The WNBA season tips off Friday, and I'm happy to announce that I'll be providing breakdowns of some of the DFS slates throughout 2019. It will typically be limited to days with three or more games on the schedule, but we will make a special exception for Opening Night. The articles will also be a little shorter moving forward when roles are established.
Please note that our WNBA content will be available to all RotoWire NBA (and all sports) subscribers this season. If you are not a member yet, you can try us out free for 10 days (no credit card required) by clicking here.
DraftKings and FanDuel Price Differences
Top 5 for FanDuel (Skylar Diggins excluded)
| Player | FanDuel Price | % of Budget | DraftKings Price | % of Budget | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | 3000 | 7.5% | 9700 | 19.40% | -11.9% |
| Natalie Achonwa | 4900 | 12.3% | 8400 | 16.80% | -4.6% |
| Candice Dupree | 7100 | 17.8% | 10400 | 20.80% | -3.1% |
| Isabelle Harrison | 3100 | 7.8% | 5400 | 10.80% | -3.1% |
| Alex Bentley | 5000 | 12.5% | 7300 | 14.60% | -2.1% |
| Elizabeth Williams | 6400 | 16.0% | 8900 | 17.80% | -1.8% |
Top 5 for DraftKings
| Player | FanDuel Price | % of Budget | DraftKings Price | % of Budget | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelsey Mitchell | 6200 | 15.5% | 5300 | 10.60% | 4.9% |
| Erica Wheeler | 5500 | 13.8% | 4800 | 9.60% | 4.2% |
| Bria Hartley | 5300 | 13.3% | 4700 | 9.40% | 3.9% |
| Kayla Thornton | 5600 | 14.0% | 5200 | 10.40% | 3.6% |
| Brittney Sykes | 5400 | 13.5% | 5600 | 11.20% | 2.3% |
2018 Team Stats
2018 Advanced Team Offense Stats
| TEAM | POSS | Off Rtg | REB% | EFG% | TS% | PACE | FTA RATE | BLK% | TOV% | %PTS 2PT | %PTS 3PT | %PTS FT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Storm | 80.7 | 108.1 | 51 | 53.4 | 57.2 | 80.1 | 0.251 | 8.5 | 16.6 | 53 | 31.1 | 15.9 |
| Connecticut Sun | 81 | 108.2 | 53.6 | 51.9 | 55 | 80.9 | 0.236 | 6.2 | 16.6 | 59.5 | 26 | 14.5 |
| Washington Mystics | 78.8 | 107.3 | 48.8 | 51 | 55.8 | 78.9 | 0.26 | 8.1 | 15.4 | 52.3 | 29.8 | 17.9 |
| Phoenix Mercury | 80.3 | 106.8 | 48.7 | 52.2 | 57.6 | 80.3 | 0.316 | 9 | 16.9 | 49.9 | 29.6 | 20.4 |
| Atlanta Dream | 81.9 | 99.9 | 49.5 | 46.8 | 51.4 | 81.9 | 0.31 | 10.5 | 16.4 | 58.7 | 21.5 | 19.8 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 78.1 | 101 | 47.2 | 49.7 | 53.7 | 77.8 | 0.232 | 6 | 15.5 | 61.3 | 22.8 | 15.9 |
| Dallas Wings | 81.7 | 106 | 53.2 | 49 | 54.4 | 81.6 | 0.346 | 9.2 | 17.3 | 54.9 | 23.3 | 21.8 |
| Minnesota Lynx | 78.6 | 100.4 | 53.1 | 49.1 | 52.9 | 78.6 | 0.245 | 6.3 | 18.1 | 63.3 | 20.5 | 16.3 |
| Las Vegas Aces | 83.2 | 101.5 | 50.9 | 46.9 | 52.1 | 82.9 | 0.332 | 7.9 | 15.4 | 65.1 | 13.5 | 21.4 |
| Chicago Sky | 82.6 | 101.5 | 47.5 | 50.5 | 54.7 | 81.3 | 0.266 | 7.2 | 18.6 | 57 | 25.7 | 17.3 |
| New York Liberty | 80 | 97.1 | 49.2 | 48.1 | 51.7 | 79.5 | 0.234 | 6 | 18.4 | 58.7 | 25.7 | 15.6 |
| Indiana Fever | 80.1 | 95.3 | 47.2 | 44.6 | 48.9 | 79.1 | 0.227 | 5.6 | 15.1 | 60.8 | 22.2 | 17.1 |
2018 Advanced Team Defense Stats (Opponent Stats)
| TEAM | POSS | Off Rtg | REB% | EFG% | TS% | PACE | FTA RATE | BLK% | TOV% | %PTS 2PT | %PTS 3PT | %PTS FT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Storm | 80.7 | 98.8 | 49 | 47.9 | 51.8 | 80.1 | 0.228 | 7.2 | 16.6 | 60.8 | 23.1 | 16 |
| Connecticut Sun | 80.9 | 101 | 46.4 | 49.3 | 53.9 | 80.9 | 0.278 | 7.2 | 17.2 | 56.9 | 24.5 | 18.6 |
| Washington Mystics | 78.9 | 103.1 | 51.2 | 49.6 | 54.3 | 78.9 | 0.273 | 6.3 | 17.3 | 57.5 | 24.1 | 18.4 |
| Phoenix Mercury | 80.3 | 103.6 | 51.3 | 47.8 | 52.5 | 80.3 | 0.28 | 7.5 | 15.5 | 57.2 | 24 | 18.9 |
| Atlanta Dream | 81.9 | 97.1 | 50.5 | 46.8 | 51.1 | 81.9 | 0.261 | 7.9 | 18.3 | 58.5 | 23.6 | 17.9 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 78 | 98.7 | 52.8 | 49.3 | 53.6 | 77.8 | 0.269 | 5.4 | 19.2 | 61 | 21.3 | 17.7 |
| Dallas Wings | 81.5 | 104.7 | 46.8 | 49.7 | 54.3 | 81.6 | 0.292 | 9.1 | 15.8 | 57 | 24.1 | 18.9 |
| Minnesota Lynx | 78.7 | 99.5 | 46.9 | 49.7 | 53.4 | 78.6 | 0.226 | 6.8 | 16.1 | 58.2 | 26.5 | 15.3 |
| Las Vegas Aces | 83.1 | 104.7 | 49.1 | 50.4 | 54.5 | 82.9 | 0.252 | 8.7 | 15.3 | 55.7 | 27.6 | 16.7 |
| Chicago Sky | 82.4 | 109.4 | 52.5 | 50.8 | 55.1 | 81.3 | 0.278 | 9.7 | 16.1 | 59.6 | 22.6 | 17.8 |
| New York Liberty | 80.3 | 105.7 | 50.8 | 49.6 | 54.5 | 79.5 | 0.327 | 7.4 | 16.1 | 51.8 | 27.8 | 20.4 |
| Indiana Fever | 80.3 | 106.7 | 52.8 | 52.2 | 56.3 | 79.1 | 0.288 | 7.4 | 16.9 | 59.1 | 23.2 | 17.7 |
Data from WNBA.com
Dallas Wings 
at Atlanta Dream 
Injuries
Dallas
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tayler Hill | G | Knee | GTD | 5/24/2019 |
| Azura Stevens | F | Concussion | OUT | 6/1/2019 |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | G | Personal | OUT | 6/9/2019 |
| Moriah Jefferson | G | Not Injury Related | SUSP | 7/5/2019 |
Atlanta
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel McCoughtry | F | Knee | OUT | 6/6/2019 |
| Kristy Wallace | G | Knee | SUSP-INJ | 5/1/2020 |
Vegas Odds: Atlanta -10.5 (Open: Atlanta -8) Over/Under: 159 (Open 166.5)
2018 Player Stats
| Player | Team | Pos | G | Min | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liz Cambage | Dal | C | 32 | 29.5 | 23 | 9.7 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 1.7 |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | Dal | G | 32 | 34.1 | 17.9 | 3.3 | 6.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 |
| Kayla Thornton | Dal | F | 34 | 28.6 | 9.2 | 4 | 1.8 | 1 | 0.4 |
| Allisha Gray | Dal | G | 34 | 26.7 | 9.2 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 |
| Azura Stevens | Dal | F | 34 | 20.6 | 8.9 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Glory Johnson | Dal | F | 29 | 22.5 | 8 | 6 | 1.3 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Kaela Davis | Dal | G | 27 | 16.8 | 5 | 2 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Aerial Powers | Dal | F | 15 | 15.4 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Cayla George | Dal | C | 23 | 10.7 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Karima Christmas-Kelly | Dal | G | 6 | 27.8 | 9.3 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Theresa Plaisance | Dal | F | 7 | 11.6 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Tayler Hill | Dal | G | 7 | 16.9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Leticia Romero | Dal | G | 21 | 7 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Breanna Lewis | Dal | F | 6 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Saniya Chong | Dal | G | 5 | 8.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1 | 0.6 | 0 |
| Maggie Lucas | Dal | G | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Teana Muldrow | Dal | F | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Team | Pos | G | Min | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiffany Hayes | Atl | G | 31 | 28.9 | 17.2 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 0.2 |
| Angel McCoughtry | Atl | F | 29 | 27.6 | 16.5 | 6 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| Renee Montgomery | Atl | G | 34 | 27.5 | 10.3 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.1 |
| Elizabeth Williams | Atl | F | 33 | 26.8 | 9.1 | 5.8 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.8 |
| Brittney Sykes | Atl | G | 29 | 20.7 | 9.7 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Jessica Breland | Atl | F | 34 | 26.4 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 2 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Alex Bentley | Atl | G | 16 | 20.8 | 8.7 | 1.5 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Monique Billings | Atl | F | 32 | 11 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Damiris Dantas | Atl | C | 19 | 13.4 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Imani McGee-Stafford | Atl | C | 29 | 10.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Imani McGee-Stafford | Atl | C | 29 | 10.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Layshia Clarendon | Atl | G | 18 | 17.3 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Blake Dietrick | Atl | G | 26 | 7.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Alexis Prince | Atl | G | 2 | 3 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maggie Lucas | Atl | G | 7 | 5.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
The Skinny
Dallas Wings
Dallas enters 2019 in a much different position than it did just a season ago. Not only did star center Liz Cambage (league-high 29.6 usage rate last season) demand and receive a trade, heading to the Las Vegas Aces in exchange for Moriah Jefferson, Isabella Harrison and a pair of 2020 picks, but Skylar Diggins-Smith will miss time as she works her way back from a recent pregnancy. Jefferson has been placed on the temporary suspended list, meaning she won't be available.
As a result, Arike Ogunbowale, the fifth-overall pick in this year's draft, may be forced into a key role right away. Ogunbowale specializes in scoring, leading a 35-4 Notre Dame squad with 21.8 points per game while adding 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals. Allisha Gray may be the point guard in Diggins-Smith's absence, and Kaela Davis and Tayler Hill (knee), who is probable for Friday's opener, may also get additional minutes until she's is cleared to play. Atlanta turned over opponents at the second-highest rate in the league last season, which may work against Gray's fantasy value on the ball. Moriah Jefferson also figures to see some spare minutes after averaging nearly 16 per game with the Aces last year.
Another gaping hole needs filling in the frontcourt. Gone is Cambage, leaving Glory Johnson and Imani McGee-Stafford as the primary options to start at center for the Wings. Trade acquisition Isabelle Harrison flourished in 2017 before missing all of 2018 while playing overseas. In that campaign, she averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 boards in 26.6 minutes per game for the San Antonio Stars. She should see a healthy workload with the Wings this season, slotting in with Kayla Thornton and Azura Stevens (concussion) in what should amount to mainly a five-player rotation up front. Stevens will miss Friday's opener, so look for the others in the frontcourt to pick up the slack.
The Wings changed coaches this offseason to Brian Agler, who ran the Sparks to a league-low pace of 77.8 possessions per game compared to the 81.6 mark for Dallas a season ago, potentially lowering fantasy expectations for the Wings and their opponents slightly.
Atlanta Dream
Like the Wings, the Dream will be without a key piece for a good portion of 2019: Angel McCoughtry remains without a timeline to return from torn ligaments in her knee suffered last August.
Kelsey Russo of The Athletic suggests that head coach Nicki Collen has been impressed by Haley Peters and her ability to post up guards and shoot from the outside during the preseason, implying she could see some of McCoughtry's available minutes. Jessica Breland and Monique Billings, who return from the 2018 roster, also figure to see their minutes heightened early and often with the team lacking in terms of frontcourt depth. Breland and Elizabeth Williams provide the rim protection for the Dream, each averaging just under two blocks per game last season. While the Wings were near the top in rebound percentage in 2018, the loss of Cambage should open the door for some added boards for the Dream's bigs.
Atlanta doesn't possess the same depth woes in the backcourt, so a frequent three-guard lineup seems like a plausible outcome. Renee Montgomery, Tiffany Hayes, Alex Bentley and Brittney Sykes all played at least 20 minutes per game last season, though Hayes and Montgomery were the only ones to start consistently. Expect the duo to comprise the starting backcourt for the Dream. Some inexperience in the Wings' backcourt could allow the Dream's guards to take advantage; the Wings also ranked worst in the league guarding the three-point line last season, which could benefit Montgomery, who nailed 37.1 percent of her 6.2 attempts from deep last year.
Indiana Fever 
at New York Liberty 
Injuries
Indiana
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erica Wheeler | G | Ankle | GTD | 5/24/2019 |
| Victoria Vivians | G | Knee | SUSP-INJ | 4/1/2020 |
New York
None
Vegas Odds: New York -3 (Open: New York -2) Over/Under: 157.5 (Open: 158)
2018 Player Stats
| Player | Team | Pos | G | Min | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candice Dupree | Ind | F | 32 | 31.4 | 14.2 | 6.4 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Kelsey Mitchell | Ind | G | 34 | 24.4 | 12.7 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| Natalie Achonwa | Ind | F | 34 | 26 | 10.3 | 6.9 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Tiffany Mitchell | Ind | G | 34 | 25.6 | 9.1 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Victoria Vivians | Ind | G | 34 | 27.1 | 8.9 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Erica Wheeler | Ind | G | 34 | 21.7 | 7.8 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| Cappie Pondexter | Ind | G | 17 | 24.2 | 10.2 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0 |
| Erica McCall | Ind | F | 34 | 12.3 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Kayla Alexander | Ind | C | 30 | 8.6 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Stephanie Mavunga | Ind | F | 25 | 7.8 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Hind Ben Abdelkader | Ind | G | 14 | 10.1 | 2.1 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Hind Ben Abdelkader | Ind | G | 14 | 10.1 | 2.1 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Asia Taylor | Ind | F | 14 | 8.3 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Jazmon Gwathmey | Ind | G | 10 | 11.6 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Player | Team | Pos | G | Min | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tina Charles | NY | C | 33 | 33 | 19.7 | 7 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Kia Nurse | NY | G | 34 | 22.8 | 9.1 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| Bria Hartley | NY | G | 34 | 23.7 | 8.5 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Amanda Zahui B. | NY | C | 29 | 15.9 | 7.7 | 3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Sugar Rodgers | NY | G | 31 | 19.6 | 6.3 | 3.2 | 2 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| Brittany Boyd | NY | G | 30 | 20.4 | 6.4 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 0.1 |
| Shavonte Zellous | NY | G | 22 | 24.1 | 8.2 | 3.1 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Kia Vaughn | NY | C | 29 | 18.3 | 5.7 | 4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Epiphanny Prince | NY | G | 16 | 19.1 | 8.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0 |
| Rebecca Allen | NY | F | 28 | 10.4 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Marissa Coleman | NY | F | 21 | 18.3 | 4.7 | 2.4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Kiah Stokes | NY | C | 30 | 14.2 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Mercedes Russell | NY | C | 2 | 16 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 |
The Skinny
Indiana Fever
The Fever return the bulk of their scoring from a season ago, though that amounted to a league-worst 6-28 record. Luck wasn't on their side in the lottery, and the Fever wound up third in the draft order, which landed them Teaira McCowan out of Mississippi State. Fortunately, McCowan fits into a spot the Fever desperately needed in the form of a rim protector. Indiana finished dead last in block percentage (5.6) and tied for last in rebounding (47.2) last season. Meanwhile, McCowan finished the 2018-19 season with the Bulldogs, averaging 2.4 blocks and 13.5 rebounds per game. The team's release of Kayla Alexander may indicate that McCowan will see big minutes, though she only started one of three preseason contests. Natalie Achonwa started all three but logged fewer minutes than McCowan and provides less fantasy upside.
Combo guard Shenise Johnson's return should be big for a Fever squad that sorely lacked a defensive presence last season. Johnson averaged 1.5 steals per game in 2017 to go along with 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists. She played more than 18 minutes per game in the three preseason contests, but she only started the finale because Erica Wheeler (ankle) was sidelined, so Johnson may be destined for a sizable role off the bench to begin the season. If healthy, Wheeler will likely start in the backcourt alongside Kelsey Mitchell, with Tiffany Mitchell providing some valuable minutes off the bench.
Betnijah Laney started all three preseason contests and logged 22 minutes per game, suggesting she may be headed for a starting role. None of her stats jump off the page, so she may not provide a ton of fantasy value despite decent minutes. Veteran Candice Dupree should be locked in for 30-plus minutes again, coming off a 2018 season when she averaged 14.2 points, 6.4 boards and 1.7 assists per game.
New York Liberty
The Liberty open the season with a clean bill of health. Heading the club again will be star forward Tina Charles, who, despite a slow preseason, figures to lead the Liberty in scoring again. She checks in as the most expensive player on both daily sites, and justifiably so after averaging nearly 20 points and seven boards per game last season. Likely joining her in the frontcourt are Amanda Zahui B (8.7 PPG and 2.7 RPG this preseason) and guard/forward Kia Nurse, who averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game over 34 contests last season. It doesn't appear Kiah Stokes will make it back from her overseas commitment ahead of the contest, so Zahui B and second-round pick Han Xu, who has been deemed a sleeper candidate to contribute this season, could see boosted minutes Friday.
Rookie second-overall pick Asia Durr ended the preseason on a high note, tallying 16 points (7-13 FG, 2-4 3PT), four rebounds and two assists. She should provide the Liberty with another major scoring threat this season to complement Charles. Along with Durr, Brittany Boyd and Bria Hartley -- who was also playing overseas but should be ready for the opener -- are the two candidates to start at point guard for what was a relatively fluid starting group last season. Hartley is listed among the bigger price differences (DraftKings value pick), so she may be one to consider for DraftKings if she starts.
