THE SLATE (Odds & Totals via DraftKings Sportsbook)
- 6:30 pm ET -- St. John’s at Xavier (-7.5) -- 148.5 O/U (DK ONLY)
- 7 pm ET -- Georgia at LSU (-15.5) – 146 O/U (FD ONLY)
- 7 pm ET -- Boston College at Notre Dame (-9) – 130 O/U (DK ONLY)
- 7 pm ET -- Mississippi State at Alabama (-5.5) -- 150 O/U
- 7 pm ET -- Miami FL (-1.5) at Louisville -- 142 O/U
- 7 pm ET -- Illinois (-3.5) at Rutgers -- 135 O/U
- 8 pm ET -- Georgetown at Marquette (-13) -- 154.5 O/U
- 8 pm ET -- Pittsburgh at North Carolina (-14) -- 142 O/U (FD ONLY)
- 8:30 pm ET -- Seton Hall at Connecticut (-5.5) -- 136 O/U
- 9 pm ET -- Vanderbilt at Auburn (-13.5) -- 142 O/U
- 9 pm ET -- Purdue (-6) at Northwestern -- 147 O/U
- 9 pm ET -- Baylor at Texas Tech (-2.5) -- 136 O/U
- 9 pm ET -- SMU (-4.5) at Temple -- 134.5 O/U (DK ONLY)
- 11 pm ET -- Gonzaga (-31.5) at Pepperdine -- 164 O/U (DK ONLY)
Top KenPom Projected Team Totals
- Gonzaga – 94
- Marquette – 85
- Xavier – 80
- LSU – 80
- Alabama – 79
- North Carolina – 78
- Purdue – 77
- Auburn – 76
- Mississippi State – 73
- Miami FL – 73
- Northwestern – 73
Notable Injuries to Monitor:
- Posh Alexander, St. John's – QUESTIONABLE (ankle)
- Kevin McCullar, Texas Tech – GAME-TIME DECISION (ankle)
- LJ Cryer, Baylor – GAME-TIME DECISION (foot)
- Bryce Aiken, Seton Hall – DOUBTFUL (concussion)
- Nate Johnson, Xavier – QUESTIONABLE (knee)
- Adam Kunkel, Xavier – PROBABLE (illness)
- Damian Dunn, Temple – GAME-TIME DECISION (leg)
- Jeremiah Williams, Temple – GAME-TIME DECISION (undisclosed)
- Jake Forrester, Temple – DOUBTFUL (illness)
- Quinten Post, Boston College – QUESTIONABLE (COVID)
- Ryan Mutombo, Georgetown – QUESTIONABLE (undisclosed)
- Akok Akok, Connecticut – OUT (foot)
- Jade' Smith, Pepperdine – QUESTIONABLE (undisclosed)
Top Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Scotty Pippen Jr. | VAND | AUB | 8100 | 31.98 | 8200 | 29.30 |
| People may avoid Pippen Jr. because he’s on the road against Auburn, but it’s hard to ignore how consistent he’s been for DFS. In a high-usage role with heavy shot volume as Vandy’s alpha, Pippen Jr. is averaging 19.8 PPG and 35 DK over the past ten games and has put up numbers in tough matchups already (46 DK vs. Kentucky, 35 DK vs. Tennessee to name a couple). He’s a nice contrarian cash play with his solid floor. | ||||||
| Jaden Ivey | PUR | NW | 8000 | 31.45 | 7700 | 29.06 |
| Ivey is uncharacteristically coming off a pair of subpar efforts with only 21 and 19 DK in the past two games. This is still a guy with NBA lottery pick talent who can put up 40+ DK in any given game - as he did in the three prior to these recent “duds”. Ivey tends to be more assertive offensively with slightly better DFS production on the road and we should see him return to the regular cash stud level. | ||||||
| Andrew Nembhard | GONZ | PEP | 7500 | 26.21 | ||
| Since we have Gonzaga on the DK slate, Nembhard has to be considered in all formats as the point guard for the top offense in action. Even though it’ll be a blowout win, Nembhard has shown us he can get it done DFS-wise in these situations this season. He’s put up 31 DK or more in seven of the last nine games with plenty of stat-stuffing efforts in some large Zags’ victories. He’s also been more active on the road, averaging 34 DK in four road matchups. | ||||||
| Ron Harper Jr. | RU | IL | 7400 | 30.09 | 7200 | 27.56 |
| Rutgers is suddenly on the Tournament bubble and a big reason for that is more consistent play from its big three of Mulcahy, Baker and Harper Jr. The latter is coming off a 21-point, 34 DK effort in an upset win over Wisconsin and has shown that type of DFS upside all year. Usually, though, it’s at home where he’s averaging 16.9 PPG and 33 DK compared to 13.9 PPG and 25 DK on the road. We get him at home tonight with Rutgers looking to get another resume-boosting win over Illinois. | ||||||
| James Akinjo | BAY | TTU | 7100 | 28.33 | 8100 | 25.85 |
| Akinjo has had some impressive showings since returning from an injury, with 35+ DK in three of the last four games. The Baylor point guard has had to do a lot offensively with Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer both banged up recently. Cryer is a game-time decision tonight, but Akinjo will still take on the offensive alpha role on the road in a tough environment here. It’s also worth mentioning that Akinjo’s price differential on DK compared to FD should make him more popular on that site. | ||||||
Other Top Guards:
- Iverson Molinar -- Mississippi State ($8,000 DK / $7,900 FD)
- Jaden Shackelford -- Alabama ($7,900 DK / $7,600 FD)
- Kameron McGusty -- Miami FL ($7,600 DK / $7,500 FD)
- Wendell Green Jr. -- Auburn ($7,400 DK / $6,800 FD)
- Paul Scruggs -- Xavier ($6,900 DK Only)
- Paul Mulcahy -- Rutgers ($6,700 DK / $7,300 FD)
- Caleb Love -- North Carolina ($6,400 FD Only)
Value Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Jahlil White | TEMP | SMU | 5400 | 18.86 | ||
| Keep an eye on Temple’s injury news before this 9 pm ET tip. We have Damian Dunn and Jeremiah Williams both game-time decisions as of this writing. If both are out like last game, then White would be a solid value by default with the safer increase in role and minutes. He had 29 DK last game with both out and is actually averaging a solid 25 DK over the past ten games. White gives you just enough ancillary stat production to be a cash value. | ||||||
| Adonis Arms | TTU | BAY | 4900 | 18.3 | 5300 | 16.68 |
| A key injury situation tonight is that of Kevin McCullar. If he’s out, then expect Adonis Arms and Terrence Shannon Jr. to step into bigger offensive roles for Texas Tech. That was the case last game when Mccullar played only 13 minutes while Arms put up 26 DK points in an expanded role. Both Arms and Shannon Jr. are solid cash values if McCullar sits. | ||||||
| El Ellis | UL | MIA | 4800 | 14.09 | 5000 | 12.65 |
| Ellis has been putting up numbers ever since the Louisville coaching change in late January. More often than not, he’s now the team’s main ball-handler with an increase in shot volume and offensive usage. Ellis has 23, 34, 14 and 23 DK points in the four games since head coach Chris Mack was fired and he should easily return value if that trend continues at some cheap salaries tonight. | ||||||
| RJ Melendez | IL | RU | 3700 | 7.57 | 4600 | 7.04 |
| Gotta love those late-season values that emerge out of nowhere in DFS CBB! Melendez has interestingly started to get more playing time lately after basically being out of the rotation for much of his freshman season. The 6-foot-7 wing just went for 14 points and 28 DK last time out in his best performance yet and it looks like he’ll be a key part of the rotation moving forward. It’s worth the value for the possible 5-6x return or better. | ||||||
| Adam Kunkel | XAV | STJN | 3500 | 15.12 | ||
| Kunkel is expected to return tonight after missing the last game due to a non-COVID illness. If that’s the case, he could move into a starting role or at least more playing time with Nate Johnson possibly sitting out. Johnson is reportedly a game-time decision after hurting his knee on Friday and missing practices this week. The pace-boost matchup vs. St. John’s with an increase in minutes makes Kunkel really attractive at a cheap DK price. | ||||||
Other Value Guards:
- Emmanuel Bandoumel -- SMU ($5,400 DK Only)
- Leaky Black -- North Carolina ($5,300 FD Only)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. -- Texas Tech ($5,200 DK / $5,500 FD)
- Greg Elliott -- Marquette ($5,000 DK / $5,200 FD)
- Rodney Chatman -- Vanderbilt ($4,800 DK / $4,600 FD)
- Stef Smith -- St. John’s ($3,900 DK Only)
- Jarrod West -- Louisville ($3,900 DK / $4,600 FD)
Top Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Chet Holmgren | GONZ | PEP | 9300 | 37.08 | ||
| With Gonzaga on the DK slate, we’re faced with the unfortunate decision of whether to play Holmgren, Timme, both or neither in cash or GPP lineups. You can make the argument for any of the four options at this point and either could be right by the night’s end. The blowout factor makes it tough to trust the Gonzaga guys, but Holmgren has still been putting up dominant numbers in these easy wins as he plays deep into the second half. He had 37 DK in only 21 minutes in a blowout win over Pepperdine earlier this season and could eclipse that tonight with his sky-high DFS ceiling. | ||||||
| Kofi Cockburn | IL | RU | 9100 | 40.29 | 8400 | 37.56 |
| It’s no secret, Cockburn is one of the best big men at the college level and he’s a nightly mismatch against opposing frontcourts. That’ll be the case again tonight as Rutgers doesn’t have the talent down low to slow Cockburn’s post game and rebounding aggressiveness. He had 13 points, 15 rebounds and 40 DK in this matchup back in December and could easily replicate that here. | ||||||
| Walker Kessler | AUB | VAND | 8900 | 35.04 | 8700 | 33.18 |
| Kessler is one of those “fade at your own risk” type players at this point. The Auburn center has 54 DK or more in three of the last four games and he just dropped a triple-double with blocks. He’ll provide a strong cash floor with his points, rebounding and blocks and has shown the upside to be the slate’s highest-scorer. The Vandy frontcourt won't do much to slow his DFS production tonight at home. | ||||||
| Justin Lewis | MARQ | GU | 8300 | 33.18 | 8300 | 30.62 |
| Targeting against Georgetown for DFS is always a good strategy and we get to do it tonight with Marquette. In particular, Lewis is the guy to look at first and he’s fairly affordable considering his recent form and favorable matchup. The Marquette power forward/wing is averaging a strong 18.9 PPG and 35 DK over the past ten games and he’s been a safe bet for DFS nearly every time out. Ironically, Lewis only had 18 DK in the first matchup vs. the Hokies due to the blowout factor where he played just 22 minutes - so let’s hope it’s close enough for Lewis to do this thing. | ||||||
| Zach Edey | PUR | NW | 7000 | 28.5 | 7200 | 26.77 |
| Edey is always a candidate to put up a double-double and/or 35+ DFS points with how dominant he can be down low - despite splitting minutes down the middle with Trevion Williams. The Purdue center had a double-double and 30 DK vs. Northwestern in the first meeting and should have an advantage of the undersized frontcourt again tonight. Edey's price tags on both sites are too cheap for the real possibility he puts up better numbers than some priced above him. | ||||||
Other Top Forwards:
- Armando Bacot -- North Carolina ($8,500 FD Only)
- Drew Timme -- Gonzaga ($8,200 DK Only)
- Tari Eason -- LSU ($8,000 FD Only)
- Jabari Smith – Auburn ($7,700 DK / $7,200 FD)
- Brady Manek -- North Carolina ($6,800 FD Only)
Value Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Adama Sanogo | UCONN | SHU | 5800 | 31.22 | 6000 | 29.21 |
| Sanogo is right on the fringe of being considered a value play, but we’re listing him here because he’s priced way down on both sites. That’s because of a few down efforts lately, but this is too cheap for a guy that has literal 40+ DFS point upside. In fact, he did just that vs. Seton Hall earlier this season when he dropped 48 DK with a massive 18-point, 16-rebound effort. Though he hasn’t been at that level recently, the GPP upside is still there. | ||||||
| Nick Jourdain | TEMP | SMU | 5200 | 20.07 | ||
| Temple has a number of value plays to consider on the DK slate if we get official word that Damian Dunn and Jeremiah Williams are out. If they are, then Jourdain would be hard to fade in cash with his cheap price and elevated role. In the last game with both out, Jourdain put up 27 DK with an increase in shot volume. You can also look at Zach Hicks or Tai Strickland from Temple. | ||||||
| Flo Thamba | BAY | TTU | 4600 | 14.86 | 5000 | 14.17 |
| With Tchamwa Tchatchoua now out for the season, Thamba will have to play a bigger role in Baylor’s frontcourt. He did exactly that on Saturday when his teammate went down - playing a season-high 30 minutes and putting up 34 DK with a double-double. Though we can’t expect a repeat of that performance, Thamba is still too cheap with this increase in playing time and role at the center spot for Baylor. | ||||||
| Charles Bediako | BAMA | MSST | 4500 | 16.95 | 4600 | 16.28 |
| Even though he reverted back to the bench last game, Bediako put up 17 DK in just 14 minutes of floor time. The 7-foot freshman center has the raw talent to smash value in any given night if he’s at his best on both ends of the court. However, it’s a risk to play him to DFS because he can bust. There’s definitely GPP upside at these sub-5k price tags on both sites - whether he’s coming off the bench or back starting. He had 25 DK vs. Mississippi St in the first matchup. | ||||||
Other Value Forwards:
- James Karnik -- Boston College ($5,200 DK Only)
- Jae’Lyn Withers -- Louisville ($4,700 DK / $6,300 FD)
- Zach Hicks -- Temple ($4,700 DK Only)
- Jan Zidek -- Pepperdine ($4,700 DK Only)
DraftKings Core Plays
- Walker Kessler – Auburn
- Andrew Nembhard – Gonzaga
- El Ellis – Louisville
FanDuel Core Plays
- Kofi Cockburn – Illinois
- Justin Lewis – Marquette
- Adonis Arms – Texas Tech