Highest Scoring Teams:
(by Implied Points per KenPom)
Arizona -- 84 Points (-18 vs. Omaha)
Arizona State -- 79 Points (-18 vs. Prairie View)
Virginia Tech -- 74 Points (-16 vs. Chattanooga)
Kansas State -- 72 Points (-19 vs. Alabama State)
Michigan -- 71 Points (-1 vs. Illinois)
Guards
Remy Martin - Arizona State ($8,900 DK / $8,000 FD)
Who’s the best player on the team projected to score the second-most points tonight? It’s Arizona State’s point guard and he’s definitely worth considering in all formats despite the high price tag. Martin leads the Sun Devils in a variety of advanced stats this season including minutes share (82%), offensive usage (30%), shots share (29%) and assist rate (26%). He’s the catalyst to Arizona State’s offense and he should have no problem providing 30 or more fantasy points tonight in an easy matchup against a bad Prairie View team. Martin is averaging 35 DK points per game this year thanks to his stat-stuffing ability - he’s averaging about 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals per game so far. His DFS floor is one of the highest on the slate because of his high involvement across the board, and he owns one of the highest ceilings as well.
Cartier Diarra - Kansas State ($8,200 DK / $7,400 FD)
There aren’t many high-priced players on this slate to seriously consider, and that makes Diarra even more attractive with his consistent production at an expensive salary. The Kansas State point guard leads the team in minutes share (80%), offensive usage (28%) and assist rate (44%) while his shots share (25%) is second to only Xavier Sneed. All of that high involvement has allowed Diarra to average 31.9 DK points per game this season with at least 32 DK points in four straight. Even with Kansas State expected to blow out Alabama State, we should still expect Diarra to put up his usual numbers as he’s done in other easy matchups earlier in the year. There is some value to get both Diarra and Remy Martin in your lineups, but the Wildcats’ playmaker is definitely a safe cash game pivot to save some salary.
Dylan Smith - Arizona ($4,700 DK / $4,500 FD)
With Arizona projected to score the most points on tonight’s slate, we definitely want some exposure to the Wildcats - and Smith provides the best value at his affordable price tag. Many of Arizona’s regulars are priced a bit too high for the fantasy production they usually provide, but Smith is a solid way to get a piece of this team at sub-5k on both sites. The senior shooting guard is a little bit scoring-dependant for his fantasy value as he doesn’t offer much upside in ancillary stats, but he can provide 4x or 5x value if he’s hitting his shots. Smith is a regular starter in Arizona’s rotation - playing 28 or more minutes in each of the last four games - and he’s a 42.9% three-point shooter. That deep threat matches up well against a Nebraska-Omaha team that is below-average at defending the three and allows 36% of opposing points via the three-pointer (the 48th-best rate in the country). Smith is more of a GPP play because of his lack of production in other stats besides pure scoring, but he could be a solid value in a favorable matchup.
Da’Monte Williams - Illinois ($4,600 DK / $4,400 FD)
After coming off the bench for the first seven games, Williams entered the starting lineup on Saturday against Maryland and this rotation change nearly helped Illinois pull off the road upset. Williams replaced regular starter Andres Feliz, who provided an offensive spark off the bench that proved to be a difference-maker in the Fighting Illini’s one-point loss. We could see this tactic again tonight with Williams in the starting rotation in a tough matchup vs. Michigan. Williams has played 27 or more minutes in each of the last three games while averaging 22.7 DK points over that span - and that’s with him scoring eight total points in the past two games. The junior’s 22.4% defensive rebounding rate is actually the second-best on the team and his defensive intensity is exactly why he earned the starting nod in the first place on Saturday. Illinois will need his defense again against Michigan and he should see 25+ minutes again even if he heads back to the bench.
Other Guards to Consider:
Nico Mannion - Arizona ($7,900 DK / $6,700 FD)
Wabissa Bede - Virginia Tech ($6,900 DK / $6,100 FD)
D’Mitrik Trice - Wisconsin ($5,700 DK / $5,000 FD)
New Williams - Fresno State ($5,200 DK Only)
Franz Wagner - Michigan ($5,000 DK / $4,700 FD)
Forwards
Jon Teske - Michigan ($8,800 DK / $7,800 FD)
This Michigan-Illinois game features a very watchable big man battle in the paint between the Wolverines’ Jon Teske and the Fighting Illini’s Kofi Cockburn. Both guys are true 7-footers and both have been mostly dominating opponents so far this season. However, we give the edge to Michigan’s center tonight because of his higher involvement on his team’s offense and Cockburn’s potential foul issues. Teske leads Michigan in shots share (25%) and is second in usage to point guard Zavier Simpson. Plus, he draws fouls at a team-high rate of 4.5 per 40 minutes. This should help him win the battle against Cockburn, who commits 4.3 fouls per 40 and ran into foul trouble in the last two matchups with Miami (FL) and Maryland. If Cockburn is out of the game at times, Teske should have a lot easier path to returning value at this high price tag. The senior is averaging 35 DK points per game this season thanks to his 14.1 points, 9.2 rebounds - and he put up 31 or more DK points in his last four games in tough matchups against North Carolina, Gonzaga, Louisville and Iowa. Teske is much more battle-tested and proven than Cockburn and we have to give him the edge tonight.
Romello White - Arizona State ($7,300 DK / $6,400 FD)
We want to target the highest-scoring and fastest-paced teams on every DFS slate and White is the best frontcourt player for Arizona State - who’s projected to score the second-most points and play at one of the faster tempos of anyone tonight. White is coming off his two best games of the season with two straight double-doubles while averaging 16.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 34.4 DK points. Yes those performances came against easier opponents, but White gets another favorable matchup tonight vs. Prairie View A&M. The Panthers do not have size in their frontcourt and are not a good rebounding team. This bodes well for White, who is the clear-cut best rebounder for Arizona State and should have no problem reaching double-digit boards for a third straight game despite his 6-foot-8 build. White plays the small-ball center role exceptionally well and we don’t have to worry about his smaller build in tonight’s matchup as Prairie View’s tallest frontcourt player is also 6-foot-8 and gives up 35 pounds to White.
Antonio Gordon - Kansas State ($4,500 DK / $4,400 FD)
Gordon has been starting for K-State the last four games with Montavious Murphy sidelined and he’s been a solid value over this recent span with the increased playing time. The 6-foot-9 freshman has averaged 16.6 DK points in 27.3 minutes per game over these last four and he put up at least 22 DK points in two of those games. There are rumors that Murphy may return tonight but the team has said they will be cautious with his playing time so even if he is active, it shouldn’t reduce Gordon’s value at this price tag on both sites. One thing that Gordon does better than any of his teammates is grab rebounds on the offensive end as his 10.4% offensive rebounding rate leads the team. That skill could come in handy tonight against an Alabama State team that is terrible at rebounding - especially on the defensive end. If the playing time is again there for Gordon, he should have no problem returning value here.
Khalid Thomas - Arizona State ($3,900 DK / $3,800 FD)
Thomas has seen a huge spike in playing time over the last three games and that increased involvement makes him a very attractive value on this slate if he continues the trend. After failing to play more than six minutes in any of the first five games, Thomas has logged 24, 20 and 16 minutes over the last three games with two straight starts under his belt too. The junior exploded for 14 points scored and 21.5 DK points against Princeton on Nov. 26 and was rewarded a starting spot in the rotation. Check Arizona State’s starting lineup ahead of this 10 pm ET tip, but if Thomas is again starting he should be a lock play in all formats because of his cheap price tag on both sites. In what should be a blowout win over Prairie View, we could also see Thomas get extended playing time in the second half as well.
Other Forwards to Consider:
Xavier Sneed - Kansas State ($7,800 DK / $6,600 FD)
P.J. Horne - Virginia Tech ($5,700 DK / $5,300 FD)
Chase Jeter - Arizona ($5,400 DK / $5,400 FD)
Ira Lee - Arizona ($4,500 DK / $4,000 FD)
DraftKings Example Lineup:
G: Cartier Diarra - KSU ($8,200)
G: Dylan Smith - AZ ($4,700)
G: Da’Monte Williams - IL ($4,600)
F: Jon Teske - MICH ($8,800)
F: Romello White - ASU ($7,300)
F: Antonio Gordon - KSU ($4,500)
U: Khalid Thomas - ASU ($3,900)
U: Nico Mannion - AZ ($7,900)
FanDuel Example Lineup:
G: Cartier Diarra - KSU ($7,400)
G: Da’Monte Williams - ILL ($4,400)
G: Remy Martin - ASU ($8,000)
G: D’Mitrik Trice - WIS ($5,000)
F: Jon Teske - MICH ($7,800)
F: Romello White - ASU ($6,400)
F: Antonio Gordon - KSU ($4,400)
U: Xavier Sneed - KSU ($6,600)