This might be the toughest WNBA DFS slate that I can remember this season. The two best defensive teams in the league play eachother, so it’s hard to justify playing a lot of expensive players we’ve been leaning on lately. That’s not to say you cannot play Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart or Crystal Dangerfield, but its tough.

It is especially tough to pay up for those big names because there aren’t any attractive punt plays and very few safe plays at any price. I wound up making a couple example cash lineups that I don’t hate, but if there was ever a slate to avoid cash games and just play GPPs, it is probably this one.

As always, the lineups below are examples of lineups you can make using the players in the Playbook and are not for plug and play.

Guards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Bridget CarletonMINSEA690016.19520015.63
Carleton has played at least 29 minutes and averaged 22.3 fantasy points in her last three games. Minnesota will almost certainly need her size to match up with Seattle, so her playing time should be safe.
Ariel AtkinsWASDAL760024.37570024.14
Atkins has been streaky all season, and while she has definitely been in a bad streak the last week or so, it is nice to see that she didn't completely bottom out. Atkins has at least 20.25 fantasy points in three straight games, and she is coming off a 5-9 shooting performance against Chicago. Fouls limited her to 24 minutes in that game, but she finished with 24 fantasy points. I think we're seeing the start of a hot streak, and it doesn't hurt that Dallas is ninth in the league in points allowed.
Sue BirdSEAMIN710020.67520019.41
Bird played a season-high 30 minutes Friday with Jordin Canada out, finishing with 25.25 fantasy points. Bird has scored at least 21 fantasy points in six of her nine games this season, and she is a nice cash play with Canada out again. 
Riquna WilliamsLACHI570018.18450018.28
Williams has played at least 22 minutes and scored at least 19 fantasy points in each of her last two games. This game has the highest total of the slate, and we know Williams can score with anyone.
Brittney SykesLACHI740020.15490020.78
Sykes has scored at least 28 fantasy points in four of her last six games. Nobody in her price range can match that kind of production, except for maybe Ariel Atkins. The problem with Sykes is she had 21.25 fantasy points total in the other two games, so when she's bad, she tends to be really bad. Sykes is a GPP play at the very least, but considering how difficult it is to trust anyone in this slate, I could easily see playing her in cash games as well.
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Allisha GrayDALWAS840023.29620023.27
It's hard to fathom why Gray is so cheap. She has played at least 33 minutes and scored at least 30 fantasy points in three straight games, and Washington is ninth in fantasy points allowed to guards. Gray probably won't continue to shoot 55 percent from the field much longer, but at her price, you don't really need her to. 
Marina MabreyDALWAS770018.79520016.96
The Lynx held Mabrey to 19 fantasy points Friday, her lowest total since August 10. I will gladly take that floor against a team that's ninth in fantasy points allowed to guards.
Courtney VanderslootCHILA1050035720033.99
Vandersloot has at least 32 fantasy points in nine consecutive games, with at least 37 fantasy points in six of those. The Sparks are 10th in the league in opponent's assists, and Vandersloot is averaging 3.9 more assists per game than any other player this season.
        
Forwards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Nneka OgwumikeLACHI810021.5600020.06
Prior to going down with a back injury, Ogwumike had scored at least 21 fantasy points in five straight games. I am concerned Derek Fisher will only play her 20ish minutes after she missed three games, but if she plays 30ish minutes, she is a great cash play. 
Emma MeessemanWASDAL940029.67650029.47
Meesseman struggled in her first game back from a shoulder injury, but since then she has played at least 30 minutes and averaged 28 fantasy points in her last three games. No team has allowed more fantasy points to forwards than Dallas, and Meesseman is the safest Mystics forward. 
Gabby WilliamsCHILA750017.88580017.71
Williams was 2-10 from the field Friday but she still played 31 minutes. It was the first game since Azura Stevens went down that Williams didn't finish with at least 20 fantasy points, and I'm willing to bet that she'll bounce back.
Candace ParkerLACHI1140036.96800036.16
If you can afford to pay up at forward in a GPP, I think Parker is the best bet. She has at least 44 fantasy points in each of her last two games, and four of her last eight. Chicago is 11th in fantasy points allowed to forwards, so you can probably play her in cash as well, but I think I would rather save the money in that format.
Satou SaballyDALWAS970029.52660028.87
Sabally struggled against Minnesota, but she had scored at least 37.25 fantasy points in three straight games prior to that. I think she is a great tournament play, but I might use her for cash as well.
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Kayla ThorntonDALWAS680017.47520017.14
It is a sad commentary on the state of the forwards in this slate that scoring at least 14.5 fantasy points in seven straight games gives you a high floor. It was only two weeks ago that Thornton had 39.5 fantasy points against this same Washington team, so her ceiling is nearly as attractive as her floor.
DK Cash DK GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GRiquna WilliamsLACHI18.18$5,700 GAriel AtkinsWASDAL24.37$7,600
GAriel AtkinsWASDAL24.37$7,600 GBrittney SykesLACHI20.15$7,400
FKayla ThorntonDAL@WAS17.47$6,800 FKayla ThorntonDAL@WAS17.47$6,800
FSatou SaballyDAL@WAS29.52$9,700 FSatou SaballyDAL@WAS29.52$9,700
FEmma MeessemanWASDAL29.67$9,400 FCandace ParkerLACHI36.96$11,400
UtilCourtney VanderslootCHI@LA 35$10,500 UtilSue BirdSEA@MIN20.67$7,100
    Total$49,700     Total$50,000
             
DK Pivot Cash DK Pivot GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
G      G     
G      GRiquna WilliamsLACHI18.18$5,700
F      F     
F      F     
FCandace ParkerLACHI36.96$11,400 F     
UtilCrystal DangerfieldMINSEA25.21$8,700 UtilKahleah CopperCHI@LA 26$8,800
    Total$20,100     Total$14,500
             
FD Cash FD GPP
PosPlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary PosPlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GSue BirdSEAMIN19.41$5,200 GBrittney SykesLACHI20.78$4,900
GRiquna WilliamsLACHI18.28$4,500 GAriel AtkinsWASDAL24.14$5,700
GMarina MabreyDALWAS16.96$5,200 GMarina MabreyDALWAS16.96$5,200
FEmma MeessemanWASDAL29.47$6,500 FKayla ThorntonDALWAS17.14$5,200
FKayla ThorntonDALWAS17.14$5,200 FAlysha ClarkSEAMIN24.43$5,700
FCheyenne ParkerCHILA26.59$6,300 FSatou SaballyDALWAS28.87$6,600
FMyisha Hines-AllenWASDAL30.87$6,900 FEmma MeessemanWASDAL29.47$6,500
    Total$39,800     Total$39,800
             
FD Pivot Cash FD Pivot GPP
PosPlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary PosPlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
G      G     
G      GRiquna WilliamsLACHI18.28$4,500
G      G     
F      F     
F      FMyisha Hines-AllenWASDAL30.87$6,900
FSatou SaballyDALWAS28.87$6,600 F     
FDamiris DantasMINSEA25.81$6,800 F     
    Total$13,400     Total$11,400