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Justin Carter's top daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks and betting picks for 5/20/22. Expert WNBA DFS advice for DraftKings and FanDuel and today's best bets.
Three games are on the WNBA slate on Friday, including a marquee matchup between two of the teams with the best records in the league, the Mystics and...the Dream? Yep, Atlanta is good this year! Or, at least, they're good so far.
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 5/20/22. These lineups picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slate locks on 5/20/2022 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: Forwards
Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm) - vs LA - DK: $10,000, FD: $8,900
Stewie is a good play on both platforms, but I like her more on DraftKings because of her value there, as she's the fourth-most expensive forward on the slate as opposed to being the most expensive over on FanDuel.
Her pricing there dropped while she was missing games due to COVID, but Stewart returned last game and played 30 minutes. She only had 13 points, in part because she missed all of her threes and took just 12 total shots. Still, that's basically her floor offensively, and it still resulted in her scoring 28.75 DK points.
Shakira Austin (Washington Mystics) - @ ATL - DK: $7,100, FD: $5,800
Elena Delle Donne is out for rest. Myisha Hines-Allen is a game-time decision with a leg injury. Regardless of MHA's status, Austin is someone you should play in fantasy because not having EDD will lead to expanded opportunities for her, and so far she's taken advantage of those chances.
Last time she played without Delle Donne, Austin saw 35 minutes of action, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. And then last time out with Hines-Allen exiting early, she played 29 minutes, scoring 20 points and pulling down eight boards, plus blocking two shots.
Tianna Hawkins (Washington Mystics) - @ ATL - DK: $4,400, FD: $4,400
As I wrote above, "Elena Delle Donne is out for rest. Myisha Hines-Allen is a game-time decision with a leg injury."
Hawkins is an interesting play if MHA is out as well. The frontcourt depth on this team isn't ideal, so Hawkins would likely be forced to play most of the game. She hasn't played over 18 minutes yet this year, but she has shot 60% or better in three of her four games and has contributed rebounds and assists. Could be a ton of upside here, especially since her low cost will make it easier to stack the big salaries into your lineup.
WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Guards
Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) - vs WAS - DK: $9,600, FD: $7,500
Maybe Howard just isn't going to hit a rookie wall? She's gotten more efficient in every single game this year and has been Atlanta's best player so far...heck, she's been one of the W's best players. The No. 1 overall pick is averaging 20.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 43.7% shooting, and has gone 16-for-28 over the last two games.
Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever) - @ CON - DK: $9,400, FD: $6,700
Plenty of attention is being paid to the Fever playing so many young players. But Kelsey Mitchell is having a career year, averaging 19.2 points per game on 40.8% shooting with 4.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.5 rebounds per contest. She's coming off of her worst game, as she was held to five points against Atlanta on 2-for-8 shooting, but I trust that was a blip on the radar. Mitchell's ceiling makes her a strong DFS option.
Natasha Cloud (Washington Mystics) - @ ATL - DK: $9,100, FD: $7,100
Cloud has been so good this season. In three games, she's averaging 15.3 points per game and is shooting 46.7% from three, both career highs. It's a small sample, but Cloud appears to have really worked on her shot. With Delle Donne out for this game, Cloud will likely take on a lot of offensive responsibility. I'm expecting some impressive numbers out of her on Friday night.
WNBA Betting Picks for 5/19/2022
Looking to make some WNBA bets? Let's look at some options for you.
Yesterday's Results: 2-0
Indiana Fever Spread (+15)
I'm sorry...15? Maybe if I hadn't watched the Fever play and was going off of preseason vibes I would take that, but this team has been competitive most nights and 15 points is...a lot. If this got down to around 10, I'd likely switch, but I think the Fever have enough fire in them to keep this around 12 points.
Seattle Storm Spread (-7)
The Sparks look bad. The Storm have the same 2-3 record as the Sparks, but also were without Breanna Stewart for a couple of games. At full strength, the Storm are one of the W's best teams. The Sparks, meanwhile, have lost three in a row, which included handing the Lynx their first win of the season. They lost by 17 to Connecticut last weekend.
