The 2023 NCAA Tournament is in full swing with a full slate of second-round games on Sunday. We are going to dive into the top March Madness CBB DFS picks, value plays, and games to target for Sunday’s slate. The first game locks at 12:10 pm ET with Pittsburgh facing Xavier and then plow through the evening with the TCU/Gonzaga hammer game at 9:40 pm ET. You can build CBB DFS lineups on both DraftKings and FanDuel for Saturday’s NCAA Tournament games, and both sites are going different ways. DraftKings and FanDuel both will carry all-day eight game slates with the highest team totals coming from Florida Atlantic, Gonzaga, Xavier and TCU. 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. 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 picks and top plays for Sunday, March 19th.

 

COLLEGE BASKETBALL DFS SUNDAY BETTING ODDS

12:10pm ET Pittsburgh @ Xavier (-5.0) 151 O/U

2:40pm ET Kentucky (-3.0) @ Kansas State 145.0 O/U

5:15pm ET Michigan State @ Marquette (-2.5) 141.0 O/U

6:10pm ET St. Mary’s (CAL) @ Connecticut 128.0 O/U 

7:10pm ET Creighton @ Baylor (-1.0) 146.0 O/U

7:45pm ET Fairleigh-Dickinson @ Florida Atlantic (-15.5) 146.0 O/U

8:40pm ET Miami @ Indiana (-1.5) 146.0 O/U

9:40pm ET TCU @ Gonzaga (-4.5) 156.0 O/U

 

TOP IMPLIED TEAM POINTS

Florida Atlantic 82.25

Gonzaga 80.50

Xavier 78.00

TCU 76.00

Kentucky 74.00

Indiana 73.75

Baylor 73.50

Pittsburgh 73.00

Creighton 72.50

Miami 72.75

 

TOP CBB DFS GUARDS

Markquis Nowell - Kansas State vs. Kentucky ($9.2K DK/$8.9K FD)

With the forward position being elite today it will be tough to pay up at guard in main lineups but if you want to be a little different Markquis Nowell could totally rule this slate. The Wildcat point guard is a third-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 honoree plus he is the heart and soul of the team’s offense. He is a triple-double threat with a 26.8% usage rate and amazing 41.2% assist rate; good enough for second in the nation. Kentucky is not great defending the perimeter and $9.2K DK is a fair price for a player that is coming off two fifty burgers (50.5/53.0) in two of his last three games.

Kam Jones - Marquette vs. Michigan State ($6.5K DK/$6.8K FD)

If anyone watched Marquette face then-No. 6 Baylor at the end of November, you saw sophomore guard Kam Jones put the nation on notice that he can be an alpha on both ends of the floor and with 34 DKFP and the rest has been history. He has now settled in as a solid DFS play on a nightly basis with a range of outcomes being anywhere from 25-35 DKFP plus Jones has taken a head scratching $1K price reduction on DK. This will be a popular play due to the price drop and Jones is still viable in cash, but it still is not a 100% lock due to the strength of the Michigan State perimeter defense. I will have Jones or UCONN’s Jordan Hawkins in one of my two main lineups at this price range.

Jordan Hawkins - Connecticut vs. St. Mary’s ($6.3K DK/$5.8K FD)

It is no secret that Jordan Hawkins is one of my favorite players in the nation and now I get him at a $2K discount from just two weeks ago. Is this a lock? Heck no. St. Mary’s has a great defense and Hawkins has been quiet and in a mild shooting slump. It’s more of a gut call for the first-team All-Big East pick, that finished as the league’s leading scorer in league play (17.3 PPG). He hit 88% of his free throws, 38%of his three-pointers and of course leads the nation in getting fouled while taking threes (18 and counting). Today is the day that UCONN’s shooting guard breaks out again and you can thank me later. 

Other Top CBB Guards (Point Per Dollar)

  • Colby Jones, Xavier ($8.7K DK/$7.5K FD) - Jones carries 25% usage rate and a 35 DKFP average over his last five games.
  • Tyler Kolek, Marquette ($9.4K DK/$8.1K FD) - I am Kolek’s biggest fan but a thumb injury and the fact that Nowell is also on this slate makes this is a contrarian GPP-play only.
  • Jordan Miller, Miami ($8.3K DK/$6.8K FD) - I have to put my main Hurricane on this list as Miller is as safe as they come with a 30 DKFP floor and reasonable 40 DKFP ceiling. 
  • Trey Alexander, Creighton ($6.4K DK/$6.1K FD) - Alexander may be the best point per dollar play on the entire slate as this $6-$8K price range is loaded. Main team type play here for smooth gunning Alexander.
  • Alijah Martin, Florida Atlantic ($6.7K DK/$5.6K FD) - 30% usage over the last five games for FAUs strong forward.

 

TOP CBB DFS GUARD VALUE

Joe Munden Jr. – Fairleigh Dickinson @ Florida Atlantic ($4.4K DK/$4.3K FD)

Munden Jr. is normally out on the court for his defense and energy but as of late has rounded into a solid all-around player. We will need some punt value today with the big expensive forwards on this slate and Munden Jr. fits the bill as he plays 20+ minutes and gets a nice game environment. A 23.7% usage/shot rate when on the floor to go along with a 20.8% defensive rebound rate should get the FDU guard to 5X value today.

Other Top CBB Guard Value (Point Per Dollar)

  • Keyonte George, Baylor ($5.9K DK/$6.3K FD) - An $8K player just a month ago George has only put up 20 DKFP and 14 DKFP over his last two games but still is capable of breaking back out at any moment. This will be a popular play today. 
  • Jaden Akins, Michigan State ($5.2K DK/$5.3K FD) - This is one of my favorite sub-$6K plays as Akins gets a pace up matchup against Marquette and has settled into a 20-25 DKFP role. If you want a safe cash play Akins is your guy.
  • Nijel Pack, Miami ($5.8K DK/$6.0K FD) - Pack is playing all the minutes that he can and just touched up Drake for 21 points and four rebounds (32 DKFP). 
  • Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga ($4.9K DK/$5.0K FD) - A sub-$5K Gonzaga guard that plays nearly 30 minutes and gets a great game environment. Hickman is viable in all formats today. 
  • Nike Sibande, Pittsburgh ($4.5K DK/$4.6K FD) - Sibande is in play as he will play 22+ minutes with a 24% usage rate while on the floor and get you 4-5X value.
  • Greg Elliot, Pittsburgh ($5.0K DK/$4.8K FD) - How often do you get a 35+ minute player at sub-$5K? Elliot will not win you a GPP but 5X value is not out of the question with back-to-back 22 DKFP games.
  • Trey Galloway, Indiana ($3.9K DK/$4.0K FD) - Galloway is our sub-$4K play today but this is nothing but a dart as Galloway plays nearly 30 minutes with a light 15 DKFP ceiling.

 

TOP CBB DFS FORWARDS

Oscar Tshiebwe - Kentucky @ Kansas State ($10.K DK/$9.4K FD)

The two-time All-American, Tshiebwe reset Kentucky’s record for rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game with 25 in the first-round win over Providence on Friday. The NCAA Tournament hadn’t seen that many in a single game in 50 years and Kansas State will not have an answer. Rebounding is a weakness, as KSU prefers to stretch the floor, so that will leave them vulnerable on the glass and at the rim, making the big guy Tshiebwe a nightmare matchup for the smaller-sized Wildcat team. Na’qwan Tomlin, a skinny 6’10” Kansas State forward will be tasked with guarding Oscar, and he has yet to see someone this physical in the Big 12. The masses will be flocking to Trayce Jackson-Davis of Indiana today, an elite play in his one right, but give me all the Tshiebwe that I can handle in my lineups.

Other Top CBB Forwards (Point Per Dollar)

  • Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana ($10.9K DK/$10.2K FD) - TJD has been unstoppable with five straight 50 DKFP games. I will try to get both him and Tshiebwe in my lineups but he will be in at least one of my top two.
  • Norchad Omier, Miami ($7.9K DK/$7.4K FD) - Omier returned early from his ankle injury and showed no signs of weakness as he put up 33 DKFP on Friday against Drake. Now we get a $1K discount on DK for a player that hasn’t been under 30 DKFP in over a month (besides the Duke game where he got hurt in the ACC Tournament). 
  • Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton ($8.4K DK/$8.1K FD) - Kalkbrenner, the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, just destroyed North Carolina State with 31 points and seven rebounds and now faces a weak Baylor defense that is living on reputation.
  • Anton Watson, Gonzaga ($7.5K DK/$7.7K FD) - Are we finally seeing a 35+ minute Anton Watson? If that trend continues then sign me up as we have been waiting two years for this. The kid is a stud and now has five straight 34+ DKFP games.

 

TOP CBB FORWARD VALUE

JaKobe Coles - TCU @ Gonzaga ($4.9K DK/$4.9K FD)

Here is a nugget: the last time JaKobe Coles was asked to defend Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, he held the Zags star scoreless for more than six minutes straight. It may have only been Texas high school ball, but Cole has always shown stud talent. He was the late-night hero after his last second shot clinched the Friday night win over Arizona State and if he sees 25 minutes again today he should smash value. With a 25% usage rate while on the floor I love this value play today.

Other Top CBB Forward Value (Point Per Dollar)

  • Guillermo Diaz Graham, Pittsburgh ($5.3K DK/$5.4K FD) - The Diaz Graham twins are becoming folk heroes at Pitt and Guillermo now has two 26+ DKFP games in his last three. His price has jumped a cool $1.2K since the ACC Tournament but if Federiko Federiko is out or limited again, Diaz Graham must be still be considered at this value. 
  • Ansley Almonor, FDU ($5.7K DK/$4.8K FD) - Almonor put up a dud on Friday against Purdue but was amazing in the “play-in” game against Texas Southern with 23 points and eight rebounds (34 DKFP). I have no problem using this play in any format today. 
  • Race Thompson, Indiana ($5.6K DK/$5.6K FD) - Foul issues make Thompson a GPP-only play but he’s coming off one of his best games of the year with 20 points and nine rebounds against Kent State.

DRAFTKINGS CORE

  • Oscar Tshiebwe- Kentucky OR Trayce Jackson-Davis – Indiana
  • JaKobe Coles- TCU (V)
  • Jordan Hawkins- UCONN

FANDUEL CORE

  • Oscar Tshiebwe- Kentucky or Trayce Jackson-Davis – Indiana
  • Trey Alexander- Creighton
  • Alijah Martin- FAU
 

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