Three must-start fantasy basketball players for the Thursday 5/14/26 WNBA slate

The WNBA is again for its largest season ever, and already, pleasure has been at an all-time excessive. The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo have every gained their first video games in franchise historical past, and the Fire might decide up their second tonight.

It’ll be a comparatively small slate of motion tonight when Portland hosts the New York Liberty and the Dallas Wings host the Minnesota Lynx, however a number of of the WNBA’s largest stars shall be accessible as a part of tonight’s featured DFS contest.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups right here: WNBA $80K Shootaround [$20K to 1st]

PG/SG Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx at Dallas Wings, $9,400

So a lot for Miles’ readiness for the WNBA; though a lot of the consideration shall be on 2025 first general decide Paige Bueckers ($10,600) and 2026 first general decide Azzi Fudd ($6,600)Miles has fairly began his rookie season, averaging 17.0 factors, 4.5 rebounds, and seven.5 assists per sport by the first two video games of his profession. There’s motive to assume that this may very well be sustainable; she was one among the most well-rounded players in faculty basketball throughout her senior season, averaging 19.6 factors, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per sport throughout TCU’s run to the Elite Eight.

Miles might have an awesome matchup in opposition to the Wings, who’ve made some strides however nonetheless have the basis of a group that ranked second-to-last in defensive score in 2025 and allowed the second-most factors, sixth-most rebounds, and most assists per sport. To boot, they have not been that a lot better up to now in 2026, giving up 104 factors in the season opener to the Indiana Fever, they usually did not completely resolve their middle scenario throughout the offseason. Jessica Shepard ($7,700) is an honest rebounder, rating tenth in complete rebounding proportion this season, however she typically operated in a extra conventional energy ahead function in double-big Minnesota lineups.

PG/SG Carla Leite, Portland Fire vs. New York Liberty, $7,100

The Fire clearly noticed Leite’s potential once they chosen her with the third general decide in the enlargement draft, and up to now, Portland’s funding in her has paid dividends. In her first two video games with the Fire, she’s averaged 19.5 factors, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per sport, and partly due to her aggressive, drive-heavy offensive fashion, she’s lived at the free throw line, going 16-for-17 (94.1%) from the charity stripe up to now. Leite hasn’t even shot the three-ball effectively but in her WNBA profession regardless of capturing 40.0% from downtown in her ultimate season in France, however her skill to get to the rack ought to enable her to open up environment friendly appears for herself and for her teammates.

To be honest, Leite has a fairly tough matchup in a Liberty group that completed a stable sixth in defensive score final season, however New York is badly banged up, with Sabrina Ionescu ($11,000) and Satou Sabally ($10,000) each out with accidents. The Liberty ought to ultimately enhance as a rim-protecting group, on condition that they allowed the sixth-lowest proportion inside 5 toes final season and nonetheless have Jonquel Jones ($9,900)however their perimeter protection has taken a success with three-time All-Defensive honoree Natasha Cloud now off the group. Leite had 21 factors in the groups’ first matchup of the season on Tuesday.

SF/PF Pauline Astier, New York Liberty at Portland Fire, $5,700

Astier has additionally made a flash early in her WNBA profession, averaging 15.7 factors, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per sport in her first three profession video games. Her general manufacturing in all probability is not sustainable, on condition that she’ll probably lose her spot in the beginning lineup as soon as Ionescu and Sabally return, however she was one among the greatest playmaking wings in France final season for Bourges, in addition to an adept defender. Astier had 24 factors on 10-for-14 capturing when these groups matched up on Tuesday, and whereas she should not be anticipated to supply that a lot tonight, her skill to generate environment friendly photographs at the rim has been spectacular, particularly at simply five-foot-11.

Portland, in the meantime, has struggled defensively up to now, rating useless final in defensive score and giving up at the very least 96 factors in each of its video games. Of course, it is tough to look an excessive amount of right into a two-game pattern measurement, however no participant on its roster has an All-Defensive look, and most are comparatively inexperienced. Bridget Carleton ($6,000) might be the Fire’s greatest defender, as she was a starter on a Lynx group that completed with the league’s greatest defensive score final season, however she’ll have her fingers full with Breanna Stewart ($11,800)leaving Astier with a relatively simple matchup.