Highest Scoring Teams:
(by Implied Points & Spreads per KenPom)
Kentucky -- 81 Points (-9 vs. Alabama)
Villanova -- 78 Points (-6 vs. Georgetown)
Alabama -- 72 Points (+9 vs. Kentucky)
Georgetown -- 72 Points (+6 vs. Villanova)
Virginia Tech -- 72 Points (-1 vs. NC State)
Xavier -- 72 Points (-4 vs. Creighton)
NC State -- 71 Points (+1 vs. Virginia Tech)
Ohio State -- 69 Points (-3 vs. Indiana)
Kansas -- 69 Points (-6 vs. Baylor)
Top Guards
Markell Johnson - North Carolina State ($8,400 DK / $7,600 FD)
Johnson has been one of the more frustrating players in DFS throughout his college career, but there’s a reason he’s this highly priced right now. The senior point guard is stuffing the stat sheet on a daily basis and his DFS ceiling is so high because of his big usage on offense. Johnson is averaging 36 DK points over the last ten games and he’s put up 44 or more DK points in three of the last five games. He leads the team in usage rate, shots share and assist rate and has needed to take on an even bigger role lately with C.J. Bryce out with a concussion. Even if Bryce returns today (he’s questionable as of Friday night), we can expect Johnson to still have a big role in the Wolfpack offense. Plus, Johnson will benefit from facing a Virginia Tech defense that allows the majority of opposing points via the three-pointer. Johnson is NC State’s highest volume deep shooter this season and he’s always a threat to get hot - like he did last game vs. Notre Dame when he drained 4-of-9 from three-point range.
Ashton Hagans - Kentucky ($7,900 DK / $7,000 FD)
This Kentucky-Alabama matchup is the highest-scoring game on today’s slate and we should be looking heavily at getting shares from both teams. With Kentucky projected to score the most points today (facing an Alabama team that plays at the 3rd-fastest tempo in the country), we can safely roster the Wildcats’ best player and on-court leader in Ashton Hagans. The sophomore point guard will certainly benefit from the faster tempo today and he’ll be constantly leading fast breaks on offense - whether he’s scoring or assisting. Hagans has been very consistent this season with 32 or more DK points in nine of the last ten games and averaging 8.3 assists and 2.3 steals over that span. His elite steal and assist rates match up perfectly against a Crimson Tide squad that turns the ball over a decent amount and allows opposing teams to score a ton in fast-paced games. Hagans is one of the best cash plays on this slate and he’s a big discount on FD, where this may be the cheapest he’ll be all year.
Mac McClung - Georgetown ($7,500 DK / $6,900 FD)
We’ve said it ever since James Akinjo left Georgetown and we’ll keep saying it until he proves us otherwise. Mac McClung is THE GUY to play in DFS whenever the Hoyas are on the slate because he’s getting massive usage and shot volume on a team that has little depth and plays at a fast tempo. In the eight games that McClung has played in since Akinjo left, he’s put up 35 or more DK points in six of those games with a team-high 28% usage rate. And in the two games when he didn’t come through - one was a blowout win over UMBC and the other, he only played one half of basketball before leaving early with an eye injury. Every other game, though, McClung has been a DFS beast without Akinjo on the team and that shouldn’t be stopping any time soon. He’ll likely have to shoot it a ton and have the ball in his hands often today as Georgetown tries to upset Villanova on the road.
Prentiss Hubb - Notre Dame ($5,900 DK / $6,000 FD)
There really isn’t a ton of guard value on this slate, so playing some of the mid-priced guys may be the route to roll with. One guy that could be a nice GPP option is Hubb, whose three-point shooting will be needed in today’s matchup. As good as Louisville’s defense is, the one area where they do tend to allow opposing points is from the perimeter. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s offense is predicated on getting a lot of points via the three-pointer - and Hubb takes the most deep shots on the team. While the sophomore point guard leads the Irish in assist rate (28%) as their main ball-handler, Hubb is also making 38% of his three’s this season with a team-high 101 attempts. Plus, he’s hot from deep right now as he’s made 10-of-19 from three-point range over the last two games en route to putting up 41 and 37 DK points against Syracuse and NC State, respectively. Still, though, Hubb does have a low DFS floor - like when he had just 9.5 DK points against Indiana last month. If he’s hitting his three’s, though, he can literally give you 30-40 DK points with his assists as well.
Jacob Young - Rutgers ($4,300 FD Only)
If you’re playing on FanDuel today, there’s still a ton of value in the Rutgers players following Geo Baker’s injury. Although Caleb McConnell has moved into the starting rotation with Baker out, it’s Young who is benefiting the most right now. The junior is basically the Scarlet Knights’ sixth-man as he leads the team in usage rate (27%) and shots share (25%) despite not starting a game all year. He’s the first guy off the bench, though, and he’s being given the freedom to handle the ball a ton and shoot at will when he’s on the court. In the last two games with Baker out, Young is getting more minutes and has put up 26 and 20 FD points with 16 and 13 real points scored, respectively. There’s honestly no reason he should be this cheap on FD at this point as they have not adjusted his salary to match his current role.
Other Guards to Consider:
Devon Dotson - Kansas ($8,300 DK / $7,900 FD)
Collin Gillespie - Villanova ($7,100 DK / $6,400 FD)
Tyrese Maxey - Kentucky ($6,600 DK / $6,300 FD)
Immanuel Quickley - Kentucky ($5,800 DK / $5,500 FD)
Terrell Allen - Georgetown ($5,700 DK / $6,100 FD)
Duane Washington Jr. - Ohio State ($5,100 DK / $4,700 FD)
Top Forwards
John Mooney - Notre Dame ($9,000 DK / $8,300 FD)
It might be odd to see Mooney as the price king on both sites today, but it shouldn’t be that surprising when you take a peek at his game logs this season. Notre Dame’s senior big man is basically an automatic double-double as he’s averaging one for the year (15.8 PPG & 13.6 RPG), has recorded one in nine straight games and has recorded at least 14 points and 14 boards in five of the last seven outings. His rebounding tendency - and team-leading usage rate (25%) and shots share (26%) - allow him to have a very safe DFS floor with a decent ceiling as well. Mooney is averaging 40 DK points over the last ten games with four separate performances where he exceeded that mark in the past seven. The only worry today, though, is that he’ll have to face a lengthy Louisville frontcourt where rebounds may be tougher to come by. Still, Mooney has proven he’s matchup-proof at this point and he’s certainly worthy of paying these prices on both sites.
Tyrique Jones - Xavier ($7,600 DK / $7,400 FD)
There are a ton of higher-priced forwards worth rostering on this slate, but one that stands out in this tier is Tyrique Jones. Xavier’s center should have a huge advantage on the boards today against a Creighton frontcourt that is one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the country - and the worst in the Big East - with their tallest player who logs legit minutes being 6-foot-7. Meanwhile, Jones and his 6-foot-9, 240-pound frame will be a handful in the paint in this matchup and it should allow him to feast on rebounds. The senior is averaging 10.7 rebounds per game over the last ten outings and he owns a 41% combined rebounding rate in three conference games thus far. When he’s faced undersized frontcourts this season, Jones has had some monster DFS performances and today sets up to be one of those ceiling games.
Nick Richards - Kentucky ($7,200 DK / $6,000 FD)
We mentioned earlier how the Kentucky players will benefit from playing the faster-paced Alabama today - and Nick Richards also gets a bump in value in this type of game. Plus, Richards will have a big advantage in the paint against an undersized and poor rebounding opponent. The Crimson Tide’s tallest forwards are all two inches shorter than the 6-foot-11 Richards and the team is one of the worst rebounding teams in the SEC. Richards, meanwhile, leads the Wildcats in usage rate (28%) and shots share (32%) in two conference games thus far - and he’s only a week removed from putting up 46 DK points against Missouri, with 21 points scored, 12 boards and four blocks. He’s severely underpriced on FD today for what his DFS ceiling is, but he’s also a very solid cash play on DK.
Galin Smith - Alabama ($3,700 DK / $3,900 FD)
There aren’t many elite value options on today’s slate, but we’ll need to save salary somewhere to fit in the studs we want. One spot we can look towards is the Alabama frontcourt and Galin Smith in a high-paced game where his size will be needed more. We mentioned earlier how the ‘Bama forwards are undersized compared to the Kentucky frontcourt, but Smith is one of the bigger bodies down low at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds. Plus, the junior has started the past two games for the Crimson Tide - which is a good sign moving forward considering they trusted him to start in their first two SEC matchups. In Wednesday’s game vs. Mississippi State, Smith put up 21 DK points on 11 points scored, four rebounds and a block in 23 minutes. In these past two games, Smith has seen the third-highest usage rate and shots share on the team and has seemingly taken over the starting role from Javian Davis.
Other Forwards to Consider:
Jordan Nwora - Louisville ($8,500 DK / $8,000 FD)
Kevin Samuel - TCU ($7,100 FD Only)
Ron Harper - Rutgers ($6,200 FD Only)
Jermaine Samuels - Villanova ($5,700 DK / $5,700 FD)
D.J. Funderburk - NC State ($5,500 DK / $5,400 FD)
Micah Potter - Ohio State ($4,100 DK / $4,200 FD)
DraftKings Example Lineup:
G: Ashton Hagans - UK ($7,900)
G: Mac McClung - GU ($7,500)
G: Prentiss Hubb - ND ($5,900)
F: Tyrique Jones - XAV ($7,600)
F: Nick Richards - UK ($7,200)
F: Galin Smith - ALA ($3,700)
U: Micah Potter - WISC ($4,100)
U: Immanuel Quickley - UK ($5,800)
FanDuel Example Lineup:
G: Ashton Hagans - UK ($7,000)
G: Jacob Young - RUT ($4,300)
G: Mac McClung - GTWN ($6,900)
G: Markell Johnson - NCST ($7,600)
F: John Mooney - ND ($8,300)
F: Jermaine Samuels - NOVA ($5,700)
F: Galin Smith - ALA ($3,900)
U: Tyrese Maxey - UK ($6,300)