THE SLATE

(w/ Implied Team & Game Totals via KenPom)

  • 6:30 pm ET -- Syracuse (74) at NC State (75) -- 149 total **DK ONLY**

  • 6:30 pm ET -- Alabama (81) at South Carolina (72) -- 153 total **DK ONLY**

  • 7 pm ET -- Arkansas (70) at Kentucky (69) -- 139 total

  • 7 pm ET -- Penn State (73) at Michigan State (72) -- 145 total

  • 9 pm ET -- West Virginia (68) at Texas Tech (72) -- 140 total

  • 9 pm ET -- St. John’s (72) at Butler (70) -- 142 total

  • 9 pm ET -- Creighton (78) at Georgetown (71) -- 149 total

 

Top Guards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Miles McBrideWVTTU920032.22730030.34
Did anyone catch Miles McBride’s 57 DK point outing from Saturday? It was the perfect blend of everything “Deuce” has to offer for DFS when he’s hitting threes, rebounding, assisting and even being motivated on the defensive end. With his high usage for West Virginia’s offense and heavy minutes as the team’s best player, McBride’s floor for DFS is higher than most on this slate - and we just saw what his ceiling upside can be. Plus, he went off for 24 points scored and 44 DK points in the first meeting vs. Texas Tech - so there’s a track record here that backs up his expensive price tags. He is a much better per-dollar play on FD, though, for the nearly $2000 differential.
Bo HodgesBUTLESTJN880033.67700031.70
It was only a couple weeks ago when Bo Hodges made his Butler debut after missing the majority of the year due to academic eligibility issues. Even though he’s only played in three games so far, the senior transfer is already the team’s alpha playmaker on both ends and his stud-level salaries on both sites are warranted. Hodges went off for 44 DK points with nearly a triple-double in his first start last week and then followed up with 31 DK points on Saturday in his second start. In this pace-boosted matchup with St. John’s, we could see a monster effort from Hodges as Butler’s top player who’s already proving to be valuable in multiple stat categories. He remains very affordable on FD but is more in the GPP price range on DK.
Posh AlexanderSTJNBUT770027.24670025.26
While Julian Champagnie continues to be the highest-priced Johnnie, it’s Posh Alexander who’s the better per-dollar DFS option with the slight savings and similar production on most nights. The freshman Alexander has quietly become the best two-way players in the Big East over the last month or so and he’s a top DFS option for St. John’s. He’s now put up 30+ DK points in seven straight games with five of those featuring at least 34 DK points with a stuffed stat sheet across the board. Expect something similar tonight as he’ll be more popular in cash than his teammate Champagnie.
Marcus ZegarowskiCREGU760029.24720026.48
Pretty soon, the DFS sites will learn their lesson and price Zegarowski back in the 8k range on a regular basis. Until then, we should target Creighton’s point guard as a strong value in the top-tier for cash games especially. Zegarowski put up 27 DK points on Saturday but had at least 31 DK points in each of the three games prior. He’ll stuff the stat sheet to go along with his high usage and shot volume on the offensive end. Last week vs. Georgetown, he went for 31 DK points in this matchup - and we can realistically expect a repeat of that outing against a poor Hoyas defense and in an uptempo situation.
John Petty Jr.ALASCAR700026.6  
The biggest injury situation to monitor tonight will affect which Alabama players we lock into lineups on the DK slate. The matchup vs. South Carolina is the highest total of the night and we simply can’t ignore the Tide injury news - thankfully this one tips early in the evening. Herbert Jones could be out or at least limited with a back injury - and that would cement John Petty as a top-tier play for cash or GPP as he takes on more responsibility offensively. Petty is already a good play with Jones in there as the Alabama attack runs through them two for the most part. Jones being out would push Petty into a more important role on the road here. You can also look at Jaden Shackelford as a slightly cheaper play if Jones is out.
        
Value Guards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Dante HarrisGUCRE520014.48500012.92
Although Georgetown is a subpar team record-wise, the Hoyas are attractive for DFS purposes because of their short rotation with the starters playing a ton of minutes. Dante Harris is one of those starters who’s seen a big increase in playing time with Jalen Harris out for the majority of conference play. The freshman isn’t highly involved offensively, but his 30 minutes or so every game allows him to rack up plenty of ancillary stats to provide 20 or so DK points. He’s now put up 23, 22 and 16 DK points in the Hoyas’ three games since returning from a COVID layoff - and one of those came against tonight’s opponent of Creighton. You could do a lot worse in cash than a guy who can give you 4x return.
Joshua LangfordMSUPSU510016.7510015.12
It’s basically a lost season for Michigan State at this point, but Langford has been one of Sparty’s bright spots lately. The senior has taken on a bigger offensive role recently with at least 14 points scored in each of the last three games and 18, 21 and 25 DK points in those outings. The increase in shot volume is certainly a good sign as the MSU offense is essentially him and Aaron Henry leading the way. Expect Langford to be heavily involved once again with the Spartans needing every win it can get to potentially get into the NCAA Tournament.
Keon EllisALASCAR470012.45  
We mentioned above with John Petty that the Herbert Jones injury situation could determine which Tide players we lock into lineups. If Jones is out, expect Keon Ellis to be another who benefits with a larger offensive role for Alabama. Even if Jones is active, though, Ellis has started to carve out a role as the Tide’s best offensive-minded bench option and secondary scorer to the big three of Jones, Petty and Shackelford. He’s scored in double figures with at least five rebounds in three straight games as his DFS price tag begins to rise. This might be the last time we get him sub 5k for the rest of the season.
Chuck HarrisBUTSTJN480019.07470017.23
Even though Harris now comes off the bench with both Bo Hodges and Aaron Thompson in Butler’s starting lineup - the freshman is still a great value play. Actually, Harris is seeing more offensive usage in his bench minutes than he usually did as a starter earlier this season. In the last two games, he’s shot a combined 8-for-13 from three-point range and scored at least 16 real points and 22 DK points in both outings. While he can be streaky if he goes cold from distance, Harris is a great high-upside GPP value in a fast-paced matchup vs. St. John’s where he should see plenty of three-point looks.
Sean McNeilWVTTU390014.88400013.40
Although Texas Tech has an elite-level defense, they are beatable from the perimeter as Tech is the worst Big 12 team at defending the three-pointer. Miles McBride and Taz Sherman are WVU’s best three-point shooters right now - but McNeil presents some great value if he gets hot. The junior is hitting 38% of his threes during conference play and went for 13 points scored and 3-for-7 from deep in the first matchup vs. Tech. He can get hotter than that, though, and we’ve seen it in the past couple weeks. He’s worth a flier in GPP’s with 4x or 5x upside.

 

Other Guards to Consider

  • Jahvon Blair - Georgetown ($8,100 DK / $7,500 FD)

  • Mac McClung - Texas Tech ($8,000 DK / $7,400 FD)

  • Jaden Shackelford - Alabama ($6,600 DK Only)

  • Mitch Ballock - Creighton ($6,100 DK / $4,700 FD)

  • Shakeel Moore - NC State ($5,600 DK Only)

  • Davonte Davis - Arkansas ($5,500 DK / $4,900 FD)

  • Jamari Wheeler - Penn State ($5,400 DK / $4,700 FD)

  • Davion Mintz - Kentucky ($5,300 DK / $4,800 FD)

  • Aaron Thompson - Butler ($4,900 DK / $5,900 FD)

  • Seventh Woods - South Carolina ($4,400 DK Only)

 

Top Forwards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Julian ChampagnieSTJNBUT900037.17810034.02
If you’re new to DFS CBB, you’ll soon become familiar with the Champagnie brothers. Justin (from Pitt) and Julian are studs on almost slate they appear on - and tonight we get the St. John’s side of the family with Julian being a top play. Over the last ten games, he’s averaging 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 blocks/steals and 36.2 DK points per outing while shooting 47% from deep. That stat-stuffing tendency and high involvement in the Johnnies’ offense will keep his DFS floor pretty high every time out - and his ceiling is better than most. His DK price tag is tough to muster in cash games, but he’s always in play for tournaments with legit 60 DK point upside. Also note that he's G/F eligible on DK but is only a guard on FD.
Derek CulverWVTTU840032.44780030.07
If West Virginia is on the slate, we need to be considering Derek Culver as he and Miles McBride dominate the production for the Mountaineers. Culver leads the team in usage rate and shot volume during conference play and he’s become even more important on the offensive end since Oscar Tshiebwe’s mid-season transfer. In the seven games without Tshiebwe, Culver has at least 36 DK points in four of those as he’s dominating post touches and rebounding for WVU. This matchup vs. Texas Tech is a tough one, though, so we should limit exposure to GPP’s. He only had 22 DK in the earlier matchup vs. TTU, so temper expectations. Just know he has a very high ceiling once he gets going and stays out of foul trouble.
Quincy GuerrierSYRNCST780032.92  
If you’re on DK tonight, one game to target is this Syracuse-NC State matchup. For the Orange, it’s Quincy Guerrier and Alan Griffin who lead the way - but Guerrier is the slightly better play for tonight’s matchup. The sophomore big will have an advantage in the post against NC State’s subpar inside defense. He had a double-double and 30 DK points in last week’s meeting vs. this same team and he had at least 34 DK points in four straight games during January. During that stretch he was priced comfortably in the 8k range - so we get a slight discount here after he was bad vs. Clemson over the weekend. Expect a bounceback here, though.
Jericole HellemsNCSTSYR720024.9  
With Devon Daniels out for the year, Jericole Hellems has stepped up to be NC State’s top offensive option lately. In the two games right after Daniels got hurt, Hellems went off for 24 and 23 points scored with 41 and 32 DK points, respectively. One of those outings came against Syracuse when Hellems was the clear top playmaker for the Wolfpack offense as he dominated the ‘Cuse zone. He had a subpar effort vs. Boston College on Saturday, but that game was a blowout where Hellems logged just 20 minutes. Expect him to be busy on the offensive end as a scorer, rebounder and passer tonight in a nice bounceback spot.
Value Forwards
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Keyshawn BryantSCARALA590025.1  
If you’re on DK tonight, expect Bryant to be one of the more popular plays in cash games. Even though he comes off the bench, the junior leads the team in usage rate and shot volume during conference play while playing starter-level minutes - and he’s been South Carolina’s best overall player more often than not. Plus, Bryant will benefit from this pace-boost matchup vs. Alabama as he’s strived in other uptempo SEC games. He had 45 DK vs. LSU, 35 DK vs. Auburn and 42 DK vs. Georgia - all fast-paced games that played right into Bryant’s strengths. He’s way underpriced tonight considering he was in the 7k range as recently as Saturday.
Chudier BileGUCRE580017.77600016.28
Ever since Georgetown returned from a three-week COVID layoff, Chudier Bile has been very good for DFS purposes as one of the Hoyas’ top offensive options. In the three games since the break, Bile has had 34, 33 and 21 DK points with notably higher usage and shot volume than from earlier in the season. His salaries have appropriately risen with these better outings - but he’s still cheap enough to be a decent value tonight. One of those performances came against this same Creighton squad last week when he had 17 points scored, six boards, four steals and 33.5 DK points. If we get that again tonight, you can bet he’ll be an optimal play.
Emmitt Matthews Jr.WVUTTU440015.53480014.47
Matthews has become more important for West Virginia since Oscar Tschiebwe’s mid-season transfer - and the team will need his versatile play tonight if they wish to beat Texas Tech. In the last two games, Matthews has put up 24 and 21 DK points as he’s seen an increase in shot volume, minutes and usage on both ends. Plus, he moved back into the starting lineup on Saturday vs. Kansas - a role he should continue to have tonight. Although he didn’t have much success in the first matchup vs. Tech - with only 12 DK points - Matthews still has GPP upside to return 4x value at sub 5k price tags.
Gabe BrownMSUPSU390013.3480012.03
After missing three games due to COVID protocols, Brown returned on Saturday and stepped right back into 18 minutes off the bench with a solid 17 DK points in that playing time. It appears Brown didn’t need much of a warm-up game in his first action back from the break - and we should expect him to play a key role in the Spartans’ frontcourt moving forward. The junior was regularly providing 15-20 DK points earlier in the season and his versatile game will be needed tonight to match up with Penn State’s John Harrar. He’s certainly worth a flier in GPP’s at cheap price tags.

Other Forwards to Consider

  • Aaron Henry - Michigan State ($8,300 DK / $7,500 FD)

  • Alan Griffin - Syracuse ($7,900 DK Only)

  • Denzel Mahoney - Creighton ($6,500 DK / $5,600 FD)

  • John Harrar - Penn State ($6,300 DK / $5,800 FD)

  • Connor Vanover - Arkansas ($6,000 DK / $5,700 FD)

  • Christian Bishop - Creighton ($5,600 DK / $6,000 FD)

  • Olivier Sarr - Kentucky ($5,400 DK / $5,100 FD)

  • Wildens Leveque - South Carolina ($5,200 DK Only)

  • Alex Reese - Alabama ($4,300 DK Only)

  • Jalen Bridges - West Virginia ($3,500 DK / $3,400 FD)

Example Lineups

The Example Lineups are meant to show roster construction based on players mentioned above in the Playbook. They are not meant to be plugged and played.

 

DK Cash FD Cash
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GMarcus ZegarowskiCREGU29.24$7,600 GMarcus ZegarowskiCREGTWN26.48$7,200
Pivot     $7,600Pivot     
GJohn Petty Jr.ALASCAR26.6$7,000 GBo HodgesBUTSJU31.69$7,000
Pivot     $7,000Pivot     
GDante HarrisGUCRE14.48$5,200 GPosh AlexanderSJUBUT25.26$6,700
PivotJoshua LangfordMSUPSU16.7$5,100$5,100PivotJulian ChampagnieSJUBUT34.02$8,100
FKeyshawn BryantSCARALA25.1$5,900 GDante HarrisGTWNCRE12.92$5,000
Pivot     $5,900PivotMitch BallockCREGTWN18.91$4,700
FJericole HellemsNCSTSYR24.9$7,200 FJohn HarrarPSUMSU20.53$5,800
PivotQuincy GuerrierSYRNCST32.92$7,800$7,800PivotEmmitt Matthews Jr.WVUTTU14.47$4,800
FChudier BileGUCRE17.8$5,800 FChudier BileGTWNCRE16.27$6,000
PivotChristian BishopCREGU22.38$5,600$5,600Pivot     
UtilKeon EllisALASCAR12.45$4,700 FKeion Brooks Jr.UKARK22.45$4,900
Pivot     $4,700Pivot     
UtilJohn HarrarPSUMSU21.85$6,300 UtilMiles McBrideWVUTTU30.34$7,300
Pivot     $6,300Pivot     
    Total$49,700     Total$49,900
   Pivot Total$50,000    Pivot Total$50,000
             
DK GPP FD GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
GJulian ChampagnieSTJNBUT37.17$9,000 GMac McClungTTUWVU24.82$7,400
PivotMiles McBrideWVTT32.22$9,200$9,200Pivot     
GBo HodgesBUTLESTJN33.67$8,800 GChuck HarrisBUTSJU17.22$4,700
Pivot     $8,800Pivot     
GSean McNeilWVTT14.88$3,900 GJoshua LangfordMSUPSU15.12$5,100
Pivot     $3,900PivotSean McNeilWVUTTU13.39$4,000
FGabe BrownMSUPSU13.33$3,900 GJahvon BlairGTWNCRE28.51$7,500
Pivot     $3,900Pivot     
FDerek CulverWVTT32.44$8,400 FDerek CulverWVUTTU30.06$7,800
PivotAaron HenryMSUPSU31.53$8,300$8,300Pivot     
FOlivier SarrUKARK21.66$5,400 FChristian BishopCREGTWN21.26$6,000
Pivot     $5,400PivotAaron HenryMSUPSU29.21$7,500
UtilSeventh WoodsSCARALA12.12$4,400 FGabe BrownMSUPSU12.03$4,800
Pivot     $4,400PivotOlivier SarrUKARK20.08$5,100
UtilMitch BallockCREGU20.91$6,100 UtilPosh AlexanderSJUBUT25.26$6,700
PivotKeyshawn BryantSCARALA25.1$5,900$5,900PivotDenzel MahoneyCREGTWN24.56$5,600
    Total$49,900     Total$50,000
   Pivot Total$49,800    Pivot Total$49,600