Thursday night's college basketball DFS schedule brings us an 8-game slate on DraftKings starting up at 6 pm ET with Kentucky vs Louisville. It's not the best CBB DFS slate, but we still have plenty of interesting matchups and power conference teams in action. Kansas State, San Diego State, and Oregon are a few of those teams with players in our CBB DFS top picks and value plays tonight. The college basketball odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and the KenPom team totals below are all from the time of publishing but are subject to change as tipoffs approach. Let's now jump into top college basketball DFS picks and plays for tonight's slate. 

 

College Basketball DraftKings Slate December 21

  • 6 pm ET – Kentucky (-14) at Louisville – 156 O/U
  • 7 pm ET – Saint Joseph’s at Charleston (-3) – 151.5 O/U
  • 8:30 pm ET – Wichita State vs Kansas State (-5.5) – 146.5 O/U
  • 9 pm ET – Georgia Tech vs UMass (-2.5) – 152 O/U
  • 9 pm ET – Stanford at San Diego State (-9) – 143 O/U
  • 9 pm ET – Kent State at Oregon (-6.5) – 146 O/U
  • 11 pm ET – Boise State vs Washington State (-2.5) – 137.5 O/U
  • 11 pm ET – Portland at Hawaii (-8.5) – 149.5 O/U

 

Top KenPom Team Totals

  1. Kentucky – 86
  2. Hawaii – 80
  3. Oregon – 79
  4. San Diego State – 78
  5. Georgia Tech – 76
  6. UMass – 75
  7. Kansas State – 74
  8. Saint Joseph's – 74
  9. Louisville – 73
  10. Washington State – 73

 

College Basketball CBB DFS Picks 

CBB DFS Top Guards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPG
Rob DillinghamUKUL750029.42
Rob Dillingham continues to be a top scorer and all-around performer for Kentucky despite coming off the bench. He’s averaging 14.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game while leading UK in usage and shot rate. Reed Sheppard is also off to a strong start as both are top guards tonight in all formats. Sheppard has arguably the higher GPP ceiling while Dillingham is a bit better for cash, but both or either can go off vs Louisville here.
Tylor PerryKSUWICH730031.07
While running Kansas State’s point, Tylor Perry is averaging 15.7 PPG and 5.5 APG this year. The higher-usage role usually gives Perry a strong cash floor in the Wildcats’ closer games. His scoring has taken a dip lately, but he’s still taking double-digit shots and is the team’s most active three-point shooter. Wichita St has struggled to defend the perimeter at times and Perry brings some upside into this slight pace-boost matchup.
Erik Reynolds IISTJOECOFC710027.22
Erik Reynolds is the headliner offensively for Saint Joe’s, averaging 16.7 PPG with regular double-digit shot attempts. His DFS value tends to rely a bit much on pure points scored and three-pointers, but the GPP upside is there for 30+ DK tonight. This is a notable pace-boost for Saint Joe’s vs Charleston and Reynolds is shooting 42% from three. If he gets going offensively, the ceiling game can be there.
Miles KellyGTUMASS700029.89
Georgia Tech’s lineups and starters are fluctuating, but Miles Kelly continues to be the team’s top playmaker in the backcourt. The combo guard leads GT in usage and shot rate so far while averaging 16.2 PPG and 6.2 RPG. He has 27+ DK in four of the past five and seven of nine games. Kelly makes for a strong cash or GPP play tonight in a pace-boost matchup vs UMass.
Noel ColemanHAWPOR690026.36
Noel Coleman boasts the largest shot rate for Hawaii, regularly taking double-digit shots and averaging 16.9 PPG this year. He’s also shooting 40% from three, which sets up perfectly against Portland’s terrible 3-point defense. This is also a notable pace-boost matchup for Hawaii at home against a bad defensive team. Coleman should be considered a top guard play in all formats and he gives us exposure to the late-night window.
Harlond BeverlyWICHKSU660026.12
After starting the season slow, Harlond Beverly has begun to emerge as one of Wichita’s top playmakers. Over the past five games, the point guard is averaging 12.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. He also has 30+ DK in four of these past five while in a bigger stat-stuffing role. If Beverly continues with this larger offensive usage, he’ll exceed this sub-7k price.

CBB DFS Value Guards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPG
Max RiceBSUWSU610019.02
Max Rice had a slower start to the season, but he’s begun to pick it up. The senior guard has exploded for 41 and 39 DK in two of the past three games with 28 and 24 points scored, respectively. He’s tough to trust in cash until we see more consistent production. At this price, though, Rice is worth GPP exposure if he has another scoring outburst.
Xzayvier BrownSTJOECOFC570024.88
Xzayvier Brown doesn’t start for Saint Joe’s, but he’s one of their top playmakers. The freshman combo guard is averaging a solid 11.9 PPG, shoots 50% from three, and provides decent ancillary stats. While not starting, Brown still plays 25-30 minutes per game and has at least 21 DK in eight straight games. He’s actually underpriced for someone who has 25+ DK in multiple games already.
Kario OquendoOREKENT500016.8
Oregon has a number of GPP values to consider tonight with their lengthy injury list. Unfortunately, the DFS and real-life production is inconsistent game-to-game to trust in cash. For GPP lineups, though, Kario Oquendo is one of those values who can exceed his price. The senior is operating as one of Oregon’s top bench players but in a higher-usage role as a reserve. He has 20+ DK upside when he’s more active offensively, though that does change nightly. Also look at Jackson Shelstad, Jadrian Tracey, or Brennan Rigsby as GPP values from Oregon.
Kymany HouinsouWSUBSU460017.42
Kymany Houinsou has started the past four games for Washington State with Joseph Yesufu out. This starting role has given the sophomore guard a safer cash floor with his 30+ minutes per game. Houinsou has 20+ DK in three of these past four starts and can do it again tonight to return value. He’s not a flashy play, but a decent cash salary-saver below 5k.
Giovanni SantiagoKENTORE450021.08
Since Kent State isn’t usually on the DFS slates, DK has mispriced Giovanni Santiago tonight. The senior guard is consistently playing 30 minutes or so in Kent’s tight rotation and he’s doing just enough in most stat categories for a solid cash floor. Santiago is averaging 21 DK this year with the upside for 30+ when he’s more active offensively. At sub-5k, he’s a very solid cash value.
Kanaan CarlyleSTANSDSU350017.25
Kanaan Carlyle just made his season debut for Stanford and had 11 points with 17 DK in 23 minutes off the bench. The freshman came in with plenty of hype and he could quickly carve out a bigger role in Stanford’s offense. Carlyle also had an impressive 24% usage rate when on the floor in his debut. He’s a nice buy-low bargain below 4k tonight despite the tough road matchup at San Diego St.

CBB DFS Top Forwards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPG
Jaedon LeDeeSDSUSTAN950040.62
Jaedon LeDee has been so dominant at times this season that he’s now the price king tonight. The San Diego State big man is averaging 22.2 PPG and 9.9 RPG while leading the team in both usage and shot rate. Only once has LeDee been held under 33 DK points this year and it just came in a blowout win last game. Usually, he’s a walking double-double with 40-50 DK upside. Stanford is not particularly strong inside and LeDee could feast in this home matchup.
Josh CohenUMASSGT900034.93
Josh Cohen may seem expensive, but just take a look at some of his recent performances. The UMass center had 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 61 DK two games ago and put up 39 and 35 DK in two other recent outings. Cohen has a 20-point double-double upside in any given game with his high usage and strong rebounding skills. He’s better suited for GPP lineups tonight, but don’t overlook him to potentially break the slate.
Arthur KalumaKSUWICH790030.2
Besides his dud effort in Sunday’s blowout loss to Nebraska, Arthur Kaluma had been producing on a consistent basis as a top-tier forward. He had 35+ DK in five of the previous six games and should return to that level tonight. Kaluma is now averaging 15.7 PPG and 8.4 RPG this year. He presents an athletic and versatile mismatch on the wing and at the four spot vs Wichita St. Kaluma is a top cash forward among the expensive guys.
Tre MitchellUKUL730030.5
The UK guards tend to overshadow Tre Mitchell, but the big man has major GPP upside tonight. Louisville has a poor inside defense and lacks the depth/talent down low to slow down Mitchell. Even though Aaron Bradshaw being back definitely creates some risk here, Mitchell still has the ceiling for a big game in this matchup. He’s shown the 35-45 DK upside at his best this year.
Chris Payton Jr.KENTORE650034.38
When looking at Chris Payton’s recent game logs and comparing it to his sub-7k price tonight, he’s a clear bargain. The Kent State big man has 50, 38, 31, and 43 DK in four of his past five games and is averaging 34 DK on the year. Payton leads Kent in usage rate this season while averaging 14.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.5 blocks/steals per game. On the road at Oregon is definitely a tough spot, but Payton has the GPP upside to smash his price and break the slate at his best.

CBB DFS Value Forwards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPG
Rasheer FlemingSTJOECOFC550025.35
Rasheer Fleming is another Saint Joe’s player who is a bit underpriced tonight for how well he’s performed this season. The center is averaging 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks per game. Fleming has shown the ceiling for 45 and 36 DK in two recent games but has at least 24 DK in four of the past five contests. He’s a good value in all formats in the mid-5k price range with this pace-boost matchup.
Ben BurnhamCOFCSTJOE540024.32
Ben Burnham is one of Charleston’s top players and scorers but he’s not priced like it tonight. The junior wing has a 27% usage rate and 30% shot rate with usual consistent production across multiple stat categories. Burnham has two 30+ DK efforts in the past three games and now has 23+ DK in eight of 11 games this year. He should be priced well above 6k and is a nice bargain tonight.
Tafara GapareGTUMASS410011.75
Tafara Gapare was a starter to begin the season, but he’s coming off the bench in the past three games since returning from an undisclosed injury. Despite the reserve role, the stretch-four has put up 30, 17, and 13 DK in these past three games – highlighted by his 20 points in 28 minutes last time out vs Penn St. The playing time and role are tough to trust overall, but Gapare can easily exceed value at his cheap price with another 20 DFS points or so in this pace-boost matchup vs UMass.
Ronnie DeGray IIIWICHKSU32008.5
Ronnie DeGray is now eligible and he just made his season debut on Saturday with 19 minutes off the bench. Though he only had 8.5 DK points in the limited minutes, it’s worth noting that he did play the most of any Wichita reserve last game. The Shockers need his size and versatility on the wing and in the frontcourt, so expect him to log 20 minutes or so again tonight. He’s dirt cheap and doesn’t need to do much to return value.

 

CBB DFS Core Plays 

DraftKings Cash

  • Arthur Kaluma – Kansas State
  • Miles Kelly – Georgia Tech
  • Ben Burnham – Charleston

DraftKings GPP

  • Rob Dillingham – Kentucky
  • Noel Coleman – Hawaii
  • Kanaan Carlyle – Stanford
 

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