Honestly, outside of No. 16 Wisconsin - tonight’s DFS CBB slate isn’t pretty. With only two games to choose from on DraftKings and no contests available on FanDuel, Yet with only four teams in action and few elite plays on the board, the room for error is a lot smaller than usual when lineup building.

Since we have such a small slate to work with tonight, we’re handling this playbook a bit differently than normal. We’ll break down both of the games and then outline the top two DFS options for each team with one value play to consider as well.

First, let’s take a look at the matchups - both tipping off at 8 pm ET.

Wisconsin is favored by 36 at home over Savannah State with a 160 over/under. This game features two opposites when it comes to tempo. According to KenPom, Wisconsin plays at one of the slowest paces in the nation (342nd out of 353 teams) while Savannah State owns the No. 1 ranking in tempo with an NCAA-best 84.2 possessions per 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, Tulsa enters as 12.5-point favorites at home to New Orleans. The game has just a 136.5 expected total as both teams are just mediocre on the offensive end and play relatively slow - Tulsa is 205th in the nation in tempo and New Orleans comes in at 297th, per KenPom.

 

Wisconsin

Ethan Happ ($12,200) - On any other slate, Happ would be way overpriced and an easy fade for cash games and possibly tournaments. But tonight, it seems useless not to simply lock in Wisconsin’s big man and move on. He’s far and away the best player from all four teams, averaging 45 fantasy points on the season to the tune of 19.3 points and 10.8 boards per game. Don’t overthink this and get Happ in all your lineups.

D’Mitrik Trice ($8,300) - As we go through each team, you’ll see it’s tough to ignore Trice as well tonight - even at this elevated price. At the guard spot, he does a little of everything for the Badgers and is their second-leading scorer behind Happ. Trice’s scoring has actually been very consistent this season as he’s reached double-digit points in all but one game so far. The most optimal lineup build tonight likely includes both Happ and Trice, then figuring the rest out from there.

Aleem Ford ($3,500) - Ford started 20 games for Wisconsin last season but a knee injury has forced a slow start to the year for the talented forward. He’s finally getting about 20 minutes per game over the last four while still finding his role in the Badgers’ rotation. He does have two things going for him tonight, though. If Wisconsin blows out Savannah State, Ford should see more playing time in the second half to pad his stats, plus the faster pace of the game could lead to more rebounding opportunities for him on both ends of the floor.
 

Savannah State

Jaquan Dotson ($7,000) - It’s risky playing any of the Tigers tonight simply because we don’t know how badly they could lose to Wisconsin. Still, Dotson remains their best scorer (12.4 ppg) and should log close to 30 minutes even in a blowout. He’s had four games with at least 30 fantasy points this season - the latest coming in Tuesday’s embarrassing loss to South Dakota State (37.75 fantasy points). Dotson has the highest floor and ceiling of any Savannah State player.

Zach Sellers ($6,600) - Sellers, like Dotson, should see at least 30 minutes tonight even if Savannah State loses badly. What he gives you in that playing time is the issue, though. Sellers could be very active with his rebounding and assists, shoot double-digits from the field and give you 30-35 fantasy points - like he’s done four times this season. Or, he could have a disastrous shooting performance and go 1-for-7 from the field with minimal rebounds/assists and fail to reach 20 fantasy points - something he’s done four times as well this year. Sellers is the definition of a tournament play, even on this small slate.

Chris Dubose ($3,100) - At first glance, DuBose’s averages for this season make you question why he’s a value play tonight. Fair enough. The numbers are not pretty. However the sophomore got the start last game vs. South Dakota State (his first start this year) and did a lot in his 26 minutes. He shot it 10 times - nine from deep - with one rebound, one assist and one steal for 13.75 fantasy points. DuBose likely gets the starting nod again tonight and will make for interesting salary savings to fit in a Wisconsin stack.

 

Tulsa

DaQuan Jeffries ($6,700) - Jeffries being guard and forward eligible makes him a lot more attractive on this smaller slate where safe forward plays outside of Ethan Happ are tough to come by. Jeffries started out the season strong - racking up 32 fantasy points in three consecutive games back in November - but is a little tough to trust given his tendency to get in foul trouble of late. If he’s on the floor avoiding fouls, he can score 20 real points in any night and contribute enough rebounds, steals and blocks to return value. Just watch out for those fouls, which can derail any lineup with Jeffries in it.

Martins Igbanu ($5,700) - Igbanu is another Tulsa player who can get into foul trouble. When he’s on the floor, though, he can grab double-digit rebounds and score 15 points easily as he’s a handful in the paint for opposing teams. New Orleans does have two forwards who could cause some trouble for Igbanu, making him more a tournament play.

Curran Scott ($4,300) - Scott makes for one of the better value plays on the slate. He’s started the last two games, attempted double-digit shots in both and logged 27 and 28 minutes, respectively. It’s clear how much value Scott brings this Tulsa offense when he’s on the floor to start games. In his five starts this season, he’s scoring 10.2 ppg - a number that’s nearly three points better than his season average. If Scott starts again tonight, he’s a lock play in most lineups.

 

New Orleans

Ezekiel Charles ($7,500) - Charles is the leading scorer for New Orleans (14 ppg) and has four games of at least 31 fantasy points this season. The smaller slate forces his price up from what he should be valued at, but as the best player on one of the four teams tonight - he needs to be in consideration. Not only is Charles a solid scorer, but his shooting efficiency is something to pay attention to. He’s shooting 54% from the field overall and has hit 53% of his three’s on the year. Those numbers make for a pretty high floor on any slate.

Damion Rosser ($6,000) - Rosser’s overall numbers on the year are pretty pedestrian, but it’s the last three games we’re more interested in. He racked up 31, 36 and 25 fantasy points in each of the last three with 10, 11 and seven shot attempts in those games, respectively. If he continues this trend for the Privateers, he could 5x his salary tonight.

Lamont Berzat ($4,100) - There isn’t a ton of value on New Orleans but if you need someone in this price range, look at Berzat. He doesn’t score a ton - just 3.6 ppg on the season - but does just enough in every other category while playing 20 minutes per game to potentially give you 15-20 fantasy points. Other value plays on this slate are more intriguing but you could do worse than Berzat.

 

Example Lineup on DraftKings:

G: D’Mitrik Trice, WISC ($8,300)

G: Ezekiel Charles, NO ($7,500)

G: Chris Dubose, SAVS ($3,100)

F: Ethan Happ, WISC ($12,200)

F: DaQuan Jeffries, TULSA ($6,700)

F: Aleem Ford, WISC ($3,500)

U: Lamont Berzat, NO ($4,100)

U: Curran Scott, TULSA ($4,300)