Draftkings WNBA Showdown Picks: Dream vs. Sparks 9/1/24
Breaking down the best Draftkings picks and predictions for this evening's Dream vs. Sparks matchup.
Atlanta Dream vs. Los Angeles Sparks
September 1, 2024 7:00 pm EDT
The WNBA presents a matchup between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Atlanta Dream. Let’s take a look at this game from a Draftkings perspective.
Before we dive into the Los Angeles Sparks vs. Atlanta Dream game let’s review the rules for the Draftkings single game showdown contest.
Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules
You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.
The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.
If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.
*I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one game slate.
Here are my Draftkings picks for this evening’s Atlanta Dream vs. Los Angeles Sparks matchup.
Draftkings WNBA Showdown Picks
Captain-Tina Charles, Forward, Atlanta Dream $10,000
Atlanta Dream forward Tina Charles arrives at today’s game with the Los Angeles Sparks playing exceptional basketball from a statistical perspective. Let’s take a look at Charles recent game data to shed light on my previous statement.
In the 30 games that Tina Charles has played in the 2024 WNBA regular season, Dream forward Tina Charles has averaged a robust 14.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and one steal a game.
It is noteworthy that these two teams met earlier in the season. Who prevailed? How did Tina Charles perform in the game? Let’s look at the relevant game data to answer that question. In the Atlanta Dream’s impressive 87-74 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks two months ago, Atlanta forward Tina Charles tallied 20 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists.
From a general matchup perspective, I like Tina Charles matchup in this WNBA contest. Why? Dream forward Tina Charles will face a Los Angeles Sparks defense that has struggled on the defensive side of the basketball all season.
Through 31 games played in the 2024 WNBA regular season, the Los Angeles Sparks are currently ranked an abysmal tenth in total team defensive rating (105.9), ninth in total opponent fast break points allowed a game (10.6), and 11th in total points allowed in the paint a game (41.2) Clearly, the data just presented tells us that the Los Angeles Sparks are currently not a good defensive basketball team.
As I noted in the rules section above, selecting the correct captain is absolutely imperative if you hope to win a large field GPP (guaranteed prize pool) contest. In summary, I am rolling with Dream forward Tina Charles as my captain for this one game WNBA DFS slate.
Flex Plays
Dearica Hamby, Forward, Los Angeles Sparks $9,000
Talented Los Angeles forward Dearica Hamby has been one of the few bright spots for the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2024 WNBA regular season.
In the 30 games that Sparks forward Dearica Hamby has played for the Los Angeles Sparks this season, Dearica Hamby has averaged a whopping 17.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals a game.
Additional flex plays I like (Draftkings price noted): Rickea Jackson, Guard (Los Angeles Sparks) $8,600: Rhyne Howard, Guard (Atlanta Dream) $9,200: Allisha Gray, Guard (Atlanta Dream) $8,200.
