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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks and betting picks for 5/17/22. Expert WNBA DFS advice for DraftKings and FanDuel and today's best bets.
Huge day of WNBA action on Tuesday, as 10 of the league's 12 teams are in action. I love these huge slates from a fantasy perspective, though it also means we have my least favorite thing coming up on Wednesday: a one-game slate.
Just as I have for the last couple of years, I'll be providing daily fantasy lineup picks for the WNBA this season here at RotoBaller. But because I also moved to a state with legalized sports betting earlier this year, I'll be sprinkling in some basic betting picks. Not going to get complicated since there's limited space in this piece, but I'll throw you a bet or two each day that I like.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/17/22. These lineups picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slate locks on 5/17/2022 at 7:00 p.m. 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 Lineup Picks: Guard
Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) - @ IND - DK: $9,000, FD: $7,400
Howard's DFS pricing isn't keeping up with her production. The rookie is averaging 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game through her first four WNBA appearances and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week last week. On Tuesday, she faces a Fever team that she just destroyed last game, as she was 9-for-18 with 33 points in the win. She also added three rebounds, two assists and three steals in that victory.
Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) - vs PHO - DK: $8,500 FD: $6,700
The return of Riquna Williams meant that Young played three fewer minutes against the Dream than she did against Washington in the game before. Young's role feels secure at this point. She's scored in double figures in each game this season and has at least three assists and a steal in each game as well. In her first game against Phoenix, Young had 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
Moriah Jefferson (Minnesota Lynx) - @ LA - DK: $5,800, FD: $5,300
The Lynx have a point guard issue. They were starting Rachel Banham at the position for a bit, which is not good.
But then the Wings bought out Moriah Jefferson and the guard-needy Lynx signed her. And because the Lynx had no one else to run the point, she played 34 minutes in her debut, scoring 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting (3-for-3 from deep) with five assists and a rebound.
While I don't think she'll be that efficient every game, I do think there's a lot of value here. You get a starting point guard at a super, super affordable salary.
WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Forward
Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun) - @ NY - DK: $10,600, FD: $7,800
Thomas is just a machine. She's averaging 16.5 field goal attempts per game, with most of them just being her barreling down the lane and bulldozing people. In her first game against the Liberty, she had 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists and four steals. Those steal numbers are something to keep in mind going forward in the sense that the Liberty are a turnover heavy team, so you get a little jump in value by playing a good defender against them.
Dearica Hamby (Las Vegas Aces) - vs PHO - DK: $9,100, FD: $7,100
After spending the last few seasons as Vegas' sixth player, new head coach Becky Hammon has made Hamby the starting four and it's working. She's averaging 14.8 points per game on 60% shooting with 11.8 rebounds per contest. Phoenix is in better shape than it was the first time these teams played as it has defensive ace Brianna Turner back, but I imagine most of Turner's attention will go toward A'ja Wilson, leaving Hamby guarded by Tina Charles, who is fine defensively but doesn't have the versatility of Turner.
Queen Egbo (Indiana Fever) - vs ATL - DK: $6,900, FD: $7,000
Lots of people—including me, who watched a ton of her at Baylor and actually liked her game—thought it was a reach when the Fever spent a first round pick on Queen Egbo. But she's been good. Really good. Part of her problem in college was her aggressiveness just led to fouls, but that isn't happening as much here.
Egbo isn't scoring a ton, but she's making up for it on the other end. In her last two games, Egbo has established herself as someone who needs to be on the floor for 30 minutes. In those two games, she's averaging just 6.0 points per game, but is adding 11.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per night. The rebounds and blocks give her a high floor. If she can just get a few more looks at the basket, Egbo could have some big nights from a fantasy perspective.
WNBA Betting Picks for 5/17/2022
Looking to make some WNBA bets? Let's look at some options for you.
Connecticut Sun Spread (-7.5)
The Liberty have lost three in a row. They were embarrassed by Chicago, losing by over 30. I know that the Liberty beat the Sun in the season opener, but Connecticut will have DeWanna Bonner and Courtney Williams back, while the Liberty won't have Jocelyn Willoughby and DiDi Richards. As much as I personally want the Liberty to surprise people and be competitive in this one, this is a game that screams blowout.
Washington Mystics Spread (-1)
Books are giving the Wings a lot of credit for beating Washington last week. It's just hard to see Dallas doing that again, even with this game being in Arlington. The Mystics had an off night. Dallas is 2-1, but one of those wins was over a struggling Liberty team.
Minnesota Lynx Spread (+8.5)
The Lynx have been bad. But they finally (maybe) found a point guard in Moriah Jefferson, and in the first game with MoJeff, the team only lost 82-78 to the Sky.
Now, they'll face a Sparks team that isn't that good. Los Angeles has lost its last two games, including a 17-point loss to the Sun. Minnesota has been competitive. This spread is way too high.
