How’s your bracket looking after the first round of the NCAA Tournament? Busted? Well, that’s why we have DFS CBB to play as March Madness rolls along! The Round of 32 gets underway on Saturday with eight games on the docket.
DraftKings and FanDuel both have all eight games on their slates with the first matchup between Maryland and LSU tipping at 12:10 pm ET. Take note that your FanDuel lineup will lock at that time, while DK allows for late-swap throughout the day.
Whether you’re a regular or a newbie to these DFS CBB Playbooks, we will be doing things a bit differently for the NCAA Tournament in regards to the setup of teams and players to target. Instead of suggesting games overall, we will point out the teams on this slate who are projected to score the most (and least) amount points of all 16 teams in action (according to KenPom).
If you have any questions or comments about CBB DFS strategy or college basketball in general, feel free to hit up my Twitter @dan_servodidio. Good luck!
Teams To Target:
GONZAGA - 81 Implied Points vs. Baylor (7:10 pm ET)
MICHIGAN STATE - 77 Implied Points vs. Minnesota (7:45 pm ET)
AUBURN - 75 Implied Points vs. Kansas (9:40 pm ET)
LSU - 74 Implied Points vs. Maryland (12:10 pm ET)
Teams To Fade:
FLORIDA - 56 Implied Points vs. Michigan (5:15 pm ET)
MICHIGAN - 63 Implied Points vs. Florida (5:15 pm ET)
MINNESOTA - 67 Implied Points vs. Michigan State (7:45 pm ET)
BAYLOR - 69 Implied Points vs. Gonzaga (7:10 pm ET)
Guards
Ja Morant - MURR ($12,200 DK / $10,600 FD)
If you paid the hefty price for Morant on Thursday, you were rewarded with 56+ DK points as the sophomore point guard impressively recorded a triple-double in Murray State’s upset win over Marquette. Although Saturday presents a much tougher matchup (Florida State boasts the 11th-best defense in the country), Morant has been doing this all season long as possibly the best NBA Draft prospect not named Zion Williamson. Over the last ten games, Morant is averaging a whopping 52 DK points with per-game marks of 25 points scored, 9.8 assists and 6.4 rebounds. Morant may struggle a little with FSU’s length and size, but the Racers’ star has shown he can adapt when opposing defenses try to shut him down. On Thursday, Morant only had nine shot attempts (he averaged about 16 per games) but his 16 assists are what anchored the upset victory.
Fletcher Magee - WOF ($7,600 DK / $7,100 FD)
In case you missed it, Magee literally shot the Terriers into the second round with his seven made three-pointers and 24 points vs. Seton Hall on Thursday night. Wofford will now match up with Kentucky on Saturday - and guess what’s the best way to beat the Wildcats? Yep, the three-pointer. Kentucky has great size and rim-protecting ability in the paint but they allow 35% of opposing points from the perimeter - the 61st-worst mark in the country. This plays right into Wofford and Magee’s strengths. The Terriers score 40% of their points from three-point range (the 15th-best mark in the nation) and Magee leads the air attack with his 41.9% shooting from deep on the season and 46.8% during conference play. The senior sharpshooter has also hit at least four three-pointers in 15 of his last 16 games and is averaging 23 points scored per game over the last 10 outings. Even if Wofford can’t pull off the upset this weekend, Magee will go down shooting either way - just as he’s done all season.
Zach Norvell - GONZ ($7,100 DK / $7,500 FD)
Gonzaga is loaded with talent and Norvell sometimes flies under-the-radar, but the sophomore sharpshooter could have a huge game vs. Baylor. The Bears alternate between playing man and zone defense and they may use more of the latter on Saturday to contain the Zags’ top-ranked offense in the country. Baylor does not have the talent or athleticism at the forward position to match up with Gonzaga’s two dominant big men, Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke. By going to the zone defense, it’ll force the Zags to beat them mostly via the three-pointer - which is Norvell’s strong suit. He’s the clear-cut best perimeter threat on the team and he, along with Josh Perkins, should see the majority of three-point attempts when Baylor moves into the zone. Norvell shot 40% from three-point range during conference play and he had a 14-game stretch in January and February when he scored in double-digits each time out. Gonzaga hasn’t needed Norvell’s distance shooting much lately, but Saturday’s match up may call for tons of deep attempts - especially if the game is close in the second half.
Darryl Morsell - UMD ($5,000 DK / $5,300 FD)
Morsell is by no means a flashy name - and he’s not even one of Maryland’s top three players - but he’s been so consistent lately that it’ll be hard to ignore him for your lineups on Saturday. The sophomore has now put up at least 20 DK points and scored double-double real points in five of his last six games - including 26 DK points and 18 points scored in the Terps’ first-round win over Belmont. Morsell has also played at least 32 minutes in seven of the last nine outings as he’s firmly locked into Maryland’s crunch-time lineup. In Thursday’s win, Morsell was largely tasked to be the “defensive stopper” opposite Dylan Windler - and he bothered the Belmont star just enough to help Maryland move on. We could see Morsell, the team’s best on-ball defender, in a similar role vs. LSU point guard Tremont Waters on Saturday, keeping his playing time secure yet again. Plus, Morsell has been asked to do more offensively lately with Anthony Cowan struggling to score the ball - hence the 18 and 14 points scored in the past two games for Morsell.
J’Von McCormick - AUB ($3,500 DK / $3,900 FD)
When teams get into the Big Dance, they’ll usually stick with the hot hand that helped them survive-and-advance - and McCormick was the epitome of that player in the first round when Auburn barely squeaked by New Mexico State. In 17 minutes off the bench, the junior scored a season-high 16 points (and 24 DK points) and brought a different energy to the floor when Tigers’ starters Jared Harper and Bryce Brown struggled. McCormick has played sparingly for much of this season, but coach Bruce Pearl clearly isn’t afraid to go to his bench to change things up if the game isn’t going as planned. That may happen again vs. Kansas on Saturday, and McCormick could be a nice source of value if you’re looking to pay up for Ja Morant, Dedric Lawson and other high-priced studs.
Other Guards to Consider:
Tremont Waters - LSU ($8,300 DK / $7,800 FD)
Keldon Johnson - UK ($6,200 DK / $7,000 FD)
Devon Dotson - KU ($6,400 DK / $6,000 FD)
Nathan Hoover - WOF ($5,300 DK / $5,400 FD)
Collin Gillespie - NOVA ($5,000 DK / $4,900 FD)
Eric Ayala - UMD ($4,600 DK / $4,900 FD)
Forwards
Dedric Lawson - KU ($9,600 DK / $9,300 FD)
All season long, Lawson has been the main cog for Kansas on offense - and that was no different in the first-round win over Northeastern when the junior led the Jayhawks in offensive usage and put up 25 points, 11 rebounds, a block and a steal for 45+ DK points. On Saturday, we should see a similar performance from Lawson as Kansas will likely feed him in the post on offense and lean on his defensive rebounding to start fastbreaks. Auburn is poor on the defensive glass, while had the 2nd-best defensive rebounding rate during Big 12 play. His dominance on the boards combined with an efficient post game has allowed Lawson to average 19 points and 10 rebounds on the season with 39 DK points per game. If you’re not paying up for Ja Morant at guard, consider saving some money and locking in Lawson for a safe 40 fantasy points with the upside for a lot more in what should be a close game throughout.
Mfiondu Kabengele - FSU ($6,100 DK / $6,200 FD)
It’s rare for any team’s best player to come off the bench - let alone for a 4-seed in the tournament - but that’s where we’re at with Kabengele. Although he plays a reserve role to fellow big man Christ Koumadje, it’s Kabengele who leads Florida State in offensive usage, shot volume and rebounding. Plus, the 6’10” sophomore was top 10 during ACC play in all those stats, as well as in block rate and fouls drawn. He anchors Florida State’s 11th-ranked defense and dominates the paint on the offensive end as well. The Seminoles will definitely need Kabengele’s size on Saturday in a tough matchup vs. Murray State stud Ja Morant, who can drive to the rim as well as anyone in the country. The Racers are also poor on the defensive glass - an area where Kabengele excels, with the 7th-best offensive rebounding rate in the ACC this year. In Thursday’s opening round win over Vemont, he racked up 21 points, 10 rebounds and a block for 37.5 DK points - and he’s averaging nearly 28 DK points per game in the last ten outings, making him a bargain at this affordable price on both sites.
Reid Travis - UK ($5,900 DK / $6,300 FD)
With center PJ Washington expected to be out yet again on Saturday, Reid Travis will be the main man down low for Kentucky for a second straight game. In the first-round blowout win over Abilene Christian, Travis (who recently returned from an injury of his own) led the Wildcats in offensive usage and put up 18 points, nine rebounds and 29+ DK points in 26 minutes with Washington sitting. Wofford will definitely be a tougher out this time around so we should see a full allotment of minutes from Travis as the Terriers claim a talented big man of their own in Cameron Jackson. Travis missed five games at the end of the regular season with a knee injury but it was encouraging to see the senior look healthy and put up more than a fantasy point per minute on Thursday. His salary on both sites is still very much affordable considering the potential 5x return he can provide if he’s playing 30+ minutes with tons of opportunities for defensive rebounds as Wofford shoots from deep often.
EJ Montgomery - UK ($4,200 DK / $4,600 FD)
As mentioned above, PJ Washington is expected to sit out a second straight game for Kentucky - opening the door for Montgomery to get a second straight start at center on Saturday. In Thursday’s opening round win, Montgomery put up 19+ DK points with 11 rebounds in 23 minutes. The 6’10” freshman doesn’t offer much offensively, but Kentucky may need his size and defense to contain Wofford big man Cameron Jackson in the paint this weekend. We could see close to 30 minutes from Montgomery because of this matchup, considering Abilene Christian didn’t warrant a need for major playing time on Thursday. When Reid Travis missed five games this past month, it was Montgomery who stepped into a starting role as the better all-around player than Nick Richards, another value option on this slate as well.
Other Forwards to Consider:
Chuma Okeke - KU ($7,400 DK / $7,700 FD)
Ignas Brazdeikis - MICH ($6,600 DK / $6,700 FD)
Jalen Smith - UMD ($6,400 DK / $6,300 FD)
Jermaine Samuels - NOVA ($5,400 DK / $5,400 FD)
Aaron Henry - MSU ($4,800 DK / $4,800 FD)
Example Lineup on DraftKings:
G: Fletcher Magee, WOF - $7,600
G: Zach Norvell, GONZ - $7,100
G: Darryl Morsell, UMD - $5,000
F: Dedric Lawson, AUB - $9,600
F: Mfiondu Kabengele, FSU - $6,100
F: Reid Travis, UK - $5,900
U: Collin Gillespie, NOVA - $5,000
U: J’Von McCormick, AUB - $3,500
Example Lineup on FanDuel:
G: Fletcher Magee, WOF - $7,100
G: Zach Norvell, GONZ - $7,500
G: Ja Morant, MURR - $10,600
G: J’Von McCormick, AUB - $3,900
F: Jermaine Samuels, NOVA - $5,400
F: EJ Montgomery, UK - $4,600
F: Aaron Henry, MSU - $4,800
U: Devon Dotson, KU - $6,000