After a great opening round with plenty of upsets and overtimes, the round of 32 is set and we have a great slate for Sunday. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have their main slate, all eight of the games scheduled to tip. Let us dive in!
THE SLATE
Games by Time w/ O/Us
- 8 Loyola- Chicago vs 1 Illinois- 12:10pm CBS- 133.5
- 9 Wisconsin vs 1 Baylor- 2:40pm CBS- 137.5
- 11 Syracuse vs 3 West Virginia- 5:15pm CBS- 147.5
- 6 Texas Tech vs 3 Arkansas- 6:10pm TNT- 141
- 10 Rutgers vs 2 Houston- 7:10pm TBS- 132
- 15 Oral Roberts vs 7 Florida- 7:45pm TruTV- 148
- 13 North Texas vs 5 Villanova- 8:45pm TNT- 127
- 12 Oregon St vs 4 Oklahoma St- 9:40pm TBS-140.5
| Top Guards | |||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
| Cade Cunningham | OKST | ORST | 9800 | 36.78 | 8500 | 33.16 | |
| Choosing between Cade Cunningham and Ayo Dosunmu is tough but think im giving the edge to Cunningham. For starters you save $300 in FanDuel but also Cunningham also has a nice matchup. The Beavers rank 96th in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom, while Loyola-Chicago ranks 3rd. Cunningham didn't set the world on fire in his NCAAT debut, scoring 15 points and adding 5 rebounds, but Liberty really tried to slow down the tempo. Look for Oregon St to look to do the same but aren't as good defensively so they may struggle to do so. Really like Cunningham to have a statement game in this one. | |||||||
| Max Abmas | ORAL | UF | 8800 | 38.25 | 8200 | 36.16 | |
| If you didn't know who Max Abmas was going into the dance, you certainly ought to know by now. Abmas put the country on notice, leading the charge in the stunning upset over the 2-seed Buckeyes. Abmas poured in 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in the winning effort. It will be interesting to see how Mike White decides to guard him, Scottie Lewis seems like a good choice. However Abmas should have a plus matchup against Mann or Locke. | |||||||
| Tre Mann | UF | ORR | 8000 | 30.74 | 7900 | 28.09 | |
| On the flip side I see the Tre Mann to be in store for a big game as well. Should be an offensive duel between Mann and Abmas. In the opening win against Virginia Tech, Mann went for 14 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Virginia Tech has better defensive guards than Oral Roberts, expect Mann to a big night. | |||||||
| Javion Hamlet | UNT | VU | 7900 | 31.50 | 7200 | 25.15 | |
| With the way Javion performed in the upset over Purdue and Nova's backcourt situation, Hamlet may be the best play of the high priced guards. Hamlet went off in the win over the Boilermakers with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. Villanova is really lean on guards these days with the loss of Colin Gillespie. Hamlet should be in store for another big night, as the Mean Green will advance to the Sweet 16. | |||||||
| Value Guards | |||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
| Brad Davison | WISC | BAY | 6300 | 20.78 | 7400 | 19.19 | |
| Where was this Brad Davison all year?! Davison went for a season-high 29 points and added 5 rebounds, 1 assist in the win over UNC. FanDuel certainly has taken notice with his price tag being $7400 but he is great value in DraftKings. Davison certainly has a tough matchup vs Baylor but he has a ton of experience and think he has value. | |||||||
| Jacob Young | RU | HOU | 5800 | 24.50 | 5900 | 22.33 | |
| How is this for a storyline? Jacob Young, who led Rutgers to their first tournament victory since 1983, is a Houston native and now draws the Cougars for a chance for a trip to the Sweet 16. Young came up big in their opener against Clemson with 13 points and a couple of big threes. The NCAA Tournament always loves storylines, could see Young having a big night at a bargain price. | |||||||
| Sean McNeil | WVU | SYR | 4900 | 17.3 | 4600 | 15.62 | |
| Surprisingly Sean McNeil ended up in the starting 5 for the Mountaineers opener against Morehead St. McNeil didnt disappoint with 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 32 minutes of action. With him back in the starting lineup he presents excellent value on both platforms in either contest. | |||||||
Other Guards to Consider
- Jared Butler- Baylor- $8700 DK / $7700 FD
- Myles McBride- West Virginia- $8400 DK / $7500 FD
- Buddy Boeheim- Syracuse- $7900 DK / $6800 FD
- Ethan Thompson- Oregon St- $7200 DK / $5800 FD
- Marcus Sasser- Houston- $6100 DK / $5200 FD
- Mac McClung- Texas Tech- $5800 DK / $5300 FD
- Braden Norris- Loyola-Chicago- $5800 DK / $5000 FD
- Mark Vital- Baylor- $5200 DK / $5500 FD
- Trent Frazier- Illinois- $5200 DK / $5100 FD
- Bryan Antoine- $4100 DK / $3300 FD
| Top Forwards | |||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
| Justin Smith | ARK | TTU | 8600 | 28.32 | 7500 | 26.60 | |
| Justin Smith absolutely went off in his opener against Colgate. Smith dominated with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks and 5 steals. The big night equated to 61.3 fantasy points in DraftKings and 58.1 points on FanDuel. TTU's low post defense probably is better than Colgate but against Utah St Queta was the Aggies' entire offense. Smith is a great play in GPP contests and perhaps a must play in FanDuel. | |||||||
| Kofi Cockburn | IL | LY-IL | 8200 | 32.63 | 8000 | 30.48 | |
| Cameron Krutwig lucked out in the opener, with Moses Wright not playing, but he is going to have his handsful with Kofi Cockburn. Cockburn is the model of consistency this year, posting at least 20 fantasy points in all of his last 15 games, and 30+ points 8 times over that span. Krutwig is outsized and physically outmatched against Cockburn, he should have a big night. Also love his backup Giorgi Bezhanishvili ($3800 / $4000) as a dirt cheap paydown option. | |||||||
| Kevin Obanor | ORAL | UF | 8100 | 35.20 | 7300 | 32.38 | |
| If you rolled with Max Abmas and Kevin Obnar in your lineup Friday, you probably made yourself good money. It was actually Obnar who led Oral Roberts in scoring with 31 points, plus added 11 rebounds in the win over OSU. Castleton is probably better defensively than what Ohio St rolled out but I really like Abmas and Obanor in the pick and role game. Think those two will once again star even if Florida ultimately advances to the Sweet 16. | |||||||
| Jermaine Samuels | VU | UNT | 7200 | 25.30 | 6600 | 23.83 | |
| Zachary Simmons and Thomas Bell did an excellent job defensively against Trevion Williams. With Jeremiah-Robinson Earl their next foe expect him to get plenty of attention. This should open an opportunity for Samuels to score 20+ points in this one, like he did in two games prior to the opening round win vs Winthrop. Samuels is also a consistent rebounder, averaging 6.83 rpg over his last 6 games. Look at Samuels in GPP contests. | |||||||
| Colin Castleton | UF | ORAL | 6800 | 26.49 | 7000 | 25.16 | |
| E.J. Liddell was able to get whatever he wanted against Oral Roberts and with Castleton coming off a big game, expect the same for him. Castleton had a 19 point, 14 rebound double-double against Virginia Tech, he also added 3 blocks and 2 assists. Castleton should be able to secure another double-double in this one. | |||||||
| Value Forwards | |||||||
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG | |
| Micah Potter | WISC | BAY | 6300 | 24.40 | 6000 | 22.61 | |
| Micah Potter had a steady game against one of the best frontcourts in the nation. Potter had 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. The matchup eases up a bit with Baylor and this game will be played at a higher tempo than the UNC game. Think Potter presents good value due to his ability to impact several statistical categories. | |||||||
| Thomas Bell | UNT | VU | 6200 | 22.70 | 5000 | 20.63 | |
| Thomas Bell played role of sidekick in North Texas' upset win over Purdue. Bell had nice night with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. Best of all he played 42 of the 45 minutes of game clock against Purdue. Expect him to be on the court a ton vs Villanova and have another big night. | |||||||
| Alan Griffin | SYR | WVU | 6100 | 30.8 | 7100 | 28.29 | |
| Alan Griffin's decrease in minutes over the last two games is concerning but he could be an absolute steal in a DraftKings cash game. Griffin is averaging 14.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg abd 1.8 apg on the year but has mustered only 3 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists over his last two games. This isn't your typical defensive West Virginia team, as they rank 64th in defensive efficiency per KenPom. Griffin could be a homerun play in the DK slate. | |||||||
| Nate Reuvers | WISC | BAY | 4700 | 16.21 | 4600 | 17.62 | |
| Nate Reuvers is another Badger that had a nice game against a great frontcourt in UNC. Reuvers had a steady 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 blocks. The matchup eases a bit with Baylor, as their defense comes from their guards. I wouldn't play Potter and Reuevers in the same lineup but each of them provide solid value. | |||||||
Other Forwards to Consider
- Derek Culver- West Virginia- $7900 DK / $7800 FD
- Moses Moody- Arkansas- $7800 DK / $6900 FD
- Quincy Guerrier- Syracuse- $6600 DK / $7400 FD
- Justin Gorham- Houston- $6400 DK / $5700 FD
- Kalib Boone- Oklahoma St- $5900 DK / $5400 FD
- Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe- $5700 DK / $4800 FD
- Mark Vital- Baylor- $5200 DK / $5500 FD
- Zachary Simmons- North Texas- $5100 DK / $4700 FD
- Fabian White Jr.- Houston- $5000 DK / $4500 FD
- Giorgi Bezhanishvili- Illinois- $3800 DK / $4000 FD
Example Lineups
The Example Lineups are meant to show roster construction utilizing players listed in the Playbook. They are not meant to be plugged and played.
| DK Cash | FD Cash | ||||||||||
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| G | Max Abmas | ORR | UF | 38.25 | $9,200 | G | Max Abmas | ORR | UF | 36.16 | $8,200 |
| Pivot | Jared Butler | BAY | WISC | 33.38 | $8,700 | Pivot | |||||
| G | Tre Mann | UF | ORR | 30.74 | $8,000 | G | Cade Cunningham | OKST | ORST | 33.16 | $8,500 |
| Pivot | Javion Hamlet | UNT | VU | 27.1 | $7,700 | Pivot | Javion Hamlet | UNT | VU | 25.15 | $7,200 |
| G | Sean McNeil | WVU | SYR | 17.3 | $4,900 | G | Ethan Thompson | ORST | OKST | 26.22 | $5,800 |
| Pivot | Pivot | ||||||||||
| F | Colin Castleton | UF | ORR | 26.49 | $6,800 | G | Mac McClung | TTU | ARK | 22.57 | $5,300 |
| Pivot | Kalib Boone | OKST | ORST | 21.63 | $5,900 | Pivot | |||||
| F | Alan Griffin | SYR | WVU | 30.80 | $6,100 | F | Justin Smith | ARK | TTU | 26.60 | $7,500 |
| Pivot | Derek Culver | WVU | SYR | 31.04 | $7,900 | Pivot | Derek Culver | WVU | SYR | 28.85 | $7,800 |
| F | Nate Reuvers | WISC | BAY | 16.21 | $4,700 | F | Giorgi Bezhanishvili | ILL | LY-IL | 9.40 | $4,000 |
| Pivot | Pivot | ||||||||||
| Util | Giorgi Bezhanishvili | IL | LY-IL | 10.06 | $3,800 | F | Matthew-Alexander MonCrieffe | OKST | ORST | 17.05 | $4,800 |
| Pivot | Pivot | ||||||||||
| Util | Justin Gorham | UH | RU | 24.02 | $6,400 | Util | Jacob Young | RU | HOU | 22.33 | $5,900 |
| Pivot | Pivot | Buddy Boeheim | SYR | WVU | 25.84 | $6,800 | |||||
| Total | $49,900 | Total | $50,000 | ||||||||
| Pivot Total | $50,000 | Pivot Total | $49,900 | ||||||||
| DK GPP | FD GPP | ||||||||||
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary | Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| G | Cade Cunningham | OKST | ORST | 36.78 | $9,800 | G | Jared Butler | BAY | WISC | 30.36 | $7,700 |
| Pivot | Jared Butler | BAY | WISC | 33.38 | $8,700 | Pivot | |||||
| G | Mac McClung | TTU | ARK | 24.47 | $5,800 | G | Ethan Thompson | ORST | OKST | 26.22 | $5,800 |
| Pivot | Trent Frazier | IL | LY-IL | 21.06 | $5,200 | Pivot | |||||
| G | Braden Norris | LY-IL | IL | 17.76 | $5,800 | G | Miles McBride | WVU | SYR | 30.44 | $7,500 |
| Pivot | Marcus Sasser | UH | RU | 23.36 | $6,100 | Pivot | Moses Moody | ARK | TTU | 28.44 | $6,900 |
| F | Kofi Cockburn | IL | LY-IL | 32.63 | $8,200 | G | Mark Vital | BAY | WISC | 19.24 | $5,500 |
| Pivot | Justin Smith | ARK | TTU | 28.32 | $8,600 | Pivot | |||||
| F | Zachary Simmons | UNT | VU | 21.83 | $5,100 | F | Thomas Bell | UNT | VU | 20.63 | $5,000 |
| Pivot | Pivot | ||||||||||
| F | Fabian White Jr. | UH | RU | 15.08 | $5,000 | F | Kalib Boone | OKST | ORST | 20.28 | $5,400 |
| Pivot | Pivot | ||||||||||
| Util | Bryan Antoine | VU | UNT | 5.75 | $4,100 | F | Jalen Tate | ARK | TTU | 21.44 | $5,100 |
| Pivot | Mark Vital | BAY | WISC | 20.14 | $5,200 | Pivot | Justin Gorham | UH | RU | 22.49 | $5,700 |
| Util | Alan Griffin | SYR | WVU | 30.83 | $6,100 | Util | Kofi Cockburn | IL | LY-IL | 30.48 | $8,000 |
| Pivot | Pivot | ||||||||||
| Total | $49,900 | Total | $50,000 | ||||||||
| Pivot Total | $50,000 | Pivot Total | $50,000 | ||||||||