Both Sites
FSU (-1) @ Tennessee - 134
VCU @ Purdue (-3) - 129
FD Only
Winthrop @ Duke (-23) - 140
UC Davis @ Utah (-17) - 137
Marshall @ Florida (-20) - 137
Morgan State @ Ohio State (-27) - 130
UAB @ Kentucky (-21) - 126
DK Only
Iowa State @ Seton Hall (-3) - 151
UCF @ Pepperdine (PK) - 150
Ole Miss (-1) @ Oklahoma State - 139
Penn State (-2) @ Syracuse - 137
FanDuel and DraftKings have made it incredibly hard to cover this slate with these very different games. Especially roster-construction wise. Let’s break it down real quick as lineup construction in CBB is as important as anything. There are two games on both sites, but they’re not weighted the same. On FanDuel, we don’t have much to love in terms of pace and that Tenn - FSU game is a surefire spot to target. On DK, however, we have two games with 150+ totals and the Tenn - FSU game doesn’t bring the same heat. Just keep in mind that even though they are on both slates, they’re not equally as strong of plays. On DK, lean towards targeting ISU @ SHU and UCF @ PEP.
Guards
Jordan Bowden - Tennessee - FD $7.100 DK $7,200
Tennessee offers up a lethal trio of guards, and all three are extremely dangerous. Jordan Bowden is the cheapest of the three and there’s absolutely no reason for that. He’s been over 30 fantasy points in four straight games and has been in double-figures in every single game. Lamonte Turner is obviously the superstar of this Tennessee team, but Bowden has averaged three more points a game this season and he’s taking more shots. The 17th ranked Tennessee Vols are going to give FSU a fun test and this game is going to be one to watch. Jordan Bowden is a bit too cheap on both sites and he’s my favorite superstar that’s included on both sites.
Trent Forrest - Florida State - FD $6,600 DK $6,900
Forrest hasn’t exploded yet this season, but he’s the Seminoles best player and he’s unbelievably consistent. Through six games, Forrest has been between 23-29 fantasy points in each. I think he gets over 30 for the first time in this game and he should be one of the more popular plays on both sites. FSU is a two-point favorite over Tennessee and Forrest is going to be the lead scorer. He’s being leaned on even heavier with M.J. Walker injured and Forest has no problem putting it all on his shoulders. He doesn’t hold an incredible usage like you see a lot of guys in CBB do, but Forrest is going to see 35 minutes in this game and put up 25+ fantasy points. He’s cheaper than all three Vols’ guards and is a must in my cash games.
Tyrese Haliburton - Iowa State - DK $9,200
Let’s dive into DraftKings a bit. Tyrese Haliburton is extremely expensive, but there’s no denying what’s he’s been doing. The Iowa State guard has put up a strangely identical 54.3 fantasy points in two straight games and it’s his third time over 54 fantasy points in just six games. He’s arguably the best CBB fantasy player in the nation and his price may drive some off of him tonight. It’s another fast-paced match-up for ISU and Haliburton will surely be over 45 fantasy points tonight.
Myles Powell - Seton Hall - DK $8,400
On the other side of this game, Myles Powell is going to have a response to Tyrese Haliburton. Powell has been over 50 fantasy points himself this year and over 34 in four of seven games. This is going to be another fast-paced match-up for Seton Hall and Powell will be leaned on heavily to score once again. You get a slight discount from Haliburton and you can play both with some value on this slate. Haliburton will likely be more popular, but I don’t see either crawling over 25% at their prices.
Dazon Ingram - UCF - DK $6,300
For our last DK-specific guard, Dazon Ingram brings huge upside to the table for just over $6k. Ingram is the secondary option to Collin Smith and a match-up with Pepperdine sets up perfectly. They play fast and consistent play in totals over 150 points. Colbey Ross is a monster on the offensive end, but doesn’t play strong defense at all. Ingram is way too cheap on DraftKings and I’ll be locking him into all formats. In this same game, Jade Smith is a guy I have some interest in for value.
Rylan Jones - Utah - FD $6,400
Now over to FanDuel. Rylan Jones is too cheap and in a solid match-up with UC Davis. Remember, we don’t have either of the 150+ totals to work with on FanDuel. The Tenn - FSU game is my favorite overall target there. Rylan Jones has impressed early this season, averaging 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists. UC Davis plays faster than Utah does and they’ll pick up a few extra possessions in turn. Utah is favored by 17 points in this game and expected to put up close to 75 points. Jones is going to be over 25 fantasy points with a good shot at 35-40. His price is down and I don’t expect him to be overly popular.
Scottie Lewis - Florida - FD $5,200
Scottie Lewis is going to go overlooked tonight and there’s no reason for it. On FanDuel, where we don’t have much to love from an offensive perspective, getting exposure to FanDuel is a great idea. They’re expected to put up 70 points and Scottie Lewis has been seeing some intense minutes of late. He’s been over 30 minutes in five straight and played 33 and 36 in each of the last two. Marshall doesn’t have much to offer on defense and Lewis is going to have his way when Nembhard defers. Lewis is a true freshman and one of the best in the entire country. When he’s scoring, his peripherals can easily bring him to 35 fantasy points. He’s way too cheap on FanDuel and a guy I have locked in across the board.
Forwards
Yves Pons - Tennessee - FD $6,200 - DK $7,300
When looking at our options on both FanDuel and DraftKings, it’s ugly to put it nicely. We’ll get to the better site-specific plays, but there are a couple of guys in these two games you can consider. Yves Pons has G/F eligibility on DraftKings and is a forward on FanDuel. The six-foot-Six small forward has a point forward feel to him, but can also get down in the paint and play bully ball. He’s averaging just 13 points and four rebounds, but I expect those numbers to go up in more competitive games. The Vols have faced a cupcake schedule and Pons hasn’t been asked to do too much. He’s a great play in all formats on FanDuel and a good play in tournaments on DraftKings.
Isaac Vann - VCU - FD $4,600 - DK $4,500
There’s nothing pretty about this play, but Vann is cheap and sees as consistent minutes at forward as anyone in this game. VCU is going to need Vann to contend with Wheeler and Haarms as they don’t have much else underneath the rim. Vann doesn’t have the biggest upside in the world, but he does it all when on the floor and it just comes down to how many minutes he plays. On the season, he averages eight points, two boards, two assists, and a steal. If he sees just four or five more minutes than usual, we could be looking at 25 fantasy points for extremely cheap. Vann is by no means a must, but my favorite value at forward from these two games on both FD and DK.
Vernon Carey - Duke - FD $8,000
On FanDuel, we get to play Vernon Carey Jr. I was preaching to play him in every single game this season and his price is finally where it should be. He’s still a solid play if you can find value elsewhere as 40-50 fantasy points is a fair expectation. He’s clearly the best player on the floor at all times and he enforces his will with ease against strong forwards. He’s working on his sixth straight double-double tonight against a Winthrop team that’s going to need a miracle to keep Carey under 40 fantasy points. Kerry Blackshear is a solid GPP pivot, but I think Carey outscores him 80% of the time in this scenario.
Wendell Moore Jr. - Duke - FD $4,600
We’re sticking with Duke here for the pure fact that Moore is just way too cheap. He’s played 34 and 36 minutes in each of his last two games and while the production is inconsistent, he’s locked into 30+ minutes as one of the best players in the country. At just $4,600. Yikes. Moore will once again be 70% owned in high-stakes tournaments, but you may be able to get him under 50% in others. Take full advantage and stack this Duke interior. Against Winthrop, neither should have an issue hitting value. It’s also worth noting that Duke is playing mad after losing the last game and I don’t expect that to take it easy here.
Collin Smith - UCF - DK $7,000
We’ll now just focus on DraftKings for a few players. UCF runs their offense through Collin Smith and I love pairing him with Damon Ingram on DK. They’re both playing in an up-pace match-up with Pepperdine and this offense is rather concentrated. The six-foot-eleven Smith is a monster down low and has averaged 17 points, seven rebounds, and two assists per game. Pepperdine is weak down low defensively, sporting 6’8 Kessler and 6’6 Kameron Edwards. These guys will both present match-up issues for the other, but Smith is going to enjoy a double-double if he stays in this game for 30+ minutes. He’s my favorite DK-specific Star.
Kameron Edwards - Pepperdine - DK $6,800
The Edwards brother play 30 minutes a piece at forward and you can play either of them. Kessler May have just a bit more upside, but Kameron is cheaper and plays more consistent minutes. He also averages five more points and holds a 4% higher usage. All signs point to playing Kameron over Kessler, and he’s going to be a mainstay in my cash games on DraftKings. As a bit of a longshot, I like the value on Victor Ohia Obioha a lot. With 6’11 Collin Smith on UCF, I expect them to get their biggest man involved a bit more tonight. Even if he plays just 20 minutes, his price is so low that you’ll probably run into value. He also helps you pay up on a slate where there are a ton of stars and not much to love in the mid-range. Ohio Obioha is a GPP play, but I like the 1% play on this slate for value. As for Edwards, he should be popular and rightfully so.
Blake Hinson - Ole Miss - DK $6,200
With Luis Rodriguez likely out for the year, Hinson has moved into the starting lineup and he’s going to see 30 minutes on a consistent basis. We’ll see his price rise gradually and we need to take advantage while it’s still in the $6k’. Hinson is averaging 16 points, four rebounds, and two assists in very limited minutes and those averaged will only rise. Oklahoma State plays at an average pace and Ole Miss is expected to win this game. Hinson is too cheap and a great play in cash games at forward. I don’t expect many to be on board, either, as he’s played limited minutes since returning.
