With just two games on the WNBA schedule on Tuesday, daily fantasy basketball players might not think there’s a point in putting together a DFS lineup. However, the nightcap features a solid matchup between the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm on CBS Sports Network, so there are multiple stars and several intriguing sleepers from which to choose for DraftKings Showdown lineups.
The Dream (7-4) have been one of the best surprises this season, posting the league’s fourth-best record in WNBA thanks, in part, to the play of star rookie Rhyne Howard. The Storm (5-5) didn’t start the season as strong, but they still have a great trio in Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd, who can all go off for 20-plus points on any given night.
Below we’ll break down our Showdown picks to help with your lineups and strategy.
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Dream vs. Storm
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary) PG/SG Jewell Loyd, Storm ($12,000)
The obvious choice for captain would be Howard, who is the Dream’s best player and a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year. We’re going to pivot to Loyd, who is the Storm’s No. 2 scorer behind Stewart.
The three-time All-Star is averaging 17.6 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game this season. Loyd is also shooting 39.9 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from beyond the arc. Even though these percentages are low, it still shouldn’t stop you from playing Loyd, who has scored 10 or more points in all but one game this year.
UTIL PG/SG Rhyne Howard, Dream ($9,000)
Howard has picked up where she left off at the University of Kentucky and carried it over into her first season in the WNBA. The 22-year-old combo guard is averaging 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
She can score from anywhere on the court and is someone who teams have to plan for on a nightly basis. Howard is coming off an efficient performance on Sunday against Indiana, where she recorded 16 points (6-of-11 FG, 2-of-3 from deep) and five rebounds (28.3 fantasy points). She will have a tough matchup against Seattle, who is ranked second against PG/SGs (OPRK). However, she’s still averaging 22.7 fantasy points per game in her past five contests.
UTIL SF/PF Breanna Stewart, Storm ($10,600)
Stewart missed some time this season due to COVID, but she’s still one of the best forwards in the league, averaging 20.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. The multiple-time All-Star has been exceptional on the glass, recording seven or more boards in four of her past five games.
Stewart might have issues cleaning the glass against the Dream, who ranks third in opponent rebounding percentage (52) and second against SF/PFs (OPRK). Even if she struggles to grab seven rebounds tonight, you can all but guarantee she will at least score 20 points.
UTIL PG/SG Erica Wheeler, Dream ($7,200)
Since we loaded up our lineup with three of the four best players in the game, we need to be careful with the rest of our salary cap. If you need a safe option, then Wheeler is a great addition, as she’s scored in double figures in three out of her past five games. This season, she’s averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 22.9 fantasy points per game.
The veteran guard has scored 20 or more fantasy points in five-straight games and can fill up the box score.
UTIL SF/PF Nia Coffey, Dream ($5,800)
Coffey is going to be one of our two wild card options for the last two UTIL spots in tonight’s DFS Showdown contest. She hasn’t been consistent this season, only averaging 6.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
However, Coffey notched her second double-double on Sunday, with 16 points and 10 rebounds for 30.5 fantasy points. It will be tough for her to duplicate these numbers against a solid Storm frontcourt, but if Coffey can score between 15-20 fantasy points, that’s a win.
UTIL SF/PF Jantel Lavender, Storm ($5,200)
Lavender hasn’t done a ton in the past two games due to Ezi Magbegor returning to the starting lineup. However, the hope is that she can grab some rebounds and score a little bit against the Dream, who are ranked eighth against SF/PFs (OPRK).
The veteran’s best performance was on May 29 against New York, where she had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes (30 fantasy points). She likely won’t hit that number tonight, but the Storm are seven-point favorites, so she might be able to get some extended playing time if it’s a blowout.
