THE SLATE

6:30p- Bowling Green @ Ohio State (-15.5) 144.5 O/U DK

7p- Liberty @ Louisiana State (-9.5) 140.5 O/U FD

7p- Illinois (-8.5) @ Marquette 144.0 O/U

7p- Penn State (-4.5) @ Massachusetts 143.5 O/U FD

8p- Southern Mississippi @ TCU (-14.5) 135.0 O/U

8p- Navy @ Louisville (-13.5) 133.5 O/U FD

9p- Providence @ Wisconsin (-4.5) 131.5 O/U

 

TOP IMPLIED TEAM TOTALS

Ohio State- 80.00 DK

Illinois – 76.25

LSU- 75.00 FD

TCU- 74.75 DK

Penn State- 74.00 FD

Louisville- 73.50 FD

Massachusetts- 689.50 FD

 

TOP GUARDS

Andre Curbelo (Illinois) Opp @ MARQ ($6.6 DK/$7.1 FD)

Curbelo returned from concussion protocol on Friday night and one of the nation’s elite point guards immediately made the Illinois offense better. Finished with eight points, seven assists and two steals in just 19 minutes against Arkansas State. Lock him in as a DK core and one of best plays on the slate. 

Mike Miles (TCU) Opp USM ($6.8K DK)

The sophomore guard is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 13.6 points per game as a true freshman. Got off to a strong start in opener against McNeese State as he led the team in scoring with 22 points and added five assists, two rebounds and a steal. Nice GPP play as the Horned Frogs have the third highest implied total of the DK slate. 

Daeqwon Plowden G/F (Bowling Green) Opp @OSU ($6.7K DK)

Plowden is an unheralded star at Bowling Green. The preseason First Team All-MAC ranked fourth in the MAC in total rebounds with 202 averaging 7.8 per game and finished sixth in the conference with a block per game. Plowden, Trey Diggs and Myron Gordon have scored 45% of all BGSU points this season and Plowden is averaging 34DKFP per game so far. 

Tae Hardy (Southern Mississippi) Opp @TCU ($7.0K DK)

The junior switched from point guard to wing and picked up right where he let off from last season. Hardy scored 20 points and 32 points in two of his last four games last year and is averaging 22 points over his first two games including a 42.3 DKFP night in the season opener.

Other Top Guards to Consider:

Brad Davison (Wisconsin) $6.5 DK/5.8 FD

Jamari Wheeler (Ohio State) $6.9K DK

Aljami Durham (Providence) $7.6K DK

Sam Sessoms (Penn State) $7.0K FD

Darius McGhee (Liberty) $7.6K FD

 

VALUE GUARDS

Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin) Opp PROV ($4.6K DK)

Hepburn had an excellent camp and was able to crack the Badger starting lineup in last Tuesday’s season opener as a freshman. Last true freshman to start an opener? Devin Harris back in 2001 who went on to become an NBA lottery pick. Hepburn played 24 minutes and scored 13 points in his debut and played just as well in his second game against Wisconsin-Green Bay filling the stat sheet with four steals, two rebounds, an assist and three points for 15.0 DKFP and sat most of the second half in the blowout. 

Darryl Morsell (Marquette) Opp IL ($5.8 DK/$8.0 FD)

Morsell has been nothing short of elite with his new team. For the second straight game he recorded a career high in points as the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year put on a clinic with 26 pointed on 8-for-12 shooting from the field which included going 3-for-5 from the 3-point line. Tough matchup with Illinois but Morsell can play with the best of them.

Malaki Branham (Ohio State) Opp BGSU ($3.4K DK)

Branham, a first-year guard, started in the Buckeyes second game of the season but only played 18 minutes scoring seven points with a rebound, assist, steal and block. He actually played more minutes in the season opener (24) and put up 23.0 DKFP on seven points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Chris Holtmann has stated that the Buckeyes starting lineup will remain fluid throughout the year so there is no guarantee Branham starts tonight but at a minimum $3,400 he is worth a shot as a value play.

Other Top Value Guards to Consider:

Jonathan Davis G/F (Wisconsin) $5.5 DK/7.2 FD 

Jacob Grandison G/F (Illinois) $5.3 DK/5.3 FD

Tyler Wahl G/F (Wisconsin) $4.6 DK/4.4 FD

Myles Dread (Penn State) $4.0K FD- TOP FANDUEL PLAY

Jalen Pickett (Penn State) $5.5K FD- TOP FANDUEL PLAY

Xavier Pinson (LSU) $5.7K FD- TOP FANDUEL PLAY

 

TOP FORWARDS

EJ Liddell (Ohio State) Opp BGSU ($8.6K DK)

Liddell is one of the best forwards in the nation and it showed on Friday night against Niagara. He came out with a bang scoring 15 points in the first eight minutes and ended with a career high 29 points. With an extreme usage rate of 45.1% and 49.8 DKFP average over the first two games Liddell is not cheap but is the top overall play of the night and is in play in all formats.

Daeqwon Plowden G/F (Bowling Green) Opp @OSU ($6.7K DK)

Plowden is an unheralded star at Bowling Green. The preseason First Team All-MAC ranked fourth in the MAC in total rebounds with 202 averaging 7.8 per game and finished sixth in the conference with a block per game. Plowden, Trey Diggs and Myron Gordon have scored 45% of all BGSU points this season and Plowden is averaging 34DKFP per game so far. Double-double machine is a top play but will be battling Liddell all night.

Coleman Hawkins (Illinois) Opp @MARQ ($6.5K DK/$7.8K FD)

Hawkins has been fabulous filling in for Kofi Cockburn who is serving the last game of his three-game suspension. A double-double threat and has 30 points and 20 rebounds in his first two games. Marquette will be a tough test but between the pace of the game and Hawkins role he should still easily make value here

Isaih Moore (Southern Mississippi) Opp @TCU ($6.0K DK) 

USM will be big underdogs tonight, but Moore should still have a big night as he has been their top scorer and a double-double threat. The St. John’s transfer is finally getting big minutes and is averaging 14.5 points and nine rebounds a game for a 27.8 DKFP average. Lock Moore in as a core play tonight at forward.

Other Top Forwards to Consider:

Noah Horchler (Providence) $7.5 DK/6.1 FD

Nate Watson (Providence) $8.4 DK/7.7 FD

Emanuel Miller (TCU) $8.7K DK

Darius Days (LSU) $7.9K FD

Tri Eason (LSU) $7.4K FD

Seth Lundy (Penn State) $6.6K FD

 

TOP VALUE FORWARDS

Justin Lewis (Marquette) Opp IL ($5.9K DK/8.2K FD)

Top point per dollar plays of that slate. Lewis is the alpha of this team and is now seeing the minutes. Had an outstanding freshman season right up until he injured his ankle in January and wasn’t the same since. He’s back 100% healthy as the team leader now and posted 17 point/11 rebound double-doubles in each of his first two games. Illinois will be tough, but Lewis should be able to eat especially with Cockburn out one more game.

Jonathan Davis G/F (Wisconsin) Opp PROV ($5.5K DK/$7.2K FD)

Sophomore came off bench last year and still managed seven points and four rebounds a game. Davis is a super dynamic player with the ball in his hands with an excellent mid-range game. He will have a much bigger role this season playing the shooting guard or the three and should lead the team in usage. Love the price. 

Zed Key (Ohio State) Opp BGSU ($4.0K DK)

Key has started the last two games and came three rebounds shy of a double-double on Friday night against Niagara. He had 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes of play. Averaging 25 DKFP over his first two games of the year Key will be a free square tonight at $4,000 if he is announced as starting again. 

Chuck O’Bannon Jr (TCU) Opp USM ($4.9K DK)

Came off the bench in the opener but still stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals for 24.5 DKFP in 24 minutes. Now that he is finally healthy expect a big season from the former McDonalds All-American and $4,900 is too cheap in this matchup against a much weaker Southern Miss squad.

Other Value Forwards to Consider:

Ben Carlson (Wisconsin) $3.0 DK/4.5 FD

Justin Ahrens (Ohio State) $4.3K DK 

Jacob Grandison G/F (Illinois) $5.3 DK/5.3 FD

Tyler Wahl G/F (Wisconsin) $4.6 DK/4.4 FD

Malik Williams (Louisville) $5.9K FD

Steven Crowl (Wisconsin) $5.1K DK/5.6 FD

 

DRAFTKINGS CORE

Justin Lewis (Marquette)

Andre Curbelo (Illinois)

Daeqwon Plowden (BGSU)

 

FANDUEL CORE 

Myles Dread (Penn State)

Xavier Pinson (LSU)

Seth Lundy (Penn State)