It’s already been a rollercoaster of an inaugural season for the Portland Fire.
To be fair, inconsistency should be expected from an expansion team. At 4-3, Portland has exceeded expectations to this point, and head coach Alex Sarama has clearly gotten his team to buy into an unselfish, defense-first style of play, much like Natalie Nakase did with Golden State last year.
Still, the Fire have a long way to go, and that’s been reflected not only in Sarama’s rotations, but in the team’s transactions.
Portland made a flurry of moves last week, releasing Sug Sutton, Haley Jones and Kamiah Smalls while converting Holly Winterburn and Freida Bühner from developmental players to standard ones. The team also activated veteran guard Teja Oblak, who will be getting her first WNBA opportunity at 35 years old.
In short, Portland is a volatile situation, and as any experienced fantasy basketball enthusiast will tell you, volatility is something to be avoided.
The Fire have had a handful of standout contributors. Bridget Carleton, who they selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 expansion draft, is, as expected, having a career year, averaging 15.6 points and 2.3 steals per game. Carla Leite, starting at point guard full-time for the first time in her WNBA career, has taken a noticeable leap, while journeywoman Emily Engstler has also benefited from the change of scenery, averaging 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 defensive stats per game.
After that, though, there are no obvious must-add players on Portland’s roster. Sarah Ashlee Barker may be worth it in more competitive leagues, but inconsistent playing time and sparse defensive playmaking are turn-offs. Luisa Geiselsöder has cooled off after an impressive start and has been splitting time at center with Megan Gustafson. Sutton seemed to be a decent option, but was apparently just a placeholder for Leite as she recovered from an ankle injury.
Sarama and the Fire are, for the moment, content with developing their players and building culture, and it’s hard to argue with what they’ve done early in the season.
But they’re playing the long game, and in fantasy basketball, so should you. Wait for Barker or another Fire player to get an expanded role; otherwise, there’s not much in Portland to get out in front of.
Do any forwards stand out as fantasy gems in Toronto’s guard-heavy offense?
The Toronto Tempo, on the other hand, want to compete.
They made that clear in free agency when they signed Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes to seven-figure contracts, and the duo has been terrific to start the season. Mabrey and Sykes are scoring a combined 38.6 points per game, and they rank No. 7 and No. 4, respectively, in total fantasy points in standard ESPN leagues. Needless to say, both are significantly outperforming their respective ADPs.
Kiki Rice is quickly becoming a valuable fantasy asset in her own right. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, Rice was moved into the Tempo’s starting lineup when veteran point guard Julie Allemand suffered a groin injury, and she’s been terrific since then, averaging 16 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Even when Allemand returns, Rice has made her expendable as a fantasy player; Toronto had needed a tertiary scorer alongside Mabrey and Sykes, and Allemand’s passiveness with the ball made her look like a poor fit before her injury.
Whereas the Tempo have had three rock-solid fantasy players in their backcourt, their frontcourt has been a different story.
Early-season injuries have kept Temi Fagbenle and Nyara Sabally from playing consistently, while Isabelle Harrison has yet to suit up this season. Laura Juškaitė has been the next woman up, and she’s playing 19.7 minutes per game, but her production hasn’t warranted a spot in most fantasy leagues.
All of that being said, when Sabally has been healthy, she’s been Toronto’s most productive frontcourt player by a longshot. In five games this season, she’s averaging 9.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.8 defensive stats in 24.4 minutes per game. Of the Tempo bigs, she seems to be the one to have on your fantasy team.
Moving forward, expect the Tempo to continue leaning heavily on Mabrey and Sykes, and for Rice to keep playing a sizable role as well. Allemand, on the other hand, is probably OK to drop, even after she returns from injury.
