The WNBA is back, and we have three great games to start the season. In the first game, the most anticipated rookie since Breanna Stewart faces Stewart and the Seattle Storm, who for my money are the favorites to win the WNBA title this season. In the second game, Skylar Diggins-Smith and her new team take on the rival Los Angeles Sparks, who still have title aspirations despite the absences of Chiney Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver. In the last game, breakout center Teaira McCowan will take on Finals MVP Emma Meesseman, who will look to shine outside of the shadow of Elena Delle Donne.

There are plenty of players I love on Saturday’s slate, but the slate may be most notable for some of the players who didn’t make the Playbook. The most notable is probably rookie Sabrina Ionescu. I just have a hard time counting on a rookie in her WNBA debut, especially against the best team in the league. She is cheap on DraftKings, but I suspect her ownership on that site will be quite high.

Similarly, I think most of the Seattle players are overpriced on both sites. This should be an awfully good matchup, but I think everyone is going to see their minutes and shots decrease with the returns of Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird. Natasha Howard, Jordin Canada, Mercedes Russell, Alysha Clark and Jewell Loyd are all capable of returning value even in free minutes, but I wouldn’t want to count on it.

The same goes for Candice Dupree and Natalie Achonwa, who should probably lose playing time to McCowan and Lauren Cox. The two players who aren’t in my Playbook who I suspect I will come to regret fading are Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray. Parker was good in this matchup last season, and good at home, and she may play more with Chiney Ogwumike gone. There are just too many other forwards who are safer and have just as much upside. Gray is my fantasy Kryptonite, much like Richarlison is for EPL. Whenever I play her she struggles and when I fade her she scores 30+ fantasy points. Do with that information what you will, but I don’t love paying top dollar for someone who is so inconsistent, especially when the best point guard in the league is available in the same slate.

 

Guards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Sue BirdSEANY49000610024.59
As a general rule, any time a player's DK price is lower thank their FD price, you should play them on DK. It is rare for a player to be so drastically cheaper, and I cannot think of a good reason for it. Bird's ceiling isn't what it used to be, especially with the emergence of Jordin Canada, but $4900 is too cheap for someone who averaged 24.6 fppg in 26.6 mpg the last time we saw her.
Diana TaurasiPHOLA660016.29620015.47
Taurasi was literally the worst player in the league last season, but she is only one year removed from averaging 33.7 fppg. Hopefully, the time off helped her get completely healthy, and ceding ball-handling duties to Skylar Diggins-Smith could help her get more open shots. That being said, Taurasi is a GPP play only on FD. She's playable everywhere on DK, where she is underpriced.
Skylar Diggins-SmithPHOLA65000730034.56
There may be some growing pains as Diggins-Smith adjusts to her new team, but she will almost certainly be given the keys to the offense immediately. Diggins-Smith is the best point guard in the league, and she isn't priced that way on DK. She is playable on FD as well, though it is more difficult to afford her.
Kia NurseNYSEA850022.08580021.03
I think Sabrina Ionescu will unlock the best of Kia Nurse. Ionescu should find Nurse for open jump shots and allow Nurse to attack closeouts and get out in transition. The biggest question is how soon that's going to happen, and if it happens right away, Nurse will return a lot of value.
Ariel AtkinsWASIND770019.89470021.37
At the very least, Atkins should have a high floor for fantasy. She averaged 24.3 mpg last season, but with Cloud out, she should easily top that number. She also has a chance to get a lot more shots and score more fantasy points per minute, but even if that isn't the case, she should be a nice value for cash lineups.
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Leilani MitchellWASIND820024.92570024.35
I really thought her price woulud be higher, but her numbers dipped when Diana Taurasi returned last season, and that kept her price down. She should once again be called on to create shots quite a bit with most of the starters out.
Kelsey MitchellINDWAS890021.08560019.56
Mitchell finished the season strong, averaging 27.7 fppg in September. She stands the most to gain from a new coach, but I'm not sure I trust her for cash.
Victoria ViviansINDWAS52000400016.76
She missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but she shot 39.9 percent on threes as a rookie, and she should get more open looks thanks to the talent the Fever have added since 2018. She may never be the focal point of the offense, but she should play a lot even if she doesn't start, and it wouldn't take much to outperform her price.
Layshia ClarendonNYSEA590012.78390012.43
I'll feel better about playing her if she starts, but the Liberty pretty much have to play her at least 20 minutes due to their lack of guard depth. She's a solid punt play for cash games.
 #N/A#N/A  #N/A#N/A
 
        
Forwards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Breanna StewartSEANY109000800042.14
The Liberty were last in the league in defensive rating last season, and they might be even worse in 2020. That being said, its hard to pay full price for the players who excelled last year now that they have to share minutes and shots with Stewart and Sue Bird. The one exception is Stewart, who should still be able to get any shot she wants whenever she wants it.
Teaira McCowanINDWAS1050025.2720025.50
McCowan averaged 31.7 fppg after the All-Star break. I see no reason why should wouldn't at least match that production this season, in which case you're getting elite production at a slight discount.
Nneka OgwumikeLAPHO1070034.31700034.58
I don't understand why she is so cheap on FanDuel. Her 34.6 fppg last season speak for themselves, and if anything, playing with her sister held her back. She played her fewest minutes per game since her rookie season, and if Derek Fisher gives her more minutes, we could see a return of the 2016 WNBA MVP.
Emma MeessemanWASIND1200028.56670026.74
With Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles, LaToya Sanders and Natasha Cloud gone, Meesseman is a must-start on FanDuel. She was ninth in the league with 1.12 fantasy points per minute, but she played just 23.6 mpg, her fewest since her rookie season. I think her per minute production could improve even more with EDD gone, but even if it doesn't, she will almost certainly play closer to 30 minutes per game.
Tianna HawkinsWASIND670015.07440016.09
Hawkins was 14th in the league with 1.06 fantasy points per minute last season, and in her lone start, she scored 32.9 fantasy points in 34 minutes. She is playable even if she doesn't start, as is whoever starts in the frontcourt next to Meesseman. If Hawkins starts, as I suspect, she is a must-start along with Meesseman.
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Nia CoffeyPHOLA440011.04440011.09
Whoever starts next to Brittney Griner will be a nice value for Phoenix. My best guess is Coffey, though I'm hoping it is Alanna Smith.
Lauren CoxINDWAS4800041000.00
There are very few people who doubt that Lauren Cox can come in and perform right away as a rookie. The biggest question is playing time. Former Fever head coach Pokey Chatman was committed to playing Natalie Achonwa and Candice Dupree so much that it may have cost her her job. Cox and Teaira McCowan are the future for this team, and if Cox starts, or we hear she will play at least 20 minutes, she is a steal at this price.
Kiah StokesNYSEA64000380011.33
She has never been great, even when she has started, but she is still young and she sat out all of 2018. With a new coach and only rookies to compete with for playing time, Sokes could be a bargain if she starts. In fact, whoever starts next to Zahui B. is probably playable for fantasy, but Stokes is the cheapest of those options.
Amanda Zahui BNYSEA950022.75600023.58
She is the only established big on this team, and she will get every opportunity to prove she can play at an All-Star level. We saw flashes of brilliance last season, including 56.9 FD fantasy points at the Sparks
Brittney GrinerPHOLA1110036.82770038.61
Griner averaged a career-high in minutes last season, but her fantasy production actually declined for the second consecutive year. I've always thought she played better with Diana Taurasi on the floor, and she should get more easy buckets with Skylar Diggins-Smith running the offense.

 

 

DK Cash  DK GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary  Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GSkylar Diggins-SmithPHOLA0$6,500  GSkylar Diggins-SmithPHOLA0$6,500
GSue BirdSEA@NY0$4,900  GDiana TaurasiPHOLA16.29$6,600
FBrittney GrinerPHOLA36.82$11,100  FNneka OgwumikeLA@PHO34.31$10,700
FAmanda Zahui B.NYSEA22.75$9,500  FBrittney GrinerPHOLA36.82$11,100
FTianna HawkinsWASIND15.07$6,700  FTianna HawkinsWASIND15.07$6,700
UtilNneka OgwumikeLA@PHO34.31$10,700  UtilLeilani MitchellWASIND24.92$8,200
    Total$49,400      Total$49,800
              
DK Pivot Cash  DK Pivot GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary  Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GSkylar Diggins-SmithPHOLA0$6,5000 GSkylar Diggins-SmithPHOLA0$6,500
GVictoria ViviansIND@WAS0$5,2001 GRiquna WilliamsLA@PHO20.13$7,100
FBrittney GrinerPHOLA36.82$11,1000 FNneka OgwumikeLA@PHO34.31$10,700
FAmanda Zahui B.NYSEA22.75$9,5000 FBrittney GrinerPHOLA36.82$11,100
FTianna HawkinsWASIND15.07$6,7000 FTianna HawkinsWASIND15.07$6,700
UtilBreanna StewartSEA@NY0$10,9001 UtilAriel AtkinsWASIND19.89$7,700
    Total$49,900      Total$49,800
              
FD Cash  FD GPP
PosPlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary  PosPlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GAriel AtkinsWASIND21.37$4,700  GKelsey MitchellINDWAS19.56$5,600
GLayshia ClarendonNYSEA12.43$3,900  GKia NurseNYSEA21.03$5,800
GLeilani MitchellWASIND24.35$5,700  GVictoria ViviansINDWAS16.76$4,000
FEmma MeessemanWASIND26.74$6,700  FAmanda Zahui BNYSEA23.58$6,000
FTianna HawkinsWASIND16.09$4,400  FTeaira McCowanINDWAS25.50$7,200
FTeaira McCowanINDWAS25.50$7,200  FTianna HawkinsWASIND16.09$4,400
FNneka OgwumikeLAPHO34.58$7,000  FNneka OgwumikeLAPHO34.58$7,000
    Total$39,600      Total$40,000
              
FD Pivot Cash  FD Pivot GPP
PosPlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary  PosPlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GAriel AtkinsWASIND21.37$4,7000 GKelsey MitchellINDWAS19.56$5,600
GKia NurseNYSEA21.03$5,8001 GDiana TaurasiPHOLA15.47$6,200
GLeilani MitchellWASIND24.35$5,7000 GVictoria ViviansINDWAS16.76$4,000
FEmma MeessemanWASIND26.74$6,7000 FAmanda Zahui BNYSEA23.58$6,000
FTianna HawkinsWASIND16.09$4,4000 FEmma MeessemanWASIND26.74$6,700
FBrittney GrinerPHOLA38.61$7,7001 FTianna HawkinsWASIND16.09$4,400
FBrianna TurnerPHOLA12.02$5,0001 FNneka OgwumikeLAPHO34.58$7,000
    Total$40,000      Total$39,900