<
>
Menu
ESPN
- scores
Fantasy WNBA: How to play Fantasy Women's Basketball
57dAndré Snellings
Fever's Clark: Don't use me to push 'agendas'
Indiana Fever
6h
McGregor injured, won't return for UFC 303 card
16hBrett Okamoto
Michigan's Moore adds 4-star safety to first class
Michigan Wolverines
1hEli Lederman
Panthers not assuming anything with 3-0 lead
Florida Panthers
46mGreg Wyshynski
USMNT adds Sargent in final Copa América squad
4hJeff Carlisle
USWNT falls to all-time low 5th in FIFA ranking
8hEmily Keogh
Kansas City Chiefs
16hAdam Teicher
Tiger Woods saves par, Xander Schauffele's 3 party at the 2024 U.S. Open
1mESPN
Luka has yet to truly grasp what defined Jordan, LeBron -- and these Celtics
Dallas Mavericks
4hRamona Shelburne
'I want to win more than anybody can imagine': Jayson Tatum's grind to the cusp of a title
Boston Celtics
7hTim Bontemps
Euro 2024 Power Rankings: France top; Germany below England
1dSam Tighe
MCWS 2024: Top storylines, bold predictions and picks for Omaha
1dESPN
UFC 303 reaction: McGregor-Chandler cancellation, Pereira-Procházka rematch and more
4hESPN
What happens when the two best hitters in the world bat back-to-back in the same lineup? THIS
New York Yankees
8hJorge Castillo
Panthers are one win from the Stanley Cup: Grades, takeaways after Game 3 of the Final
Florida Panthers
15hRyan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton
The WNBA's superteam era is dead, but Finals rematch is alive with intrigue
Las Vegas Aces
7hMichael Voepel, +2 More
From Fenway Park with Big Papi to UFC 300: Highlights of the 2024 Larry O'Brien Trophy tour
5hAnthony Gharib
Has Trevor Lawrence earned his new contract? What's next for the Jaguars' offense?
Jacksonville Jaguars
19hMichael DiRocco
How Victor Wembayama can turn San Antonio into a free agent destination
San Antonio Spurs
1dAndrew Lopez
'If you see Cedric Maxwell, tell him I hate him': The Lakers-Celtics rivalry is thriving in the NBA Finals
Dallas Mavericks
1hDave McMenamin
NBA Finals betting: Picks for Celtics-Mavs Game 4
Boston Celtics
3hJim McCormick
UFL championship preview: Can Wade Phillips' Brahmas deny the Stallions' three-peat bid?
8hESPN
How UFL technology can help the NFL: Three innovations that might make the leap
1dKevin Seifert
Fantasy football mock draft: RB depth goes fast in 12-team PPR
8hFantasy Staff
How The Rock orchestrated a WrestleMania comeback for the ages
7hMike Coppinger
LIVE Transfer Talk: PSG make Neves No. 1 target in battle with Man United, Liverpool
1mESPN
Man United Keep or Dump: With Ten Hag staying, what happens to Casemiro, Sancho?
4hMark Ogden, Gabriele Marcotti
NBA free agency 2024: Latest signings, news, buzz and reports
Los Angeles Lakers
2dESPN
MLB Power Rankings: Can anyone pass the Yankees for our No. 1 spot?
Arizona Diamondbacks
1dESPN
David Benavidez is moving forward with or without Canelo
7hMike Coppinger
2024 U.S. Olympic swimming trials: Ledecky, Dressel and Manuel among names to watch
7hD'Arcy Maine
Dortmund hire ex-midfielder Şahin as new boss
3hESPN
SKC's Hernàndez on leave after gambling report
1hJeff Carlisle
Messi, Suárez sons lose 5-0 to Barça in U12s
2hLizzy Becherano
Ronaldo: Portugal deserve to win Euro 2024
9hAdriana Garcia
'Father' Giroud wants France Euros redemption
5hReuters
Spalletti rails at Italy PlayStation ban reports
5hTom Hamilton
How new coaches at Michigan, Alabama and more are faring on the recruiting trail
Alabama Crimson Tide
2hEli Lederman
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is racing's World Cup, except the Americans could actually win
1dMarshall Pruett
Fantasy baseball: Weekend preview June 13-16
1dTristan H. co*ckcroft
Andre Snellings, ESPNApr 18, 2024, 02:43 PM ET
It's almost that time again!
After another exciting season last year, Fantasy Women's Basketball is back for its third season with a little more star power in the form of Indiana's No. 1 overall pick, Caitlin Clark. How fun!
The WNBA campaign is ramping up and that means it's time to get ready for the fantasy game.
As a quick review, this is a points, head-to-head format that crowns a champion in an end-of-season playoffs.
Here is the scoring system for the game:
Point = 1 Fantasy point (FP)
Rebound = 1 FP
Assist = 1 FP
Made 3-pointer = 1 FP
Steal = 2 FP
Block = 2 FP
Points, rebounds and assists are all potentially high-volume categories, so they earn one fantasy point each. Steals and blocks are harder to come by, so they are worth twice as much. Made 3-pointers give you a bonus fantasy point in addition to the three FP you get for the points themselves. This also allows you to build your fantasy rosters with player types who contribute in different ways.
For example, A'Ja Wilson was the only player in the league to finish top-5 in both points and blocked shots last season. Her 19.5 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.9 BPG, 1.4 SPG and 0.9 3PG were worth 19.5 + 9.4 + 2.1 + 3.8 + 2.8 + 0.9 = 38.5 FP/G.
Meanwhile, Breanna Stewart led the league in scoring and was top-5 in steals. Her 21.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.9 BPG and 2.0 3PG were worth 21.8 + 7.6 + 2.9 + 3.2 + 1.8 + 2.0 = 39.3 FP/G.
And Sabrina Ionescu checked in as the only player in the top-5 in both total assists and total 3-pointers made. Her 17.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG and 2.3 3PG were worth 35.9 FP/G.
At the end of the day, WNBA stars will be among the elite fantasy scorers, regardless of their production style. There is also room for lower-volume players to shine if they contribute significantly in the more difficult to garner categories. This includes the glue players that control the paint, defensive anchors and long-range shooters.
Here's a rundown of everything to get you ready for the Fantasy Women's Basketball season.
The basics: What you need to know
The WNBA regular season runs from May 14 to Sept. 19. There will typically be two to three games per week, yielding plenty of exhilarating action during the summer months.
There are 12 teams in the league, as opposed to the 30 in the NBA, so the fantasy roster sizes are a bit smaller. A typical league will be six fantasy teams with nine roster spots each, thus a nine-round fantasy draft.
You'll start six players: two forwards, two guards, one center and one utility that can be any position.
Each week, every fantasy team goes head-to-head against one other team, and the one that accumulates the most fantasy points gets a win while the other team gets a loss. The teams with the best win-loss records advance to the fantasy playoffs and face one another to determine a champion.
The draft: How to pick your team
The most important -- and for many, the most fun -- part of putting together a fantasy team is the draft. Snake drafts and Salary Cap drafts are the most popular of the four methods available, but choose the one that works best for you:
Snake: Players are chosen in a set order in the first round and then the draft order is reversed for each round thereafter. (Example: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 then 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).
Salary cap: Team managers use a fictional budget to nominate and sign players until their roster is filled. Suggested values are listed in the draft room, with $1 being the minimum.
Autopick: The system automatically drafts players to each team in the league on a scheduled draft date so team managers don't have to be online during the draft.
Offline: Team managers conduct their own draft without the use of ESPN's online draft system, then manually input the offline draft results into the system.
The game plan: How to win your league
Being a successful team manager means taking an active role in running your team throughout the WNBA season.
At a minimum, that means:
1. Making adjustments to your starting lineup from the start of the season until the end
2. Adding free agents who can help your team and cutting players who are ineffective
3. Moving injured players to the injured reserve to open up an available roster spot that can be filled
Good luck this season and have a blast! Be sure to check back throughout the WNBA season for plenty of analysis to help you build a championship roster.