With the season fast approaching, the RotoWire crew took a look at ESPN's WNBA Fantasy ADPs. Using those ADPs, the crew highlighted their favorite player to draft round-by-round. Kicking things off in the first round is Kirien Sprecher, who selected...
Round 1
Caitlin Clark, G, Indiana Fever
ADP: 4.5
Kirien Sprecher: The only players I'm taking over Clark in fantasy are Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas and Napheesa Collier. The rookie phenom attempted 13 three-pointers in her first exhibition and has the potential to lead the league in assists, especially with proven players around her like Kelsey Mitchell, NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston. The Fever are going to run everything through Clark, who should reap the statistical benefits. While Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray are safe first-round picks, I think Clark's upside is higher because she doesn't have to share the court with other high-usage options.
Round 2
Rhyne Howard, G, Atlanta Dream
ADP: 12.7
Alex Barutha: This early in the draft, I want a stable floor of usage. Howard, the No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year in 2022, provides that. She made her second consecutive All-Star game last season, averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 combined steals-plus-blocks in 32.9 minutes. Her efficiency (39/35/79) remains a sticking point, but that doesn't matter for points leagues, and it's on a high volume of threes (3.3 makes per game). Howard improved her scoring volume, efficiency and passing compared to her rookie season. More improvement should be on the horizon for the Dream's No. 1 option.
Round 3
Aliyah Boston, C, Fever
ADP: 14.4
Nick Whalen: While there may be some concern that the arrival of Caitlin Clark could overshadow last year's No. 1 overall pick, I think the pair should complement each other well. Boston was excellent as a rookie in real life in 2023, but her stat profile is also very fantasy-friendly. While she doesn't shoot threes (4-10 3PT as a rookie), Boston does just about everything else. She closed her rookie year ranking in the top 25 in the WNBA in total minutes, points, rebounds, steals, blocks and free-throws in addition to field goal percentage (57.8% FG).
Round 4
Brittney Sykes, G, Washington Mystics
ADP: 19.0
Alex Barutha: Sykes is one of the best defensive players in the W, making an All-Defense team in each of the past four seasons and finishing Top 3 in DPOY voting two of those campaigns. Last season, the 30-year-old guard also finished four in Most Improved Player voting, reaching career highs in points (15.9), rebounds (5.0), assists (3.8) and steals (2.1) -- not to mention three-point makes (1.4) and percentage (35%). With Natasha Cloud (10.7 FGA, 6.2 APG) now in Phoenix and Elena Delle Donne (12.7 FGA, 5.4 RPG) stepping away from basketball, Sykes' role may increase even more.
Round 5
Allisha Gray, G, Atlanta Dream
ADP: 25.9
Jason Shebilske: Reliable guard help can be somewhat hard to find after the first few rounds of fantasy drafts, but Gray is a strong backcourt option following one of the best seasons of her career. During her first year in Atlanta in 2023, she posted career-best marks in scoring and assists, averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 32.7 minutes per game. If she has a game where she struggles in the scoring column, her peripheral stats give her a high floor. The Dream made several notable offseason acquisitions, but Gray should maintain plenty of production and is a solid mid-round target, especially for fantasy managers who may have targeted frontcourt players in earlier rounds.
Round 6
Marina Mabrey, G, Chicago Sky
ADP: 30.3
Jason Shebilske: Mabrey is on the border of Round 5 and Round 6 consideration, but if she's still available in the sixth round of your fantasy draft, I'd target her. She's one of my WNBA Fantasy Breakout Candidates for 2024, as she had a career-best season during her debut campaign with the Sky last year and should take on a leading role for the rebuilding club after the team lost Kahleah Copper, Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith during the offseason. Since Mabrey is more of an early sixth-round target, some other players I'm intrigued by later in this round include Brionna Jones and Natasha Cloud.
Round 7
Diamond Miller, G, Minnesota Lynx
ADP: 47.6
Kirien Sprecher: The Lynx added Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman to the backcourt this offseason, which has allowed Miller, who underwent minor surgery this offseason, to fly under the radar heading into Year 2. As a rookie, she averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals in 26.1 minutes while starting all 32 of her appearances. Despite the additions, Miller remains a starter heading into 2024 and should continue to be productive, especially if she can improve her three-point efficiency. She shot only 30.7 percent on 3.2 attempts per game last year.
Round 8
Lexie Brown, G, Sparks
ADP: 46.3
Nick Whalen: The veteran guard has bounced around between a few different WNBA teams, but she seems to have found a home in Los Angeles. While an illness caused Brown to miss more than half of last season, she's back healthy and should be a nightly starter at one guard spot. Historically, Brown tends to run hot and cold, but in the eight games last season in which she played at least 30 minutes, she posted 14.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.5 made threes per game. For fantasy managers in roto leagues, securing Brown's high-volume three-point shooting -- she averaged 2.3 makes per game in 2023, good for 8th in the WNBA -- late in a draft could be a steal.
Round 9
Dana Evans, G, Chicago Sky
ADP: 53.6
Jason Shebilske: The final round of fantasy drafts should be all about targeting upside, and Evans has plenty of upside heading into 2024. She's shown promise off the bench over the past few seasons but should finally have the chance to begin the season as a starter under new coach Teresa Weatherspoon. Evans averaged 9.0 points and 3.0 assists in 21.5 minutes per game last season, and all of those marks could increase this year if she serves as Chicago's starting point guard. The 25-year-old has earned her role on this Sky team, and she's a perfect player to round out a fantasy roster if she can rise to the moment.
Bonus
Alysha Clark, F, Las Vegas Aces
ADP: 54.0
Jason Shebilske: Although Candace Parker missed a significant portion of the 2023 season due to injury, Clark came off the bench in all but one of her 39 appearances during her first year with the Aces. However, she had better production than Kiah Stokes, who mainly claimed the starting job in Parker's absence. Clark averaged 6.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game, giving her a decently high floor in most instances. Parker has now retired, and Clark has plenty of experience as a starter if coach Becky Hammon puts her into the starting lineup, which would increase her fantasy appeal. However, even if Clark maintains a bench role during Year 2 in Las Vegas, she's a worthwhile option late in fantasy drafts.
