Fantasy women's basketball: How established players affect new teams

 

This year's offseason has seen a lot of movement, with many major players departing teams they had spent their whole careers with.

Some of the top players from the previous season are either on a different club right now or are yet unsigned in 2023.

Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker, Jonquel Jones, and Courtney Vandersloot are among the well-known athletes who have switched teams. But how might their performance this season be impacted by the fact that so many well-known fantasy athletes are changing teams?

Stewart, who was the leading scorer last year, Vandersloot, who was second in assists last year, and Jones, who was among the top five rebounders in 2022, have all been added to the Liberty. In addition to all of this, Sabrina Ionescu topped New York in both scoring and assists.

F Breanna Stewart (39.1 expected fantasy points per game

Stewart shouldn't have much, if any, of an influence on her numbers from joining a squad with other great stars. In each of her six professional seasons, when the Storm averaged more than 18 PPG, she was the team's top scorer. She can play with just about anyone thanks to her versatility.

A prime example is when, in the middle of last season, the Storm signed 2021 leading scorer Tina Charles to the roster. Stewart's output was hardly affected. After Charles was added, she continued to produce 21.6 PPG, 7.5 APG, 2.5 APG, and 1.9 3-point field goals per game (22.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 2.0 3-point FG per game).

I wouldn't worry about Stewart's statistics if you are looking for someone to take with your first pick because she will still be one of the league's top fantasy scorers despite her numbers declining.

G Courtney Vandersloot (26.6 expected fantasy points per game)

For the first time in her career, the four-time All-Star Vandersloot is joining a team with a brand-new roster and an All-Star point guard in Ionescu.

Ionescu performed effectively last season as a catch-and-shoot player off the ball, which is good news for Vandersloot. According to Synergy, Ionescu averaged 1.09 points per play on catch-and-shoot plays compared to just 0.86 off the dribble.

This allows the Vandersloot to play point guard and concentrate on facilitating, much like she did when she played for the Sky. Ionescu may still compete at a high level in fantasy basketball by concentrating more on scoring and rebounding than serving as the team's key facilitator.

F Jonquel Jones (31.3 expected fantasy points per game)

The 2021 MVP's statistics dropped last season, and a large part of that was because she was a member of a team with a lot of talented players. Since there were four other lifetime All-Stars on her club, the Sun had to employ a more evenly distributed scoring attack, which decreased Jones' output. She might produce similarly to last season because the Liberty team this year has a lot of potential.

Other notables in new locations

F, Las Vegas Aces Candace Parker (32.0 expected fantasy PPG)

Most likely, the two-time MVP will replace Dearica Hamby in the Aces' starting lineup. Parker is a superior 3-point shooter than Hamby, which will push the defense to open up and offer A'ja Wilson more one-on-one opportunities in the post and from mid-range. Wilson might receive more touches if Parker, who is also a great facilitator, puts more touches in the right places. Wilson is going to have a huge year, in my opinion.

Three players averaging 15+ PPG and three players averaging 3+ APG were on the Aces roster from the previous campaign. Parker's statistics might suffer because this team's starting lineup has a lot of depth in terms of scoring and assisting. Since so many of the Aces' actors are already familiar with their parts from the previous season, it might take her some time to understand what her job entails.

Dallas Wings' Natasha Howard, F (31.9 predicted fantasy PPG)

Last year, Howard was the Liberty's second-leading scorer, and he was traded to the Wings this offseason. Arike Ogunbowale, one of the league's top shooting guards, and Teaira McCowan, a real center, are on her new team's roster. This can have a bad effect on her score. However, since four of the top six rebounders from the previous season are no longer on the Wings' roster, she could be able to make up for that with her rebounding. With this club, I anticipate a minor decline in her fantasy stats.

Chicago Sky's Marina Mabrey, G (projected fantasy PPG: 29.3)

One of the better moves the Sky made may have been the trade for Mabrey during the offseason. Mabrey, who is an excellent 3-point shooter, might possibly be the ideal fit for the position. Since they lost 71% of their 3-point production from the previous season, Chicago needed a 3-point threat. This year, Mabrey should post career numbers and rank among the league's top 3-point shooters.

Atlanta Dream's Allisha Gray, G (projected fantasy PPG: 27.6)

Gray offers some experience to this lineup as she joins a youthful Atlanta team. She will assist in the replacement of Tiffany Hayes, their team's second-leading scorer from last year. Gray's expertise and offensive skill might be used much more on this roster given that the Dream's offense underperformed in 2022, averaging 78.5 PPG (11th in the league).

Connecticut native Tiffany Hayes Sun (estimated fantasy PPG: 26.6)

With no player scoring more than 15 PPG for the Sun last season, Hayes may be a wonderful acquisition. In free agency, Connecticut also lost guard Courtney Williams, but Hayes, an outstanding scorer who can cover that slot, would be the ideal replacement. She is also a threat from three points, which the Sun needed given that they only attempted 6.4 threes per game on average in 2022 (11th in the league). She might have a breakthrough season with this Connecticut team.

Chicago Sky's Courtney Williams, G (24.2 expected fantasy PPG)

In the offseason, Williams joined a Sky team that was severely depleted. Chicago needs offense given that four of its top five scorers from the previous season won't be back in 2023. Since the Sun were a loaded team last year, Williams may have a fantastic chance to be the team's leading scorer this time around.

Los Angeles Sparks' Dearica Hamby, F

After giving birth to her son in March, Hamby was moved by the Aces to the Sparks over the offseason. Hamby is anticipated to play again this season, while there is no set date for her return. Later in the season, you might decide to add her to your roster. She would make a fantastic role player. Nneka Ogwumike, a talented forward, will be her teammate. Since Hamby has played alongside A'ja Wilson for the last five seasons, during which time she has averaged 10.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG, she is accustomed to playing with outstanding forwards.