfield as the backup point guard, but I wouldn't be shocked to see some lineups with a true point on the floor, which could increase the assist upside for Howard.
I also love the matchup here. The Sparks don't have a very good defensive backcourt. It's tough to really see who they can throw at Howard to slow her down, other than maybe hoping Rickea Jackson is up for the task. But this is Jackson's first WNBA game, so a defensive matchup on Howard would be a really tough task.
Dana Evans (Chicago Sky) @ DAL (DK: $8.3K, FD: $3.8K)
The Sky lost their first and third leading scorers in the offseason as Kahleah Copper and Courtney Williams landed elsewhere. Marina Mabrey should step up as the team's leading scorer, but there's a huge hole when it comes to figuring out the No. 2 scorer.
Dana Evans seems the most likely player to take over that role. Evans, who isn't afraid to let the ball fly, averaged 9.0 points per game in 2023, the most in her WNBA career. That came despite Evans playing just 21.5 minutes per game.
It also helps that the Wings backcourt shouldn't scare anyone defensively. The three players expected to get the bulk of the minutes at the one and two are Ogunbowale, Jacy Sheldon, and Lou Lopez-Senechal. If I'm Evans, I'm trusting my shot with those matchups.
Jacy Sheldon (Dallas Wings) vs. CHI (DK: $6.1K, FD: $3.6K)
The Wings are in a really weird spot right now. With Sabally out, half of the active roster has never played in a WNBA game. The team moved on from both Dangerfield and Veronica Burton after the WNBA Draft, opening up a spot for Ohio State rookie Jacy Sheldon to start in the backcourt beside Ogunbowale.
Not really surprised the Dallas Wings waived Vernica Burton. Jacy Sheldon played better than her in there one preseason game.
— TalksWithJae (@eccentricsole) May 12, 2024
Sheldon's really more of a combo guard than a true point guard, but she can play as one when needed, and this Wings team is going to need that. Sheldon averaged 17.9 points and 3.8 assists per game in her final season with the Buckeyes. She shot 37.5% from deep. I'd expect Dallas to work to find ways to get her shots beyond the arc.
