Welcome back, college basketball fans!! While it may seem like just yesterday when Virginia was cutting down the nets as champs, the 2019-20 CBB season is finally here and we’re back for another year of DFS College Hoops! 

Each week we will cover three or four of the bigger DFS CBB slates on DraftKings and FanDuel throughout the season. We’re now into the second week of the season and we’re back for another solid slate of college hoops. DraftKings has a seven game slate while FanDuel has a six gamer. Only three games are common to both sites, but read further below as we break down the best plays specific to the DK and FD only slates.

With a specific eye towards expected rotations and usage rates, implied point totals, matchups and KenPom’s advanced stats, we’ll outline the guards and forwards to prioritize in your DFS CBB lineups today for both sites. We’ll also point out the games to generally target and fade today based on pace of play, spread and implied point totals as predicted by KenPom.

If you have any questions or comments about CBB DFS strategy or college basketball in general, feel free to hit up my Twitter @dan_servodidio. Good luck!

Highest Scoring Teams:

(by Implied Points per KenPom)

  • Duke -- 91 Points (-30 vs. Central Arkansas) **FD ONLY**
  • Kentucky -- 81 Points (-25 vs. Evansville) **FD ONLY**
  • Tennessee -- 80 Points (-14 vs. Murray St) **FD ONLY**
  • Auburn -- 76 Points (-7 vs. South Alabama) **DK ONLY**
  • Oregon -- 75 Points (-3 vs. Memphis)
  • Memphis -- 72 Points (+3 vs. Oregon)
  • Butler -- 72 Points (-9 vs. Minnesota)
  • Oklahoma -- 71 Points (-2 vs. Oregon St) **DK ONLY**

Before we get into the top plays common to both sites tonight, let’s touch on the best options on the highest scoring teams specific to DK and FD. If you’re playing on FanDuel, you definitely want exposure to the Duke, Kentucky and Tennessee players as those teams are projected to score more points than the majority of the rest of the slate. For Duke, point guard Tre Jones ($8,000) is their best player and he’s averaged 15 points, 7.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals through the first two games. You can also go cheaper with the Blue Devils and look at Cassius Stanley ($6,000), Vernon Carey ($5,700), Alex O’Connell ($5,500) or Matthew Hurt ($4,500). 

The best options on Kentucky for FanDuel are Ashton Hagans ($5,800), Nick Richards ($5,400), Immanuel Quickley ($5,200), and Nate Sestina ($6,600). Richards, in particular, should be in line for another big stat line with fellow big man E.J. Montgomery likely out for a second straight game. As for Tennessee on FD, look at Yves Pons ($7,200), Lamonte Turner ($6,500), Jalen Johnson ($5,000) and John Fulkerson ($5,600). In the Vols’ opener, Pons had the best numbers overall but Turner had the highest usage and Johnson put up solid stats in the sixth man role.

If you’re playing on DraftKings, Auburn will score the most projected points while Oklahoma is also worth getting exposure to. For Auburn, the best plays per salary are Danjel Purifoy ($5,500), J’Von McCormick ($5,400), Austin Wiley ($5,300) and Anfernee McLemore ($3,900). Purifoy is their best three-point shooter at the moment, Wiley is the best rebounder, McCormick has the most shot attempts on the team and McLemore is a nice value as the Tigers’ best player off the bench in a short rotation. As for Oklahoma, look at Brady Manek ($7,800), Kristian Doolittle ($6,800) and Jamal Bieniemy ($5,700). Manek has put up big numbers through the first two games from the center position, Doolittle returned last game and saw big usage after sitting out the opener, and Bieniemy might be the best scorer even if he comes off the bench.

GUARDS

Payton Pritchard - Oregon ($9,200 DK / $8,600 FD)

It will be tough to pay up for Pritchard with so many solid high-priced players to choose from on these slates, but he’s been worth it this season. The Oregon point guard has been doing nearly everything over the first two games, putting up 43+ DK points in both contests to start the year and averaging 21.5 points, seven assists, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. Pritchard is the Ducks’ main ball-handler on offense and his team-leading usage gives him a pretty high floor for DFS purposes because he’s involved in nearly every offensive possession. The senior has taken on a much larger role on both ends for Oregon this season and he’ll have to be at his best against a very good Memphis team. However, Memphis’ strength is in its forwards which could allow Pritchard to take advantage of an inexperienced backcourt tonight. 

Aaron Thompson - Butler ($7,300 DK / $7,100 FD)

With Kamar Baldwin seeing limited minutes as he returns from injury, it’s been Aaron Thompson who’s taken on a massive role for Butler early on. Baldwin is dealing with an oblique/rib injury, and he’s yet to play more than 15 minutes in a game so far. He is reportedly still banged up so we can’t expect a ton of playing time from him yet. Meanwhile, Thompson has stepped into the lead point guard duties and has racked up 19 assists over the first two games as the main ball-handler on offense. The junior isn’t scoring many points, but he’s still put up 30+ DK points in each of the first two games. It’s also encouraging to see Thompson play 40 and 35 minutes as the starting point guard despite facing easy opponents to start the season. 

Boogie Ellis - Memphis ($6,200 DK / $5,800 FD)

While the Memphis offense largely runs through James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa, the team’s third-best player is another true freshman in Boogie Ellis. As the starting shooting guard, Ellis trails only Achiuwa in shot volume through the first two games and he is Memphis’ best three-point shooter. Ellis went six-for-nine from three-point range on Friday night as he finished with 22 real points and 32+ DK points. Although he doesn’t offer much upside in assists or rebounds, Ellis will continue to play a large role in the Tigers’ offense this season as their best outside shooter and a solid complement to the paint dominance of Wiseman and Achiuwa. Ellis makes for a very attractive GPP play on this slate because of his now-elevated salary and more people blindly flocking to Wiseman as the popular play for Memphis.

Anthony Mathis - Oregon ($5,300 DK / $5,200 FD)

Despite scoring just nine points in Oregon’s season opener, Mathis exploded for 30 points on Saturday while going 9-for-11 from three-point range. The deep-ball shooting is nothing new for this grad transfer from New Mexico, he shot 40.7% from three last season and 47% two years ago, and we should continue to expect this from Mathis. He’s locked down the starting shooting guard role for the Ducks and the team will need his three-point shooting against Memphis tonight. The Tigers have James Wiseman guarding the rim down low which forces teams to fire from deep in order to keep pace on the scoreboard. On both sites, Mathis looks like a really good value considering he nearly put up 40 DK points last game, and could easily return 4x his price tag if he’s hitting his threes.

Mark Smith - Missouri ($4,900 DK / $5,300 FD)

After a quiet game in Missouri’s season opener, Smith exploded for 30 DK points on Friday night thanks to his 19 points on 4-for-7 three-point shooting. The junior impressed last year with his 45% shooting from deep, but a January injury shortened his season. He seems poised to step right back into that role this year. In that last game, Smith not only led Missouri in scoring but he also grabbed six rebounds (the team’s second-most). In tonight’s matchup, the Tigers may need to lean on Smith’s outside shooting again because Xavier has two dominant forwards controlling the paint, which should force Missouri to score from the perimeter more often. We can’t expect a repeat of last game, but Smith could easily return 4x his price tag which makes him one of the better value plays on the slate. 

Other Guards to Consider:

  • Marcus Carr - Minnesota ($8,400 DK / $7,800 FD)
  • Matt Bradley - California ($8,300 DK Only)
  • Chris Duarte - Oregon ($6,900 DK / $6,500 FD)
  • Kameron McGusty - Miami ($4,300 DK Only)

FORWARDS

James Wiseman - Memphis ($9,500 DK / $8,800 FD)

Don’t worry, college hoops fans. We still get to watch next year’s likely number one NBA Draft pick play basketball, at least for now. Despite the NCAA ruling James Wiseman ineligible for the season, Memphis has filed a restraining order and are still rolling him out per usual until we hear otherwise. And while he’s playing, Wiseman deserves to be the top DFS play any time Memphis is on the slate. The 7-foot-1 freshman is basically this year’s Zion Williamson as he’s a man amongst boys out on the court and is a tough matchup for any opposing team. He has a favorable game tonight as well with Oregon possibly without starting center Francis Okoro and not much size elsewhere to handle Wiseman down low. He exploded for 50+ DK points in Memphis’ season opener, but we likely saw his DFS floor last game when he put up just 39.75 DK points. In that game, though, Wiseman still managed to be productive despite only shooting four times because he got to the foul line 14 times and racked up nine rebounds and five blocks. As long as he’s still eligible, Wiseman is the best DFS play on any slate no matter the price tag. 

Naji Marshall - Xavier ($7,500 DK / $7,700 FD) & Tyrique Jones - Xavier ($7,600 DK / $7,000 FD)

The Xavier offense mainly runs through both Marshall and Jones in the frontcourt and both of their high usages make them very solid plays among the higher-priced forwards tonight. While Marshall leads the team in usage and shot volume, Jones isn’t too far behind in those categories. They both put up 30+ DK points in the first two games as they also get a bump in production with starting point guard Paul Scruggs dealing with an injury. With Scruggs sitting out last game, both Jones and Marshall scored 20 points as they saw more than 30% usage in the offense, notably higher than any other Xavier players. If you’re playing on DK, Marshall is the better play because he’s actually $100 cheaper than Jones and provides more upside for assists. On FD, though, Jones is the better value because of the difference in salary for similar production. 

Precious Achiuwa - Memphis ($6,700 DK / $5,500 FD)

While James Wiseman steals the national spotlight for Memphis, this team has another McDonald’s All-American with tons of talent in Precious Achiuwa. The five-star freshman slots in at power forward alongside Wiseman and he will continue to benefit from teams focusing on his teammate down low. Over the first two games, Achiuwa has averaged 12 points, 7.5 rebounds and one block on 58% shooting. This Memphis team plays largely through both Wiseman and Achiuwa and there will be a game soon where the latter player smashes value. This could be the night and Achiuwa looks like a bargain at his FanDuel price tag right now with the potential to put up 30+ DFS points. It’s also encouraging to see Achiuwa leading Memphis in usage, shot volume and defensive rebounding through the first two games, even with Wiseman there. 

Shakur Juiston - Oregon ($6,000 DK / $6,300 FD)

Juiston joined the Ducks as a highly touted grad transfer from UNLV and we are now starting to see his real potential in this offense. He was less-than-stellar in the season opener (only 15 DK points), but then Juiston exploded for 33+ DK points on Saturday vs. Boise State. He tallied 16 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and a steal in the win. The main reason for this jump in production was because starting center Francis Okoro sat out the game after getting hit by a car. With Okoro out of the lineup, Juiston saw a team-high usage and shot eight-for-ten from the field. It’s unclear whether Okoro will play or not tonight, but we should expect him to play limited minutes which would force Juiston into a larger role yet again. 

Jordan Tucker - Butler ($5,200 DK / $5,100 FD)

Who remembers Jordan Tucker from last season? The former Duke transfer was admittedly a thorn in DFS players’ collective sides, as he was arguably the most talented player in Butler’s rotation, the coach frankly did not use him properly and he burned us more than a few times. Still, we need to go back to him as long as he’s this cheap on both sites. After sitting out the opener due to suspension, Tucker returned to the starting rotation last game and he was one of Butler’s best players. He saw the second-highest usage on the team, tied for the team lead in shot attempts and scored 16 points on four-of-eight three-point shooting. He ended up with 22+ DK points which is a solid value at his salaries on both sites. 

Other Forwards to Consider:

  • D.J. Jeffries - MEM ($5,700 DK / $5,900 FD)
  • Bryce Golden - Butler ($5,400 DK / $5,100 FD)
  • Zach Freemantle - Xavier ($5,100 DK / $4,700 FD)

DraftKings Example Lineup:

G: Marcus Carr - MINN ($8,400)

G: Mark Smith - MIZZ ($5,300)

G: Anthony Mathis - ORE ($5,300)

F: Danjel Purifoy - AUB ($5,500)

F: Jordan Tucker - BUT ($5,200)

F: James Wiseman - MEM ($9,500)

U: Kristian Doolittle - OU ($6,800)

U: Kameron McGusty - MIA ($4,300)
 

FanDuel Example Lineup:

G: Lamonte Turner - TENN ($6,500)

G: Immanuel Quickley - UK ($5,200)

G: Chris Duarte - ORE ($6,500)

G: Mark Smith - MIZZ ($5,300)

F: James Wiseman - MEM ($8,800)

F: Nick Richards - UK ($5,400)

F: Jordan Tucker - BUT ($5,100)

U: Tyrique Jones - XAV ($7,000)