Brittney Sykes

Sykes served mainly as a starter during her time in Atlanta and Los Angeles but served exclusively as a starter during her first season with the Mystics last year and took a significant step forward. She averaged 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals in 31.3 minutes per game, all career-best marks. While the 30-year-old attempts fewer three-pointers than some other guards in the league, she bolsters her fantasy value through her consistent defensive production. Sykes has stayed on the court consistently for most of her career, as she's missed just five games over the past five seasons. This was always an appealing point for fantasy managers, and it was encouraging to see her appear in every game last year amid her increased role in Washington. Sykes was a reliable fantasy contributor with the Mystics last year and could take another step in 2024 since Natasha Cloud is now in Phoenix and Elena Delle Donne has decided to step away from basketball.

Sykes posted a career campaign in 2022, compiling her best efforts in assists (3.7), steals (2.0) and blocks (0.7) while falling just short on points (12.7). A handful of missed games impeded an even better season, but an outburst over the final eight games (averaging 20.1 points) also buoyed her campaign. Sykes signed with Washington this offseason, joining a backcourt featuring Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins. While her new squad is better than what Los Angeles ran out nightly last season, it also downgrades her fantasy context. Sykes' increased scoring production came on 11.0 shot attempts per game, her highest mark since her rookie season in 2017. The Sparks also relied on Sykes as a ball handler in 2022, which is unlikely to repeat with Cloud, an elite distributor, at point guard. The outcomes that led to Sykes' fantasy upgrade in 2022 don't seem sustainable, but she's a reliable defensive counterpart in rotisserie leagues.

Sykes played 32 games for the Sparks during the 2021 campaign and averaged 9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals in 29.3 minutes per game. Los Angeles dealt with numerous injuries during the campaign, which allowed the fifth-year wing to start the final 18 games of the season. However, her production remained equivalent to when she was coming off the bench. A healthy Nneka Ogwumike and the addition of Chennedy Carter could reduce Sykes' role, but she figures to be a core depth piece for the Sparks during the 2022 campaign.