Well… Last night sure was an experience. So to be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting to do a Playbook yesterday. Servo’s been terribly sick and the opportunity was thrust upon me at the last minute (and by that, I mean I was politely asked by Jon Impemba). To say I had beginner’s luck was an understatement. DraftKings Lineup 1 put up 263.0 points and DraftKings Lineup 2 put up 231.75 points. So we’ll try to keep the magic alive. Sadly I must assemble lineups for both sites and those will be posted by 10:30am ET. But the creative juices are flowing, so strike while the iron is hot, right? Check out my favorite DFS plays for Sunday afternoon!
Eight-Game Slate (FanDuel: Six Games; DraftKings: Eight Games)
Creighton (-5.5) at St. John’s; O/U 151.5
Cincinnati at Houston (-6.5); O/U 134.0
Indiana at Illinois (-5.5); O/U 132.0
Xavier at Georgetown (Pick ‘em); O/U 142.5
Michigan at Ohio State (-3.5); O/U 137.0
Wichita State at SMU (Pick ‘em); O/U 139.5
DraftKings Only
South Florida at Temple (-4.5); O/U 125.0
Northwestern at Nebraska (-2.5); O/U 145.0
Top Plays
Kaleb Wesson (Ohio State) DraftKings: $8,700; FanDuel: $7,100 – Color me shocked, the most expensive player on the slate made the Playbook. But for good reason! Look at what he does; he scores, he grabs rebounds, he gets steals (very nice for DFS), and for a guy his size he’s pretty good at free throws and he gets sent to the stripe on a regular basis. The over/under for this game isn’t sexy by any means, but Wesson should be rostered. I’m more of a DK guy, but we’ll build plenty of lineups with Wesson on Sunday.
Quinton Rose (Temple) DraftKings: $8,600 – This is one hell of a play on DraftKings. And sure, he’s a pricy/chalky option, but Rose is consistent with a very good floor. The price tag is steep, but he has a 30-point floor on DraftKings so that’s pretty safe for Cash games. He logs minutes, he takes double-digit shots, and he’s good defensively with 15 steals and 11 blocks in his last six games. The over/under is very low for this game. The pace should be slow, but Rose has a good enough floor, but for 4X value you need 35 DK points from him.
Naji Marshall and Tyrique Jones (Xavier) – I prefer Marshall over Jones on both sites, but Marshall is a particularly good value on FanDuel. I value guys that take a ton of shots, especially three-pointers but Tyrique Jones does grab a ton of rebounds so he can return value in that regard while registering double-doubles. Marshall can grab boards as well, but he’s a deeper threat from beyond the arc and he gets a healthy amount of assists so I am stunned that he’s cheaper on FanDuel than Jones. I’ll have exposure to both, but prefer Marshall just a little more especially on FanDuel.
Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati) DraftKings: $8,100; FanDuel: $7,400 – The matchup and the pace may not favor Cumberland. The Bearcats also aren’t projected to do very well in this matchup. But he is safe on paper. I may limit exposure to just GPP’s, which is a hefty price to pay for Cumberland. But he just contributes in a variety of ways and he can return 4X value. I’ll go lighter on Cumberland, but he should be taking 15 shots on Sunday and he’ll likely play at least 35 minutes.
Marcus Zegarowski (Creighton) DraftKings: $7,700; FanDuel: $6,700 – To be completely honest, Zegarowski seems under-valued on both sites. I may be taking advantage of his huge game last Sunday where he went 7-for-7 from deep, but for starters I like targeting players that will take a ton of shots. On top of that, he’s getting the minutes and he contributes rebounds and assists. Creighton is expected to put up about 78-80 points to Zeg is a decent target and the price tag is very reasonable.
Cam Mack (Nebraska) DraftKings: $7,200 – We can’t talk about the DraftKings slate and not acknowledge the second-highest scoring total on the slate. Mack is actually priced down a little bit because we’re getting him at a discount. He’s been dealing with an illness of late hence why his production the last two games has left much to be desired. But when he’s healthy he has 30-point upside on DraftKings. And at this price tag he’s too good to pass up really. I’ll plan accordingly and offer up some value plays from Nebraska, but Mack is a value in himself.
LJ Figueroa (St. John’s) DraftKings: $7,200; FanDuel: $6,600 – LJ has not shot the ball particularly well lately, if we’re being completely honest. If you look at his last three games he’s shooting 10-for-44 from the field and 5-for-19 from deep. Sure he comes with a hefty price tag, but I like that he continues to shoot the ball. The Red Storm are underdogs in this game, but the scoring total is high and Figueroa keeps shooting. I’m of the mindset he could get hot on a casual Sunday afternoon and ownership could be lighter. So yeah, I’m gonna tackle Figueroa in this game and go a little heavier than most people might.
Jagan Mosely (Georgetown) DraftKings: $6,300; FanDuel: $5,500 – I’m all in favor of the price tag on FanDuel. I like Mosely. Before the injury to McClung he was getting plenty of minutes. My main issue with him is that he hasn’t really provided a worthwhile ceiling. However, in his last two games he’s been putting up more offensive production with 32 total points on 8-of-14 shooting. And if he’s fouled he’s a terrific free throw shooter. He’s yielded 4X value in back-to-back games so perhaps he’s finally showcasing the ceiling we’ve been waiting for. Mosely’s far from my favorite play as there are cheaper options on Sunday’s slate for the Hoyas we can target, but perhaps a breakout game is in store for him.
Other Players to Consider
- Zavier Simpson (Michigan) DraftKings: $8,200; FanDuel: $6,800
- Franz Wagner (Michigan) DraftKings: $6,700; FanDuel: $5,700 – LOVE THIS PRICE
- Ty-Shon Alexander (Creighton) DraftKings: $8,000; FanDuel: $6,900
- Jaime Echenique (Wichita State) DraftKings: $7,400; FanDuel: $6,500
- Jamorko Pickett (Georgetown) DraftKings: $6,100; FanDuel: $5,800
- Haanif Cheatham (Nebraska) DraftKings: $6,000
Value Plays
Jahvon Blair (Georgetown) DraftKings: $5,900; FanDuel: $5,800 – Georgetown is hurting right now. Omer Yurtseven and Mac McClung have missed a few games. If McClung is out again on Sunday, I don’t know how you approach the DFS slate without a lot of exposure to Blair. Blair has at least 37 minutes of action in every game in February with double-digit field goal attempts and a hefty amount of three-point attempts as well. He’s helping on the boards and he’s been getting assists as well, but we’ll need Blair to pick up a lot of the offensive production for him to return value. And at his price tag it shouldn’t take too much for him to do so.
Dachon Burke Jr. (Nebraska) DraftKings: $5,900 – Burke is the pivot off of Mack if, for whatever reason, Mack is unable to play. Or if it’s reported that he’s limited. Burke isn’t going to pad the stat sheet via rebounds or assists. However, what we should be liking about him are the 42 shots he’s attempts his last three games. The minutes have been increasing but it’s likely a by-product of Mack’s status. Definitely keep an eye on Nebraska prior to Sunday’s game.
CJ Walker (Ohio State) DraftKings: $5,700; FanDuel: $5,200 – So this is a sensitive topic if D.J. Carton is unable to go. He took a personal leave of absence to deal with some mental health problems, so you wish him all the best. But if Carton is declared out, which I’m thinking he will be, then Walker is a phenomenal play. He’s been a good GPP value even if he isn’t putting up the normal amount of shots that I’d like to see. He can yield points through steals, assists, and a few rebounds. The important thing is that the minutes are there for him so he’s a good play.
The Houston Cougar Guards – So there are a few names in play here: Nate Hinton, Dejon Jarreau, and Caleb Mills. If being honest, Hinton is more of a Top Play than a value play. His price tag is too high to qualify for this section, but he’s a good play regardless of Quentin Grimes status. But if Grimes is inactive then Jarreau and Mills should see extra minutes especially Mills who has put up 48 actual points in his last two games.
Marcellus Earlington (St. John’s) DraftKings: $5,400; FanDuel: $5,300 – Earlington’s minutes are modest. But if you look at his game log for the Johnnies (not sure if that’s spelled right and I follow Big East hoops on the reg), you’ll see he’s not afraid to throw up the shots despite 20-25 minutes of action each game. He can crash the boards, get a few steals, but he also scores. His price tag has barely budged on either site. He’s at a good price tag and is in a great spot as a GPP play for the Red Storm.
Duane Washington Jr. (Ohio State) DraftKings: $5,400; FanDuel: $4,300 – Here’s another beneficiary if D.J. Carton is forced to miss some time. While Walker is a great value as well, Duane Washington Jr. is a great play on FanDuel at just $4,300. He’s logged at least 26 minutes in three straight games while taking 35 shots in that span and 21 of those attempts have been from beyond the arc. The value and minutes should be there for Washington on Sunday.
Trey Wade (Wichita State) DraftKings: $4,600; FanDuel: $4,800 – I love this price on DraftKings. Wade was relegated to the bench for quite a few games, but got the start on Thursday and he put up 21 points and seven rebounds. So it goes without saying, Gregg Marshall would be an idiot to not start him again on Sunday. That being said, nothing’s official but we’re lead to believe Wade would start.
Other Players to Consider
- Thorir Thorbjarnarson (Nebraska) DraftKings: $5,600 – GPP Only
- Jamarius Burton (Wichita State) DraftKings: $5,600; FanDuel: $4,900
- Erik Stevenson (Wichita State) DraftKings: $5,400; FanDuel: $4,900 – GPP Only
- Fabian White Jr. (Houston) DraftKings: $5,400; FanDuel: $4,600 - GPP Only
- Christian Bishop (Creighton) DraftKings: $5,300; FanDuel: $4,900
- Denzel Mahoney (Creighton) DraftKings: $5,200; FanDuel: $4,900
- Luther Muhammad (Ohio State) DraftKings: $5,100; FanDuel: $4,300
Example Lineups
DraftKings 1
Guard - Cam Mack
Guard - Jahvon Blair
Guard - CJ Walker
Forward - Kaleb Wesson
Forward - Marcellus Earlington
Forward - LJ Figueroa
UTIL - Trey Wade
UTIL - Denzel Mahoney
DraftKings 2
Guard - Quinton Rose
Guard - Jahvon Blair
Guard - Haanif Cheatham
Forward - Marcellus Earlington
Forward - Naji Marshall
Forward - Christian Bishop
UTIL - Trey Wade
UTIL - CJ Walker
FanDuel 1
Guard - LJ Figueroa
Guard - Franz Wagner
Guard - CJ Walker
Guard - Jahvon Blair
Forward - Naji Marshall
Forward - Kaleb Wesson
Forward - Fabian White Jr.
UTIL - Jarron Cumberland
FanDuel 2
Guard - Marcus Zegarowski
Guard - LJ Figueroa
Guard - Caleb Mills
Guard - CJ Walker
Forward - Naji Marshall
Forward - Marcellus Earlington
Forward - Kaleb Wesson
UTIL - Jaime Echenique