If you want to know why I don’t often play cash games aide from my Optimal Lineups, you need look no further than Friday. Friday’s DraftKings Cash Lineup scored 182.75 fantasy points, which was enough to cash rather comfortably in the WNBA $2.5K Four Point Play, but came 15.5 points short of cashing in my WNBA $10 Double Up. This also illustrates why I always enter my cash lineups in a GPP as well.
As is often the case, Saturday’s schedule will depend quite a bit on the availability of a couple of key starters. Alyssa Thomas and Seimone Augustus are both questionable, and if they are out, that would open up quite a bit of playing time and shot opportunities for other players.
The other big key to this slate could be rest. The Lynx have had a week off to rest and figure out how to turn their season around, while Connecticut plays the second of a road back-to-back and their third game in four days. While I’m not sure you can avoid Connecticut altogether, especially if Alyssa Thomas is out, you should absolutely try to load up on their hosts, the Phoenix Mercury.
| Player | FanDuel Price | DraftKings Price | Comments |
| Brittney Griner, F, PHO | $ 8,600 | $ 12,400 | Griner won't have as much competition for rebounds if Alyssa Thomas is out, and I think she could take advantage of a tired Connecticut team. I would much rather pay for her than Sylvia Fowles or Tina Charles against each other. |
| Angel McCoughtry, F, ATL | $ 7,500 | $ 10,100 | McCoughtry hasn't been nearly as efficient this season as in years past, but it is still noticeable when she shoots 7-25 over her last two games. Indiana has the third worst defensive rating in the WNBA, and I expect McCoughtry to take advantage this time around. |
| Jessica Breland, F, ATL | $ 7,100 | $ 9,600 | Breland has scored at least 25 fantasy points in every game this season, but she is shooting 34.3 percent from the field and is still looking for her first double-double of the season. |
| Maya Moore, F, MIN | $ 6,900 | $ 10,400 | I don't know for sure if Moore will benefit from having a week off or from going back to almost exclusively playing the three, but it is absolutely worth a shot in a GPP, and she was already super consistent for cash lineups. |
| Chiney Ogwumike, F, CON | $ 6,800 | $ 11,500 | She is too cheap on FanDuel, even for someone who played 34 minutes Friday and 40 minutes Wednesday. Ogwumike would probably benefit if Alyssa Thomas is out again. |
| DeWanna Bonner, G, PHO | $ 6,400 | $ 9,700 | DeWanna Bonner has averaged more fantasy points than any guard going Saturday, but she isn't the most expensive guard in either slate. She has at least 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in seven consecutive games, including 20+ points in three of those. |
| Jonquel Jones, F, CON | $ 6,100 | $ 7,700 | I really thought Jonquel Jones would have benefitted more from Alyssa Thomas's absence, but you could do worse than 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes at her price. She is seventh on the Sun in Usage % this season, but I can't imagine that lasts much longer. |
| Jasmine Thomas, G, CON | $ 5,800 | $ 9,100 | Thomas tied her career high with 29 points Friday, and while I don't expect that again, I think she has a decent chance to match her season-high eight assists if Alyssa Thomas is out. Alyssa Thomas is averaging 4.2 assists per game, and without her dominating the ball, Jasmine Thomas may have more of an opportunity to create for her teammates. |
| Kelsey Mitchell, G, IND | $ 5,500 | $ 9,300 | On the one hand, Kelsey Mitchell's best fantasy production came when Candice Dupree was out. On the other hand, She has taken at least 11 shots in nine consecutive games, and she will probably bounce back after going 1-12 form the field Thursday. Sounds like a GPP play to me. |
| Rebekkah Brunson, F, MIN | $ 4,500 | $ 5,600 | If Maya Moore is going to stay at the three, that probably means more time at the four for Rebekkah Brunson, especially if Temi Fagbenle remains out. She is impossible to trust, and I wish she was a bit cheaper, but she is still a GPP play. |
| Briann January, G, PHO | $ 4,300 | $ 5,000 | January is the only cheap option if you want to target Connecticut on the second of a back-to-back. Perhaps equally important, she has at least three assists in six consecutive games, which gives her a decent floor for cash lineups. |
| Epiphanny Prince, G, NY | $ 3,800 | $ 5,800 | Prince cost $2100 more on DraftKings Wednesday in her first game back from a concussion. She only played seven minutes in that game, but it is probably fair to expect her to play more Saturday. I won't use her for a cash lineup, but she is a strong GPP play against the team allowed the second most three-point attempts in the WNBA this season. |
| Tanisha Wright, G, MIN | $ 3,500 | $ 4,200 | Seimone Augustus is questionable for Saturday, and Wright is the most likely candidate to start if she is out. Even if Augustus plays, Wright could be a decent cash play. She is averaging 11.0 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 24.6 minutes per game in June. |