Another day and another huge slate of conference college basketball action to build DFS lineups from!
Tonight, FanDuel has 16 games on its main slate while DraftKings has a 10-game slate - both starting at 7 pm ET. Due to the six-game difference between the sites, the games and players highlighted below will be restricted to the 10-game pool available on both. Then in the “Other Guards/Forwards to Consider,” the top FanDuel-only players to target will be included there.
As always, with a particular focus on KenPom’s advanced metrics and overall recent game trends, we’ll point out the teams to target as a whole before breaking down the guards and forwards to prioritize in your DFS lineups today. The point spreads and over/under’s below are based on KenPom’s predictions for that matchup.
If you have any questions or comments on the day’s slate or anything college basketball-related, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @dan_servodidio or in the Fantasy Alarm CBB chat room.
Games To Target
Marquette @ Creighton - 7 pm ET (CRE -3 / 157 Implied Total)
Auburn @ Mississippi - 7 pm ET (AUB -2 / 150 Implied Total)
Arizona @ Stanford - 11 pm ET (ARI -2 / 138 Implied Total) - FD Only
Games to Fade
West Virginia @ Kansas State - 7 pm ET (KSU -4 / 130 Implied Total)
Ohio State @ Rutgers - 7 pm ET (OSU -5 / 129 Implied Total)
Virginia @ Boston College - 9 pm ET (UVA -11 / 127 Implied Total) - FD Only
Guards
Markus Howard - MARQ ($9,800 DK / $8,500 FD) - If you haven’t seen Howard play basketball yet this year, make a point to watch him tonight. This game has the highest implied total on the slate and Howard is the biggest reason why. He takes the lion’s share of Marquette’s shots and usually requires special attention from opposing defenses. That does not slow the junior down, though, as he’s scored 20+ points in eight of the last ten (including two games where he dropped 45). Those are ACTUAL points, not fantasy points, we’re talking about. Marquette will need Howard to be at his best on the road vs. Creighton.
Breein Tyree - MISS ($8,000 DK / $7,700 FD) - Both Tyree and Terence Davis are in play tonight as they headline Ole Miss’ 26th ranked offense - but Tyree is the cheaper of the two on DK and has been on a tear lately. Over the last ten games, the junior point guard has eight outings of 30+ DK points and three where he put up 40+. Tyree leads the Rebels in scoring (18.4 ppg) and usually provides six blocks+steals per game as well. Even at this expensive tag, Tyree could 4x or 5x his salary and anchor your GPP lineups.
Marcus Zegarowski - CRE ($5,600 DK / $5,800 FD) - This game has the highest implied total on the slate so you’ll want a share or two from both teams in your lineups. Creighton is pretty balanced in terms of DFS production, but Zegarowski stands out because of his cheaper price. The freshman comes off the bench for the Bluejays, yet routinely plays 20-25 minutes and is nearly averaging a fantasy point per minute over the last ten games - including four straight of 21 DK points or more. Zegarowski is one of those college basketball players with a defined role off the bench as a point guard who brings a different energy and look to the lineup when he gets floor time. In this high-scoring, fast-paced battle, Creighton could look to Zegarowski more often to help counteract Markus Howard and Co.
Noah Locke - UF ($4,600 DK / $5,200 FD) - The freshman is taking a ton of shots lately for Florida - especially from 3-point range - and could easily 5x his salary tonight if he’s hitting from deep. Over the past four games, Locke is averaging 10 three-point attempts and 24 DK points per outing as his shot usage has really increased during this span. His offensive rating and percentage of shots taken both lead the team this season. Arkansas defends the three well, but if Locke is launching it that much, it’s tough for him NOT to hit value tonight.
Sacar Anim - MARQ ($4,400 DK / $4,700 FD) - Last game out, Anim really benefited from the Xavier defense keying in on Marquette stud Markus Howard - opening up more shots and scoring opportunities for other Golden Eagles. Anim took advantage, breaking out for 20 points on 14 shots despite entering the night averaging just 6.4 points per game on the season. There’s a real chance Creighton decides to follow suit and double-team Howard more to limit his outstanding scoring ability - which would set up Anim again to get more scoring chances. Temper your expectations here, though, because Anim has only scored double-digits in three of the last ten games.
Other Guards to Consider:
Quinton Rose - TEMP ($7,700 DK / $7,800 FD)
Chris Lykes - MIA ($7,200 FD Only)
Devontae Shuler - MISS ($6,600 DK / $6,500 FD)
Frank Howard - SYR ($4,700 DK / $5,000 FD)
RJ Nembhard - TCU ($4,300 FD Only)
Forwards
Jordan Nwora - LOU ($8,800 DK / $8,200 FD) - Louisville is one of the rare college basketball teams that plays bigger lineups more often and runs the offense through its big men first and foremost. Nwora leads the Cardinals in possession usage and shots share as their best scorer in the paint and from 3-point range. In close games - which tonight will be according to KenPom - Nwora will have the ball in his hands a lot and should get double-digit shots with the real possibility to score 20 points. When Nwora is active on the glass, he can also post a double-double with upside for a massive DFS performance - like he did vs. Indiana in December with a 24 and 14 stat line and 53.5 DK points.
Kerry Blackshear - VT ($7,000 DK / $7,000 FD) - Blackshear’s shot volume and scoring are a little inconsistent this season, but he’s been very efficient and more active on the offensive end lately. In the last four games, Blackshear has hit 62% of his shots and is averaging 18.3 points and 30.4 DK points - all numbers noticeably better than his season-long marks of 55%, 14.1 and 26.4, respectively. The 6’10” junior actually leads Virginia Tech in possession usage as well, despite the Hokies’ two talented guards (Justin Robinson and Nickeil-Alexander-Walker) having their way offensively as well.
Martin Krampelj - CRE ($5,500 DK / $6,100 FD) - As mentioned earlier, we want a piece of this Creighton offense tonight as the team projected to score the most of any on the slate. The 6’9” junior has put up at least 28 DK points in four of the last five games and is averaging 16 points and eight rebounds over that span. With so many possessions and shots expected in this game, there will be plenty of boards available on both ends and Krampelj is a very good offensive and defensive rebounder.
David Skara - CLEM ($5,200 DK / $5,500 FD) - It’s always risky rostering forwards vs. Syracuse’s zone defense, but Skara could be a GPP lineup-winner tonight. The two easiest ways to beat the zone is either from accurate three-point shooting and/or utilizing a rover in the middle to find space and make plays. Skara could see some of that rover role tonight or benefit from defenses keying on stopping whoever that is - opening up space in the paint for the senior. Before a stinker last game, Skara had five straight performances of 20+ DK points - making this play a little safer than just a GPP dart.
Andre Wesson - OSU ($4,800 DK / $4,900 FD) - Andre’s brother, Kaleb, is the headliner for the Buckeyes, but Andre gets 25-30 minutes per game as a regular starter and has two outings of 27 DK points or better in the last three games. Wesson has benefited recently from opposing teams focused on stopping his brother in the paint and overlooking the older Andre’s talent. Rutgers has one of the worst offenses in the Big Ten and Andre has a chance to rack up rebounds and blocks tonight.
Other Forwards to Consider:
Dedric Lawson - KU ($8,800 FD Only)
Zylan Cheatham - ASU ($7,700 FD Only)
Dwayne Sutton - LOU ($5,800 DK / $5,900 FD)
Mamadi Diakite - UVA ($5,200 FD Only)
Example Lineup on DraftKings:
G: Noah Locke, UF ($4,600)
G: Marcus Zegarowski, CRE ($5,600)
G: Markus Howard, MARQ ($9,800)
F: Martin Krampelj, CRE ($5,500)
F: David Skara, CLEM ($5,500)
F: Kerry Blackshear, VT ($7,000)
U: Quinton Rose, TEMP ($7,700)
U: Sacar Anim, MARQ ($4,400)