Highest Scoring Teams:
(by Implied Points per KenPom)
Villanova -- 88 Points (-17 vs. St. Joseph’s) **DK Only**
Maryland -- 79 Points (-10 vs. Illinois)
West Virginia -- 77 Points (-4 vs. St. John’s) **FD Only**
Baylor -- 75 Points (-4 vs. Arizona)
NC State -- 74 Points (-2 vs. Wake Forest)
Xavier -- 73 Points (-6 vs. Cincinnati)
St. John’s -- 73 Points (+4 vs. West Virginia) **FD Only**
Guards
Ryan Daly - St. Joseph’s ($8,900 DK Only)
It may seem odd to see a player from St. Joseph’s as the most expensive on DK today, but Daly’s performance this season certainly warrants the high price tag. The Hawks may be 2-7 on the year, but their junior point guard is literally doing everything for them right now. Daly is dominating the offensive usage (33%) and shots share (34%) for the Hawks - both rates are top 30 in the nation - and he also leads the team in rebounding and assist rates. He’s averaging 41.2 DK points this season and only once has he failed to put up at least 38 DK points. Even though St. Joseph’s is projected to lose by 17 to Villanova, Daly is still a strong DFS play because of his high involvement in all phases in a high-paced matchup. The Hawks play at the 16th-fastest tempo in the country and ‘Nova has proven it can also speed up their play against faster teams. Plus, Daly has shown he can still have good statistical games against tougher competition - he had 50 DK points against Connecticut and 45 DK points against Florida.
Brandon Childress - Wake Forest ($7,800 DK / $6,100 FD)
This NC State-Wake Forest game could go overlooked for DFS purposes today, but the ACC battle should be faster-paced than most on the slate with two evenly matched teams with tons of fantasy points to go around on both sides. Childress is the senior point guard for Wake and he’ll have the ball in his hands a lot on offense with the highest shots share and assist rate on the team and the second-highest usage rate by a small margin. Plus, he regularly plays 30-35 minutes in most games and his large volume of playing time allows him to rack up the stats in every category. Although he’s coming off a bust outing last game, Childress had scored at least 27 DK points in seven of the previous eight games. Take note of his price differential between sites as he’s $1,700 cheaper on FD and is a much better value on that slate.
Jared Butler - Baylor ($7,600 DK / $6,900 FD)
In his sophomore season, Butler has emerged as Baylor’s best all-around player and he’s been the best DFS option on the team thus far. Butler leads the team in offensive usage, shots share and assist rate and he’s the best three-point shooter as well - hitting 52% of his team-high 50 attempts from deep. Plus, he’s averaging 19.4 points this season and has been the go-to scorer whenever the Bears need a bucket. Butler should have a ton of scoring chances today in a tight matchup vs. Arizona - and his sharp three-point shooting should come in handy as ‘Zona does not defend the perimeter particularly well. Plus, if the Wildcats are playing with a limited Nico Mannion or Josh Green (or without either) - Butler should have no problem being the best guard on both ends and could take over the game.
Darryl Morsell - Maryland ($5,300 DK / $5,300 FD)
We’re not sure why Morsell is still so affordable on both sites but let’s take advantage of the value while we can. The junior has been Maryland’s unsung hero lately as the team’s best on-ball defender who can also create his own shots by driving to the rim when the offense is struggling. He’s been playing big minutes lately in the Terps’ short rotation and is usually tasked with defending the other team’s best player - like he did against Marquette when Markus Howard was held to just six points. Morsell has put up 30, 38.5 and 25.25 DK points in the past three games while averaging 13.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists with two double-doubles over that span. While he doesn’t normally get a ton of shot attempts, his DFS floor is regularly high because of his rebounding prowess from the guard position.
Jemarl Baker Jr. - Arizona ($4,600 DK / $4,300 FD)
Baker, a Kentucky transfer, is averaging 15-20 minutes off the bench this season but he could see an increase in playing time today with Arizona dealing with some injuries. The Wildcats’ two best players, Nico Mannion and Josh Green, are both questionable to play and whether or not they suit up - Baker will definitely be needed more than usual. Mannion has missed practice all week with a sore back and Green is battling strep throat. Reports indicate that Mannion has the better chance at playing today, but head coach Sean Miller has said they both could come off the bench (at best) because of the missed practice time. Baker, meanwhile, has shown flashes of the talent that Kentucky recruited him for as he put up 20 or more DK points in four of six games to start the season and is second on the team in assist rate. Check the news and starting lineup updates before this 12 pm ET tip, but if Baker ends up starting with either Mannion or Green sitting out - he becomes a very good value play on both sites.
Other Guards to Consider:
Michael Devoe - Georgia Tech ($7,700 FD Only)
Collin Gillespie - Villanova ($7,500 DK Only)
Markell Johnson - NC State ($7,500 DK / $6,600 FD)
Julian Champagnie - St. John’s ($6,600 FD Only)
Davion Mitchell - Baylor ($5,000 DK / $4,900 FD)
Duane Washington Jr. - Ohio State ($4,600 DK / $5,000 FD)
Forwards
Saddiq Bey - Villanova ($7,300 DK Only)
If you’re playing on DK, definitely get exposure to this Villanova offense as they are projected to score the most points on the slate and will be in a fast-paced game against St. Joseph’s. Bey is the best value among the Wildcats for his salary as he’s been having some monster DFS performances lately. Over the last four games, the sophomore wing is averaging 38 DK points with per-game averages of 19.8 points scored, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and 1.5 blocks. That’s a stat-stuffer if we’ve ever seen one and Bey has emerged as the most complete player in their rotation. While he’s not the top scorer, rebounder or passer on the team, Bey is doing a little of everything for Villanova and we should expect another 35+ DK points from him today in up-tempo game.
Tyrique Jones - Xavier ($7,400 DK / $6,800 FD) & Naji Marshall - Xavier ($7,100 DK / $7,000 FD)
The bulk of Xavier’s production comes from their frontcourt duo of Tyrique Jones and Naji Marshall and both are firmly in play on this slate. The decision of which to play may simply come down to the site you’re on because Jones is the cheaper option on FD and Marshall is the value on DK. Jones leads the team in offensive usage and rebounding and is a close second behind Marshall in shots share. He’s put up four double-doubles in the last five games and should have no problem being a force in the paint again vs. Cincinnati. Marshall, meanwhile, leads Xavier in assist rate and shot volume with a decent usage rate as well. His DFS floor is a big higher than Jones because of his involvement passing the ball as well as rebounding and, of course, scoring. He’s put up 32 or more DK points in three of the last four games and he should see the bulk of the shot attempts today to get back to that production.
Oscar Tshiebwe - West Virginia ($6,300 FD Only)
If you’re playing on FD today, we should at least get some exposure to the West Virginia players as this team is projected to score the second-most points on the slate and will be in a fast-paced game vs. St. John’s. Tshiebwe, the Mountaineers’ freshman big man, has been mostly boom-or-bust for DFS this season but his ceiling is extremely high with at least 42 FD points in two games so far. If he can avoid foul trouble, Tshiebwe can have massive games because of his elite rebounding instincts - his 19% offensive rebounding rate is the 5th-best mark in the country and he has games of 17 and 18 rebounds already this season. We could be in line for another high-rebound day from Tshiebwe as St. John’s is terrible on the defensive boards and don’t have anyone who can match up with his size in the paint.
Jairus Hamilton - Boston College ($4,300 FD Only)
Boston College’s starting center Nik Popovic is out indefinitely with back spasms and this will open up some immediate playing time in the frontcourt for the Eagles. Presumably, Steffon Mitchell will play a larger role, but someone else will need to step up in Popovic’s absence and Hamilton seems the logical choice. The 6-foot-8 sophomore has started each of the last two games and has played a bigger role for BC since returning from an injury himself. Hamilton has a 22% or more usage rate in his three games back and his minutes share has ramped up with each game as well. At this price, Hamilton should be a really good bargain in 25-30 minutes with more rebounding and usage than normal with Popovic out.
Ira Lee - Arizona ($4,100 DK / $4,000 FD)
While Arizona is dealing with some question marks in their backcourt, the Wildcats will also be without senior big man Stone Gettings for the foreseeable future as he recovers from a facial fracture. This injury will open up some minutes in Arizona’s frontcourt and Ira Lee should benefit the most from the increased playing time. Lee had been getting 10-15 minutes off the bench for much of this season but he saw 17 and 18 minutes in the last two games with Gettings sidelined. That increase in playing time resulted in a pair of 13-point DK games as he averaged 5.5 rebounds, one assist and three points across both outings. At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Lee’s size will be needed more in this matchup against Baylor’s strong frontcourt and he can easily return 4x or 5x value if he sees 20 or more minutes in reserve.
Other Forwards to Consider:
Jalen Smith - Maryland ($7,700 DK / $7,300 FD)
Olivier Sarr - Wake Forest ($7,000 DK / $6,700 FD)
Jericole Hellems - NC State ($5,000 DK / $5,500 FD)
Chase Jeter - Arizona ($4,800 DK / $5,400 FD)
Makhi Mitchell - Maryland ($3,800 DK / $3,700 FD)
DraftKings Example Lineup:
G: Ryan Daly - STJOE ($8,900)
G: Darryl Morsell - MD ($5,300)
G: Jared Butler - BU ($7,600)
F: Saddiq Bey - VU ($7,300)
F: Ira Lee - AZ ($4,100)
F: Jericole Hellems - NCST ($5,000)
U: Jemarl Baker - AZ ($4,600)
U: Naji Marshall - XAV ($7,100)
FanDuel Example Lineup:
G: Jared Butler - BAY ($6,900)
G: Darryl Morsell - MD ($5,300)
G: Michael Devoe - GT ($7,700)
G: Brandon Childress - WAKE ($6,100)
F: Oscar Tshiebwe - WVU ($6,300)
F: Ira Lee - ARIZ ($4,000)
F: Naji Marshall - XAV ($7,000)
U: Julian Champagnie - SJU ($6,600)