WNBA DFS Picks and Lineup Tips for Tuesday, September 9

Tuesday will be the final five-game slate of the WNBA regular season, which concludes September 11.

The action starts at 7 p.m. ET when the Liberty host the Mystics, while the Lynx will tip off against the Fever 30 minutes later. There's a trio of games starting at 10 p.m. ET as well. The Aces will take on the Sky, the Mercury will host the Sparks, and the Storm will be at home against the Valkyries.

Let's check out the best options for DFS players.

WNBA Schedule Tuesday

• Washington Mystics at New York Liberty
• Minnesota Lynx at Indiana Fever
• Chicago Sky at Las Vegas Aces
• Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury
• Golden State Valkyries at Seattle Storm

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Washington Mystics at New York Liberty

Line: Liberty -13.5

O/U: 157.5

Injury Report - Mystics vs. Liberty

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Washington

New York

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

There isn't a lot at stake in this game for either team. The Mystics are already out of the playoffs and have been playing poorly of late, while the Liberty have already clinched a playoff berth. New York enters Tuesday's slate in fifth place in the standings, two games behind the fourth-placed Mercury and two ahead of the sixth-placed Valkyries. New York has gone 3-2 over its last five games while Washington has lost nine in a row. The Mystics haven't won a game since defeating the Sparks, 95-86, at home on Aug. 17, and it's clear they don't have anything to play for, which could be good for the Liberty's chances of getting a much-needed win here.

Despite being out of the playoffs, the Mystics have some interesting players to look at from a DFS perspective -- mainly their rookie duo of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. Shakira Austin is another player worth targeting, as she hasn't given up despite the team's elimination. New York is finally healthy and will have the likes of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones to lead the way Tuesday, so playing a Liberty-based stack in a lineup isn't the worst scenario, particularly given the gap of talent between both teams at this stage of the campaign.

Minnesota Lynx at Indiana Fever

Line: Lynx -1.5

O/U: 163.5

Injury Report - Lynx vs. Fever

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Minnesota

Indiana

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Lynx and the Fever already clinched playoff berths, but there's a scenario in which both teams might collide in the first round of the postseason. The Lynx already clinched the best record in the league at 33-9 with two games left on their regular-season schedule and are simply waiting to see which team they'll face in the first round. It could be the Fever, the Storm or the Sparks. If Indiana loses here, the Storm defeats the Valkyries on Tuesday, and the Sparks don't win their final two contests, Indiana could finish eighth -- which would mean a rematch against Minnesota in the opening round of the playoffs. The Fever will once again be without Caitlin Clark, who has been ruled out for the rest of the 2025 WNBA season, including the postseason.

The Lynx won't have Napheesa Collier (rest) for this contest, and that's understandable -- she has carried a heavy load throughout the season, and Minnesota already secured the top seed in the playoffs. However, that also opens the door for players such as Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams and Bridget Carleton to see expanded roles on offense. Jessica Shepard could be an interesting low-value alternative. As for the Fever, Aliyah Boston has been trending in the wrong direction of late but still offers solid value, whereas Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard are strong bets, though Mitchell should probably be an expensive option in most slates.

Chicago Sky at Las Vegas Aces

Line: Aces -17.5

O/U: 161.5

Injury Report - Sky vs. Aces

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Chicago

Las Vegas

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Sky should have one goal: avoid finishing the 2025 WNBA season with the worst record in the league. For that to happen, they need to win one of their final two games or wait for a Wings loss against the Mercury on Thursday. The latter seems like the most realistic scenario, as the Sky enter this matchup against Las Vegas having dropped four of their last five. The Aces, on the other hand, have been on a roll and will be the hottest team in the league entering the playoffs. Their 80-66 win over Chicago on Sunday means they've now won 14 games in a row, with their most recent loss coming against Minnesota on Aug. 2.

It's hard to trust any of the Sky players right now, but their frontcourt duo of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso will always be appealing from a fantasy perspective due to their ability to stuff the stat sheet. However, Reese is questionable due to a back injury, and that could mean two things: either Cardoso will handle a bigger role, or someone like Rachel Banham or Michaela Onyenwere will have to step up. The Aces are the opposite, having scorching hot form lately thanks to their 14-game winning run. Based on their recent performances and the favorable matchup, building an Aces-based lineup could prove beneficial. Even if that's not the case, having A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and/or Jackie Young could be huge regardless of the slate you're playing in.

Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury

Line: Mercury -7.5

O/U: 173.5

Injury Report - Sparks vs. Mercury

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Los Angeles

Phoenix

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Sparks have their backs against the wall and must win their final two games of the season, as well as wait for a Storm loss against the Valkyries, to have a shot at reaching the 2025 WNBA Playoffs. Los Angeles is coming off a 91-77 win over the Dallas Wings the last time out, and that win snapped a two-game losing skid that had the Sparks on the verge of being eliminated from the postseason. The Mercury are locked into the postseason, although their final seeding has yet to be determined and could finish anywhere between the second and fifth seed -- depending on how the standings shake out in the final days of the regular season.

The Sparks don't have a lot of reliable fantasy options, but the duo of Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby is always dependable. Plum is a pure scorer, however, whereas Hamby offers more upside due to her ability to contribute in more areas on a steady basis. The Mercury have one of the best players in the league in Alyssa Thomas, and she's a stat-filling menace who can be an absolute game-changer for any lineup thanks to her elite two-way play. Thomas isn't the only worthy option to grab from the Mercury roster, however, with Monique Akoa-Makani, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper also providing decent upside from a DFS perspective.

Golden State Valkyries at Seattle Storm

Line: Storm -6.5

O/U: 152.5

Injury Report - Valkyries vs. Storm

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Golden State

Seattle

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The Valkyries have turned heads with their play in their first-ever WNBA season, and while their final seeding has yet to be determined, they have already secured a spot in the playoffs. The Storm can't say the same, and Seattle must win here to clinch their postseason berth and eliminate the Sparks. Seattle hasn't been playing well lately and enters this game on a two-game losing skid. The Valkyries also lost their most recent game, but that 78-72 defeat to the Lynx snapped a five-game winning streak, so they're not overly concerned about their form entering the playoffs.

The Valkyries have two of the most consistent players since the All-Star break, Veronica Burton and Janelle Salaun. Burton, in particular, has been sensational. She's taken control of the expansion team and carried their offense all the way into the postseason, especially with Tiffany Hayes (knee) still sidelined. The Storm have a couple of veterans standing out as well, such as Skylar Diggins and Brittney Sykes, but Nneka Ogwumike remains the go-to player. 

Top WNBA DFS Picks: Key Players to Watch

DraftKings

• A'ja Wilson ($15,000)
• Alyssa Thomas ($13,500)
• Kamilla Cardoso ($10,300)

You simply can't go wrong if you start your lineup with either Wilson or Thomas -- and this applies for any slate you choose to build your team in. Wilson has emerged as a true MVP candidate thanks to her play during the Aces' 14-game winning streak. She's averaging 27.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game in that span while scoring at least 31 points in four of her past five contests.

Thomas finished with 14 points (6-15 FG, 2-5 FT), eight rebounds, 10 assists and two steals across 32 minutes during Saturday's 87-84 loss to the Sun. That 10-assist performance allowed her to claim the WNBA record for most assists in a single season, surpassing Caitlin Clark's mark of the 2024 campaign. Thomas also has seven double-doubles and six triple-doubles across 20 games since the All-Star break.

Cardoso's uptick in value likely responds to the possibility of Angel Reese (back) sitting this contest. Either way, Cardoso has proven she's more than capable of leading the way for the Sky on offense on her own. The star center is averaging 15.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.3 steals per game across her last 11 appearances while scoring in double digits in all but one of those contests.

Unlocking Value: WNBA DFS Sleeper Picks

• Jessica Shepard ($6,800)
• Sevgi Uzun ($3,500)
• Alysha Clark ($4,700)

FanDuel

• Breanna Stewart ($7,700)
• Aliyah Boston ($7,600)
• Dearica Hamby ($7,500)

Wilson, Thomas and Cardoso are among the best players to choose from in FanDuel as well, but if we analyze more options, there's no question that Stewart stands out. Even though the Liberty star returned to action only five games ago, she's been outstanding of late and is certainly reaching the peak of her game with the playoffs right around the corner. Stewart finished with 24 points (5-11 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 13-14 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and five blocks across 36 minutes during Friday's 84-76 win over the Storm. That 24-point output was her highest since the end of the All-Star break.

Boston has been playing poorly, failing to surpass the 12-point plateau in each of her previous four contests. However, she's expected to carry the Fever offensively with Clark sidelined, and she's simply too good to continue struggling at this rate on a prolonged stretch. Despite her offensive woes in recent games, Boston is still averaging 14.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game since the beginning of August.

Hamby has been doing an excellent job of filling out the stat sheet on both ends of the court in recent weeks. Over her last 10 contests, Hamby has been averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game, and that kind of two-way impact should be valuable in most slates.

Unlocking Value: WNBA DFS Sleeper Picks

• Ezi Magbegor ($6,600)
• Sonia Citron ($5,700)
• Iliana Rupert ($5,700)