THE SLATE

(w/ Implied Team & Game Totals via KenPom)

  • 7 pm ET -- Virginia Tech (70) at Pittsburgh (65) -- 135 total

  • 7 pm ET -- Louisville (70) at Syracuse (71) -- 141 total

  • 7 pm ET -- Seton Hall (71) at Providence (72) -- 143 total

  • 7 pm ET -- LSU (78) at Alabama (85) -- 163 total

  • 7 pm ET -- Kentucky (65) at Missouri (69) -- 134 total

  • 9 pm ET -- Villanova (80) at St. John’s (72) -- 152 total

  • 9 pm ET -- Oklahoma State (73) at TCU (68) -- 141 total

  • 9 pm ET -- Virginia (68) at NC State (62) -- 130 total

  • 9 pm ET -- SMU (68) at Tulsa (67) -- 135 total **DK ONLY**

 

Top Guards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
David DukePROVSHU820036.15830033.02
Saturday’s down effort of 20 DK points (down by Duke’s standards) has made the Providence stud a very affordable option on a slate without a clear-cut top guard for cash games. Game-log watchers will look at his bad outing from the weekend and ignore him tonight - but that’s a big mistake. Just last week, Duke went off for 31 points scored and 54 DK points - and he’s only a few weeks removed from regularly pushing 9k in salary and 35-40 DK points on a nightly basis. He’s one of the most dynamic offensive guards in the country and we can bank on him bouncing back tonight. In the prior meeting vs. Seton Hall, Duke went for 37 DK points with 18 points scored and 10 rebounds. His all-around stat production combined with a high offensive usage will keep his floor safe in this rematch.
Herbert JonesALALSU810029.06690026.79
Just by taking one glance at the point totals above, it’s clear this Alabama-LSU matchup is one to prioritize in cash or GPP lineups. It’ll be fast-paced, high-scoring and a DFS goldmine - and you shouldn’t fade it altogether no matter what format you’re playing. For the Tide, Herbert Jones has taken on a bigger role lately as a point-forward running the offense on most possessions and racking up plenty of DFS production in every stat category. The Bama attack is led by Jones and John Petty right now and it’s Jones who owns the safer floor with his assists, rebounds and defensive stats while Petty is more scoring dependent (and has gone cold recently). Expect Jones to be heavily involved on both ends of the court and likely popular in cash tonight.
Cade CunninghamOKSTTCU750035.25780032.28
Following a two-game absence due to COVID protocols, Cunningham returned on Saturday and instantly stepped back into his do-it-all role for Oklahoma State. Despite coming off the bench, the stud freshman put up 42 DK points in 31 minutes with his stat-stuffing line of 21 points scored, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. That’s exactly the type of DFS production we’ve come to expect from the potential #1 NBA Draft pick - and we should expect something similar tonight. Cunningham had 35 DK points with heavy usage and shot volume in the first meeting vs. TCU - and we can basically pencil him in for another 30-40 DK points yet again. He should be popular in all formats now that he's fully back.
Collin GillespieVUSTJN740029.04680027.07
Outside of Alabama-LSU, the other game to target tonight is this Villanova matchup with the second-highest total on the board. The Wildcats’ offense runs on Collin Gillespie’s leadership and playmaking from the point - and he should be in line for a big performance in a pace-boost situation vs. St. John’s. With his heavy usage and shot volume, Gillespie regularly owns a safe 30 DK point floor with upside for more in the quicker matchups like tonight. He’s coming off an impressive 36 DK points on Saturday with double-digit assists despite only shooting 2-for-7 from the field. An encouraging sign for tonight is that Gillespie is averaging 34 DK points in away games this season, while only putting up 24 DK PPG at home. He takes on a bigger offensive role in road games and that’ll be the case here.
Posh AlexanderSTJNVU720026.64650024.79
Although Julian Champagnie is getting more national attention and is the highest-priced Johnnie tonight - Posh Alexander is actually the better DFS play right now. The freshman point guard has taken on a bigger offensive role with Greg Williams out and he’s now put up 32+ DK points in five straight games. His DFS floor is very safe with his high usage running the offense and plenty of ancillary stat production - not to mention scoring 15 or more points in four consecutive games. When you compare him to Champagnie, the two are very similar in DFS production lately - and it makes Alexander more attractive for the notable salary savings. Even though tonight is a tougher matchup vs. Villanova, expect Alexander to be heavily involved in another fast-paced St. John’s game.
        
Value Guards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Hunter CattoorVTPITT560017.02440014.56
With Virginia Tech adjusting to life without Tyrece Radford, it’s Hunter Cattoor who’s seen a big increase in DFS value with his uptick in playing time and offensive role. In the two games with Radford out, Cattoor has put up 25+ DK points in both and has totaled 28 points scored on 7-for-12 three-point shooting. Although Jalen Cone is now starting in Radford’s absence, Cattoor has been the better DFS play with his scoring role and just enough ancillary stat production in 25-30 minutes. He’s Tech’s sixth-man off the bench, but is getting a ton of shot volume and usage in the time he’s out there. Expect that to continue tonight. His DK salary is appropriate, but Cattoor is a massive value on FD still.
Vince ColeSTJNVU490017.88490016.23
Greg Williams has missed the last three games for St. John’s and will be a game-time decision tonight. If he’s out again, expect Vince Cole to continue being a strong value play with his increase in offensive role for the Johnnies. Cole has now started three straight in Williams’ absence - and he’s scored in double figures with 18-25 DK points in all three starts. The ancillary stat production isn’t as safe as we’d like, but it’s hard to ignore Cole’s scoring value to the St. John’s offense with Williams out. Keep an eye on Williams' status before locking Cole in to GPP lineups.
Joshua PrimoALALSU440016.6440014.77
One of the hardest things about DFS CBB is trying not to overreact to one game - whether good or bad. This is what we have in Primo, who’s coming off one of his worst outings of the season with less than 10 DK points vs. Oklahoma over the weekend. However, we need to ignore that anomaly because A) it was against a tough OU defense, B) Primo usually provides 20 or so DK points with upside for a lot more, and C) tonight will surely be a bounceback performance. It seems both sites have overreacted with his sub 5k price tags - but that makes him a top value in a fast-paced environment tonight. The freshman is a regular starter for Alabama and his 49% three-point shooting during conference play matches up well vs. an LSU defense that struggles on the perimeter. Just look at Primo’s 22 points scored, six made three’s and 32 DK points in the first meeting.
Bryce AikenSHUPROV40009.8544009.24
It’s taken a while, but we might finally be seeing Bryce Aiken’s talent take over and earn him a bigger role with Seton Hall. The Harvard transfer had to sit out the beginning of the season due to eligibility rules, and then he played sparingly off the bench in December before suffering an ankle injury in early January. Now fully healthy, though, he’s playing bigger minutes in the last two games and has taken on a bigger playmaking role for Seton Hall’s offense. Aiken went off 21 points scored and 29 DK points vs. Creighton last week and then had nine points scored and 13 DK points on Saturday vs. Villanova. He’s slowly earning more playing time and usage on the offensive end and he’s a great GPP value as long as he remains below 5k. This is the best buy-low opportunity for a player who was a stud at Harvard last season and might be Seton Hall’s best player not named Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Eric GainesLSUALA30007.6136006.79
The big injury factor tonight is how the LSU rotation shakes out with Darius Days out. Josh LeBlanc and Shereef O’Neal are both likely to take on more minutes in the frontcourt - but the Tigers could opt to go smaller more than usual tonight to match up with the smaller Alabama lineup. If that’s the case, expect Eric Gaines to play a key reserve role with expanded playing time in a fast-paced game that may be dictated by the guard play on both ends. At min price on DK and near-min on FD, he’s worth a GPP flier to return 4x or 5x production with more playing time. If he ends up starting in Days’ place - he might even be cash lock.

Other Guards to Consider

  • David Johnson - Louisville ($7,700 DK / $6,600 FD)

  • Javonte Smart - LSU ($7,400 DK / $6,400 FD)

  • Cameron Thomas - LSU ($7,100 DK / $7,500 FD)

  • John Petty Jr. - Alabama ($6,700 DK / $6,200 FD)

  • Justin Moore - Villanova ($6,400 DK / $6,100 FD)

  • Mike Miles - TCU ($6,000 DK / $5,600 FD)

  • Shavar Reynolds Jr. - Seton Hall ($5,200 DK / $4,900 FD)

  • Avery Anderson III - Oklahoma State ($5,100 DK / $4,800 FD)

  • Wabissa Bede - Virginia Tech ($4,500 DK / $4,000 FD)

 

Top Forwards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Justin ChampagniePITTVT1000044.93900041.92
We have both Champagnie brothers on tonight’s slate, but it’s the Pitt version we want to target over the St. John’s option. Justin is the price king on both sites - and for good reason with a realistic DFS floor of 40 DK points and a legit ceiling of 50-60 DK points. His high volume offensive role and elite rebounding skills for Pitt make him one of the best plays overall any time he’s on the slate. Even though this matchup vs. Virginia Tech is a tough one, the path to plenty of DFS stats in all areas is there for Champagnie - who’s proven his value even if Pitt loses big and/or scores in the 50’s. Considering all the studs available at guard and forward, he’s more of a GPP option because of his expensive price tag. Note that Champagnie is only forward eligible on DK but is only guard eligible on FD.
Jeremiah TilmonMIZZUK830029.71760027.77
Guess who’s put up 50+ DK points in back-to-back games? Believe it or not, Jeremiah Tilmon has been the slate-breaker for Missouri in the last two outings with double-doubles in both and combined totals of 54 points scored, 21 boards and nine blocks. When Mizzou gives him the ball down low and lets him go to work, the sky's the limit for Tilmon on both ends as an elite post scorer and shot-blocker in the SEC. The matchup vs. UK could go either way for Tilmon, though, and it makes him a GPP-only play right now. Still, we’ve seen the upside and we’ll pay anything for 50 DK points to anchor our lineups.
Keve AlumaVTPITT790030.23700028.08
Keve Aluma has now entered DFS stud status with Tyrece Radford out. Virginia Tech’s big man has put up slate-breaking performances of 38 and 52 DK points in the two games without Radford - and his salaries are finally starting to catch up. In these last two outings, Aluma has become Tech’s go-to offensive weapon with a big increase in shot volume and usage rate to give him 33 points scored, 22 rebounds and four blocks combined with Radford out. We should expect the VT offense to continue to revolve around his post presence and tonight’s matchup vs. Pitt isn’t scary at all. The DK price puts him in GPP territory, but he’s still very affordable on FD for all formats.
Trendon WatfordLSUALA740033.82790031.43
With LSU being a mainstay on the DFS slates this season, listing Trendon Watford as a top forward pay-up option shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s a nightly threat to put up 40+ DK points with his heavy usage on offense and potential for a double-double in any given matchup. His poor effort of 15 DK points on Saturday vs. Texas Tech’s tough defense has lowered his salary a bit - but tonight presents a great buy-low opportunity. This is the highest total on the slate by far and Watford will be heavily involved in LSU’s attack once again. He had 31 DK points in the first meeting vs. Alabama - but we can expect more than that tonight. Watford is averaging 39 DK points per game in road games this season compared to 31 DK points at home. Plus, he's even more important in the frontcourt with Darius Days out.
Jermaine SamuelsVUSTJN660022.35620021.18
With Villanova getting a big pace-boost tonight vs. uptempo St. John’s, we should be looking at multiple Wildcats for cash or GPP. People might opt for Jeremiah Robinson-Earl as the top forward from ‘Nova - but Samuels might be the better play for the slight savings and similar production. During conference play, Samuels is the team’s best rebounder (better than Robinson-Earl) and that gives him a big advantage against a St. John’s team that’s terrible on the boards. He had a double-double vs. Providence last week and put up 20 points and nine boards in the game before vs. Seton Hall. Since Nova's restart from a COVID layoff, he’s even seeing more consistent playing time with an uptick in offensive usage as well. There’s a chance Robinson-Earl outproduces him tonight, but Samuels could easily be the top Wildcat to own at lower ownership and cheaper salaries.
 
Value Forwards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Kevin SamuelTCUOKST550027.39730026.11
If you’re playing on FD, it’s admittedly tough to pay up for Samuel at an elevated salary. On DK, though, he’s a big bargain in the mid-5k range and has GPP-winning upside at that price point. The junior center has seen his minutes and shot volume decrease in recent games, but this is still a player who can dominate in the paint when the matchup allows. He’s eclipsed 25 DK points in six of the last ten games - including a whopping 44 DK points with 18 points scored, seven blocks and eight boards in the first meeting vs. Oklahoma State. This matchup vs. the Cowboys is a good one for Samuel as his rebounding, post scoring and shot-blocking fits right into the weaknesses of OK State. The recent form is not ideal, but the tournament ceiling is certainly there - and we’ve already seen it in this same matchup.
Matthew-Alexander MoncrieffeOKSTTCU640018.62500017.26
Despite inconsistent play for much of this season, Moncrieffe seems to have finally hit his stride as one of Oklahoma State’s best all-around players. He stepped into a bigger role with Cade Cunningham out recently - putting up 33 and 44 DK points in the two games with his teammate sidelined. Now that Cunningham is back, we should temper expectations a bit - but it was certainly encouraging to see him still have 25 DK points with a high usage and 30+ minutes over the weekend even with Cunningham playing. In conference play, Moncrieffe’s usage and shot volume trail only Cunningham on OK State’s roster - and he can still be useful for DFS purposes with both playing at the same time. He’s a GPP play on DK with the higher price than we’d like - but he’s a solid cash option on FD at 5k.
Samuell WilliamsonULSYR530021.1500019.15
If Williamson had more consistent games like Monday’s performance - there’s no way he’s this cheap tonight. Against Georgia Tech two days ago, the Louisville sophomore went off for 46 DK points with his 20 points scored and 18 boards. Unfortunately, we’ve only seen that DFS ceiling a couple times this season - but it’s important to know that Williamson has the upside in any given game. When he’s not breaking slates, though, the 6-foot-7 wing can easily provide 20 DK points with his rebounding potential - making him a solid value in the 5k range. In tonight’s matchup, Williamson’s elite rebounding rates could help him smash again as ‘Cuse is terrible on the boards during conference play. Plus, this is a pace-boost for Louisville’s offense - making the Cardinals more attractive. Williamson is worth a look in GPP’s.
Alex ReeseALALSU47001035009.16
As long as Reese stays below 5k (or sub 4k on FD), he’ll remain a top value with his recent increase in role for Alabama. The senior is now the Tide’s lead center with Jordan Bruner still out - starting the last fives games in his teammate’s absence. Although the playing time isn’t as guaranteed as other starters, Reese will surely be needed tonight to match up with LSU’s Trendon Watford on the other end. On Saturday, Reese had his best game of the season with 15 points scored, an uptick in shot volume and 30 DK points. That’s very encouraging to see him have that role despite Alabama having so much talent on the offensive end. In tonight’s fast-paced environment, expect Reese to be popular for cash.
Josh LeBlanc Sr.LSUALA410011.58370011.18
The Darius Days injury is a big one for LSU and his absence will surely open up some value tonight and moving forward until the sites adjust. The Tigers have a couple different candidates to join the starting rotation now, so we’ll have to check the lineups before tip to get confirmation. Either way, though, expect both Josh LeBlanc and Shereef O’Neal to take on more minutes and role in the LSU frontcourt with Days out. LeBlanc had already carved out a solid bench role behind Days and he’s the best like-for-like replacement with his similar size and versatility. If he starts, expect him to be popular in all formats with the very cheap salaries. O’Neal is also a good GPP target with an expanded role as well.

Example Lineups

The Example Lineups are meant to show how you can build lineups using the players mentioned in the Playbook. They are not meant to be plugged and played.

 

DK Cash FD Cash
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GHerbert JonesALALSU29.06$8,100 GCollin GillespieNOVASJU27.06$6,800
Pivot     $8,100Pivot     
GCollin GillespieVUSTJN29.04$7,400 GHerbert JonesALALSU26.78$6,900
Pivot     $7,400Pivot     
GDavid DukePROVSHU36.15$8,200 GCade CunninghamOKSTTCU32.28$7,800
PivotCade CunninghamOKSTTCU35.25$7,500$7,500Pivot     
FJosh LeBlanc Sr.LSUALA11.58$4,100 GHunter CattoorVTPITT14.56$4,400
Pivot     $4,100Pivot     
FJermaine SamuelsVUSTJN22.4$6,600 FKeve AlumaVTPITT28.07$7,000
PivotTrendon WatfordLSUALA33.82$7,400$7,400PivotJermaine SamuelsNOVASJU21.18$6,200
FAlex ReeseALALSU12.2$4,800 FM.A. MoncrieffeOKSTTCU17.25$5,000
Pivot     $4,800Pivot     
UtilHunter CattoorVTPITT17.02$5,600 FAlex ReeseALALSU11.21$4,200
Pivot     $5,600PivotJosh LeBlanc Sr.LSUALA11.18$3,700
UtilAvery Anderson IIIOKSTTCU18.85$5,100 UtilTrendon WatfordLSUALA31.42$7,900
PivotVince ColeSTJNVU17.88$4,900$4,900PivotJustin ChampagniePITTVT41.91$9,000
    Total$49,900     Total$50,000
   Pivot Total$49,800    Pivot Total$49,800
             
DK GPP FD GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GPosh AlexanderSTJNVU26.64$7,200 GCade CunninghamOKSTTCU32.28$7,800
Pivot     $7,200PivotCameron ThomasLSUALA27.51$7,500
GCameron ThomasLSUALA29.86$7,100 GPosh AlexanderSJUNOVA24.79$6,500
PivotJohn Petty Jr.ALALSU26.63$6,700$6,700Pivot     
GBryce AikenSHUPROV9.85$4,000 GJohn Petty Jr.ALALSU24.26$6,200
Pivot     $4,000Pivot     
FSamuell WilliamsonULSYR21.1$5,300 GSamuell WilliamsonLOUSYR19.14$5,000
Pivot     $5,300PivotVince ColeSJUNOVA16.23$4,900
FJustin ChampagniePITTVT44.93$10,000 FJeremiah TilmonMIZZUK27.77$7,600
PivotJeremiah TilmonMIZZUK29.71$8,300$8,300Pivot     
FKevin SamuelTCUOKST27.39$5,500 FNate WatsonPROVSHU26.95$7,200
Pivot     $5,500PivotSandro MamukelashviliSHUPROV31.32$7,700
UtilEric GainesLSUALA7.61$3,000 FJustyn MuttsVTPITT18.66$5,100
PivotYor AneiSMUTLSA16.42$4,900$4,900Pivot     
UtilKeve AlumaVTPITT30.23$7,900 UtilBryce AikenSHUPROV9.24$4,400
Pivot     $7,900Pivot     
    Total$50,000     Total$49,800
   Pivot Total$49,800    Pivot Total$49,900