-
André Snellings
Caitlin Clark has a quad pressure and is predicted to overlook no less than the next two weeks of motion. What does that imply for the fantasy hoops and betting prospects of Clark and her teammates? Let’s discover.
Fantasy hoops angles:
Kelsey Mitchell tied with Clark to steer the Fever at 19.2 PPG final season, making them the highest-scoring backcourt within the WNBA, and she or he is the starter whose utilization may enhance probably the most whereas Clark is out.
Lexie Hull (out there in 73.8% of ESPN leagues) and Sophie Cunningham (out there in 52.0% of ESPN leagues) may each get key minutes as swing starters and even major contributors off the bench.
DeWanna Bonner has struggled since becoming a member of the Fever this offseason, however Clark’s absence may result in extra pictures to doubtlessly get her Fever profession jump-started. Natasha Howard is one other newcomer who already has a 26-point effort underneath her belt this season and will grow to be a extra constant scorer in Clark’s absence.
Betting angles:
The most important modifications in odds following the damage announcement got here within the MVP and the championship markets. Within the MVP race, Clark went from the odds-on favourite at -115 to +210, with Napheesa Collier taking up the lead (from +185 to -135) and A’ja Wilson‘s odds bettering from +825 to +600. If Clark is out for under the projected two weeks, she would nonetheless have loads of time to reclaim her MVP momentum, however muscle accidents can linger and the season is just 44 video games lengthy.
Collier is in the perfect place to win the MVP primarily based on her wonderful play and her workforce’s sturdy begin, however as the brand new odds-on favourite she’s not getting a number of juice. For finest worth, I might nonetheless lean to reigning MVP Wilson who, regardless of a comparatively slower begin, has proven she has MVP mettle. Getting +600 odds for a participant who has received three of the final 5 MVP awards is powerful worth.
The Fever’s odds to win the championship lengthened from +300 to +330, however I do not count on Clark’s damage to actually have an effect on these odds until it lingers for a for much longer than anticipated time size. Based mostly on the preliminary absence estimate of two weeks, the Fever would count on to face the 2-3 Mystics twice, the winless Solar and the winless Sky earlier than one other rematch with the Dream on June 10. With their improved lineup, the Fever may moderately be anticipated to win all 4 video games earlier than going through the Dream once more. In the event that they do, they need to keep their spot within the standings throughout Clark’s absence.