Aug 23, 2023, 12:02 PM ET
The fantasy women’s basketball playoffs are here and for teams battling for the league championship, it’s all about choosing the most productive players — even if it means moving on from a star who is missing games or having their minutes reduced.
Our experts André Snellings, Eric Moody and Liz Loza explain which players it’s time to move away from in the ever-important fantasy playoffs.
Elena Delle Donne, F, Washington Mystics
This may be controversial, because if you have this player you used an early round draft pick to draft her, but it may be time to move on from Delle Donne. Delle Donne has missed 16 of the last 18 games with a hip injury, including the last two in a row going into Wednesday. In the two games she has played since June, she has only played 11 and 13 minutes. She only has one more game during this week, on Saturday, and there is no guarantee she plays at all… and if she does, it would likely be very limited minutes.
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We are in the second week of the 2-week first round of the fantasy playoffs, and in most leagues there are streaming options with multiple games left this week that are likely to outproduce what you could get from Delle Donne. She is a real-life superstar, but for fantasy teams struggling to win their playoffs matchup, it may be time to move on. — Snellings
Diana Taurasi, G, Phoenix Mercury
On Aug. 3, the 41-year-old guard became the first player in WNBA history to score 10,000 career points. That being said, the Mercury currently have a 9-23 record and are clearly out of the playoff picture. Now that Taurasi has a toe injury, there is a chance the veteran could be shut down for the rest of the season, opening up more opportunity for Michaela Onyenwere (rostered in 43.5% of ESPN leagues) and Sug Sutton (18.2%). — Moody
Dearica Hamby, F, Los Angeles Sparks
Hamby’s offensive upside is capped on a team with plenty of options. The 29-year-old has struggled from the field, registering no more than 6 points over her last four efforts. While Hamby does add value from a defensive POV, her work against the glass has been spotty of late. With the playoffs on the line, fantasy managers should be advised to look for higher ceiling players. — Loza