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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for 8/18/23. Expert WNBA DFS advice for DraftKings and FanDuel.
It's been a slow week in the WNBA. Since Sunday, we've had just two games, both between Vegas and New York. First, the two sides met in the Commissioner's Cup final, and then Thursday met in a regular season contest. But the rest of the league is back on Friday, with five games on the slate.
If you're looking for WNBA daily fantasy picks and some betting advice this season, then you're in the right place. I'll be here providing picks for any slate with two or more games.
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 slates lock on 8/18/2023 at 7:00 PM ET. 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
Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun) - vs. DAL - DK: $12,100, FD: 9,100
If you're looking for high floor and high ceiling, there's not a single player, any night, who is going to deliver you that better than Alyssa Thomas. She does basically everything for the Sun, and it's reflected in her stat line.
Thomas is averaging 15.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game this season, and she's posted double-doubles in three consecutive contests, including putting up 26 points and 10 rebounds last game against the Wings. Notably, she played all 40 minutes in that contest, marking the second game in a row that Thomas played that much.
Now, she faces the Wings again. In addition to that showing last game, she had one of her worst scoring efforts against Dallas back in July, scoring just eight points—but it didn't really hurt her fantasy line, because she had 10 rebounds and seven assists.
That's the beauty of playing Thomas. She just does so much that even if she struggles in one category, she makes up for it with the totality of her performance.
NaLyssa Smith (Indiana Fever) - vs. WAS - DK: $8,300, FD: $6,800
Smith played her most minutes since returning from injury last time out against the Liberty, seeing 27 minutes on the floor. The second-year big scored 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting and pulled down nine rebounds while also adding two assists and a block.
The Fever brought Smith back along slowly in her first two games back, but she seems to have been fully unleashed now. Aliyah Boston might be Indiana's most talented player, but Smith's the one most likely to end up with a high-scoring volume based on her role on the team and her ability to score both inside and outside. She's struggled from three lately, but has attempted 48 of them in 22 games.
Mercedes Russell (Seattle Storm) - vs. MIN - DK: $5,000, FD: $4,900
Russell has seen an increase in her minutes and production over the last two games, scoring 20-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Last time out against the Mercury, Russell played 28 minutes, scoring eight points on 4-for-7 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds. She also recorded an assist and a block. With her playing time going up, there's a chance to get some real value here from the veteran big, who has grabbed four or more boards in six of the past seven contests.
WNBA DFS Picks: Guard
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) - @ PHO - DK: $11,200, FD: $7,900
On the second night of a back-to-back, I expect to see the Liberty rely more on their younger star, Sabrina Ionescu, than their older stars.
For example, the last time the Liberty were on night two of a back-to-back? July 28 against the Lynx, when she scored 31 points and added seven rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and two steals in the team's loss.
Ionescu's ability to fill the stat sheet makes her a high-floor, high-ceiling play every night, and this feels like a chance for her to hit that ceiling. She flirted with a triple-double last time she faced the Mercury, scoring 11 points and adding seven rebounds and nine assists.
Brittney Sykes (Washington Mystics) - @ IND - DK: $9,800, FD: $7,600
It looks like Ariel Atkins might return from her five-week absence on Friday, but even if she does, I imagine the Mystics ease her back in. I'm not letting that scare me off of Sykes.
Last game, Sykes lit up the scoreboard, scoring 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting. She was 2-for-5 from three and 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. The veteran guard also added four rebounds, six assists, and five steals.
Atkins might eat into her usage a little, but I think Washington know who its best guard is right now, and the team should continue to give Sykes high usage. And even if the scoring comes down a bit, she'll continue to deliver in rebounds, assists, and steals.
Kia Nurse (Seattle Storm) - vs. MIN - DK: $3,600, FD: $4,300
With Gabby Williams sidelined, there's been a question about where perimeter offense will come from for the Storm. Last game, it was former All-Star Kia Nurse that took over some of that role.
Nurse played 26 minutes in the win over the Mercury, her most minutes since June 27. She scored 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting in the victory, marking her first game with double-digit points since July 6. She added five rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
This is a risky play, since Nurse has gone scoreless in three of the last five games, but if she has a role that looks like her role from last game, she's a steal at this price, especially on DraftKings, where there are players who aren't even on rosters priced above her.
