WNBA: How to get an edge in your women’s fantasy basketball draft

Have you drafted your fantasy basketball team for the 2025 WNBA season yet? If not, we’ve got a few tips for you.

Okay, so it’s not expert-level analysis to say that players like A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier should be among the first draftees in any fantasy league. But there are a handful of things you’re going to want to consider before and during your draft to ensure that you come out with the best team possible. Like any other fantasy sport, some level of research is required; here are some things to do homework on before draft day approaches.

Consider your league’s scoring and position settings

One of the most important things you can do before drafting your team is to look at how your league scores fantasy points. The default scoring system in ESPN leagues is a simple one:

1 point = 1 fantasy point

1 rebound = 1 fantasy point

1 assist = 1 fantasy point

1 3-pointer = 1 fantasy point

1 steal = 2 fantasy points

1 block = 2 fantasy points

If you’re playing in a league that uses these settings, drafting your team should be a fairly straightforward process. Generally speaking, you’d want to target players who put up a lot of counting stats in the box score, as each of those stats will translate to fantasy points.

If your league commissioner uses custom scoring settings, though, you may have to put a little more thought into who you’ll want to draft. All scoring categories can be adjusted, and others, such as missed field goals, missed free throws and turnovers can be added. So if, for example, you’re in a league that emphasizes efficiency more than standard leagues do (which is to say, not at all), certain players will be more or less valuable than they would be otherwise.

Along those same lines, position eligibility on rosters can also be adjusted. A default 10-team ESPN league will look like this:

2 G (two guards)

3 F/C (three forwards or centers)

1 UTIL (one player of any position)

3 BE (three bench spots; players in these spots will not have their points recorded on that day)

With the above settings, you almost wouldn’t have to consider positions at all when drafting, as long as you finish your draft with at least two guards on your team. Stricter settings may call for forward- or center-only spots rather than combining them, in which case you’d need to look for players of each position while drafting. This is important, as ESPN usually designates players as only being eligible for one position—no matter how many positions they play in real life.

Use player projections as a guide, not a crutch

It may be tempting to look at ESPN’s player projections when drafting your team, but don’t rely on them exclusively. As we’ve already noted, you don’t want to load up on players of only one position because they are the projected as the best available and find yourself scrambling late in the draft because you forgot to pick a guard, forward or center!

Similarly, use your best judgement when looking at average draft position (ADP). ADP takes into account where each player is being drafted in other leagues, so it can be a helpful thing to look at if you’re a beginner. It won’t be as helpful if your league uses custom scoring settings, though, since other players won’t be drafting with those settings in mind. Also, the sheer number of smaller leagues on the ESPN platform skews ADP to the point where it becomes useless around pick No. 50; you might notice that a good chunk of the WNBA has an ADP of 54, which is obviously not helpful at all.

Finally, there will inevitably be a few key bits of information that slip through the cracks before the season begins. ESPN’s current batch of projections has a few players who aren’t under contract, such as Chennedy Carter and Tianna Hawkins, listed among players who figure to play significant roles on their respective teams. Layshia Clarendon, meanwhile, announced her retirement from basketball months ago, yet is still ranked ahead of many players who are still playing. This might be an easy thing for dedicated fans to catch, but still, make sure you aren’t drafting these players by accident.

Use your IR spots—if you have them

Injuries don’t need to be a reason to avoid drafting a player you really want on your team. If a player is injured, they can be placed in an injured reserve (IR) spot, which will open up another spot on your roster for as long as that player remains out.

Obviously, you’re going to want to stay away from players like Georgia Amoore, who recently tore her ACL, and Betnijah Laney, who recently underwent a knee procedure and is expected to miss most of the season. Stashing players on your IR won’t do you any good if they never actually suit up.

For shorter-term absences, though, you can always draft a player who is listed as out and put them on your IR. A good example of someone you might want to do this with is Cameron Brink, who was averaging 22 fantasy points (default ESPN settings) before injuring her knee last season. She’ll probably be back for the Los Angeles Sparks sometime in June of this year; it would still be a risk, but Brink could feasibly be drafted and then put on IR until she makes her return.

Note that the number of IR spots is another setting that you want to double-check before drafting. If your league only has one, you might want to keep it open. If your league has more than one, drafting players who are out short-term is something that should be considered.