College Basketball DFS Playbook January 11: Top DraftKings and FanDuel CBB DFS Picks
It's time to dive into Thursday's college basketball slate as you build CBB DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. Tonight's CBB schedule features a couple of Big Ten matchups, some Pac-12 late-night games, and top teams like FAU and Gonzaga. DraftKings has a 7-game slate while FanDuel has a 4-game slate, both tipping off at 7 pm ET. Let's jump into the top CBB DFS picks and value plays for both DK and FD college basketball DFS lineups. All college basketball odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and the KenPom team totals are up-to-date as of this publishing, but keep an eye on any line movement. Good luck with your college basketball DFS lineups tonight!
College Basketball DFS Slate January 11
- 7 pm ET – Michigan at Maryland (-6) – 140 O/U
- 7 pm ET – FAU (-7.5) at Tulane – 161.5 O/U (DK Only)
- 9 pm ET – Michigan State at Illinois (-3.5) – 147.5 O/U
- 9 pm ET – UCLA at Utah (-8.5) – 137 O/U
- 9:30 pm ET – Gonzaga (-8) at Santa Clara – 158 O/U
- 11 pm ET – Stanford (-4.5) at Oregon State – 141.5 O/U (DK Only)
- 11 pm ET – Arizona State at Washington (-7) – 151.5 O/U (DK Only)
Top KenPom Team Totals
- FAU – 86
- Gonzaga – 81
- Tulane – 79
- Washington – 78
- Illinois – 77
- Utah – 75
- Santa Clara – 74
- Stanford – 72
- Maryland – 71
- Michigan State – 71
- Arizona State – 71
College Basketball CBB DFS Picks
CBB DFS Top Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Jahmir Young | UMD | MICH | 8700 | 34.34 | 8400 | 31.44 |
| Jahmir Young is playing at a very high level right now as Maryland’s high-usage stud point guard. He’s scored 20+ points with 30+ DK in eight of the past 10 games, averaging 22.5 PPG and 36 DK over this stretch. Expect him to continue being a strong cash play at home tonight with a struggling Michigan team coming to town. Young’s matchup in the backcourt is also much easier now with Dug McDaniel out. | ||||||
| Johnell Davis | FAU | TUL | 8500 | 32.65 | ||
| On the DK slate, Johnell Davis is a top overall guard play for cash or GPP lineups. This matchup vs Tulane features the highest total tonight as FAU gets a major pace-boost. Despite playing on the road here, Davis is a strong bet to score 20 points or so with 35+ DK as he’s done a lot lately. He brings a safe cash floor while averaging 16.8 PPG and 6.7 RPG this season with the upside for a lot more – like when he dropped 35 points and 54 DK vs Arizona in another uptempo matchup. | ||||||
| Marcus Domask | IL | MSU | 8000 | 25.48 | 8100 | 23.65 |
| Marcus Domask is benefiting directly from Terrence Shannon’s suspension. In the three games with Shannon out, Domask has posted 38, 48, and 38 DK points with a notable uptick in offensive usage and shot volume. He’s now being relied on a lot more to run Illinois’ offense and that shouldn’t stop tonight. His DFS cash floor and GPP ceiling are now at a different level and is firmly in play in all formats despite the recent price increase. | ||||||
| Ryan Nembhard | GONZ | STC | 7700 | 27.98 | 7300 | 27.06 |
| Ryan Nembhard is coming off arguably his best game of the season with 18 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 47 DK on Saturday. Let’s hope he carries that over into tonight’s uptempo matchup at Santa Clara. While running Gonzaga’s point, Nembhard usually has a solid cash floor while filling up the stat sheet. He hasn’t always lived up to his higher prices, but tonight’s quick-paced game should result in another overall good DFS performance. The cheaper FD price is especially attractive. | ||||||
| Sahvir Wheeler | UW | ASU | 7100 | 30.96 | ||
| Sahvir Wheeler is a bit underpriced tonight for a guy who’s averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 31 DK this season. The Washington point guard is in a high-usage role as the offense essentially revolves around him and Keion Brooks. Though Wheeler has a couple of down games lately, he’s still a strong candidate to post 30+ DK at home tonight in an uptempo matchup. The game flow fits Wheeler’s skill set perfectly and we know he’s locked into usage and shot volume. | ||||||
| A.J. Hoggard | MSU | IL | 7000 | 25.27 | 6700 | 23.54 |
| Michigan State gets a considerable pace boost tonight at Illinois and it puts A.J. Hoggard firmly on our radar. Tyson Walker is the safer cash play from the Spartans, but Hoggard has GPP upside at much cheaper prices. Hoggard is playing well right now with 30+ DK in four of the past five while averaging 12.8 points, 6 assists, and 29 DK over the past eight games. The Mich St offense should revolve heavily around Walker and Hoggard tonight on the road, so both guys can be top plays. | ||||||
| Adama Bal | STC | GONZ | 6600 | 26.86 | 6800 | 24.69 |
| Adama Bal has had some big games for Santa Clara this season and lately. He’s scored 28 and 21 points with 34 and 32 DK, respectively, in the past two contests to begin WCC play. The Arizona transfer is now averaging 17 PPG and 31 DK over the past 11 games with multiple outburst of 30-40 DFS points or more. These past two games with Santa Clara starting conference games have seen Bal take on an uptick in usage and shot volume, which could be a sign of things to come as he’s emerged as one of the team’s top playmakers. He’s an upside GPP play in tonight’s home uptempo matchup. | ||||||
CBB DFS Value Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Adam Miller | ASU | UW | 5800 | 21.29 | ||
| Ever since he became eligible for Arizona State a month ago, Adam Miller has been a key part of the offense. The former LSU and Illinois transfer is averaging 13.2 PPG and 21 DK in his six games played thus far as a regular starter logging 30 minutes per game. Miller’s usage and shot volume trail only Frankie Collins for ASU and this role gives him a decent cash floor with GPP upside on a nightly basis. He’s still cheap enough for the 25-30 DK potential. | ||||||
| Nick Boyd | FAU | TUL | 5500 | 14.81 | ||
| Since returning from injury, Nick Boyd had been quiet while coming off the bench for FAU. On Saturday, though, he exploded for 19 points with an uptick in offensive role and shot volume. Boyd is hard to trust in cash until we see him perform more consistently. Yet, maybe this recent scoring outburst is a sign of things to come and FAU gets a huge pace boost tonight vs Tulane. He’s worth a look in GPP for the upside to exceed value. | ||||||
| Deivon Smith | UTAH | UCLA | 5500 | 17.5 | 5000 | 16.83 |
| Deivon Smith is Utah’s spark-plug sixth-man and he’s been a decent DFS value since he became eligible in December. The backup guard is averaging 20 DK over the past five games and has taken double-digit shots in both of the past two contests. After a poor game at Arizona on Saturday, look for Smith to bounce back at home tonight against a shaky UCLA team. | ||||||
| Justin Harmon | IL | MSU | 5000 | 12.27 | 4800 | 11.27 |
| Terrence Shannon’s suspension has resulted in Justin Harmon seeing a bigger role off the bench for Illinois. He recently had 18 and 20 points scored with 25 and 29 DK in Illinois’ first two games without Shannon. Harmon came back down to Earth a bit last game with just 5 points and 13 DK. Still, he has GPP upside at his cheap prices because the shots and consistent minutes are now there. | ||||||
| Brenton Knapper | STC | GONZ | 4700 | 10.11 | 4800 | 8.39 |
| Brenton Knapper has now started the past seven games for Santa Clara and his role/playing time are increasing. The sophomore guard has played 27 and 29 minutes in the first two games to start conference play and he put up 19 and 22 DK in those games. Kanpper is hard to trust in cash, but he’s a nice GPP value tonight in an uptempo matchup at home. If these past two games are any indication, Knapper’s role is bigger now with Santa Clara facing WCC opponents. | ||||||
| Jaelin Llewellyn | MICH | UMD | 3200 | 3.6 | 3200 | 2.68 |
| With Dug McDaniel suspended tonight, there's now value opening up in the Michigan backcourt. Jaelin Llewellyn is the top candidate to enter the starting lineup and take on lead point guard duties as he did at the beginning of last season before getting hurt. Llewellyn has barely played this year but that could change drastically now that Michigan needs him. We could also see freshman George Washington get 20 or so minutes and possibly start. Both are dirt cheap and if Llewellyn starts, he’ll be chalky in cash. | ||||||
CBB DFS Top Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Branden Carlson | UTAH | UCLA | 8600 | 33.29 | 8300 | 31.11 |
| Branden Carlson is coming off a bad game vs Arizona on the road, which is totally understandable. The Utah stud big man should bounce back tonight at home against a shaky UCLA team. Carlson always has the GPP upside to drop 40-50 DFS points at his best and it wasn’t too long ago when he had 49 and 53 DK vs Washington St and Washington, respectively, at home for both. Carlson tends to play better at home and he shouldn’t go overlooked to break the slate tonight. | ||||||
| Keion Brooks Jr. | UW | ASU | 8400 | 34.68 | ||
| Keion Brooks is having a very strong season averaging 20.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 34 DK so far. He’s especially rolling lately with 20+ points scored in five of the last six games and multiple 35+ DK efforts. The Washington offense centers around him and Sahvir Wheeler and both guys are top plays in this uptempo home matchup. Brooks is a top-tier cash forward tonight and gives us the late-night hammer. | ||||||
| Olivier Nkamhoua | MICH | UMD | 8100 | 32.82 | 7500 | 30.03 |
| The Dug McDaniel suspension gives us value in the Michigan backcourt, but it also now locks Olivier Nkamhoua into a bigger offensive role. It was basically him and McDaniel creating a lot of the Wolverines’ offense, so taking one out of the equation should result in a ton of shot volume and overall DFS production for the other. Nkamhoua has already been good this season, averaging 16.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 32 DK per game. He’s a strong cash forward tonight with GPP upside if he takes on even more offensive usage than expected. | ||||||
| Julian Reese | UMD | MICH | 7500 | 32.77 | 7900 | 30.86 |
| Julian Reese has been up and down lately in real life and DFS with both duds and stud performances over the past month. At his best, the Maryland big man can go for a double-double, multiple blocks, and 35-40 DK when he’s taking over in the paint. Tonight’s home matchup vs a below-average Michigan frontcourt should give us one of those ceiling performances. He’s firmly in play for GPP lineups. | ||||||
| Quincy Guerrier | IL | MSU | 7300 | 23.46 | 7200 | 21.48 |
| Quincy Guerrier started the season slow, but he’s been playing at a much higher level lately. The senior wing is averaging 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 31 DK over the past six games. He’s also taken on a bigger role with Terrence Shannon suspended, putting up 28, 30, and 31 DK over the three games with his teammate out – posting a double-double in each. Though he’s seen a price increase, Guerrier has become a safer cash play. Coleman Hawkins is also worth rostering from Illinois. | ||||||
| Vladislav Goldin | FAU | TUL | 6600 | 27 | ||
| Vladislav Goldin is a typical boom-or-bust GPP play tonight. First off, the FAU center gets the major pace-boost matchup vs Tulane – which increases his rebounding chances and overall DFS upside. Goldin also gets to face a very undersized frontcourt that is terrible at rebounding. While Goldin is up and down for DFS, he can go for 30+ DK in this uptempo spot and favorable matchup in the paint. He’s shown that upside in recent games, but does carry some risk for cash. | ||||||
CBB DFS Value Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Collin Holloway | TUL | FAU | 6100 | 23.06 | ||
| If you want cheaper GPP exposure to the highest total of the DK slate, then Collin Holloway is worth a look. The Tulane big has 28, 22, and 25 DK in the past three games and also went off for 43, 40, and 30 DK in games last month. Holloway’s shot volume and offensive usage fluctuate game-to-game, so he’s tough to trust in cash. Still, the upside is there when he takes double-digit shots for the potential of 20 points scored or so. | ||||||
| Tarris Reed Jr. | MICH | UMD | 5800 | 20.92 | 6100 | 19.61 |
| One look at Tarris Reed’s recent game logs tells you how much of a boom-or-bust GPP play he is. The duds are at 10 DK or less when his playing time gets cut in half. Yet, there have been some huge DK performances of 42, 28, 32, and 31 in the past month. Reed has shown the upside to dominate the paint on both ends against Minnesota, Florida, and Iowa too. The big man will also likely be more involved offensively tonight with Dug McDaniel out. | ||||||
| Wilhelm Breidenbach | UW | ASU | 5400 | 12.47 | ||
| Wilhelm Breidenbach’s DFS value and playing time have increased considerably with Franck Kepnang sidelined. In the last six games since Kepnang got hurt, Breidenbach has 23+ DK in four of the six contests while seeing 25 minutes or so per game. Though he’s coming off the bench, the junior big is outplaying starter Braxton Meah and has clearly earned the larger role moving forward as long as Kepnang remains out. Even with a price increase, he’s a solid cash or GPP value in this uptempo game. | ||||||
| Christoph Tilly | STC | GONZ | 5300 | 19.29 | 5500 | 18.01 |
| Since returning from a three-game absence, Christoph Tilly has put up 26, 21, and 19 DK in the past three contests. His minutes have slowly increased as well and it’s coincided with Santa Clara starting up conference play. The 7-footer has now taken over much of the playing time that Francisco Caffaro was seeing at center. It’s risky rostering any big against Gonzaga and the head-to-head matchup vs Graham Ike down low. Tilly is still a worthy value in this high-scoring matchup. | ||||||
| Mady Sissoko | MSU | IL | 4400 | 14.48 | 4500 | 13.32 |
| Mady Sissoko isn’t a flashy value, but he’s also decent enough to consider as a cash salary-saver. There aren’t many cheap forwards in play tonight, though Sissoko can give us 15-20 DK and could be worth it if it means fitting in one more stud somewhere. The Michigan State big man is averaging 17 DK over the past six games and recently had a pair of 12-rebound efforts. His rebounding chances should be on the higher end in this pace-boost matchup. | ||||||
CBB DFS Core Plays
DraftKings Cash
- Keion Brooks – Washington
- Johnell Davis – FAU
- Jaelin Llewellyn – Michigan (if he starts)
DraftKings GPP
- Branden Carlson – Utah
- Adama Bal – Santa Clara
- Justin Harmon – Illinois
FanDuel Cash
- Jahmir Young – Maryland
- Ryan Nembhard – Gonzaga
- Jaelin Llewellyn – Michigan (if he starts)
FanDuel GPP
- Marcus Domask – Illinois
- Adama Bal – Santa Clara
- Tarris Reed – Michigan
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