The course of a 40-game basketball season includes waves of injuries, hot streaks, and rotation changes that prove important for fantasy managers. A savvy way to adapt to such constant change is by working free agency and the waiver wire to juggle a few roster spots each week.
Other than Wednesday, every day this week offers multiple WNBA games. The majority of teams will play three times this coming week, although the Liberty and Fever play just twice. The team to stack this week could be the Dallas Wings, as they play a league-high four times.
Our selection of streaming candidates factors in recent rotation, production and usage trends, as well as looming matchup metrics.
Bridget Carleton, F, Minnesota Lynx (rostered in 37.2% of ESPN leagues): Surging as a scoring option with double-figure points in six of her last nine games, a key factor for Carleton’s increasingly stable fantasy floor is that she has been among the leaders at her position in minutes per game over the past two weeks. Minutes are, unsurprisingly, a valuable metric for delivering box score results.
After a slow start to the season that included roughly 27 minutes averaged over the first eight games, Carleton has since averaged 31.2 minutes, to go along with nearly a dozen points per game and an elite 2.9 3-pointers per game. For those who value shooting success, this is your move.
Myisha Hines-Allen, F, Washington Mystics (12.9%): With Washington missing both Karlie Samuelson and Shakira Austin to injury, Hines-Allen has been a nice surprise for the team in recent games. With nearly 16 points per game over the past week amid this hot stretch, Hines-Allen could be a force against the depleted Sparks frontcourt to open the week. Even if Austin returns this week, it appears that Hines-Allen has earned more work.
Jordan Horston, G, Seattle Storm (22.5%): Worthy of mention for the second straight week, Horston just started for a third straight game over the weekend en route to her first double-double of the season (and third of her young career). The second-year guard is growing into an important part of the Storm on both sides of the floor, as she’s scored in double figures in five out of six games while averaging better than 2.0 combined steals and blocks over the past week. The week ahead includes three games, two of which are against a pace-driven Sky team that could add possessions to the matchup.
Aari McDonald, G, Los Angeles Sparks (25.5%): Sixth in the league over the past two weeks in dimes per game, McDonald’s surge in distribution also comes with real improvements in shooting, scoring, and defensive production. With several impact injuries limiting the Sparks, McDonald should play heavy minutes this week — one that includes three scheduled games, with nice matchups against two porous defenses (Mystics, Aces).
Odyssey Sims, G, Dallas Wings (6.9%): Earning a hardship deal recently, Sims has thrived in her first two outings with the Wings, earning 25-plus minutes both times out while tallying five steals and eight dimes in addition to her 12.5 points per game. The sheer volume of the Wings’ busy week combined with Sims’ recent arrival as a significant rotation member supports interest in her as an interim addition in deeper leagues. Teammate Jacy Sheldon (11.8%) can have some quiet scoring lines, but with plenty of minutes due for her this week atop a thin rotation, both of these guards could help fantasy teams.