WNBA: Emily Engstler a high-risk, high-reward fantasy basketball participant

In fantasy basketball, typically you could take calculated dangers, particularly close to the top of a season when accidents and trades might have made it harder to play issues safely. This will contain choosing up a participant who isn’t a certain guess to get constant minutes or doesn’t at all times shoot a excessive proportion from the sector.

In the event you’re in such a place in your WNBA fantasy league, Washington Mystics ahead Emily Engstler is a participant whose potential reward might outweigh her threat. Engstler hadn’t seen a lot taking part in time this season, and although she briefly confirmed what she was able to throughout a brief stretch in late June, she hasn’t been value rostering in fantasy leagues up till now.

With Myisha Hines-Allen now with the Minnesota Lynx and Shakira Austin as soon as once more on the sidelines (ankle damage), Engstler has lastly gotten a chance to play in August, and he or she’s proving what an awesome fantasy participant she could be. In her final 5 video games, Engstler is averaging 12.4 factors, 5.8 rebounds and three defensive stats (steals and blocks), which is sweet for 28.6 fantasy factors per sport. She’s additionally pulling down 2.2 3-point photographs per sport at a 50 % clip.

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Engstler received’t keep that sizzling from the sector, in fact, however her latest run exhibits how helpful gamers who put up constant defensive stats could be. Engstler’s defensive playmaking has been her calling card going again to her collegiate days at Syracuse and Louisville, and even when she isn’t scoring, she’s most likely going to be contributing some place else within the field rating. Contemplate choosing her up for the ultimate stretch of the common season for so long as Austin is out.

Michaela Onyenwere stepping up scoring in Chicago

Michaela Onyenwere is one other participant who’s needed to look forward to a constant position along with her respective workforce, and whereas the commerce that despatched Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Solar opened up extra taking part in time on the wing, it’s taken some time for Onyenwere to settle into an offensive rhythm.

With Sky guard Chennedy Carter battling an sickness, Onyenwere has stepped up in Chicago’s offensive hierarchy. In her final six video games, she’s averaging 15 factors per sport, capturing 56.9 % from the sector and making 1.5 3-pointers per sport. Throughout this span, Onyenwere is averaging 21.2 fantasy factors, which is sort of double what she’s placing up for the season (10.8).

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The priority with Onyenwere in most scoring codecs is that her fantasy worth is tied nearly completely to her scoring. Even with the elevated workload, in her final six video games she’s averaging simply 2.2 rebounds (comprehensible, given the quantity of rebounding elsewhere on the Sky roster) and one mixed defensive stat per sport. Now that Carter is again in Chicago’s lineup, we’ll see if Onyenwere stays a go-to offensive participant for the Sky.

Dorka Juhász, Myisha Hines-Allen in timeshare territory

Depth is often seen as factor in real-life basketball, however it isn’t at all times that means in fantasy basketball. Those that drafted Dorka Juhász to their fantasy groups in 2024 are studying that the onerous means.

Juhász, who’s coming off an All-Rookie choice in 2023, was a preferred selection in lots of fantasy leagues this season. The addition of Alanna Smith to Minnesota’s lineup (and her capacity to play heart in smaller lineups) ended up mitigating a few of Juhász’s fantasy worth, although, and with Minnesota having lately acquired Hines-Allen on the commerce deadline, the trail to constant minutes for Juhász all of the sudden appears to be in peril.

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In 9 video games for the reason that commerce deadline, Juhász is averaging 3.7 factors, three rebounds and 0.7 defensive stats in 13.8 minutes per sport. Making issues much more irritating is that her minutes have been in every single place; she lately performed half-hour towards Chicago on Sept. 1, however had a four-game stretch in August wherein she didn’t crack double-digit minutes. Hines-Allen, in the meantime, has averaged 15.3 minutes with the Lynx and has been reasonably productive (7.6 factors and 4.6 rebounds), however has hit 20 minutes solely twice.

It’s clearly drawback to have for the Lynx, who’re making an attempt to make a championship run and haven’t any actual incentive to play both Juhász or Hines-Allen heavy minutes. In fantasy basketball, although, it’s going to proceed to be problematic for these with both participant on their groups. Barring an damage, it appears the matchup will decide which ahead head coach Cheryl Reeve favors.

For the needs of this text, “fantasy factors” refer to plain ESPN fantasy league scoring, wherein factors, 3-pointers, rebounds and assists are every value one fantasy level and steals and blocks are every value two fantasy factors. All participant and workforce stats for the 2024 season are present via Sept. 7.