College Basketball DFS Playbook January 2: Top DraftKings and FanDuel CBB DFS Picks
Happy New Year, college basketball fans! On this Tuesday night, we get a full CBB DFS slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel to build college basketball DFS lineups from. Conference matchups are in full swing across the country and we get some intriguing games in the Big East, ACC, and B Big Ten on tonight's slate. Some of the top teams in action for Tuesday, January 2nd are UConn, Purdue, Creighton, Duke, North Carolina, Illinois, and Colorado State. Let's now jump into top CBB DFS picks and value plays for both the DK and FD slates. 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 2
- 6:30 pm ET – DePaul at UConn (-24) – 137.5 O/U (DK)
- 7 pm ET – Creighton (-12) at Georgetown – 148 O/U (DK)
- 7 pm ET – Purdue (-6) at Maryland – 140.5 O/U
- 7 pm ET – Iowa at Wisconsin (-5.5) – 152.5 O/U
- 7 pm ET – Wake Forest (-1.5) at Boston College – 150 O/U (DK)
- 7 pm ET – North Carolina (-4) at Pittsburgh – 158 O/U
- 8:30 pm ET – Butler at St. John’s (-6.5) – 154.5 O/U
- 9 pm ET – Northwestern at Illinois (-5) – 140.5 O/U
- 9 pm ET – Syracuse at Duke (-14) – 153 O/U
- 10:30 pm ET – New Mexico at Colorado State (-4) – 156.5 O/U (DK)
Top KenPom Team Totals
- Wisconsin – 84
- Duke – 83
- Colorado State – 82
- UConn – 82
- North Carolina – 79
- St. John's – 79
- Wake Forest – 77
- New Mexico – 77
- Purdue – 76
- Pittsburgh – 76
- Illinois – 76
- Iowa – 75
- Butler – 75
- Boston College – 75
College Basketball CBB DFS Picks
CBB DFS Top Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| RJ Davis | UNC | PITT | 9500 | 34.69 | 8400 | 32.14 |
| RJ Davis is on a tear right now. He’s scored 20+ points in eight straight games and has 40+ DK points in four of the past five. Davis isn’t just scoring at a high clip, but he also adds enough assists, rebounds, and steals for a decent cash floor. This game vs Pitt is the highest total on the slate, so Davis will likely turn in another stud performance. The price tags now put him in GPP territory, though. | ||||||
| Baylor Scheierman | CRE | GU | 8600 | 36.69 | ||
| On the DK slate, Baylor Scheierman continues to be a consistently elite cash guard. He has no less than 29 DK in any game so far and is regularly pumping out 30-40 DK performances with his stat-stuffing role for Creighton. Scheierman is averaging 18.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game with plenty of three-point upside. Bank on another stud outing against Georgetown’s soft defense. | ||||||
| Isaiah Stevens | CSU | UNM | 7700 | 34.79 | ||
| On the DK slate, we get this fun Mountain West matchup between Colorado St and New Mexico that should be high-scoring. The Rams are led by Isaiah Stevens in his high-usage point guard role that makes him a top-end cash guard. Stevens is averaging 17.3 points, 7.4 assists, and 34 DK this season and is a great play at his price for cash lineups in the late-night hammer game. | ||||||
| Daniss Jenkins | STJN | BUTLE | 7600 | 29.62 | 7600 | 27.64 |
| Daniss Jenkins continues to be the offensive alpha for St. John’s. The senior point guard had a couple of down games vs UConn and Xavier recently, but he bounced back for 21 points and 44 DK vs Hofstra over the weekend. Tonight’s home matchup vs Butler shouldn’t slow him down much to post another good stat line as he anchors the St. John’s attack. The prices make him more of a GPP play because there is some bust potential. | ||||||
| Marcus Domask | IL | NW | 7200 | 22.48 | 6200 | 20.67 |
| With Terrence Shannon suspended for Illinois, Marcus Domask should be taking on a bigger offensive role moving forward. On Friday with Shannon out, Domask had one of his best games of the season with 11 points, 11 assists, and 38 DK. We’ll likely see his shot volume and usage rate increase tonight as plays the point-forward position that Shannon was occupying most often. He’s still just a GPP play, but Domask could prove to be too cheap if we theoretically raise his DFS floor and overall expectations. | ||||||
| Carlton Carrington | PITT | UNC | 7100 | 30.4 | 7400 | 27.75 |
| Pitt’s freshman point guard has been up-and-down this season for DFS, but he’s firmly on our radar for GPP lineups tonight in this high-total matchup vs UNC. Carlton Carrington has the 30-35 DK ceiling at his best when he’s more efficient as a scorer and hitting some three’s. He also adds plenty of ancillary stats, averaging 5.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season. Carrington is at a nice buy-low price point to perform just as well as some other high-priced guards. | ||||||
| Jared McCain | DUKE | SYR | 6700 | 22.5 | 6700 | 20.63 |
| With Tyrese Proctor sidelined recently, Jared McCain has taken on a bigger role for Duke’s offense. The freshman has 20+ points scored and 30+ DK in three of the last four games. Proctor returned on Saturday, but came off the bench and looks like he’ll be eased back in. McCain still offers plenty of GPP upside if he continues in his higher-usage role with the uptick in shot volume until Proctor is back to normal. | ||||||
CBB DFS Value Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| RJ Luis | STJN | BUTLE | 6100 | 23.08 | 5800 | 21.47 |
| RJ Luis recently returned from a shin injury after missing a month. On Saturday, he entered the St. John’s starting lineup with Chris Ledlum out and had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 30 DK. Ledlum is a game-time decision tonight, but it’s possible Luis continues to start either way. More notable is that Luis has been in a high-usage role with heavy shot volume whenever he’s been on the court for the Johnnies this season. This is a good buy-low opportunity until his price tags likely increase soon. | ||||||
| AJ Storr | WISC | IOWA | 5800 | 20.88 | 5900 | 19.53 |
| First off, Wisconsin gets a notable pace-boost tonight vs an Iowa team that plays at the 14th-fastest tempo. AJ Storr, meanwhile, continues to lead the Badgers in usage (28%) and shot rate (33%). That big role doesn’t always equate to DFS results, but we still can’t ignore the heavy usage/shot volume in uptempo matchups like this one. Storr is a bit scoring-dependent, so he's better for GPP lineups with 30+ DK upside. | ||||||
| Ty Berry | NW | IL | 5700 | 21.04 | 5500 | 19.07 |
| Normally, we’d look at Boo Buie and Brooks Barnhizer as top plays from Northwestern. The road matchup at Illinois is a bit daunting to pay up for them. Instead, taking a GPP flier on Ty Berry is a slightly better route. He can smash value once again if he continues his hot play. Berry has 33 and 31 DK in the past two games with 12 pts/10 rebs and 20/6 in the contests, respectively. | ||||||
| Stephon Castle | UCONN | DEP | 5400 | 19.89 | ||
| Stephon Castle moved back into UConn’s starting lineup last game, replacing Solomon Ball. He took a season-high 10 shot attempts and posted 19 DK in 26 minutes vs St. John’s in his return to the starters. UConn will likely give Castle a bigger offensive role with Donovan Clingan out over the next few weeks. That was evident last game and tonight presents a nice buy-low opportunity for a guy that could be priced back above 7k soon. | ||||||
| Cormac Ryan | UNC | PITT | 5200 | 20.89 | 5700 | 19.26 |
| If you want cheap exposure to the highest total on the slate, Cormac Ryan is worth considering in GPPs. He’s been a bit inconsistent this season for DFS because his value relies mostly on points scored and three-pointers made. Pitt does have a top-tier 3-point defense, but Ryan can still return 25+ DK at his best when he’s more active offensively. | ||||||
| Jalen Lake | CSU | UNM | 4500 | 15.66 | ||
| Jalen Lake returned from a finger injury last game and immediately entered the starting lineup with Josiah Strong out. Strong is a game-time decision tonight, but it’s possible we get Lake starting again in his teammate’s absence. If Strong does play and starts, then he’s also a good value on DK at $4400. This is a high-scoring, quick-paced game and getting some cheap exposure to it (and the late-night hammer) is never a bad thing. | ||||||
CBB DFS Top Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Zach Edey | PUR | UMD | 10500 | 43.54 | 9300 | 41.30 |
| The National POY favorite needs to always be considered if Purdue is in action. He has nightly 50-60 DK upside to smash the slate, though there is the “bust” potential when he doesn’t totally live up to his expensive prices. Tonight, one of those smash spots could be coming against an undersized Maryland frontcourt that struggles against bigger centers. Edey went for 24/16 and 18/8 in this matchup last year. It’s always fade-at-your-own-risk territory with Edey this season. | ||||||
| Kyle Filipowski | DUKE | SYR | 10100 | 40.54 | 9000 | 38.27 |
| Kyle Filipowski continues to be one of the most consistent, safe DFS plays in college hoops. You can’t go wrong rostering him in cash or GPP lineups at this point. Now he gets a favorable home matchup against Syracuse, who plays uptempo and struggles on the boards. It sets up well for Filipowski to post a double-double with 40+ DK points per usual. If you can fit him in, then he’s a great cash play once again. | ||||||
| Joel Soriano | STJN | BUTLE | 9400 | 37.5 | 8500 | 35.06 |
| If you’re fading Edey or Filipowski, then Joel Soriano is your guy for GPPs. The St. John’s center is a walking double-double with 50+ DK upside when he’s dominating the paint on both ends. Butler doesn’t have a ton of size or talent down low to deal with Soriano and he could smash in this matchup. Here’s how Butler has fared against some other talented centers this year: Vladislav Goldin 19 pts/11 reb; Fardaws Aimaq 24/16; Josh Oduro 19/14. | ||||||
| Harrison Ingram | UNC | PITT | 7700 | 30.42 | 7600 | 28.18 |
| Armando Bacot certainly has the higher GPP ceiling, but Harrison Ingram is slightly safer in cash lineups right now for UNC at a cheaper price. Ingram fills the stat sheet in multiple ways and has at least 24 DK in every game so far. He also has performed well in UNC’s toughest matchups with 35 DK vs UConn, 34 vs Tennessee, 32 vs Oklahoma, 29 vs Kentucky, and 39 vs Arkansas. Bacot can always dominate down low, though Pitt’s length at the center spot makes him a riskier play here on the road. | ||||||
| Coleman Hawkins | IL | NW | 7200 | 25.11 | 6500 | 23.06 |
| Coleman Hawkins, like Marcus Domask, will now be one of Illinois’ top offensive playmakers with Terrence Shannon suspended. Hawkins started the year slow, but he’s picked it up lately with 30+ DK in three straight games with 28+ DK in four straight. He tends to do a little bit of everything on the stat sheet, but he’s a much better DFS play if he’s locked into a bigger scoring role now. | ||||||
CBB DFS Value Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Efton Reid III | WAKE | BC | 6100 | 24.2 | ||
| After recently becoming eligible for Wake Forest, Efton Reid is starting to take on more playing time and a bigger role now. He’s started the past two games at center, replacing Zach Keller, and put up 33 and 30 DK in those starts. Reid now has 30+ DK in three of five games played this year. His price is starting to rise, but he’s still cheap enough to roster in cash or GPP if he continues playing at this level. | ||||||
| Zack Austin | PITT | UNC | 5300 | 19.52 | 5800 | 18.64 |
| Zack Austin’s playing time and real-life production have fluctuated this season. The High Point transfer began the year in the starting lineup and averaged 22 DK over the first eight games. Then he hit a wall and was benched. Austin responded well with 21 and 26 DK in two recent games and 12 points scored in both before returning to the starting lineup. Pitt will need his size and versatility on the wing for this matchup vs UNC, so hopefully he keeps the good stat lines coming. | ||||||
| Samson Johnson | UCONN | DEP | 5300 | 14.5 | ||
| Samson Johnson is now UConn’s starting center with Donovan Clingan out for the next few weeks. Johnson started the last game with Clingan out and logged 30 minutes with 16 points and 26 DK. We’ll take that all day for his cheap DK price in cash lineups. DePaul presents an easy matchup for Johnson tonight, especially at home, so expect him to be a chalky value. | ||||||
| Ty Rodgers | IL | NW | 5200 | 18.42 | 5500 | 17.17 |
| In Illinois’ first game without Terrence Shannon on Friday, Ty Rodgers appeared to be a direct beneficiary. The sophomore wing saw a near season-high usage rate (22%) and posted a big stat line of 10 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists for 38 DK. Yes, this came against Fairleigh Dickinson. Still, it looks like Rodgers will be asked to do a lot more now that Shannon is suspended. He’s a solid cash bargain on both sites tonight. | ||||||
CBB DFS Core Plays
DraftKings Cash
- Baylor Scheierman – Creighton
- Isaiah Stevens – Colorado State
- Samson Johnson – UConn
DraftKings GPP
- Marcus Domask – Illinois
- Efton Reid – Wake Forest
- Stephon Castle – UConn
FanDuel Cash
- Kyle Filipowski – Duke
- Harrison Ingram – UNC
- Ty Rodgers – Illinois
FanDuel GPP
- RJ Davis – UNC
- Coleman Hawkins – Illinois
- RJ Luis – St. John's
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