We’re finally down to eight teams left in the NCAA Tournament and by Sunday’s end, we’ll have our Final Four set! First, though, we have money to win on Saturday with the two-game CBB DFS slate providing some fun matchups. It’s the #1 offense (Gonzaga) vs. the #1 defense (Texas Tech) in the early game, followed up by the #5 offense (Purdue) vs. the #3 defense (Virginia).

DraftKings and FanDuel both have the two games on their slates with the early matchup tipping at 6:09 pm ET.

As we’ve done for the entirety of the NCAA Tournament, we will point out the teams on this slate who are projected to score the most (and least) amount points of all four teams in action (according to KenPom). That’s where you should generally start your focus when it comes to lineup-building. Then, we’ll outline the top cash and GPP plays to lock into your lineups for the slate.

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 On The Slate:

  • GONZAGA - 72 Implied Points vs. Texas Tech - 6:09 pm ET (Anaheim, CA)

  • TEXAS TECH - 69 Implied Points vs. Gonzaga - 6:09 pm ET (Anaheim, CA)

  • VIRGINIA - 67 Implied Points vs. Purdue - 8:49 pm ET (Louisville, KY)

  • PURDUE - 63 Implied Points vs. Virginia - 8:49 pm ET (Louisville, KY)

 

Guards

Jarrett Culver - TTU ($8,500 DK / $8,700 FD)

On such a short slate like tonight’s, you likely don’t have a choice but to fit in as many of the top-tier players as you can - and at the guard position, it’s Culver and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards at the top. Culver, though, has the much better matchup than Edwards and has been doing almost everything for Texas Tech during this Elite Eight run. The versatile sophomore guard has scored 20+ points in two of Tech’s tournament games so far and he’s averaging 46 DK points, 22.3 real points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and two steals during the Big Dance. Culver is usually the first option in the offense anyway but he’ll be asked to do much more against Gonzaga, who boast two dominant bigs in the paint (Brandon Clarke and Rui Hachimura) while not having the size at guard to defend his 6’6” frame. During Big 12 play, Culver’s offensive usage and shot volume were both tops in the conference while his defensive rebounding, assist rate and steals rate all ended up amongst the top 10. Culver’s role on the defensive end also makes him a better play than Edwards, who usually takes defensive possessions off to save energy on the other end. Culver, though, helps anchor Tech’s #1 defense, per KenPom, while also getting it done offensively. Plus, he doesn’t have to go up against Virginia’s vaunted D - which can’t be overlooked on a two-game slate.

Kyle Guy - UVA ($6,600 DK / $6,000 FD)

Guy has been stone-cold from three-point range during this tournament, but his ability to get hot at any moment makes him a strong GPP play tonight. The junior’s 44.9% mark from three in conference play was 3rd-best in the ACC and his field-goal percentage was also amongst the top 10. Earlier this month, he could be seen hitting 8-of-10 from deep vs. Syracuse or 7-of-9 vs. North Carolina State. He’s the type of shooter who can hit three or four in a row once he gets rolling. The only problem? Guy still hasn’t gotten rolling for Virginia in these first three rounds. It’s been more like March Sadness as he’s gone 3-for-26 from three-point range during the tournament - including back-to-back ugly shooting performances vs. Oklahoma and Oregon the last two games when he went 0-for-10 and 2-for-11 from deep, respectively. And still, Guy can’t be ignored on this short slate because of the chance he gets hot. Despite the abysmal numbers, it’s encouraging that Guy is still chucking in volume despite not finding the back of the net often. Plus, Purdue has a tendency to allow opposing points via the three-pointer and Virginia may need Guy to hit some shots in the second-half - especially if Ryan Cline is getting it done for the Boilermakers on the other end.

Ryan Cline - PUR ($6,000 DK / $5,600 FD)

In case you missed it, Cline went BONKERS from three-point range in Purdue’s Sweet 16 victory over Tennessee. The senior splashed in 7-of-10 from deep and finished with a career-high 27 points and a slate-breaking 41 DK points. Although Virginia defends the perimeter extremely well (2nd in the country in opposing three-point percentage, per KenPom) - you can bet Cline will get his fair share of looks in this game as Purdue should ride the hot hand until he goes cold. Against Villanova in the Round-of-32, Cline hit 4-of-8 from three and put up 27 DK points. Chances are, Boilermakers’ point guard Carsen Edwards will have trouble scoring on his own with Virginia’s hounding defense and versatile guards. If Purdue wants to pull off the upset and move on, Cline’s sharpshooting will be needed on Saturday night - and he’s now gone 11-for-18 from deep in the last two games. Still, limit your exposure to Cline to GPP’s  because there is the chance Virginia makes it a point to stop his three-point shooting and force other players to beat them.

Kihei Clark - UVA ($4,300 DK / $4,200 FD)

Value is tough to find this late in the college basketball season, but Clark might be a cash game lock at this price with how he’s played so far in the tournament. Virginia has tightened its rotation over these first three rounds and Clark has played at least 33 minutes each time out as the Cavs’ starting point guard. The extended playing time is allowing the freshman to not only rack up enough peripheral stats to return value, but he also took on more of an offensive role in Virginia’s Sweet 16 win over Oregon. On Thursday, Clark went 3-for-8 from three-point range and put up 26.5 DK points with 12 points scored, six assists and four rebounds. He’s now put up at least 14 DK points in each of UVA’s first three tournament - averaging 20+ fantasy points per outing. Clark’s emergence as a deep threat was crucial for Virginia to sneak by the Ducks as the usual stars (Jerome, Guy, Hunter) struggled to score. On Saturday, Clark should see 30+ minutes yet again as his hounding defensive presence will be much needed against Purdue’s dominant point guard, Carsen Edwards. Again, value as cheap as Clark is near-impossible to find on this slate and he’s a nice salary-saver to fit in the smaller number of studs in action.

Other Guards to Consider:

  • Carsen Edwards - PUR ($8,600 DK / $8,600 FD) - GPP

  • Ty Jerome - UVA ($7,300 DK / $7,500 FD) - Cash

  • Josh Perkins - GONZ ($6,500 DK / $6,500 FD) - Cash

  • Nojel Eastern - PUR ($5,400 DK / $5,300 FD) - Cash

  • Davide Moretti - TTU ($5,200 DK / $5,200 FD) - GPP

 

Forwards

Brandon Clarke - GONZ ($8,900 DK / $9,100 FD)

Despite being the most expensive player on tonight’s slate, we should still find a way to lock Clarke into our lineups - no matter the format. He’s arguably been the best player in the tournament so far after single handedly dominating Baylor in the Round-of-32 (36 points scored and 64 DK points) and adapting to Florida State’s length and size to anchor Gonzaga past the Sweet 16 (15 points, 12 rebounds and 45 DK points). For starters, his elite ability to block shots and rebound - combined with his high usage on offense - keeps his fantasy floor very high compared to other players. Plus, he gets a favorable matchup tonight as Texas Tech’s defense can be attacked in the paint despite being the best overall unit in the country (per KenPom). As you’ll see below, there’s an optimal way to get both Clarke and Hachimura into your lineups with how much value exists on this slate. The pair combined for 32 points in Thursday’s win and both should see the highest shot volume for the Zags in this matchup.

Rui Hachimura - GONZ ($7,900 DK / $7,900 FD)

Hachimura has been overshadowed by his frontcourt mate, Brandon Clarke, for much of this tournament - but the future NBA lottery pick has the talent to be the best player in this Elite Eight matchup with Texas Tech. After scoring 21 points and 34 DK points in Gonzaga’s opening-round win over 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson, Hachimura got into foul trouble and looked fairly pedestrian in the second round vs. Baylor - when he put up less than 11 DK points with only six shot attempts. Although he rebounded on Thursday with 17 points scored and 24+ DK points against Florida State, Hachimura has the potential to put up 40+ DK points any time he steps on the court - just as he did in a three-game stretch a month ago when he averaged 40.6 fantasy points. Texas Tech may own the country’s best defense, but the Red Raiders have been susceptible to opposing bigs who can score in the paint - which plays right into Hachimura’s strengths. The 6’8” junior can post-up down low or bring out his defender to the perimeter and knock down jumpshots. We could see a ton of high-low post play between him and Clarke to keep the ball away from Tech’s dominant guards hunting for steals on the outside. As you’ll see below, there’s an optimal way to roster both Hachimura and Clarke in your lineup to get full exposure to this favorable matchup for Gonzaga.

Mamadi Diakite ($4,700 DK / $5,100 FD)

Diakite has provided elite value for us all tournament long and there’s no reason to stop now. The junior has emerged as a key cog in Virginia’s thin rotation this tournament - getting extended minutes in each of the three games, including back-to-back starts in the Round-of-32 and Sweet 16 despite only starting once in the final 10 games of the regular season and ACC tourney. He’s averaging 29.6 DK points per game over the first three rounds and set career-highs in minutes (35) and rebounds (11) against Oregon on Thursday. There’s a chance Virginia opts to use the taller Jack Salt or Jay Huff more tonight to defend 7’3” Matt Haarms for Purdue. Still, Diakite’s aggressiveness on both ends of the court could force Haarms into foul trouble and open up more chances to dominate as a rim-protector against Carsen Edwards’ elite ability to drive to the basket. Diakite’s ability to rebound and block shots (he had three and two blocks in the past two games, respectively) keeps his fantasy floor safe with the upside to reach 30+ DK points if he’s getting put-backs on the offensive end.

Grady Eifert - PUR ($4,500 DK / $5,000 FD)

Sometimes in DFS CBB, we overlook the role players who play 30+ minutes every time out but don’t particularly fill up the stat sheet. That’s Grady Eifert, in a nutshell. The senior has started all 35 games for Purdue this season - but he’s only scored in double-digits three times and his shot volume and offensive usage is dead last among all 10 Boilermakers who saw game action this year. Still, Eifert’s consistent playing time inevitably allows him to rack up enough rebounds, steals and assists to return value at times. In Purdue’s last two tournament wins, he put up 23+ DK points and 19+ DK points vs. Villanova and Tennessee, respectively, as he totaled 16 boards, six assists and 12 points scored across both outings. Eifert is usually the odd man out in Purdue’s offensive sets with Carsen Edwards dominating the team’s shot attempts, Matt Haarms being productive in the pick-and-roll with Edwards, and Ryan Cline as the three-point threat. Despite the lack of upside offensively, Eifert plays a crucial role in grabbing rebounds, getting easy put-backs and playing solid defense on opposing power forwards. It’s tough to find value on this short slate of two games, but Eifert can easily give you 15-20 DK points as a salary-saver with his heavy volume of minutes and opportunity for peripheral stats.

Other Forwards to Consider:

  • Tariq Owens - TTU ($5,800 DK / $6,200 FD) - GPP

  • Matt Haarms - PUR ($5,700 DK / $6,100 FD) - Cash

  • Corey Kispert - GONZ ($4,500 DK / $4,700 FD) - Cash

  • Jack Salt - UVA ($3,600 DK / $3,500 FD) - GPP

 

Example Lineup on DraftKings:

G: Jarrett Culver, TTU - $8,500

G: Kihei Clark, UVA - $4,300

G: Ryan Cline, PUR - $6,000

F: Brandon Clarke, GONZ - $8,900

F: Mamadi Diakite, UVA - $4,700

F: Rui Hachimura, GONZ - $7,900

U: Grady Eifert, PUR - $4,500

U: Davide Moretti, TTU - $5,200

 

Example Lineup on FanDuel:

G: Jarrett Culver, TTU - $8,700

G: Kihei Clark, UVA - $4,200

G: Ryan Cline, PUR - $5,600

G: Brandon Clarke, GONZ - $9,100

F: Corey Kispert, GONZ - $4,700

F: Mamadi Diakite, UVA - $5,100

F: Grady Eifert, PUR - $5,000

U: Ty Jerome, UVA - $7,500