Fantasy women’s hoops: Should you make a Napheesa Collier trade?Napheesa Collier is returning to the Minnesota Lynx having missed the first 27 games of the season. David Sherman/NBAE via Getty ImagesESPN FantasyJul 20, 2026, 05:58 PM ETClose
The daily news and notes around the WNBA have actionable value when applied to fantasy women’s basketball. From lineup changes to hot streaks to injury news, check this page regularly for updates from ESPN’s fantasy analysts Eric Moody and André Snellings. It’s never too late to sign up for your own ESPN league. Create or join a league, and play for free today!
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Should you make a Napheesa Collier trade?
André Snellings: Napheesa Collier is probable to make her season debut tonight. Collier has had multiple ankle surgeries since her season-ending injuries in last year’s playoffs, and tonight she is likely to be back on the court with the Minnesota Lynx. Prior to her injury, Collier was a top-two fantasy scorer. She is universally rostered despite her injury absence. So the question becomes: what is her current fantasy trade value and what is the best strategy of how to deal with her return?
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Fantasy managers that have rostered and held onto Collier all this time have likely done so with the notion that she will return at or near her previous levels of production, so it is understandable if some of those managers might consider her untradeable. Still, her trade value might be as high as it will be this season. After all, Collier is coming off major injury and returning to a Lynx squad already in first place that is led by a new superstar in rookie Olivia Miles. Not only is it reasonable to believe Collier might start off slow as she builds back, but her production ceiling might not be as high on the current team. So, if a manager can trade Collier now at anywhere near “top-two player in fantasy” value, it makes sense to strongly consider it.
On the flip side, if you don’t have Collier on your roster but want to trade for her, the short term after her return might be your best chance to trade for her at value, because there is a likelihood that she starts slow and the team that “drafted and stashed” her may not be able to wait for her to find her level. Collier was routinely drafted in the first two or three rounds of fantasy drafts, so teams that waited on her have been playing without an impact player and could be struggling in the standings. If that’s the case, they may not have much time to make a playoffs push and may be willing to move Collier for lesser but productive value.
As with any fantasy trade, whom you acquire and whom you give up is dependent on your roster and your place in the standings, but it is due diligence to look at Collier in your league and determine your best course of action.
Two game days to leverage heading into the All-Star break
Sydney Taylor is scoring consistently for the Sky as they head into All-Star week. Jordan Godfree-Imagn ImagesAndré Snellings: It’s All-Star Week, with the break starting Thursday and running through the end of the week. With no games scheduled Tuesday, the only action on the schedule is Monday and Wednesday. Keep in mind, though, that this week’s fantasy game will actually last two weeks through Sunday, Aug. 2.Still, in the short term, we want to maximize the games played this week. And since the two game days this week are packed, with four matchups Monday and six Wednesday, let’s make sure your fantasy squads maximize their production potential by pointing out a few players playing well who might be available in your league.Four players to pick up:Leila Lacan, G, Connecticut Sun (rostered in 41.2% of ESPN leagues): Lacan will be a fixture in this space until her rostered percentage gets up over 50%. She has been playing like a fantasy starter for almost a month now and just had another huge game of 26 points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block Friday. Lacan’s Sun play Wednesday just before the break.
Rae Burrell, G, Los Angeles Sparks (35.6%): Burrell has started off and on all season but has held onto the starting gig for nine straight games and doesn’t seem likely to let it go soon. In those last nine starts, Burrell is averaging 14.7 PPG, 1.4 3PG and 1.1 SPG in addition to solid assists and rebounds from the backcourt. Burrell’s Sparks play Wednesday.
Sydney Taylor, G, Chicago Sky (21.6%): Taylor has scored 15 or more points and 20 or more fantasy points in six straight games. In that span, she’s averaging 17.5 PPG and 2.5 3PG. She also plays again Wednesday.
Sarah Ashlee Barker, G, Portland Fire (26.7%): Barker is in the midst of a breakout sophomore campaign for the Fire. She has started her past 14 games and put up strong all-around numbers of 11.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.5 3PG. She has mixed in some big impact games, including 21 points, four boards and four assists in her just in outing and 25 points, six rebounds and three assists in her last game in June. Her team plays Wednesday as well.
July 13: Four players to add this week
Megan Gustafson of the Portland Fire is shooting .592 from the field in July. Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty ImagesAndré Snellings: This will be the last full week of games before the WNBA All-Star break and the league has a full schedule with at least two games every day. There will be two games on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, three games on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, and four games on Friday. This gives us a total of 19 games for the week — a solid number — so fantasy managers need to make sure to scour your free agency wire to maximize your games played.
As we often do in this space, let’s take a closer look around the league and identify four players who have played well of late that fantasy managers might consider targeting if they are available in your leagues.
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Leila Lacan, G, Connecticut Sun (rostered in 35.9% of ESPN Leagues): Lacan is rapidly approaching “should be universally rostered” territory, if she’s not there already. Even with her streak of games scoring in double-digits coming to an end at nine, she is still rocking these numbers over her last 10: 14.0 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.5 SPG and 1.4 SPG.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, F, Sun (31.4%): Nelson-Ododa has scored in double figures in seven straight games and started the last six. In those six starts, she has averaged a near double-double with 11.7 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.5 BPG and 1.3 SPG.
Laura Juskaite, F, Toronto Tempo (18.3%): Juskaite has started the last two games for the Tempo. She started on Friday with Nyara Sabally unavailable, but even with Sabally back on Sunday, the Tempo again started Juskaite. Over those two starts, Juskaite has averaged 21.5 PPG, 2.5 3PG and 2.0 SPG.
Megan Gustafson, C, Portland Fire (25.8%): Gustafson has moved into a consistent scoring role for the Fire. She has dropped double figures in six straight games, averaging 14.7 PPG, 2.2 3PG and 1.3 SPG over that span.
July 9: Midseason fantasy All-Stars, Wilson leads the way
The Sun are struggling, but Leila Lacan continues to put up useful numbers for fantasy. Jesse Johnson/Imagn ImagesEric Moody: The WNBA All-Star pool is set, but the teams still need to be drafted. From a fantasy perspective, it’s a good time to look back at the first half and name our own women’s basketball all-stars. The scoring leaders belong in the conversation, but fantasy value is never just about the biggest names. It’s also about consistency, roles in the rotation, draft-day value, waiver-wire gems and the players who kept rosters afloat when managers needed them most, especially with all the injuries so far this season. These are my fantasy women’s basketball All-Stars, from the elite stars to the breakout players and reserves who earned recognition.Play Fantasy Women’s Basketball
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A’ja Wilson: Wilson leads the league in fantasy points per game at 46.1, picking up right where she left off after a historic season. Last year, Wilson became the first WNBA or NBA player to win the scoring title, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in the same season. Fittingly, she was the first player chosen in fantasy women’s hoops drafts this year.
Caitlin Clark: She ranks second in FPPG at 37.6 and has returned to form after injuries limited her to just 13 games in 2025. Even in a shortened season, Clark still posted a 28.7% usage rate and averaged 36.8 fantasy points per game, fourth behind Wilson, Napheesa Collier and Alyssa Thomas. Clark has pushed her usage rate even higher this season at 30.6%.
Breanna Stewart: The Liberty star is right there with Clark at 37.5 fantasy points per game. Stewart’s production speaks for itself, and the Commissioner’s Cup MVP has delivered exactly what managers hoped for when they drafted her in the middle of the first round.
Kelsey Plum: Plum is out with a lower left leg injury and has dealt with injuries off and on this season, but her production hasn’t dropped when she has been on the court. Plum is averaging 37.4 fantasy points per game, keeping her firmly in the fantasy All-Star conversation.
Rhyne Howard: Howard has been one of the best draft-day values of the season, easily outperforming her third-round ADP. Through 20 games, Howard is averaging 18.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.2 APG and a league-leading 2.5 SPG in 35.2 MPG. Outside of rebounds and assists, all of those numbers are career highs for the Dream star.
Fantasy All-Star Reserves
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Aliyah Boston
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Olivia Miles
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Marina Mabrey
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Paige Bueckers
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Angel Reese
Editor’s Picks
Fever’s Clark, Boston, Mitchell named ASG starters
WNBA All-Star roster breakdown: Snubs, MVP predictions, what to watch in Chicago
Boston got off to a slower start than managers would have wanted, especially at her average draft position, but she has turned it up over the past 10 games with 37.6 FPPG. Miles has delivered well-rounded production all season, and managers who selected the rookie in Round 4 have to be pleased with her fantasy output. Mabrey has capitalized on her opportunity with the Toronto Tempo as one of their focal points and is averaging a career-best 20.6 points per game. Bueckers is thriving on a Dallas Wings team where Arike Ogunbowale and Azzi Fudd both command high usage rates. Most of Reese’s fantasy value comes from rebounding, but she leads the league with 11.8 RPPG while also contributing in other categories. I’d be remiss if I didn’t include one honorable mention.
Honorable Mention
Jessica Shepard: Shepard ranks 13th in fantasy points per game and has been one of the best offseason signings in the league. She’s a first-time All-Star who has greatly outperformed her eighth-round ADP for fantasy managers this season.
