Both Sites

Nc State @ Auburn (-8) - 151

Wofford @ Duke (-19) - 146

Maryland (-5) @ Seton Hall - 142

DK Only

Prairie View A&M @ Colorado (-20) - 138

FAMU @ Washington State (-17) - 136

Guards

Quincy McKnight - Seton Hall - FD $5,000 DK $6,300

With Myles Powell out indefinitely, we’ll touch on a few Seton Hall Pirates tonight. Sandro Mamukelashvili is also out, and he takes up a ton of usage. Quincy McKnight has started every game this year and his 19.7% usage rate is going to skyrocket. Maryland is a relatively strong defensive team,  but Seton Hall is still just a five-point underdog without one of the best guards in the nation. I expect McKnight to average closer to 15 points per game with Powell on the shelf and he’ll typically chip in eight-to-10 combined rebounds, assists, and steals. His price is low on both FD and DK and you can play him in all formats as one of the safest cash game plays on the slate.

Anthony Cowan Jr. - Maryland - FD $7,100 DK $8,300

Myles Powell being out is not just a boost for some of the Pirates, but the Terrapins as well. Seton Hall will be figuring out their defensive rotations with Powell missing and Cowan Jr. is the exact type of player Powell would match-up well with. He’s a do-it-all guard that averages 16.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds a game. He’s locked into his 35 minutes and should be close to, if not over one FP per minute against the 96th fastest team in the country. Seton Hall not only plays fast, but they also give up a ton of peripherals and Cowan Jr. thrives in the open floor. He’s going to put up 30 fantasy points in this match-up and the price isn’t too prohibitive on either site. I’ll take Cowan over Jones with the discount. 

J’Von McCormick - Auburn - FD $6,100 DK $7,600

You want to make sure you have at least one or two Auburn Tigers as they are favored by eight in the game with the highest total on the board. We’ll attack NC State at forward as well, but J’Von McCormick and Samir Doughty deserve a lot of attention. McCormick is the safer play of the two as he does everything on the floor, averaging 9.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds a game. NC State plays fast and Auburn is more than happy to join along. McCormick has been looking for his own shot more often and it led to a season-high 20 points against Seton Hall. I like him to keep the hot shooting going and go for over 25 fantasy points at an affordable price tag. I’d rather play him on FanDuel than DraftKings. 

Jared Rhoden - Seton Hall - FD $ DK $

Rhoden is going to join the Pirates starting lineup with Myles Powell out and he’s a candidate to do real damage. Already holding a 21% usage off the bench, that will only go up with plenty of shots up for grabs. The 6-6 sophomore can create his own shot and is a sneaky defender as well, which they will need against Maryland. We can only assume Rhoden will play 33-37 minutes tonight and it’ll be hard for him to miss value if he’s on the court that long at this price. He averages 5.5 rebounds and an assist on top of his 7.4 points. Lock and load in all formats tonight and I have no issue playing him with McKnight. 

Tyler Bey - Colorado - DK $8,800

On DraftKings, Tyler Bey is very much worth considering with the value at play. He hasn’t been over 30 fantasy points in three games and you know he’ll be itching to produce. Colorado is expected to blow Prairie View A&M out by 20, but Bey can still play 32-34 minutes as long as it stays somewhat close. His 25.4% usage is a team-high and he’ll do damage for every minute he’s on the floor here. PVAM trots out the 53rd-fastest pace in the nation and they have trouble in the paint. Bey may be a guard, but he still averages 10.8 rebounds a game and will torture this team in the paint. I prefer Bey over Carey on DK if you’re choosing one superstar. 

Consider - Tre Jones (DUKE), Aaron Wiggins (MD), Jason Goldwire (DUKE), Myles Cale (SHU)

Forwards

Vernon Carey Jr. - Duke - FD $8,500 DK $9,000

Carey is a double-double machine, but he’s facing a Wofford team that ranks 308th in pace and I’m not sure the upside is huge here. I’m not against plugging in Carey if you love the value and have a ton of funds, but I don’t think you adjust your lineups to fit him if it makes you uncomfortable elsewhere. His 30.4% usage gives him a 25-FP floor but that’s simply not close to enough for where his price has gotten on both sites. 

Jalen Smith - Maryland - FD $7,900 DK $8,500

I prefer Jalen Smith over Vernon Carey tonight. He’s considerably cheaper and the raw projection is just about even. I actually have Smith projected for two more fantasy points. Jalen Smith has been over 30 fantasy points in three straight games and every match-up was tougher than tonight’s is. Seton Hall plays at the nation’s 96th fastest pace and Jalen Smith is a menace on the fast break. He has an identical 25-fantasy point floor and a much friendlier price tag than Carey. Personally, I have 100% exposure to Jalen Smith tonight. I expect the Seton Hall defense to be in shambles and for Maryland to tear them up in the paint. Jalen Smith is going to be in every lineup of mine as we have plenty of value on the slate. 

Danjel Purifoy - Auburn - FD $4,800 DK $5,900

I can get down with any of the Auburn bigs here. NC State struggled in the paint and Auburn has a trio of three dangerous big men. Austin Riley is a big-bodied Center that can double-double in 20 minutes, while Purifoy is an athlete with a bit more upside that can stretch the floor and play down low. Purifoy is cheap on both sites and he’s going to see his usual 30 minutes here as he is a perfect mismatch for what NC State has to offer. Purifoy is cheap enough on both sites to play in all formats, though I do prefer him in general in GPP’s. We don’t get to play by the same rules when we have just three (or five) games on the slate to work with. 

Tyrese Samuel - Seton Hall - FD $3,700 DK $3,700

With Sandro Mamukelashvili out, Tyrese Powell has stepped in and played 21 and 19 minutes in the last two. His upside isn’t huge in those minutes, but he’s super cheap on both sites and gives you a ton of freedom elsewhere. Maryland isn’t an easy match-up down low, but that just means Samuel may need to be in there for a few more minutes. He’s a solid value play and I’d be comfortable rolling him out in all formats. 

Lucas Siewert - Colorado - DK $5,400

I’m not sure if the masses have caught on at this point, but Lucas Siewert has been great off the bench for Colorado, posting 34 and 24 fantasy points in the last two games. He now draws a match-up with a PVAM squad that plays fast and struggle to rebound. You can play Siewert with Tyler Bey as both can have big games here. The price on Siewert is still way too low on DraftKings and you can play him in all formats. D’Shawn Schwartz is interesting as well and he will draw far lower ownership with similar upside. 

Consider - Austin Wiley (AUB), C.J Elleby (NCST), Matthew Hurt (DUKE), D’Shawn Schwartz (UC) 

 

Example Lineups

FANDUEL

DRAFTKINGS