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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for 9/17/21. Expert WNBA DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for DraftKings and FanDuel.
Hey, everyone! You might be thinking "I haven't seen a RotoBaller WNBA article in like a week," to which I'm going to tell you "you're correct, I've been busy because the semester just started and I'm teaching four classes, so I am sorry."
But with just two big slates left in the regular season, I'm back to help you make some money here before the playoffs begin.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 9/17/21. These lineups picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. 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 Lineup Picks: Guard
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) - vs Mystics - DK: $10,400, FD: $
Remember when it seemed like Ionescu couldn't score in double figures?
Well that part of her season is a distant memory now. Ionescu has scored 10 or more points in 11 consecutive games. She remains a threat to grab a bunch of rebounds each night and has five or more assists in 10 of her last 11 games.
Ionescu looks more and more like the player who everyone thought she'd be coming out of Oregon. The scoring isn't always there, but she contributes in so many ways when she's on the floor and has a high DFS ceiling because of it.
Skylar Diggins-Smith (Phoenix Mercury) - @ Storm - DK: $9,900, FD: $
Diana Taurasi is still out. When SDS is on the floor without Taurasi, Diggins-Smith averages a 26.6 usage rate. When she shares the floor with her, that drops to 22 percent.
SDS gets to be more ball-dominant with Taurasi out. That doesn't help her efficiency, but it does up her fantasy ceiling.
She'll face a Storm team that's been reeling on Friday. Their best defensive guard, Jordin Canada, appears set to return, but I can't imagine the Storm give Canada too much run in her first game back. Rather, I expect Diggins-Smith to face some fairly light pressure from the Storm defense.
Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces) - @ Sky - DK: $8,500, FD: $
Gray's name has started to pop up in the All-WNBA discussions. And of course it has, as she's been a vital piece of this Aces team and is averaging 11.1 points and 6.1 assists per game.
Her scoring has been down the past couple of games, but she just recently had a 14-assist night. The Aces are running things through Gray more and more, which ups her assist upside. She also has six steals in the past two games and is averaging 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season against Chicago.
WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Forward
Aerial Powers (Minnesota Lynx) - @ Fever - DK: $8,100, FD: $
The Lynx schedule is so weird, as the team has three games in a row here against the Fever.
And, well...Aerial Powers is taking advantage of that, averaging 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 threes, and shooting 60.9 percent in those two games.
So, uhh...why not play her again tonight with that same matchup? In the words of Bo Burnham, "don't overthink this." Play Powers.
Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm) - vs Mercury - DK: $7,400, FD: $
With Breanna Stewart done for the regular season, the Storm have had to lean more on Magbegor, who has played 24 minutes in each of her past two games.
In those two games, Ezi is averaging 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, but those numbers are impacted by the whole Storm team falling apart last game, with the team scoring just 53 points against Los Angeles.
I expect to see a good bit of Magbegor in this game, with her taking somewhere around 10 shots and adding in a block and a steal. If she can convert on those shots, she'll give you 25-plus DFS points, with a chance to get into the 30s.
Michaela Onyenwere (New York Liberty) - vs Mystics - DK: $5,500, FD: $
Every article has to have a "if you're in a large tourney and want to be different, play [X] player" part and today, that player is Liberty rookie Michaela Onyenwere.
The Libs made a lineup change that sent Onyenwere to the bench. She seems to have rediscovered efficiency in that new role, shooting over 60 percent in each of the past two games. She just had 14 points against the Sun and would have put up a nice fantasy line if she hadn't unexpectedly gotten no rebounds. There seems to be something freeing in Onyenwere's new role. I look for the presumptive Rookie of the Year to end her season on a high note.
