Highest Scoring Teams:
(by Implied Points & Spreads per KenPom)
Gonzaga -- 87 Points (-19 vs. Santa Clara)
Arizona -- 79 Points (-13 vs. Utah)
Oregon -- 74 Points (-9 vs. Washington State)
Memphis -- 73 Points (-4 vs. Cincinnati)
USC -- 72 Points (-11 vs. California) **DK ONLY**
Washington -- 72 Points (-5 vs. Oregon State)
Colorado -- 71 Points (-3 vs. Arizona State)
Top Guards
Payton Pritchard - Oregon ($8,800 DK / $8,100 FD)
If you’ve been paying attention to college basketball over the past few years, you know about Payton Pritchard. He’s the motor that runs Oregon on both ends and he’ll be a top DFS play any time the Ducks are on the slate as he’s routinely one of the most talented players in action. The senior point guard is coming off back-to-back performances of 40+ DK points and he’s averaging 39 DK points over the last ten games - with stat-stuffing averages of 19.7 points, 6.3 assists, 4.4 rebounds and two steals per game over that span. Pritchard leads Oregon in a ton of advanced stats during Pac-12 play - including usage rate (29%), shots share (33%), assist rate (30%), three-point shooting (40%) and minutes share (90%). He’s literally doing it all for the Ducks right now and he should be safe for cash and GPP’s tonight with more responsibility on the road.
McKinley Wright - Colorado ($8,200 DK / $7,800 FD)
Another expensive guard to highly consider tonight is Colorado’s point guard, who’s been a DFS monster lately. McKinley Wright has put up 37 or more DK points in each of the last five games and he’s stuffing the stat sheet as a legit triple-double threat. In this recent five-game stretch, Wright is averaging 18.6 points scored with at least eight assists in four games and at least seven rebounds in three outings. The Buffs’ DFS production is largely led by Wright and Tyler Bey - and both are always in play for us - but Wright has clearly taken on a larger playmaking role once conference play began. He’ll be more important tonight, too, because of the fast-paced matchup with Arizona State that favors Wright’s skillset of grabbing defensive boards, running the court and either scoring it himself or dishing it to teammates.
Remy Martin - Arizona State ($8,000 DK / $7,200 FD)
If you need yet another high-priced guard option tonight, look at Remy Martin as the high-usage point guard for Arizona State. The junior’s 34% usage rate and 37% shots share both lead the Pac-12 through three conference games thus far and it’s clear that Martin has the green light to shoot as often as he wants for an ASU offense that’s still searching for an alternative scorer. Martin has scored 20+ actual points in four straight games and in six of the last eight. When the Sun Devils played Colorado in the season opener, Martin had a whopping 55 DK points with his 23 points scored, eight assists, nine rebounds and five steals. Although we can’t expect a duplicate of that performance, it’s certainly encouraging to see how good Martin was when he faced this Colorado team already - and that matchup came on the road. Still, he’s more of a GPP play on this slate because he’s not as safe in DFS as Wright or Pritchard from above - but he’s got that 50-burger upside in his bag when he’s at the top of his game.
Noah Williams - Washington State ($4,400 DK / $4,600 FD)
Washington State has been forced to move their rotation around with Jaylen Shead battling a hip injury - and Noah Williams is one of those guards who’s now getting an uptick in playing time and usage in Shead’s absence. Although he still comes off the bench, Williams is getting a solid 20-30 minutes as a reserve with Shead out and he’s put up at least 17 DK points in four of the last five games. In these performances, the freshman is producing across multiple stat categories and his DFS value isn’t reliant on pure scoring. This is what we like to target in our value plays - guys who can be safe to produce even if the real points aren’t there. That’s the case for Williams right now as Washington State’s best bench player who adds some length on defense compared to starter Jervae Robinson.
Jamal Bey - Washington ($4,200 DK / $4,200 FD)
Welcome to the best value play on tonight’s slate! Washington point guard Quade Green is out indefinitely after being ruled academically ineligible, and Jamal Bey instantly becomes more valuable in DFS with an increase in playing time and role. In the Huskies’ first game without Green, Bey still came off the bench as Elijah Hardy got the start at point guard. On Saturday, though, Bey entered the starting rotation for the first time since early December and he responded with 23 DK points in 33 minutes - while Hardy only saw 14 minutes as a reserve. Bey, a sophomore, had been Washington’s best bench player all season before Green’s absence - but he’s now a solid value with a starting role and more playing time to rack up enough ancillary stats. Lock him into your lineups tonight and figure out the rest.
Other Guards to Consider:
Tyler Bey - Colorado ($8,300 DK / $7,300 FD)
Ryan Woolridge - Gonzaga ($6,900 DK / $6,400 FD)
Jarron Cumberland - Cincinnati ($6,500 DK / $5,900 FD)
Tyler Harris - Memphis ($4,500 DK / $4,600 FD)
Shane Gatling - Colorado ($4,200 DK / $4,000 FD)
Top Forwards
Precious Achiuwa - Memphis ($8,700 DK / $8,000 FD)
Much like Payton Pritchard - you should know about Precious Achiuwa at this point if you’ve been following college basketball this season. The freshman center has become the focal point of the Memphis offense ever since James Wiseman left the team in November - and he’s been a DFS beast lately. Over the last three games, Achiuwa is averaging 21.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and four blocks with at least 47 DK points each outing. He’s getting a ton of usage and shot volume when he’s on the court, which keeps his DFS floor and ceiling very high as double-double machine and a handful down low for opposing forwards. Although Achiuwa will have to battle with Cincinnati’s 7-foot-1 center Chris Vogt tonight, he should still have the upper hand because Vogt routinely gets into foul trouble while Achiuwa draws fouls at a high rate. Memphis’ best player is safe in all formats tonight and is definitely worth paying up for.
Zeke Nnaji - Arizona ($7,900 DK / $7,000 FD)
If you don’t want to spend all the way up for Precious Achiuwa on tonight’s slate, pivoting to Arizona’s big man is a very worthy alternative. Zeke Nnaji has a favorable matchup against a Utah team that does not rebound well without much size down low, and the Utes’ defense is allowing a ton of opposing points in the paint. This plays perfectly into Nnaji’s strengths as the 6-foot-11 freshman is one of the best rebounders in the Pac-12 and his offensive game is built on scoring inside. Over the last five games, Nnaji is averaging 17.8 points, 12.4 rebounds and 38 DK points per outing as he’s been a handful down low for opposing frontcourts in the Pac-12 and against a couple non-con teams in Gonzaga and St. John’s. The matchup against Utah’s poor frontcourt puts Nnaji squarely in play in all formats and is a solid option if you’re not rolling with Achiuwa as the expensive forward.
Jaden McDaniels - Washington ($7,500 DK / $6,300 FD)
For the majority of the season, McDaniels has been overshadowed by his freshman teammate Isaiah Stewart on a national scale and for DFS. Lately, though, McDaniels is proving he can also be a beast for our lineups. Over the last three games, the 6-foot-9 wing is back to taking double-digit shot attempts regularly as he’s been much more involved offensively for Washington. During this recent three-game span, McDaniels is averaging 13.7 points, 11 rebounds and 36 DK points - and this uptick in production will continue because the Huskies have changed their rotation and offense with Quade Green out indefinitely after being ruled academically ineligible. McDaniels has taken on more ball-handling responsibilities with Green out and he’s Washington’s top scoring option right now.
Corey Kispert - Gonzaga ($6,400 DK / $6,000 FD)
There are a ton of legit DFS options on Gonzaga’s squad, but we’re leaning towards Kispert tonight as he’s been the more consistent producer at his price tag compared to his teammates. Over the last ten games, he’s averaging 27 DK points while scoring in double figures in nine of those outings. Plus, Kispert actually leads the team in minutes share (86%) during conference play so far - which keeps his DFS floor relatively high because of his ability to rack up ancillary stats in a high volume of minutes nightly. Tonight, though, the Zags’ junior could be in a really good spot because of his three-point shooting. Kispert takes the most three’s on the team and he’s hitting 37.5% of them in four conference games thus far. He could get a ton of open looks against a Santa Clara team that poorly defends the perimeter and allows a lot of opposing points via the three-pointer. Kispert is safe for cash, but he’s got some big upside for GPP’s if he’s hitting his deep shots.
N’Faly Dante - Oregon ($4,700 DK / $4,600 FD)
Although we’re still waiting for that breakout game from N’Faly Dante, he remains a solid value at sub-5k on both sites right now. The former five-star recruit had to sit out the first part of the season due to academic ineligibility, but he’s slowly getting acclimated into Oregon’s rotation over his first seven games and he’s been extremely efficient when he’s on the court. While only seeing 15-20 minutes per game lately, Dante still has a 22% usage rate and 20% shots share in the limited action and he’s a beast on the boards with a 27% combined rebounding rate during conference play. The 6-foot-10, 230-pound big man has benefited from CJ Walker’s recent injury - but he’ll soon be playing big minutes in Oregon’s lineup with Pac-12 matchups ramping up. He will present a big mismatch tonight against a Washington State frontcourt that lacks size and rebounding skill - a perfect setup for Dante to get more comfortable at the collegiate level.
Other Forwards to Consider:
Tres Tinkle - Oregon State ($8,900 DK / $8,400 FD)
Filip Petrusev - Gonzaga ($7,800 DK / $6,800 FD)
Evan Battey - Colorado ($6,000 DK / $5,700 FD)
Hameir Wright - Washington ($4,500 DK / $4,400 FD)
Kassim Nicholson - UAB ($4,200 DK Only)
DraftKings Example Lineup:
G: Payton Pritchard - ORE ($8,800)
G: McKinley Wright - UC ($8,200)
G: Jamal Bey - UW ($4,200)
G: Zeke Nnaji - AZ ($7,900)
F: Jaden McDaniels - UW ($7,500)
F: N’Faly Dante - ORE ($4,700)
U: Noah Williams - WSU ($4,400)
U: Kassim Nicholson - UAB ($4,200)
FanDuel Example Lineup:
G: Payton Pritchard - ORE ($8,100)
G: Remy Martin - ASU ($7,200)
G: Jamal Bey - WASH ($4,200)
G: Noah Williams - WSU ($4,600)
F: Precious Achiuwa - MEM ($8,000)
F: Corey Kispert - GONZ ($6,000)
F: N’Faly Dante - ORE ($4,600)
U: Tyler Bey - COLO ($7,300)