RADIO
After six games on Sunday, the WNBA gets back to a more manageable slate size on Tuesday, with two games on the docket. The Lynx visit the Liberty in the early game, while the Dream face the Storm later in the night.
I'll be providing daily fantasy lineup picks for the WNBA this season here at RotoBaller. In addition, 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 and, because I think this is important, that I'll be making myself.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/7/22. These lineups picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slate locks on 6/7/2022 at 8:00 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
Natasha Howard (New York Liberty) - vs MIN - DK: $9,600, FD: $8,500
Howard has had a couple of strong games in a row despite shooting 1-for-11 from deep over the course of them. Last time out against Minnesota, she scored 20 points on 9-for-15 shooting with five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. She has multiple stocks in five consecutive games and has scored at least 20 points in both meetings with the Lynx. Minnesota just doesn't have an answer for her at the four.
Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm) - vs ATL - DK: $9,000, FD: $6,000
I thought the return of Mercedes Russell would cut into Magbegor's minutes more than it has. But Magbegor returned from her COVID protocol absence on Sunday and was instantly impactful, playing 29 minutes and scoring 19 points with seven rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. It's her fourth game in a row with multiple blocks and the fourth time in five games she had multiple steals. Magbegor has established herself as the starting center in Seattle and should be trusted most nights because of her ability to fill up the scorecard.
Han Xu (New York Liberty) - vs MIN - DK: $7,300, FD: $5,700
Han Xu's got one major advantage over everyone else: she's very tall, by which I mean she's the WNBA's tallest player.
Her height advantage allows her to get some easy looks while also giving her a nice rebounding floor. On Sunday against this Lynx team, she was 4-for-5 for nine points, with five rebounds, one block and two steals. She has a block in four consecutive games and has five or more rebounds in five of the last six. She's averaging 10 points and six rebounds per game when playing the Lynx this season.
WNBA DFS Lineup Picks: Guards
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) - vs MIN - DK: $9,900, FD: $7,800
The Liberty moved Ionescu to shooting guard, inserting Crystal Dangerfield at the point to give the team a different look.
And oh boy, it's working to unlock Ionescu.
Here are her numbers in the three games since that swap:
- 23 points (6-for-11, 3-for-7), seven rebounds, two assists vs IND
- 24 points (6-for-15, 5-for-10), two rebounds, three assists vs WAS
- 31 points (13-for-24, 3-for-11), five rebounds, seven assists vs MIN
She faces Minnesota again on Tuesday night. I think this is a pretty obvious play. By moving her off ball more, she has more open looks and can concentrate on her scoring, which she's been very good at.
Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) - vs ATL - DK: $8,300, FD: $6,000
The Storm were back to 100% last game, but Loyd still look 12 field goal attempts in the loss to Connecticut, going 7-for-12 with 16 points and seven assists.
Now, she faces a really good Dream defense. But while Atlanta has allowed the fewest points in the league so far, the team has also played Indiana three times already, plus the Mercury and Lynx. When they faced good offensive teams, the numbers were usually fine, but they did struggle against the Aces, and Kahleah Copper had 21 points and eight boards against them a couple games ago. There are some cracks here that Loyd can take advantage of.
I think it's also possible to save some salary space and play Loyd's backcourt mate, Sue Bird.
Rachel Banham (Minnesota Lynx) - @ NY - DK: $5,100, FD: $4,400
With Moriah Jefferson doubtful for Tuesday, it looks like Banham will get another start at point guard.
It's not her natural position, but the roster construction in Minnesota has forced Cheryl Reeve's hand at times. Banham had to play 32 minutes last game (which was also against New York), with her scoring 11 points on 5-for-11 shooting with six rebounds and four assists. Solid numbers, and the Lynx will need to play her 30-plus minutes again on Tuesday, so there's some decent upside here with Banham, even if she's not an exciting play.
WNBA Betting Picks for 6/5/2022
Looking to make some WNBA bets? Let's look at some options for you.
Yesterday's Results: 0-1 [or 5-1, if you broke all my the parts of my ML parlay bet into individual bets]
Minnesota Spread (+3)
The Liberty have won two of their last three games, but this is still a team whose success feels tenuous. Let's not forget that they had a seven-game losing streak this season, and that they're 0-2 against the Lynx. New York is favored in this game despite that. Take the Minny spread.
Dream/Storm O 153
Seattle ranks 10th in points per game. Atlanta ranks 11th. Defensively, the Dream allow the fewest points per game, while the Storm allow the fourth-fewest.
So, why am I taking the over? One reason is that it's just a really low total. If these two teams score at their season average, they hit it. But Seattle's season average is low because the team was hit with COVID, which resulted in multi-game absences from many of its best players. A fully healthy Storm team scored 86 points last game. Meanwhile, the Dream have played a relatively easy schedule. Holding Indiana to a low point total is different than holding the full-strength Storm to a low point total.
