Fantasy women’s basketball: surprises and impressions at the start of the season

The 2023 WNBA season isn’t even a week old, but things are already springing up on the court.

What have our fantasy experts noticed so far?

Here are André Snellings, Eric Moody, Jennifer LaCroix and Liz Loza with more on them.

Delle Donne’s heavy workload

Elena Delle Donne plays a lot more minutes than I would have expected considering she was in load management last season. She played over 33 minutes in each of her first two games of the year (she only played over 33 minutes in two games all of last season). Her agility and stamina performed well in both games, and she met the box score (16.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG). If she continues to stay healthy and play as many minutes, she will have a great season. — LaCroix

Cooke looks strong

Zia Cooke made his mark in the WNBA with an impressive performance against the Sparks last Saturday, amassing 22 fantasy points in just 15 minutes. April’s No. 10 overall pick is poised to play a significant role in the Los Angeles rotation, and she’s proving she’s more than ready for the big stage. It’s about time fantasy executives recognized Cooke’s talent and potential. — moody

Wings show potential for three fantasy stars

It was just a game Dallas Wings, but they had three of the league’s previous 0-5 rating averages from that one game. I expect Arike Ogunbowale having a great season, though Satou Sabally And Natasha Howard weren’t in my top 5 of the season. Maybe it was just a good game from which the strikers finally come back to their expected values. But Howard came to the team through a transfer, and Sabally has struggled with serious injuries in each of her first three seasons. Therefore, both are in relatively new situations and their upper limits are unknown. I’ll be paying close attention to the next few Wings games to see how this plays out and determine expected stats for each player for the remainder of the season. — Snellings

Mabrey is still going strong

i was high Marina Mabrey Throughout the preseason, it came as a surprise that she struggled in her Chicago debut. The 26-year-old guard converted two of five field goals and scored just five points in 23 minutes last Friday. She also injured her ankle and was unable to attend Sky’s Mercury game on Sunday. Mabrey’s troubles didn’t affect the team negatively, however, as Chicago kept surprising them. In the meantime, Courtney Williams Averaging over 34 minutes per game and consecutive competitions with 5 three-point attempts. Mabrey expects to be back in action against Washington this Friday. — loza

Chicago’s stunning new downtown

Elizabeth Williams embodies Sky’s defensive identity and shines with consecutive games of 25 or more fantasy points. While Isabelle Harrison is out after her indefinitely underwent surgery to repair a tear in the left meniscus, Williams should continue to shine. Williams only features in 68.6% of ESPN leagues. So if she’s available, add her to your roster. — Moody