RADIO
We're over a week into this WNBA season and the excitement level still seems to be at an all-time high. We've already had a memorable game between the Sparks and the Lynx and Liz Cambage's return has Dallas feeling good about their playoff hopes. A'ja Wilson is already a force for the Aces.
Let's take a look at this Sunday's WNBA slate. We've got three games on the docket with a bunch of good players to choose from. In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/27/18. These lineups picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. With six games happening, there's a ton of lineup choices to make and options to weigh -- and with the teams with the two best defensive ratings this season (Minnesota and Washington) facing each other, there are a ton of lineup flops that can happen too.
Want to talk more about the WNBA? I'm always available on Twitter: @juscarts
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WNBA - DFS Guards
Jewell Loyd (G, Seattle Storm) – @ Las Vegas Aces (DK: $11,000, FD: $7,900)
Jewell Loyd has had an impressive start to the season, with a league-leading 22.7 points per game through three outings. She's shooting 47.1 percent from three on 5.7 assists per contest. Loyd has shot the ball more in each game this season than in the previous one, a trend that obviously can't continue but is worth noting in terms of how her share of the Seattle offense continues to increase. Loyd's also gone 19-for-19 from the free throw line over the past two games, a pair of 29 point performances. She's also averaging a career-high 6.3 rebounds and playing 32.8 minutes per game. Loyd is a top option against an Aces team that's looked bad as its gotten off to an 0-2 start.
Chelsea Gray (G, Los Angeles Sparks) – vs Phoenix Mercury (DK: $10,300, FD: $7,800)
Gray, who shot 48.2 percent from three last season, struggled with her deep shot through the Sparks's first two games, but she went 3-for-5 from downtown against the Sun on Thursday, finishing with 21 points, five assists, and four rebounds in L.A.'s first loss of the year. She did that against a team sporting the league's third-best defensive rating; now, she gets to play a Mercury squad that sits 11th in the same metric. We'll see if she can keep up the assists numbers, which currently sit at a career-best seven per game.
Diana Taurasi (G, Phoenix Mercury) – @ Los Angeles Sparks (DK: $8,400, FD: $6,400)
The Mercury, led by a strong interior player in Brittney Griner, currently have the third-lowest offensive pace in the league after playing at the fourth fastest pace last year. That slower pace is hurting some of the Mercury's guards like Leilani Mitchell, who has been largely ineffective through three games, but it's helped out the older Taurasi, who is averaging her most points since 2013 as she's been able to get the ball through her team's solid ball moving -- only teams teams are turning the ball over less than Phoenix. Taurasi's eye-opening 52.4 percent mark from deep won't keep up forever, but the Sparks are currently allowing opponents to shoot the second highest field goal percentage on threes in the league. I like Taurasi's chances in this one.
Kelsey Plum (G, Las Vegas Aces) – vs Seattle Storm (DK: $6,500, FD: $4,500)
Plum, who missed the first two games of the season while playing in Europe, is back and she'll be asked to boost a floundering Aces offense. After starting her rookie year off slowly in 2017, Plum came on strong near the end of the season, averaging double digit scoring over the final three months of the regular season. She shot 42.1 percent from three in eight August games and averaged 13 points per game in four games against Seattle. There's a chance Plum is rusty after flying back to the United States, but I like her as an option against the Storm. The Aces, who have a league-worst 77.1 offense rating (second-worst is Minnesota at 93.3), will need Plum's shooting to help them steady the ship in their first home game in Las Vegas.
Jordin Canada (G, Seattle Storm) – @ Las Vegas Aces (DK: $4,000, FD: $3,600)
Looking for a cheaper option? I love the defensive energy that Storm rookie Jordin Canada brings to the floor and she's had 17 or more DraftKings points in two of her three career games. Canada should see the court more and more as the season progresses, often playing in three guard lineups with Loyd and Sue Bird. Canada isn't much of an outside shooter, but she can get to the basket and could wreck havoc defensively against an Aces squad that hasn't looked good to start the season.
WNBA - DFS Forwards
Candace Parker (F, Los Angeles Sparks) – vs Phoenix Mercury (DK: $11,700, FD: $8,200)
Parker is expected to make her 2018 debut against the Mercury after a back injury that has kept her out of L.A.'s first three games. She should slide back into the lineup and take shots away from Nneka Ogwumike. (FanDuel understands that and has priced Ogwumike accurately, but she's still the most expensive forward on DraftKings, so #beware). Parker, who averaged 16.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game last year, has a lot of potential against a Mercury team that has struggled defensively. There's risk, but a healthy Parker is a top option.
A'ja Wilson (F, Las Vegas Aces) – vs Seattle Storm (DK: $8,800, FD: $7,000)
Wilson has put up great numbers in his first two career games and has a pretty good match-up with the Storm, who are allowing the third highest true shooting percentage thus far and are giving up 59.4 percent of their points inside the three point line. That's good for Wilson, who will work the ball inside as she tries to get the Aces a win in their first home game. The team won't be as reliant on Wilson, though, with Kelsey Plum back, but she should still be a major force inside.
Rebekkah Brunson (F, Minnesota Lynx) – @ Washington Mystics (DK: $7,600, FD: $5,400)
I'm mostly avoiding the Lynx/Mystics game because it looks to be a defensive battle, but Brunson is an appealing choice. She's rebounding the ball well and has put up strong fantasy numbers even without the scoring always being there. She's cheaper than Maya Moore and her fantasy floor feels less volatile.
Alysha Clark (F, Seattle Storm) – @ Las Vegas Aces (DK: $5,100, FD: $4,200)
One of the cheaper but still viable options, Clark will look to bounce back from a tough game against Chicago where she recorded a pair of rebounds and...well, nothing. She looked strong in the Storm's first two games, though, and is shooting 44 percent from deep on the season. No team has given up a higher percentage of points from deep than the Aces.
