The 2022-23 college basketball season rolls on with another fun Thursday night slate of games. You can build CBB DFS lineups on DraftKings for the 6-game main slate tipping off at 7 pm ET tonight. The slate features an intriguing non-conference matchup between Illinois and Missouri. We also other top CBB teams like Kansas, Creighton, and NC State in action for our CBB DFS picks and plays. Keep in mind that the Penn State vs Quinnipiac matchup has been moved to the afternoon and isn't included on this slate. If you're looking to play college basketball DFS this season, get full access to our CBB DFS Playbooks and Core Plays with a Fantasy Alarm All-Pro Subscription. Check out all the CBB DFS top picks, lineup strategies, teams to target, and value plays to lock in for tonight's college basketball action. If you have any questions about CBB daily fantasy lineup strategy, ask away in the Fantasy Alarm Discord chat. Now, let's jump into the CBB DFS top plays and lineup picks for Thursday, December 22nd.
College Basketball CBB DFS Slate & Betting Odds December 22
(via DraftKings Sportsbook)
- 7 pm ET – Harvard at Kansas (-21.5) – 138.5 O/U
- 7 pm ET – Western Kentucky (-2.5) at South Carolina – 132.5 O/U
- 7 pm ET – Louisville at NC State (-18) – 145.5 O/U
- 8 pm ET – Butler at Creighton (-8) – 142 O/U
- 9 pm ET – George Washington vs Washington State (-10.5) – 136.5 O/U
- 9 pm ET – Missouri vs Illinois (-6.5) – 153.5 O/U
College Basketball CBB DFS Top Plays December 22
CBB DFS Top Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG |
| Terquavion Smith | NCST | UL | 9000 | 36.25 |
| Smith has been on fire for NC State this season, averaging 18.2 points, 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 36 DK per game. He’s also shooting 35% from three while taking a ton of three’s every time out. Now the Wolfpack get to face a lowly Louisville team with a defense that won’t slow Smith down much. Lock and load him into cash or GPP lineups as he’s now put up 33+ DK in six straight. | ||||
| James Bishop IV | GW | WSU | 7500 | 33.62 |
| They may go overlooked on this slate, but the George Washington backcourt duo of James Bishop and Brendan Adams are definite options tonight. They’re taking on the majority of usage and shot volume in GW’s offense, so the DFS floor is pretty high for both. Bishop gets the nod if choosing between them as he’s averaging 22.2 PPG this season, has 35+ DK in four of the last six, and owns a whopping 32% usage and shot rates right now. | ||||
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | IL | MIZZ | 7200 | 32 |
| Shannon bounced back from a poor offensive performance vs Penn State with his 18 points scored last game. He’s been shooting poorly from three-point range, but Shannon is still getting plenty of shot attempts as Illinois’ top playmaker. This is actually a bargain price for a guy that was $8500 not too long ago and has been in the mid-7k range for much of the season. Illinois gets a slight pace-boost tonight in a high-scoring and uptempo matchup with Missouri, and Shannon should be busy offensively. Plus, hopefully he’s motivated to play better after Underwood’s recent comments. | ||||
| D'Moi Hodge | MIZZ | IL | 7000 | 32.59 |
| Hodge is on a roll offensively and he’s at a very affordable price point as one of the top scorers in the highest total of the slate. The Mizzou guard has scored at least 15 points in four straight games and is averaging 16.4 PPG this season. Hodge also has 30+ DK in seven of the last eight outings while operating in a high-usage and heavy shot volume role. He’s a top cash option in this uptempo and high-scoring matchup vs Illinois. | ||||
Also Consider:
- Dayvion McKnight – Western Kentucky (GPP)
- Baylor Scheierman – Creighton (Cash)
- TJ Bamba – Washington State (GPP)
- Chris Ledlum – Harvard (GPP)
CBB DFS Value Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG |
| Emmanuel Akot | WKU | SCAR | 5900 | 23.45 |
| Sitting just below 6k, Akot is still a value option because of his stat-stuffing ways and 20-25 DK ability. He does a little bit of everything and is locked into heavy minutes in Western Kentucky’s tight rotation. Plus, he’s now taken double-digit shots in four straight games as his offensive role appears to be expanding with WKU beginning conference play next week. | ||||
| Skyy Clark | IL | MIZZ | 5300 | 17.3 |
| Clark hasn’t been the best DFS option this season with inconsistent play, but he’s worth a shot in this high-scoring matchup with Missouri. The freshman has shown 20-25 DK upside at his best this year but it’s possible he sees a bigger role moving forward with the Illinois coach calling out players and trying to find the best options. Clark was actually the Illini’s best player in that ugly showing vs Penn State. | ||||
| Jabe Mullins | WSU | GW | 5100 | 21.75 |
| Mullins returned from a knee injury last game and immediately led Washington State in scoring against Baylor with his 16 points. The sharpshooter was hot before his four-game absence and has plenty of scoring upside if he’s draining threes. This price tag is very affordable for the chance at a 5x or 6x return in cash or GPP. | ||||
| MJ Rice | KU | HARV | 3700 | 6.97 |
| Rice is definitely a dart throw because we’re talking about a guy that didn’t post a single DFS point in both of the last two games. However, the talented freshman has put up numbers in two blowout wins for Kansas earlier this season and can do the same vs Harvard tonight. We’ve seen him get more playing time and shot volume in the second half of these easy wins, like when he had 19 points and 23 DK vs Texas Southern or 10 points and 19 DK vs North Dakota St. | ||||
Also Consider:
- Kymany Houinsou – Washington State (GPP)
- Sam Silverstein – Harvard (Cash)
- Jayden Epps – Illinois (GPP)
CBB DFS Top Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG |
| Jalen Wilson | KU | HARV | 9300 | 40.82 |
| Wilson continues to be a DFS stud for Kansas. He’s now posted at least 25 DK in every single game (which is basically his floor) but is usually providing 40 DK or so in a high-usage and stat-stuffing role. The only thing that can slow him down tonight is the blowout factor against Harvard. Still, it’s tough to fade him in cash on a slate without many top-tier forwards. | ||||
| Mouhamed Gueye | WSU | GW | 6900 | 27.55 |
| Gueye is your classic high-upside GPP play who can just as easily smash the slate or fail to return value and hurt your lineup. It’s always risky rostering the Washington State center, but the ceiling can be worth it tonight against George Washington at home. He has the upside of a double-double and 30+ DK when he’s dominating in the paint and GW doesn’t have a ton of size or skill down low. | ||||
| Matthew Mayer | IL | MIZZ | 6900 | 20.36 |
| Mayer has been making headlines lately with his comments/response to Brad Underwood’s criticism. That could go one of two ways when it comes to Mayer’s performance and role in the Illinois offense and rotation. Considering he just scored 21 points and 42 DK last game, it seems like Mayer is responding well to the whole situation. He’s now scored in double figures with 10+ shot attempts in three straight games after being much less involved offensively earlier this year. He brings along plenty of GPP upside in this uptempo tilt with Mizzou. | ||||
| DJ Burns | NCST | UL | 6400 | 18.54 |
| Burns has not disappointed since taking over a starting role with Dusan Mahorcic out. The NC State center has now scored at least 16 points with 34+ DK in two of his three starts with Mahorcic sidelined. He should continue that success in the paint against a weak Louisville defense. Put him into GPP lineups instead of cash, though, because there’s always volatility with Burns. | ||||
Also Consider:
- Ryan Kalkbrenner – Creighton (GPP)
- Gregory Jackson – South Carolina (GPP/Cash)
- Ricky Lindo Jr. – George Washington (GPP)
CBB DFS Value Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG |
| DJ Rodman | WSU | GW | 5900 | 20.36 |
| Rodman is right on the edge of being a value, but he’s a guy that’ll stuff the stat sheet in multiple ways to provide a decent cash floor for sub-6k. The wing has 22+ DK in six of nine games played this season and he’s now logged at least 35 minutes in four of the past five contests. He’s a key part of the Washington State rotation with the Cougars dealing with a few injuries. | ||||
| Sydney Curry | UL | NCST | 4900 | 12.12 |
| After being terrible at the beginning of the season, Curry has actually picked it up lately. The Louisville big man has 19, 42, and 24 DK in the past three outings while being more active offensively and logging more minutes in the rotation. It’s an interesting turn of events and one that we have to take note of since he’s still a decent value for the potential 5x return or better. Louisville gets a pace-boost vs NC State tonight and Curry could post a double-double. | ||||
| Ronnie DeGray III | MIZZ | IL | 3500 | 6.67 |
| DeGray entered Mizzou’s starting lineup for the first time this season and put up 18 DK in a season-high 22 minutes last time out. This is a huge uptick in playing time and DFS production from DeGray than what we’ve seen all year. It’s tough to tell if it’s just a one-off or a sign of things to come for the junior. If he’s starting again tonight, then this sub-4k price tag makes him a massive value in all formats. | ||||
Also Consider:
- JJ Traynor – Louisville (GPP)
- Chism Okpara – Harvard (GPP)
CBB DFS Core Plays December 22
DK Cash:
- Jalen Wilson – Kansas
- Terquavion Smith – NC State
- Jabe Mullins – Washington State
DK GPP:
- DJ Burns – NC State
- Matthew Mayer – Illinois
- MJ Rice – Kansas
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