Risers and Fallers: Clark trending down, Sutton stepping up

Change is the 1 happening you tin ever number on, some successful sports and successful life. While consistency is what phantasy managers strive for, the world is that subordinate show tin plaything wildly implicit a agelong season.

Trying to support up with each the highs and lows crossed 44 games and 4 months tin consciousness overwhelming. That's wherefore breaking things down week by week makes it easier to enactment grounded and focused connected what matters close now.

That's the extremity of my Risers and Fallers column. It helps you way momentum shifts arsenic they happen, utilizing insights pulled straight from ESPN's phantasy metrics.

Fallers

Caitlin Clark, G, Indiana Fever (99.9%, +0.0)

While Clark remains a subordinate managers should proceed to support rostered successful phantasy leagues, there's nary denying that she is underperforming comparative to her lofty ADP. Shooting struggles person go a inclination for her aboriginal successful her career, peculiarly connected abbreviated rest. In her 4 games played this play aft conscionable 1 time off, she's made lone 2 of 29 3-point attempts, including 3 games without making a changeable from beyond the arc.

The league's demanding docket isn't helping, particularly arsenic signs of carnal and intelligence fatigue person emerged. Clark dealt with a quad wounded earlier successful the play and is present managing a groin issue. Meanwhile, the Fever are leaning much connected Aliyah Boston arsenic a scorer. With a packed docket up and the All-Star crippled approaching adjacent month, Clark mightiness proceed to look an uphill climb.

DeWanna Bonner, F, Free Agent (65.4% rostered, -9.3)

Bonner's little tally with the Fever ended aft the squad waived her Wednesday. She was expected to beryllium a cardinal seasoned contributor alongside Clark, Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard and was drafted successful the 4th circular of galore phantasy leagues with hopes of accordant production. Instead, she averaged conscionable 16.1 phantasy points successful 9 appearances benched aft 3 starts.

In the aftermath of Bonner's departure, the Fever signed Aari McDonald for the remainder of the season. McDonald should beryllium an contiguous phantasy pickup aft averaging 22.0 phantasy points successful conscionable 3 games earlier this year. Lexi Hull besides stands to payment with added minutes and usage. Fantasy managers who invested successful Bonner are understandably reeling, and she tin beryllium dropped successful astir formats until it's wide wherever she'll onshore next.

Risers

Sug Sutton, G, Washington Mystics (11.7% rostered, +8.7)

It's been a bully week for the Mystics and Sutton has taken advantage. She's played 30-plus minutes and scored 25-plus phantasy points successful 3 consecutive games. With her quality to lend crossed astir each statistical category, Sutton holds beardown phantasy value. She's earned a wide relation successful the Mystics' rotation, and if you request a guard, she deserves a spot connected your roster.

Erica Wheeler, G, Seattle Storm (52.8% rostered, +12.4)

Wheeler's phantasy accumulation has been inconsistent each season, but she shouldn't beryllium overlooked. She's logged 30 oregon much minutes successful 4 of her past six games and has topped 30 phantasy points successful 3 of them. With the Storm trending up, Wheeler is worthy picking up.