DAILY MATCHUPS  (Odds, Team Efficiency, Pace, Opposing Stats)

Note: All return dates are just estimates

The Mercury enter Sunday's matchup having lost their last four games, but they're slight favorites on the road in Atlanta. The Dream are relatively effective defensively, but Skylar Diggins-Smith returned to the court Wednesday against the Sparks and helped to bolster Phoenix's offense with a team-high 28 points. She's one of two players on the Mercury to score in double figures in each of her appearances this season. The other is Diamond DeShields, who has been particularly effective recently with 19.3 points and 3.7 assists in 33.0 minutes per game over her last four appearances. Tina Charles has also been a consistently well-rounded contributor, and she has two double-doubles over her first seven appearances of the season. In total, she's averaging 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game in 2022. Although the Dream allow the lowest field-goal rate of any team on Sunday's slate, the Mercury have plenty of strong contributors to counter Atlanta's proficient defense.

After winning four of their first five games of the season, the Dream have lost back-to-back matchups leading up to Sunday's game. They mustered just 50 points Tuesday against the Mystics, and Aari McDonald was the only player to score in double figures. No. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard is leading the team with 17.6 points per game this season, but she was held scoreless during Tuesday's blowout loss. However, she topped 20 points in three of her six appearances leading up to Tuesday's matchup and will attempt to bounce back against the Mercury, who give up 89.4 points per game, the highest mark of any team on Sunday's slate. Cheyenne Parker has also been productive with 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per game this year, but she was limited to just four points Tuesday. Atlanta's usage will also be dependent on the status of Monique Billings, who is averaging 7.8 points per game while leading the team with 8.0 rebounds per game despite coming off the bench in her first four appearances of the year. She's missed the last three games due to COVID-19 protocols, and it's not yet clear whether she'll play Sunday.

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Sunday's matchup between the Liberty and Storm is expected to be the slowest-paced and least competitive game on the slate. The Liberty are heavy underdogs on the road, and their expected total of 73.00 points is the lowest of any team Sunday. Although the team has just one win to begin the season, Natasha Howard has been the top scorer for New York with 13.6 points along with 7.0 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game this year. Sabrina Ionescu has cooled off on the scoreboard recently, but she's been productive on the boards with 6.6 rebounds per game over the last five matchups. The Storm don't allow many points, but they give up 38.9 rebounds per game, the highest total of any team on the slate, which should give Howard and Ionescu plenty of chances to thrive, even if the score gets out of hand.

The Storm have won their last three games, but they'll be shorthanded once again Sunday since Sue Bird, Ezi Magbegor and Stephanie Talbot are all sidelined due to the league's health and safety protocols. Their absences during Friday's win over the Liberty led to increased playing time for Briann January, Jantel Lavender, Epiphanny Prince and Reshanda Gray. Lavender took on a starting role and flirted with a double-double while posting eight points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes. January also drew a start and scored in double figures for the first time this season while shooting 4-for-7 from the floor. All four players who saw increased roles Friday have relatively low salaries and should offer DFS value Sunday. Those players complement the production of Breanna Stewart, who hasn't missed a beat since returning from a two-game absence of her own. Over her last three appearances, she's averaged 24.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per game. Jewell Loyd has also been a relatively consistent contributor, averaging 17.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30.3 minutes per matchup this year.

Note: All return dates are just estimates

The matchup between the Sparks and Lynx is expected to be the highest-scoring game on Sunday's slate, and Minnesota enters the matchup as a slight favorite at home. The Sparks have averaged 97.5 points per game over the last two matchups, and Nneka Ogwumike was the team's top scorer during that span, averaging 26.5 points per game while shooting 65.6 percent from the floor. Ogwumike posted her second double-double of the season Friday against Indiana and will attempt to stay hot Sunday. Liz Cambage has also been a welcome addition for the Sparks this year, and she's been the team's only player to score in double figures in every game. To begin her first season in Los Angeles, she's averaging 15.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game. The Lynx give up plenty of assists, which should benefit Jordin Canada, who is averaging a team-high 5.3 assists in addition to 11.3 points per game this year. She's started every game in 2022 but is questionable for Sunday's matchup due to a left hamstring issue. If Canada is unavailable against Minnesota, Katie Lou Samuelson and Chennedy Carter should see additional run in the Sparks' backcourt.

The Lynx lost six of their first seven games of the season, but they're coming off a win over the Liberty, and one of their two victories in 2022 came against Los Angeles on May 17. Sylvia Fowles is in her final professional season, and she's been Minnesota's top contributor while averaging a double-double with 17.4 points and 10.4 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game to begin the year. Moriah Jefferson joined the Lynx in mid-May, and she's started in each of her first five games with her new team. During that time, she's averaged 14.8 points and 5.2 assists in 30.8 minutes per game. Despite missing the first four games of the season, Kayla McBride has scored in double figures in three of her first four appearances this year. While she was held scoreless against the Aces, she's bounced back by averaging 14.5 points per game over the last two matchups. She scored a season-high 24 points during her 2022 debut against the Sparks and will attempt to remain effective Sunday. Aerial Powers has shown glimpses of production but has been less consistent than some of her teammates. However, she's scored in double figures in four of the last five games and has averaged 14.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 27.8 minutes per game during that time. Jessica Shepard has also taken a significant step forward while serving exclusively as a starter early in 2022, as she's averaging 10.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 32.0 minutes per game this year. If each high-octane team plays up to its full potential Sunday, there should be plenty of fantasy production to go around during the final game of the night.