Friday night's college basketball DFS slate is a smaller one, but we still have plenty of top players, values, and matchups to target for CBB DFS lineups. DraftKings has a 5-game slate with UConn vs Butler and Illinois vs Purdue headlining the action. We also get some games from the MAC and Mountain West to add some intrigue to the college hoops night. Let's dive into the top CBB DFS picks and value plays on DK as you build those college basketball daily fantasy 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 5
- 6:30 pm ET – UConn (-4.5) at Butler – 144.5 O/U
- 7 pm ET – Miami OH at Toledo (-12) – 156.5 O/U
- 8:30 pm ET – Illinois at Purdue (-10.5) – 151 O/U
- 9 pm ET – Bowling Green at Akron (-9.5) – 142 O/U
- 10:30 pm ET – Boise State (-5.5) at San Jose State – 139 O/U
Top KenPom Team Totals
- Toledo – 85
- Purdue – 82
- UConn – 76
- Miami OH – 75
- Akron – 74
- Boise State – 73
- Illinois – 72
- Butler – 70
College Basketball CBB DFS Picks
CBB DFS Top Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG |
| Braden Smith | PUR | IL | 8200 | 33.32 |
| Braden Smith has been a solid cash guard more often than not this season in his high-usage point guard role for Purdue. He has 30+ DK in 9 of 14 games so far and four of the instances he failed to eclipse 30 DK were in double-digit wins. Though Purdue is a 10-point favorite at home here, Smith should fill the stat sheet plenty in the conference matchup. He should be safe for cash lineups. | ||||
| Marcus Domask | IL | PUR | 7900 | 24.46 |
| While Terrence Shannon is suspended, Marcus Domask is taking on more of the alpha playmaker role offensively for Illinois. In two games without Shannon, we’ve seen Domask put up 48 and 38 DK with an uptick in usage and shot volume. He had 11 points, 11 assists, and 4 rebounds in one game and then just went off for 32 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds last time out. On the road at Purdue is now a tough test, but Domask still has GPP upside with his new role. | ||||
| Ra'Heim Moss | TOL | MIAOH | 7000 | 29.96 |
| Ra’Heim Moss is one of Toledo’s top playmakers this season, averaging 15.8 PPG and 30 DK so far. The wing scorer has a team-high 25.8% usage rate right now while also grabbing 5.7 rebounds per game. He’s a pretty safe cash play on this slate at home against Miami OH’s 293rd defensive efficiency. Moss is a good bet for 30 DK or so and the 7k price is very affordable. | ||||
| Ali Ali | AKR | BGSU | 6800 | 27.05 |
| After recently being granted eligibility, Ali Ali has stepped right into a high-usage role for Akron. He has a 27% usage rate and is regularly taking double-digit shots as one of Akron’s top playmakers now. Ali played at Akron for three years before spending last season at Butler, so he’s comfortable running this offense as he was previously a high-usage guy for them two years ago. Ali has 36, 33, and 25 DK in the past three games and is a great cash play tonight. | ||||
| Stephon Castle | UCONN | BUTLE | 6600 | 21.41 |
| A number of UConn guards are in play tonight but all are GPP upside plays and a bit too pricey to roster in cash compared to others on the slate. Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer have their ceiling games as options if you want to go that route. Stephon Castle, though, looks to be taking on a bigger role for UConn after dropping 32 DK last game with 14 points, 7 assists, and a stuffed stat sheet. His price has risen, but he’s still an upside GPP play who could match the production of Newton/Spencer at a cheaper number. | ||||
| Tyler Cochran | TOL | MIAOH | 6500 | 27.83 |
| Since Tyler Cochran entered Toledo’s starting lineup at the beginning of December, he’s been arguably their best overall player. Cochran is averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 35 DK over this recent seven-game stretch as a starter. Cochran has a 25% usage rate and 26% shot rate this year and should continue being a top playmaker for Toledo moving forward. His sub-7k price is a nice bargain compared to other expensive guards tonight. | ||||
CBB DFS Value Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG |
| Fletcher Loyer | PUR | IL | 5600 | 19.04 |
| Fletcher Loyer is tough to trust in cash with fluctuating DFS and real-life performances this season. In GPPs, though, he has more upside when he gets hot from three – especially on a smaller slate like this one. Loyer has the ability to score 15-20 points with multiple 3-pointers for 25-30 DK or more at his best. The shot volume is inconsistent but he still is viable in GPPs, especially with Purdue getting a pace-boost vs Illinois at home. | ||||
| Nate Johnson | AKR | BGSU | 5200 | 19.64 |
| Nate Johnson is at a really affordable price for a guy that’s put up 20+ DK in six of the last seven games. The sophomore wing is playing 25-30 minutes per game as a starter right now and his playing time/role hasn’t been affected much by Ali Ali entering the lineup. Johnson is a solid cash value on this slate in a pace-boost matchup at home as he’ll do just enough across the board to produce. | ||||
| Justin Harmon | IL | PUR | 5100 | 12.21 |
| Justin Harmon has clearly benefited directly from Terrence Shannon being out. The senior has scored 18 and 20 points with 25 and 29 DK in the past two games with Shannon suspended. The Utah Valley transfer was a high-usage player at the mid-major level last year and is comfortable taking on a bigger role. He’s seen an uptick in usage and took double-digit shots in both games with Shannon out. The DFS production is a bit too points-dependent to roster in cash, but he’s worth a GPP value. | ||||
| Ryan Mabrey | MIAOH | TOL | 4700 | 13.12 |
| Miami OH runs a deep guard rotation with a number of guys in play for GPP lineups with this uptempo, high-scoring game flow. Ryan Mabrey is one of those with 20+ DK potential at his best. The sophomore comes off the bench but he still plays 20-25 minutes per game and is Miami’s best 3-point shooter right now (42%). Toledo is 298th in defensive efficiency and struggles to defend the three, so there’s upside here. | ||||
| Trey Thomas | BGSU | AKR | 4100 | 24.11 |
| This is the big mispricing of the slate and arguably a lock in all formats. Trey Thomas got a late start after transferring in from Vanderbilt, but he’s now quickly become one of Bowling Green’s top players. Since becoming a starter in December, Thomas is averaging 15.4 PPG and 28 DK over the past five games with heavy shot volume. He has 36, 35, and 27 DK over the past three games alone. Thomas looks like one of those typical power conference guys who transfers down to the mid-major level and strives. Even on the road at Akron here, he’s too cheap. | ||||
CBB DFS Top Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG |
| Zach Edey | PUR | IL | 10500 | 43.43 |
| If Purdue is on the slate, then Zach Edey has to be in our player pool. The National POY favorite basically has a floor of 30 DK and a ceiling of 50-60. He’s capable of posting a double-double with 20-30 points scored for a strong DFS output in any given game. Illinois allows a lot of points inside and will have trouble containing Edey. He’s more optimal in GPP lineups but should always be considered in cash if you can fit him in. | ||||
| Enrique Freeman | AKR | BGSU | 9600 | 40.96 |
| If you want to fade Zach Edey tonight, then Enrique Freeman is a very viable pivot in cash or GPP lineups. The Akron center is averaging 17.9 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 41 DK this season as a double-double machine and high-usage scorer in the paint. Freeman is safe for 30-40 DK tonight against Bowling Green’s weak interior defense and he brings 50+ DK upside in a pace-boost matchup at home. You can make the argument that he's a better per-dollar play than Edey. | ||||
| Alex Karaban | UCONN | BUTLE | 7400 | 28.46 |
| Like the other high-priced UConn players, Alex Karaban is another to consider in GPPs tonight. Karaban has shown the upside to put up 30-40 DK at his best when he’s more active offensively and hitting threes. He’s coming off a good game last time out with 17 points and 33 DK. Karaban’s role in the frontcourt has increased with Donovan Clingan sidelined too. Butler has had some issues defending the three this year, and Karaban is one of UConn’s sharpshooters. | ||||
| Coleman Hawkins | IL | PUR | 7000 | 25.42 |
| Rostering any opposing big vs Zach Edey is always risky, but Coleman Hawkins can still come through in cash or GPP lineups if he stays out of foul trouble. The Illini big has now posted 28+ DK in five straight games while averaging 14.8 PPG over this span. He’s locked into a bigger offensive role now with Terrence Shannon out too. Hawkins is tough to trust in cash because of the head-to-head matchup vs Edey, but the GPP potential is there with others fading him. | ||||
| O'Mar Stanley | BSU | SJSU | 6700 | 23.21 |
| O’Mar Stanley began the year on the bench for Boise State, but he’s now started the past seven games and is one of their top contributors in recent contests. The St. John’s transfer has put up 30+ DK in four of the past five games with an uptick in shot volume lately. He’s scored 20 and 23 points in the past two games and has firmly taken on Boise’s starting center spot. Stanley presents some GPP upside in the late-night hammer game. | ||||
CBB DFS Value Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG |
| Anderson Mirambeaux | MIAOH | TOL | 5800 | 21 |
| After missing the first part of the season, Anderson Mirambeaux has now played four games for Miami OH and is trending up. The big man had a 30% usage rate and 28% shot rate last year as Miami’s best player and he’s back in that role now. Mirambeaux has a whopping 42% usage rate and 39% shot rate so far despite coming off the bench, but he’ll likely rejoin the starting lineup soon. At 300 pounds, he’s a handful in the paint and Toledo severely lacks the size to contain him. He just had 20 points and 30 DK last game and is a GPP upside target tonight in a higher-scoring, uptempo spot. | ||||
| Samson Johnson | UCONN | BUTLE | 5700 | 14.7 |
| With Donovan Clingan still out, Samson Johnson will continue to start at center for UConn. He’s put up 26 and 17 DK in the past two games while starting and seeing an uptick in minutes. It’s nothing flashy, but we know Johnson will be locked into more playing time as UConn’s only reliable center right now. He can do just enough to return value in cash at sub-6k. | ||||
| Javan Simmons | TOL | MIAOH | 5200 | 21.31 |
| If you look at Javan Simmons’ game logs this year, he’s underpriced in the mid-5k range tonight. The Toledo center is averaging 11.9 PPG and 21 DK. He’s scored in double figures in 10 of 13 games with 20+ DK in 9 of 13. The freshman big should do enough to return value against Miami OH’s poor defense in a likely higher-scoring matchup. There aren't many trustworthy value forwards for cash tonight but Simmons stands out. | ||||
| Sammy Hunter | AKR | BGSU | 4000 | 16.04 |
| Despite just laying a dud last game, Sammy Hunter is still a viable GPP value forward tonight. Akron’s starting power forward has a fluctuating offensive role but does tend to score just enough with some rebounds mixed in to return value. He’s shown the upside for 20+ DK multiple times this year and is one of Akron’s best 3-point shooters (40% from deep so far). If he makes some threes, he'll return value at his 4k price. | ||||
CBB DFS Core Plays
DraftKings Cash
- Tyler Cochran – Toledo
- Enrique Freeman – Akron
- Trey Thomas – Bowling Green
DraftKings GPP
- Zach Edey – Purdue
- Stephon Castle – UConn
- Anderson Mirambeaux – Miami OH
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