Top WNBA DFS Picks and Lineup Strategies for September 18
Following Thursday's five-game slate to resume the WNBA campaign, the final week of the 2026 regular season rolls on with a three-game slate Friday. The Liberty and Lynx will face off in the evening's only matchup that features two playoff teams squaring off, while the Fever and Tempo will tip off at the same time. In the late slot, the Fire will face the Valkyries. In addition to monitoring past production, DFS managers should be mindful of whether players took part in the FIBA World Cup, as well as their teams' standing and whether their clubs will have motivation to run a normal rotation Friday.
Try our WNBA Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
WNBA Games Today
New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx: Liberty 10-10 on road; Lynx 14-6 at home
Indiana Fever at Toronto Tempo: Fever 12-8 on road; Tempo 7-13 at home, on four-game losing streak
Portland Fire at Golden State Valkyries: Fire 8-12 on road; Valkyries 15-5 at home, on four-game winning streak
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's WNBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
WNBA Injury Report Today
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's WNBA Injury News page and our comprehensive WNBA Injury Report.
New York Liberty - Satou Sabally (concussion): OUT
Minnesota Lynx - Anastasiia Kosu (foot): OUT
Indiana Fever - Caitlin Clark (back): Probable
Toronto Tempo - Maria Conde (illness): Questionable; Marina Mabrey (hip): OUT
Portland Fire - Injury report not yet released. Carla Leite (rest), Megan DiLeo (finger), Bridget Carleton (ankle), Teja Oblak (knee) all missed Thursday's game against Phoenix.
Golden State Valkyries - Cecilia Zandalasini (not injury related): Questionable; Gabby Williams (not injury related), Janelle Salaun (not injury related): OUT
Elite WNBA DFS Players
Guards
FanDuel
Veronica Burton, Valkyries 
($7,000) vs. Fire
The Valkyries will be dealing with several absences Friday, as Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaun will be out, while Cecilia Zandalasini is questionable in the hours leading up to tipoff. Burton could see increased playing time if Zandalasini doesn't suit up, but regardless of Zandalasini's status, Burton has been successful recently, providing at least 4x value at this salary in three of her last four appearances.
DraftKings
Kelsey Mitchell, Fever 
($10,400) at Tempo
Mitchell was left off the roster for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, but that seemingly makes her a more favorable option for DFS purposes Friday. Not only will she have something to prove, but she'll also be well-rested during the Fever's first game back in action. Caitlin Clark's production before the break also made her a consideration on both platforms, but I view Mitchell as a slightly safer option in case Clark's workload is monitored after her participation in the World Cup.
Forwards/Centers
FanDuel
Natasha Howard, Lynx 
($6,900) vs. Liberty
Today's picks feature plenty of players for the Lynx, partially due to the overall value and partially due to the fact that Minnesota is a slightly more predictable team than some others following the FIBA World Cup break. Napheesa Collier was the team's main player to appear in the World Cup, so several key players will be well-rested, while the Lynx will also have the potential to clinch the top seed in the playoffs Friday. Howard generated at least 40.9 FD points in two of her three appearances leading up to the league's layoff, and I'm expecting another sizable role Friday.
DraftKings
Napheesa Collier, Lynx ($10,900) vs. Liberty
Collier isn't my most emphatic pick of the season for Friday's slate since she carries some risk after participating in the World Cup, while I also like some of her teammates to perform well against New York, and there's only so much production to go around. However, of the elite frontcourt options on DraftKings for Friday, Collier is a decent option who has regularly proven to be capable of hovering around the 40.0 DK point mark this season.
Mid-Range WNBA DFS Picks
FanDuel
Courtney Williams, Lynx ($5,900) vs. Liberty
Sticking with the Lynx, Williams has a reasonable DFS salary on FanDuel for Friday's matchup, and she was a well-rounded contributor prior to the break. She provided at least 4x value in her last two appearances while averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 31.0 minutes per game during that time. If any of Minnesota's World Cup participants need some rest Friday, Williams is a strong candidate to see some additional minutes.
DraftKings
Tiffany Hayes, Valkyries ($7,700) vs. Fire
Hayes is on the slightly higher end of the mid-tier range on DraftKings for Friday, but she was stellar in the Valkyries' final game before the break with 34.0 DK points against the Fire. During Friday's rematch, I'm expecting another sizable workload for the Valkyries, who will be without several key players following the layoff. Even after picking Veronica Burton on FanDuel as an elite guard option, I think there will be enough opportunities available for both Burton and Hayes to be productive against Portland.
WNBA DFS Value Picks
FanDuel
Kiah Stokes, Valkyries ($4,800) vs. Fire
Stokes had a relatively quiet performance in the Valkyries' final game before the layoff, but she had been productive in her previous three appearances, posting at least 21.2 DK points in each of those outings. With Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaun sidelined during the team's first game back in action, it seems as though Stokes will have plenty of opportunities to provide value at this salary.
DraftKings
Kayla Thornton, Valkyries ($5,500) vs. Fire
Thornton was relatively quiet for most of the second half of August, but she had a bounce-back performance during the Valkyries' final game before the break, generating 28.0 DK points in the team's Aug. 30 win over Portland. With several Golden State players sidelined for Friday's matchup, I expect that Thornton will be able to perform well once again during the rematch.
