For everyone who’s been grinding through the non-conference college basketball doldrums with us - today is the DFS CBB slate you’ve all been waiting for! And for those newbies to this playbook - what a way to start your DFS College Hoops season!  

ELEVEN conference battles make up DraftKings’ slate, with tip times stretching from 7 to 11 pm ET. We’ve got tons of competitive games and storylines to gear up for - including a Top 25 matchup in the Big 12, the defending national champs (Villanova) trying to get their season back on track and one of the most talented teams in the country (Nevada) looking to keep its undefeated season going.

All in all, it’s one of the deepest player pools we’ve had this season with tons of roster decisions to make for both the high-priced studs and the value plays. Due to the larger slate on DK, we’ll just focus on that site for this playbook. Take note, though, that FanDuel’s slate tips off at 6:30 pm ET with two games not available on DK.

As always, with a particular focus on KenPom’s advanced metrics and recent game trends, we’ll point out the teams to target as a whole before breaking down the guards and forwards to prioritize in your DFS lineups today. The point spreads and over/under’s below are based on KenPom’s predictions for that matchup.

If you have any questions or comments on the day’s slate or anything college basketball-related, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @dan_servodidio or in the Fantasy Alarm CBB chat room.

 

Games To Target

  • Georgetown @ Butler - 7 pm ET (BUT -10; 150 implied total)
  • Oklahoma @ Kansas - 9 pm ET (KU -8; 148 implied total)
  • Iowa State @ Oklahoma State - 9 pm ET (ISU -5; 145 implied total)

Games to Fade

  • Texas Tech @ West Virginia - 7 pm ET (TTU -4; 136 implied total)
  • Tulsa @ Houston - 8 pm ET (HOU -10; 131 implied total)
  • Texas @ Kansas State - 9 pm ET (KSU -3; 123 implied total)

Guards

Cassius Winston - MSU ($8,800) - Any time Michigan State is on the slate, Winston remains a strong cash game play because of how much he’s involved running the point for the Spartans’ offense. He’s averaging 34.4 DK points, 17.5 real points and 7.5 assists per game this season. Winston also gets a slight bump in value tonight for two reasons. Michigan State’s opponent, Northwestern, has two really good forwards but below-average guard play - Winston should dominate this matchup and get more shot opportunities from outside with MSU’s bigs having trouble down low. Plus, if Joshua Langford (ankle) sits or even gets limited minutes tonight, Winston’s usage on the ball will rise as well.

Christian James - OU ($8,400) - James has been a do-it-all cheat code for Oklahoma this season - and likely deserves a higher salary in a high-scoring matchup with Kansas. The 6’4” senior is by far the Sooners’ best pure scoring option, plus he’s currently their best rebounder despite the guard position tag. James’ rebounding numbers over the last five games are better than most teams’ centers - averaging 11.8 boards per game with four double-doubles. Did we mention James is a guard? Even better, his rebounding upside increases with Jamuni McNeace doubtful to play tonight.

Marial Shayok - ISU ($8,300) - We want to target this Iowa State-Oklahoma State matchup tonight, and Shayok represents the best offensive option for the Cyclones. He’s consistently getting 15 shot attempts per game and has scored at least 17 points in 11 straight games. You can expect 30 DK points tonight with the upside for 40 in what a close, high-scoring game should be. When Iowa State needs buckets in close games, Shayok is the usually the guy with the ball in his hands.

Curtis Jones - OKST ($5,100) - The Indiana transfer has only played in three games this season after sitting out the first academic semester, but his minutes have increased in each of those games as he begins to solidify playing time in Oklahoma State’s rotations. In the last two outings, Jones has shot it 24 times - 15 from 3-point range - en route to 34 and 20.25 DK points in 24 and 27 minutes, respectively. Jones’ role right now is much like Jazz Johnson below - instant offense and 3-point shooting off the bench. If he continues his shooting volume, Jones can easily 5x this salary.

Jazz Johnson - NEV ($5,000) - Nevada utilizes a very tight rotation and Johnson is locked into the sixth man role as an elite offensive weapon off the bench. Most of Nevada’s playmakers (the Martin twins & Jordan Caroline) are taller forward-types, allowing Johnson to lock in as a change-of-pace, 3-point shooter. When Johnson is on the floor - which is still 25-30 minutes nightly - he’s a top 10 offensive player nationally in terms offensive rating, true shooting percentage, effective field goal percentage and 3-point shooting percentage, per KenPom’s ratings. Essentially, Johnson provides instant and effective scoring when he comes into the game. He’s 5x-ed his current salary in each of the last three games and should have no problem doing so tonight considering his guaranteed playing time and consistent production with those minutes.

Jahvon Quinerly - NOVA ($3,000) - Despite putting up 20.5 DK points in 25 minutes last game, Quinerly’s price remains min price on DraftKings tonight. That’s because the former 5-star recruit has yet to see consistent playing time in his freshman campaign and is a real threat to put up ZERO fantasy points. Conference play in college basketball is when we truly get to see how playing time and rotations shake out when it matters most - and Quinerly may have done enough in Nova’s win over UConn in the Big East opener. If Colin Gillespie (concussion) is out again for Villanova tonight, Quinerly may be a lock play with this cheap salary.

Other Guards to Consider:

  • Lagerald Vick - KU ($6,900)
  • David Collins - USF ($6,700)
  • Tyrese Haliburton - ISU ($6,600)
  • Miles Reynolds - OU ($4,600)
  • Quentin Grimes - KU ($4,000)

Forwards

Jordan Caroline - NEV ($8,700) - Even at this expensive price - and the presence of the Martin twins - Caroline has safely been a consistent cash game play for the majority of the year. Caleb Martin takes a ton of shots for Nevada, but Caroline is still getting his fair share. He’s taken at least 13 shots in each of the last four games and he’s become more active beyond the 3-point line - shooting 47% on 19 attempts from deep during that four-game stretch. Caroline’s role on the offensive and defensive glass will always be there, too, with six double-doubles in his last 10 outings.

Udoka Azubuike - KU ($7,400) - In his first game back from an ankle injury, Azubuike put up 23 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 20 minutes on Saturday. Azubuike was back to his 30+ fantasy point production - a mark he had hit in four of six games before he rolled his ankle. A matchup vs. Oklahoma sets up nicely for the Kansas forwards in a high-pace game with tons of possessions on both ends. There should be a fair share of rebounds up for grabs and Oklahoma does not possess an elite rebounder at forward. It’s tough to pay up for Dedrick Lawson, but you can get Azubuike for $3,000 less for at least 75% of the production on DK.

Josh LeBlanc - GTWN ($6,700) - LeBlanc’s production has skyrocketed since moving into the Hoyas’ starting rotation with Trey Mourning (concussion) out. Even when Mourning was healthy, the freshman LeBlanc was seeing continued playing time so it may not even matter much if his teammate plays. LeBlanc has grabbed at least nine rebounds in six straight games, including a 22-point, 11-rebound outing on Saturday.

Duane Brown Jr. - UTST ($5,200) - Brown was a regular starter for Utah State last year, but his role this season is more of a scoring option off the bench. Despite limited playing time, Brown is averaging more than a fantasy point per minute - 20.8 DK points in 19.7 minutes per game. Over the last eight games, he’s scored double-digit real points five separate times and 23+ DK points four times. Brown could 5x his salary tonight considering his opponent, Nevada, tends to let teams hang around and plays traditionally taller lineups - which could mean more minutes for the senior forward.

Jordan Tucker - BUT ($4,500) - Tucker’s minutes have gradually increased in each of his four games this season as Butler continues to work him into rotations. Eventually Butler’s coaching staff will realize the Duke transfer is one of their best scorers and will give him starts and 20+ minutes regularly. That hasn’t happened yet - but today could be that day as conference play gets underway and Butler becomes more desperate to find offense outside of Kamar Baldwin.

Chad Brown - UCF ($4,000) - After starting the final 14 games last season, Brown finally got the starting nod for the first time this year in UCF’s last game. In the win vs. Illinois State, Brown saw 26 minutes and scored 21 DK points. If he’s starting again today, the senior can easily return value at this price despite his offensive floor since he offers enough production in blocks, steals and rebounds. At $4,000, all you need is 16-20 points to be happy - a mark he’s had no problem hitting when he cracks 20 minutes.

Other Forwards to Consider:

  • Alexis Yetna - USF ($8,000)
  • Cameron McGriff - OKST ($7,500)
  • Eric Paschall - NOVA ($7,100)
  • Derek Culver - WVU ($6,200)
  • Makol Mawien - KSU ($4,100)

Example Lineup on DraftKings:

G: Christian James, OU - $8,400

G: Curtis Jones, OKST - $5,100

G: Jazz Johnson, NEV - $5,000

F: Josh LeBlanc, GTWN - $6,700

F: Udoka Azubuike, KU - $7,400

F: Jordan Tucker, BUT - $4,500

U: Miles Reynolds, OU - $4,600

U: Marial Shayok, ISU - $8,300