Fantasy WNBA Week 5: Top Risers and Fallers
With roles shifting and injuries opening up opportunities, multiple players stand out as top waiver-wire targets in Week 5. In this article, I'll highlight some of my favorite pickups, along with a few players whose roles are trending in the wrong direction.
Top Fantasy WNBA Risers for Week 5
Natisha Hiedeman, Seattle Storm 
Hiedeman has already appeared on this list once this season, but she's still rostered in only 44.2 percent of leagues. The 29-year-old guard has posted at least 30 fantasy points in three of her last four games and in six of the last nine overall, averaging 15.6 points, 4.1 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 steals across 27.7 minutes per contest over the latter stretch. Although efficiency has been an issue of late, she has still scored in double figures in four straight games and in eight of those nine appearances.
Megan Gustafson, Portland Fire 
Gustafson has impressed in her recent run with the first unit, starting four consecutive contests while averaging 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists on 60.5 percent shooting from the field across 24.8 minutes per tilt. The 29-year-old center has generated 20-plus fantasy points in five straight outings and scored in double figures in seven of her last eight appearances. It is worth noting, however, that the Fire have only two games in Week 5.
Leonie Fiebich, New York Liberty 
Fiebich has appeared in four straight games since returning from her overseas commitment, starting each of them while logging at least 30 minutes in three contests. The 26-year-old forward has been inconsistent on the offensive end but has still supplied at least 16 fantasy points in three of her four outings. With Sabrina Ionescu (back) set to miss at least one more game, Fiebich should continue to see added fantasy relevance.
Key Fantasy WNBA Fallers to Avoid This Week
Zia Cooke, Seattle Storm
Cooke provided an early-season spark for the Storm, scoring in double figures in five of the first seven regular-season games. However, the 25-year-old guard has been held to single-digit points in five consecutive contests, closing with fewer than eight fantasy points in four of them. She logged just nine minutes in her last outing, and playing time off the bench may become even more difficult to come by with Jade Melbourne shifting back to the second unit.
Luisa Geiselsoder, Portland Fire
Since losing her starting job to Gustafson, Geiselsoder has yet to log more than 18 minutes in a game, averaging 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 30.8 percent from the field in 14.0 minutes per contest over the last four outings. The second-year center has ended with single-digit fantasy points in three of her last five appearances and has not exceeded 12 fantasy points in any of her past six.
Sydney Taylor, Chicago Sky 
Taylor enjoyed a brief stretch of added fantasy relevance while Gabriela Jaquez was sidelined. However, Taylor has totaled just 21 minutes over the last two games, during which she combined for seven fantasy points. The 24-year-old has shown she can be a viable streaming option, but with Jaquez back in action, playing time may be harder to come by for Taylor moving forward.
Fantasy WNBA Player to Watch in Week 5
Isabelle Harrison, Toronto Tempo 
After missing time at the beginning of the season due to a right hand injury, Harrison returned to action in Sunday's win over Chicago and made an immediate impact for Toronto. The veteran forward erupted for 26 fantasy points in just 17 minutes during her season debut. Her role will be worth monitoring moving forward, as Temi Fagbenle (shoulder) and Kiki Rice (ankle) are both dealing with injuries.
Those looking for up-to-the-minute fantasy WNBA news can check out RotoWire's WNBA Injury Report and WNBA Lineups. RotoWire also features Top WNBA Picks and Player Props on a daily basis to help find the best betting lines for each night's slate.
