André SnellingsApr 28, 2026, 11:00 AM ETCloseDr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.Multiple Authors
Good rankings and projections are the backbone of any fantasy women’s basketball draft, but they don’t tell the complete story. Sometimes it helps to group similar players together to have a backup plan when your top choice disappears from the top of the draft board.
For example, using points league projections, we can figure out which players are likely to score a similar amount to others, so if you lose out on your preferred choice, you can grab another without sacrificing production. On the flip side, it can give us insight into which players are better to reach for early to avoid missing out.
This season, the top frontcourt tier has just one name: A’ja Wilson. Wilson, last season’s WNBA MVP, is the only player at any position projected to score more than 40 fantasy points per game this season. Last season, she and Napheesa Collier were the only players to average more than 40 FPPG, but Collier is injured and not expected to return until well into the season. Thus, Wilson’s projected 1,792 fantasy points this season is nearly 400 points higher than second-place Alyssa Thomas.
Alyssa Thomas Breanna Stewart Angel Reese Aliyah Boston Dearica Hamby Nneka Ogwumike Napheesa Collier
The second tier goes seven deep, including the players who finished second and third in last season’s MVP vote behind Wilson. Thomas is a mainstay in this tier, but Collier likely would have been in Tier 1 if it weren’t for her injury. Former MVPs Stewart and Ogwumike are veterans in the tier, while Reese and Boston are both young players still on the way up that could eventually reach Tier 1 status.
Satou Sabally Azura Stevens Kiki Iriafen Natasha Howard Tina Charles Gabby Williams Jonquel Jones Kamilla Cardoso Alanna Smith
This tier is largely comprised of younger players. Betts is a rookie, Malonga a sophomore and both Jackson and Austin are still early in their careers as well. The one veteran in this group, Thornton, was on pace for a career season with the expansion Valkyries before injury cut it short. This tier projects to between 950 and 1,025 fantasy points.
This group rounds out the list of forwards and centers that project to be universally drafted in ESPN leagues. It includes two members of the Connecticut Sun, veteran addition Griner and Morrow in her second season. Bonner and Williams could both be in for large roles this season on teams that traded away big producers in the frontcourt.
Naz Hillmon Ezi Magbegor Cameron Brink Jessica Shepard Cheyenne Parker-Tyus Leonie Fiebich Bridget Carleton NaLyssa Smith Myisha Hines-Allen Awa Fam
This is the largest tier among forwards and centers with nine names on the list, including two members of the New York Liberty frontcourt. Sabally is the newest Liberty starter after coming over from the Phoenix Mercury, while Jones has been with the team for a couple seasons now. The sheer concentration of talent on the team caps their fantasy upside. Cardoso could be in for a larger impact this season after Angel Reese was traded. Iriafen is the youngest in the grouping as she prepares for her sophomore season.
André SnellingsApr 28, 2026, 11:00 AM ETCloseDr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.Multiple Authors
CloseDr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.
With that in mind, here are our frontcourt (forward and center) draft tiers for this season.
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Dominique Malonga Rickea Jackson Lauren Betts Shakira Austin Kayla Thornton
Brionna Jones Elizabeth Williams Brittney Griner DeWanna Bonner Janelle Salaun Aneesah Morrow
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