Stefanie Dolson, Kelsey Plum and Katie Lou Samuelson led Team USA to victory in the Olympic three-on-three qualifying tournament (along with Allisha Gray), and all three have gotten back to playing their normal minutes after their WNBA teams brought them back slowly. This could be your last chance to play them before their prices catch up to their new production.
Perhaps more importantly, going forward, this could give us some insight into how WNBA teams will treat players returning from Eurobasket or the Olympics later this season. Based on how the three-on-three team was used when they returned, it could take a couple of games to get back into the flow of things before they are ready to ramp up their minutes again.
Guards
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Kelsey Plum
LV
NY
5600
15.5
3800
14.90
Plum's minutes have increased in each game back from the 3-on-3 tournament, and this could be the game she gets back to the 26 minutes per game she was playing before the tournament. New York only has one good guard defender and she is unlikely to spend much time guarding Plum.
Crystal Dangerfield
MIN
CHI
7100
22.75
5500
21.71
Dengerfield has been great off teh bench for Minnesota, playing at least 25 minutes in three straight games and averaging 27.25 fantasy points in that span. She could be a great fantasy play if she could produce this way in a starting role, but she is a fine cash play off the bench.
Sami Whitcomb
NY
LV
8300
26.12
5800
25.72
Betnijah Laney, Jazmine Jones and Sami Whitcomb all shot very well from the field at Phoenix Sunday, and I fear that won't last long. What should be sustainable, however, is Whitcomb playing 30+ minutes with Sabrina Ionescu out. Whitcomb had six assists Sunday and her role as New York's de facto point guard is valuable, even if she faces a tougher matchup Tuesday.
Jazmine Jones
NY
LV
5200
11.55
3200
11.06
I don't necessarily expect Jazmine Jones to shoot 6-for-13 from the field again Tuesday, but at her price, she doesn't need to. Jones should play at least 20 minutes if Sabrina Ionescu is out again, and she could play even more if the game is a blowout. Jones averaged 1.02 fantasy points per minute last season and I think she could approach that kind of production again if Ionescu is out much longer.
Jewell Loyd
SEA
IND
9600
34.1
7300
33.12
She is admittedly difficult to trust after she managed just 11.75 fantasy points at Connecticut Sunday. That being said, Indiana has allowed the most fast break points of any team this season, and Loyd leads the league in fast break points. Indiana is also 11th in fantasy points allowed to guards.
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Katie Lou Samuelson
SEA
IND
6100
14.29
4400
13.70
Since returning to the starting lineup three games ago, Samuelson is averaging 20 minutes and 17.2 fantasy points. Samuelson is second in the league in fast break points per minute and Indiana has allowed the most points and threes in the league, as long as the highest three-point percentage. Samuelson isn't as exciting as Kelsey Plum or Jazmine Jones but she may be safer for fantasy.
Chelsea Gray
LV
NY
9100
29.07
7000
29.00
Gray is coming off her worst game of the season, scoring just 16.75 fantasy points thanks in part to a season-high six turnovers. I like her chances to turn things around and it helps that she is cheaper than the other top guards
Kysre Gondrezick
IND
SEA
3500
7.29
3100
6.89
She is the closest thing we have to a good punt play on DraftKings. She played 18 minutes Saturday against Chicago and while she didn't do much with those minutes, I am hopeful Indiana will finally start playing its young players. Gondrezick was likely overdrafted with the fourth overall pick but even so, no one would be surprised if she starts knocking down shots and becoming a bigger part of the offense.
Forwards
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Breanna Stewart
SEA
IND
11000
43.9
8600
44.33
Stewart has scored at least 35 fantasy points in six consecutive games, including 48 fantasy points against Indiana two weeks ago. She is by far the safest player on the slate, and Indiana does not have anyone who can match up with her defensively.
Rebecca Allen
NY
LV
7100
18.64
5200
19.76
It was nice to see Allen have a good fantasy game Sunday despite shooting just 33 percent from the field. She has at least 20 fantasy points in three consecutive games, including against Las Vegas earlier this month. Allen's minutes and fantasy points should be safe, especially if Sabrina Ionescu is out again.
Sylvia Fowles
MIN
CHI
10600
36.44
8000
37.90
Fowles has traditionally destroyed her former team, averaging 1.35 fantasy points per minute against the Sky over the last five seasons. That could change if the Sky guard Syl with Candace Parker, but I don't trust James Wade to make that adjustment. Fowles pretty much has to play heavy minutes so long as the game remains close with Aerial Powers and Natalie Achonwa both out.
Mercedes Russell
SEA
IND
6700
18.15
5400
18.84
Indiana is 10th in fantasy points allowed to centers, and Russell has scored at least 20 fantasy points in four of her last five games. She is super safe, especially since Seattle will likely need her size against Teaira McCowan.
Stefanie Dolson
CHI
MIN
6600
15.35
5300
15.64
Like the others who participated in the 3-on-3 qualifying tournament, Dolson has seen her minutes ramped up in recent games, with at least 26 minutes and 21.5 fantasy points in each of her last two games. She doesn't match up well against Sylvia Fowles but she could thrive if Sky head coach James Wade lets her defend Damiris Dantas and focus on the pick-and-pop game on offense. I'm not really expecting that, but considering her price and recent production, I have a hard time staying away.
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Damiris Dantas
MIN
CHI
6200
14.84
3400
14.05
Dantas is averaging 0.59 fantasy points per minute this season. Her lowest previous total is 0.72 fantasy points per minute as a rookie in 2014. With Aerial Powers and Natalie Achonwa out, Dantas will almost certainly top 25 minutes. If she can just play okay in those minutes, she will almost certainly provide fantasy value.
