Highest Scoring Teams:
(by Implied Points & Spreads per KenPom)
- Duke -- 78 points (-4 vs. Michigan State)
- Georgetown -- 76 points (-9 vs. Navy)
- Louisville -- 75 points (-7 vs. Western Kentucky)
- Marquette -- 74 points (-3 vs. Oklahoma State)
- Michigan State -- 74 points (+4 vs. Duke)
- Kansas -- 74 points (-2 vs. Kentucky)
- Kentucky -- 72 points (+2 vs. Kansas)
- Providence -- 72 points (-2 vs. Davidson)
Game Totals (per KenPom):
- 152 points -- Duke vs. Michigan State
- 146 points -- Kansas vs. Kentucky
- 145 points -- Marquette vs. Oklahoma State
- 143 points -- Louisville vs. Western Kentucky
- 142 points -- Providence vs. Dayton
- 141 points -- Georgetown vs. Navy
Top Guards
Top Guards | |||||||
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
Cade Cunningham | OKST | MARQ | 9200 | 38.25 | 8200 | 34.65 | |
If you don’t know about Cade Cunningham, watch tonight’s game and you’ll quickly realize why he’s the projected #1 pick of next year’s NBA Draft. At 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds, the freshman is a special talent who plays a point-forward role for Oklahoma State and has been handed the keys to the offense right away. Through two games, Cunningham owns a 30% offensive usage rate with a high shot volume as well. In this tight matchup vs. Marquette that should be high-scoring and faster-paced, Cunningham owns a fantastic DFS floor and ceiling - he’ll handle the ball a ton, drive to the rim often and be active in the paint grabbing boards with a muscular, athletic build. The price tag is hefty, but he’s one of the best players in the whole country and will be a top DFS target any time the Cowboys are on the slate. | |||||||
Carlik Jones | UL | WKU | 8500 | 36 | 7300 | 33.63 | |
Louisville is dealing with some key injuries right now and it’s resulted in Carlik Jones and the rest of the starters playing big minutes. Jones has logged 30+ minutes in all three games so far and he didn’t even come out of the game against Seton Hall on Friday - playing all 40 minutes in the Cardinals’ one-point win. That extended playing time has allowed Jones to maintain a high DFS floor and ceiling as the leading ball-handler and shooter for Louisville. He put up 40+ DK points in both of the first two games and his stat line of 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists vs. Seton Hall should be somewhat of an expectation here against a decent Western Kentucky team that could keep it close. It’ll be tough to fit in multiple high-priced guards on this slate and Jones may go overlooked with people flocking to Cunningham. | |||||||
Jahvon Blair | GU | NAVY | 8300 | 38 | |||
If you’re playing on DK, Blair needs to be mentioned among the top-tier because of his high-usage role and big DFS potential. When Mac McClung was hurt at times last year for Georgetown, Blair’s offensive usage and shot volume went through the roof as he turned into the team’s go-to scorer. Now with McClung gone, the opportunity is there for Blair to be the Hoyas’ top offensive option this season. In the opener, the senior went for 38 DK points with an impressive stat line of 23 points, eight boards and four assists. He should continue to dominate the usage and shots share for Georgetown this season and we can expect more of the same tonight. He’s more a GPP play, though, with other talented options playing in closer games in the same price range. | |||||||
Brandon Boston Jr. | UK | KU | 7500 | 32.12 | 7600 | 29.95 | |
Boston headlines Kentucky’s impressive freshman class this season and he’s looking like the team’s top offensive option early on. Through two games, he owns the highest offensive usage rate and shot volume while logging heavy minutes in both outings. The opening win over Morehead State can virtually be ignored with Kentucky winning by nearly 40 - but the last game vs. Richmond is more telling. In that close loss, Boston put up 30 DK points with a double-double, 20 shot attempts and 26% usage. He’s an athletic talent and will be leaned on to score and make plays in this matchup with Kansas - a game where Coach Cal may let his freshmen shine on the national stage. |
Value Guards
Value Guards | |||||||
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
Donald Carey | GU | BC | 5500 | 24 | |||
Georgetown has a couple of value options if you’re playing on DK and Carey tops the list. In the Hoyas’ opener, Carey logged 35 minutes as the starters saw heavy playing time - and he put up 24 DK points with double-digit shot attempts. More importantly, the senior transfer went 3-for-8 from three-point range and looks like he could be one of the top perimeter scorers for Georgetown this season. That could bode well when facing a Navy team that has not defended the three-pointer well through three games. Carey’s a GPP play if he hits multiple three’s, but a good value option on DK nonetheless. | |||||||
Carter Collins | DAV | ALA | 4900 | 25.38 | |||
Another great value on DK’s slate comes to us from the Davidson backcourt. Collins is a regular starter who does plenty across all stat categories to put up DFS production even though he’s not a top pure scoring option for the Wildcats. He’s put up 27 and 23 DK points in the first two games, respectively, and somehow is still priced under 5k. As a combo guard playing both the shooting guard and point guard spots for Davidson, Collins is doing just enough with his heavy minutes to be a great cash game value until he’s priced in the 5-6k range. | |||||||
Bryce Thompson | KU | UK | 4800 | 18.62 | 6100 | 16.95 | |
Admittedly, it’s tough to get a good read on Kansas’ rotations and usage distribution so far - but hopefully we get some clarity tonight in a tight matchup with Kentucky. True freshman Bryce Thompson was a highly-touted recruit who will seemingly have to earn his playing time in a talented Jayhawks backourt. He came off the bench in the opener but still put up 24 DK points in 28 minutes in a high-scoring game vs. Gonzaga. Thompson entered the starting rotation on Friday, though, and saw his usage rate rise to 22% although his DFS production wasn’t as good. In this game vs. Kentucky, we could easily see Thompson become a go-to scorer to match up with UK’s talented freshmen - and he’d easily outperform this price tag. For the discount, he’s a fantastic GPP flier with tons of upside if he’s getting double-digit shot attempts like he did vs. Gonzaga. |
Other Guards to Consider:
- Marcus Garrett - Kansas ($8,200 DK / $7,000 FD)
- DJ Steward - Duke ($7,200 DK / $4,400 FD)
- Ochai Agbaji - Kansas ($7,000 DK / $6,300 FD)
- Kellan Grady - Davidson ($6,600 DK Only)
- Terrence Clarke - Kentucky ($6,600 DK / $6,600 FD)
- Dre Davis - Louisville ($5,700 DK / $6,900 FD)
- Joshua Langford - Michigan State ($5,200 DK / $5,000 FD)
Top Forwards
Top Forwards | |||||||
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
Jalen Johnson | DUKE | MSU | 8800 | 56.75 | 6400 | 50.30 | |
You may have missed it over the weekend, but Duke’s top freshman went off in his collegiate debut. On Saturday, Johnson dropped a whopping 56 DK points thanks to an insane stat line of 19 points, 19 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. As a highly-touted recruit who will be a top NBA Draft pick next year, Johnson should be a DFS stud all season as a lengthy big man who will be a force on the boards while being a top offensive option for the Blue Devils as well. The matchup may seem tough for Johnson vs. a usually stingy Michigan State defense, but the Spartans really don’t have anyone to physically and athletically match up against him. Johnson should have his way down low and put up 30-40 DK points to anchor your cash or GPP lineups. | |||||||
Charles Bassey | WKU | UL | 8100 | 37.67 | 7500 | 34.83 | |
The casual college basketball fan may not know who Charles Bassey is - but if you watch tonight’s game you’ll see that he can hang with power conference teams like Louisville. The junior center is a force in the paint as both an elite post scorer and rebounder who can block shots with the best in the nation. When he’s on the court, his DFS production per minute is off the charts and something that can’t be overlooked. In the opener, Bassry put up 31.5 DK points in 26 minutes before dropping a slate-breaking 53.5 DK points over 31 minutes vs. Memphis last week. Then in a tougher matchup vs. West Virginia, Bassey was still dominant when on the court as he dropped 28 DK points in only 19 minutes. So - assuming he’s playing 25-30 minutes tonight against an undersized Louisville frontcourt - we should trust the WKU center to dominate per usual and pay off this expensive price tag. He’ll probably be even lower owned than others in his price range - making him an elite GPP or low-owned cash play. | |||||||
Dawson Garcia | MARQ | UNLV | 7900 | 30.25 | 5600 | 28.20 | |
With Markus Howard gone, Marquette’s offense looks mighty different from last year and it’s centering on the big men being the top scoring options now. At 6-foot-11 and 235 pounds, true freshman Dawson Garcia is not only a good post scorer but he’s also shown the versatility to score from outside - going 4-for-6 from three-point range over the first two games. In both of those games - which were blowout wins over mid-majors - Garcia put up 28 and 30 DK points, respectively, with efficient shooting and DFS production as a rebounder and shot-blocker. He should be much more involved tonight against a mostly undersized Oklahoma State frontcourt that does not have the size to match up with his lengthy frame. The DK price tag makes him more a GPP play on that site - but he’s a huge value on FD. |
Value Forwards
Value Forwards | |||||||
Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
Isaiah Jackson | UK | KU | 5400 | 22.5 | 5300 | 21.05 | |
Keion Brooks is still out for Kentucky - so the opportunity is there for Isaiah Jackson to continue to play a big role in the frontcourt. In UK’s opener, the freshman started at power forward alongside transfer center Olivier Sarr - and he put up an efficient 19 DK points in only 17 minutes of floor time in a blowout win. In a closer matchup with Richmond, Jackson saw his playing time and usage increase as he had 26 DK points in 26 minutes with a whopping 14 rebounds. Although he didn’t start that game as he dealt with an ankle injury, Jackson still played more than starter Cam’Ron Fletcher (who played just 14 minutes) - and that trend should continue tonight. Kentucky will need strong play from Jackson and Sarr in the frontcourt if they want to win this one over Kansas and the former presents solid value as a core piece of the rotation. | |||||||
Sam Mennenga | DAV | PROV | 4500 | 24.5 | |||
Another DK-only value play and it should be a popular one for cash games. Despite playing 30 minutes and putting up 24 DK points in both of the first two games, Mennenga is oddly priced below 5k. It’s honestly a mispricing as the freshman big man is playing a key role for Davidson so far. The Wildcats’ starters play big minutes with a short rotation and Mennenga has the versatility to play power forward regularly and the center position in smaller lineups. He and fellow big man Luka Brajkovic ($4200) are huge values on DK as both will be needed to match up with Providence center Nate Watson down low. Mennenga can offer DFS production as a pure points scorer, three-point shooter and rebounder and should be a great floor value option on this slate. | |||||||
Quinn Slazinski | UL | WKU | 4200 | 17.92 | 3000 | 16.63 | |
A key injury situation on this slate centers around Louisville’s Samuell Williamson. The talented sophomore winger is dealing with a dislocated toe injury that forced him to miss Sunday’s game - and Slazinski moved into the starting lineup in his absence. Even if Williamson plays tonight, though, Slazinski has proven to be a solid role player off the bench with 26-30 minutes in each of the three games and 16+ DK points in all three games as well. The sophomore barely played last year for the Cardinals, but he’s stepped into a much larger role this year with some injuries to the Louisville frontcourt. He’s a great cash or GPP value on both sites - especially on FD where he’s min price. |
Other Forwards to Consider:
- Theo John - Marquette ($7,700 DK / $5,500 FD)
- Olivier Sarr - Kentucky ($7,100 DK / $6,800 FD)
- Joey Hauser - Michigan State ($6,400 DK / $7,000 FD)
- Qudus Wahab - Georgetown ($6,300 DK Only)
- Nate Watson - Providence ($5,900 DK Only)
- Luka Brajkovic - Davidson ($4,200 DK Only)
Example Lineups
(These are examples of what is possible with the Playbook and not intended for plug and play)
Cash Plays
DK Cash | FD Cash | ||||||||||||
Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | ||
G | Cade Cunningham | OKST | MARQ | 38.25 | $9,200 | G | Carlik Jones | LOU | WKU | 33.63 | $7,300 | ||
Pivot | Carlik Jones | UL | WKU | 36 | $8,500 | $8,500 | Pivot | ||||||
G | Brandon Boston Jr. | UK | KU | 32.12 | $7,500 | G | Brandon Boston Jr. | UK | KU | 29.65 | $7,600 | ||
Pivot | $7,500 | Pivot | |||||||||||
G | Carter Collins | DAV | PROV | 25.38 | $4,900 | G | Cade Cunningham | OKST | MARQ | 34.65 | $8,200 | ||
Pivot | $4,900 | Pivot | |||||||||||
F | Charles Bassey | WKU | UL | 37.67 | $8,100 | G | DJ Steward | DUKE | MSU | 40.79 | $4,400 | ||
Pivot | $8,100 | Pivot | Ochai Agbaji | KU | UK | 27.64 | $6,300 | ||||||
F | Sam Mennenga | DAV | PROV | 24.5 | $4,500 | F | Jalen Johnson | DUKE | MSU | 50.29 | $6,400 | ||
Pivot | $4,500 | Pivot | |||||||||||
F | Isaiah Jackson | UK | KU | 22.5 | $5,400 | F | Charles Bassey | WKU | LOU | 34.83 | $7,500 | ||
Pivot | $5,400 | Pivot | Isaiah Jackson | UK | KU | 21.04 | 5300 | ||||||
Util | Quinn Slazinski | UL | WKU | 17.92 | $4,200 | F | Quinn Slazinski | LOU | WKU | 16.63 | $3,000 | ||
Pivot | $4,200 | Pivot | |||||||||||
Util | Terrence Clarke | UK | KU | 26 | $6,000 | Util | Dawson Garcia | MARQ | OKST | 28.2 | $5,600 | ||
Pivot | Aaron Henry | MSU | DUKE | 32.25 | $6,700 | $6,700 | Pivot | ||||||
Total | $49,800 | Total | $50,000 |
GPP Plays
DK GPP | FD GPP | ||||||||||||
Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | ||
G | Jahvon Blair | GU | NAVY | 38 | $8,300 | G | Cade Cunningham | OKST | MARQ | 34.65 | $8,200 | ||
Pivot | $8,300 | Pivot | |||||||||||
G | DJ Steward | DUKE | MSU | 43.75 | $7,200 | G | Terrence Clarke | UK | KU | 24.25 | $6,600 | ||
Pivot | Ochai Agbaji | KU | UK | 29.25 | $7,000 | $7,000 | Pivot | ||||||
G | Donald Carey | GU | NAVY | 24 | $5,500 | G | Bryce Thompson | KU | UK | 16.95 | $6,100 | ||
Pivot | $5,500 | Pivot | |||||||||||
F | Joey Hauser | MSU | DUKE | 31.88 | $6,400 | G | Isaac Likekele | OKST | MARQ | 25.64 | $6,700 | ||
Pivot | $6,400 | Pivot | Marcus Garrett | KU | UK | 24.64 | $7,000 | ||||||
F | Dawson Garcia | MARQ | OKST | 30.25 | $7,900 | F | Olivier Sarr | UK | KU | 21.64 | $6,800 | ||
Pivot | Charles Bassey | WKU | UL | 37.67 | $8,100 | $8,100 | Pivot | Jalen Johnson | DUKE | MSU | 50.29 | $6,400 | |
F | Luka Brajkovic | DAV | PROV | 19.88 | $4,200 | F | Joey Hauser | MSU | DUKE | 29 | $7,000 | ||
Pivot | $4,200 | Pivot | |||||||||||
Util | Bryce Thompson | KU | UK | 18.62 | $4,800 | F | Theo John | MARQ | OKST | 33.09 | $5,500 | ||
Pivot | $4,800 | Pivot | |||||||||||
Util | Dre Davis | UL | WKU | 21.5 | $5,700 | Util | Quinn Slazinski | LOU | WKU | 16.63 | $3,000 | ||
Pivot | $5,700 | Pivot | |||||||||||
Total | $50,000 | Total | $49,900 | ||||||||||
Pivot Total | $50,000 | Pivot Total | $49,800 |