Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays college basketball fans! Today, we have a 4-game slate on DraftKings only and why not get some DFS lineups in while enjoying some Xmas hoops! All four games are part of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic and, again, are only available on DK. Let’s get into it!
Highest Scoring Teams:
(by Implied Points & Spreads per KenPom)
Ball State -- 71 Points (-9 vs. Portland)
Houston -- 70 Points (-1 vs. Washington)
Washington -- 69 Points (+1 vs. Houston)
Georgia Tech -- 69 Points (-1 vs. Hawaii)
Top Guards
Derrick Alston Jr. - Boise State ($8,500)
People may overlook Boise State’s players - even on this short slate - because this matchup vs. UTEP is one of the lower-scoring games today. Still, we cannot ignore Derrick Alston as one of the best plays on the slate overall even at this expensive price tag. The junior wing has certainly been worth it lately as he’s averaging 35.5 DK points per game and has put up at least 43 DK points in two of the last three. He leads the team in usage rate (30%) and shots share (30%) and his 20% assist rate is also a team-high. Considering how involved Alston is offensively for Boise State, his DFS floor and ceiling remain pretty high any time he’s on the floor - which is 86% of the minutes share so far.
Jarron Coleman - Ball State ($5,200)
The freshman guard came off the bench to start the season but he’s now started six of the last eight games, including four straight. And in these past four games, Coleman has been heavily involved in Ball State’s offense - scoring in double digits each time and averaging 15.5 points per game despite not scoring more than six points in any previous game this season. Coleman is also averaging 24.7 DK points over these past four starts with the increase in usage rate and shot volume. His 20.4% assist rate is second on the team, but he’s now the best distributor in the regular rotation since taking over Josh Thompson’s starting role. Considering the uptick in playing time, usage and scoring, we should be considering Coleman as a very solid cash play in our lineups with a realistic expectation for 4x production.
Jose Alvarado - Georgia Tech ($5,000)
Despite missing nearly a month of game action due to an ankle injury, Alvarado promptly returned to Georgia Tech’s starting rotation in his first two games back and is a clear value right now until his price tag rises. As the lead point guard for the Yellow Jackets, Alvarado has averaged 18 DK points over these last two games and saw 29 and 36 minutes, respectively. It’s encouraging to see his playing time return to the same level he was at before the injury and it seems he’s now fully healthy to continue being the starting point guard moving forward. The junior is the best passer on the team and he was being priced in the 6-7k range before getting hurt. He should be chalky in cash games today.
Caleb Mills - Houston ($4,700)
Mills had been Houston’s best bench player this season but he’s finally entered the starting rotation in each of the past three games. In those three outings, Mills has put up at least 20 DK points each time as he’s become one of the go-to scorers for Houston. The freshman combo guard actually leads the team in usage rate (28%) and shots share (33%) despite coming off the bench for the majority of the season. He’s parlayed his sixth-man role into being one of the Cougars’ starting guards and it’s paid off as they’ve won their last three games with him starting. If his increase in role and playing time continues, Mills won’t be sub-5k for long and this could be the lowest price tag we see him for the rest of the season. In the mid-range today, it doesn’t get much better than playing Mills to open up value for the rest of your lineup.
Jamal Bey - Washington ($4,100)
While Washington has a few nationally known players leading their charge, Bey has carved out a very solid role off the bench for the Huskies and looks like one of the better value plays on this short slate. Washington runs a very short 6-7 man rotation and Bey is their key sixth-man right now - giving him guaranteed playing time and opportunity to put up DFS points across all stat categories while he’s on the floor. The sophomore is averaging 14 DK points in about 25 minutes per game this season - and he’s coming off a Monday performance he put up 18 DK points with nine points, four rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes off the bench. Considering we want as many studs in our lineups as possible on this short slate, Bey is one of the better values at this cheap price tag because it really opens things up.
Other Guards to Consider:
Nate Hinton - Houston ($8,100)
Quentin Grimes - Houston ($7,300)
Quade Green - Washington ($6,500)
Ishmael El-Amin - Ball State ($6,300)
Top Forwards
Isaiah Stewart - Washington ($8,400)
The Huskies have a few high-priced options in play today, but Stewart is the best among them for DFS purposes right now. The freshman big man is averaging 34.6 DK points for the season and has put up 37 or more DK points in each of the past four games (with a pair of outings with at least 44). Over this recent span, Stewart has been a double-double machine for Washington with four straight games of at least 19 points scored and 10 boards. On the season, the 6-foot-9 forward leads the team in usage rate (26%) and shots share (29%) and is the best rebounder for the Huskies as a dominating force in the paint. Although Houston is a good rebounding team, they do not have someone that can match up physically with Stewart down low and he should be safe to record a fifth straight double-double.
Tahjai Teague - Ball State ($7,900)
Teague is Ball State’s best player and we should be looking at him in all formats considering he’s playing for the team projected to score the most points on this short slate. The 6-foot-8 senior wing leads the team in usage rate (27%), shots share (27%) and rebounding rate and also is assisting at a 20% rate. His high involvement in all phases gives him a very high DFS floor and ceiling for us - as he’s averaging 33 DK points per game and is three days removed from putting up 40 DK points with a double-double against Washington. Teague’s ability to rebound the ball on both ends should come in handy against a Portland team that does not rebound well at all offensively or defensively.
Jordan Usher - Georgia Tech ($5,100)
After transferring mid-season from USC, Usher has promptly entered Tech’s starting rotation in his first three games with the team. In these three games, the junior forward is seeing a 25% usage rate and 24% shots share - both marks are second on the team behind Michael Devoe. Plus, he’s played 31 and 36 minutes in the last two games with DFS performances of 31 and 15 DK points, respectively. It’s obviously very encouraging to see Usher get this much playing time right from the get-go as Georgia Tech’s coaching staff clearly trusts him to start moving forward. He’s scored in double-digits with 10 or more shot attempts in these past two games as well - proving that he’s one of the better scorers in the rotation despite joining the team late.
Robin Jorch - Boise State ($3,900)
The 6-foot-11 senior came off the bench to begin the season, but he started Monday’s game (his second start of the year) and promptly put up 20 DK points in 27 minutes. He won’t see much usage or shot volume offensively, but Jorch’s strength is in rebounding with his massive size. He’s one of the better rebounders on the team - despite limited playing time for much of the year - and it’s encouraging to see him get an increase in minutes over these last two games. Considering how many high-priced options there are on this short slate, rostering Jorch as such a cheap price tag could really open up your lineup with some much needed value. Plus, he gets a favorable matchup today against a UTEP team that doesn’t rebound well and whose tallest player is two inches shorter than Jorch.
Other Forwards to Consider:
Zigmars Raimo - Hawaii ($7,900)
Jaden McDaniels - Washington ($7,800)
RJ Williams - Boise State ($7,100)
Dawson Carper - Hawaii ($4,100)
Abu Kigab - Boise State ($3,000)
DraftKings Example Lineup:
G: Derrick Alston - BSU ($8,500)
G: Caleb Mills - HOU ($4,700)
G: Jarron Coleman - BAL ($5,200)
F: Isaiah Stewart - UW ($8,400)
F: Tahjai Teague - BAL ($7,900)
F: Robin Jorch - BSU ($3,900)
U: Jamal Bey - UW ($4,100)
U: Quentin Grimes - HOU ($7,300)