College Basketball DFS Playbook March 17 NCAA Tournament: Top DraftKings & FanDuel CBB DFS Picks
The 2023 NCAA Tournament rolls on with another full slate of first-round games on Friday. It's time to dive into the top March Madness CBB DFS picks, value plays, and games to target for Friday's slate. Our first game is at 12:15 pm ET with USC vs. Michigan State and the games last until late with Arizona State vs. TCU wrapping it up at night. You can build CBB DFS lineups on both DraftKings and FanDuel for Friday's NCAA Tournament games, and both sites are handling things differently. DraftKings has an all-day slate that includes all 16 games while FanDuel broke it up into early and late slates. DK also has smaller slates with chunks of games if you want to do it that way. The highest totals on the slate overall are Kennesaw State vs. Xavier, Grand Canyon vs. Gonzaga, Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis, NC State vs. Creighton, and Drake vs. Miami FL.
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NCAA Tournament College Basketball Betting Odds March 17
(per DraftKings Sportsbook)
- 12:15 pm ET – USC vs. Michigan State (-2) – 137.5 O/U
- 12:40 pm ET – Kennesaw State vs. Xavier (-12.5) – 154 O/U
- 1:30 pm ET – UC Santa Barbara vs. Baylor (-10.5) – 143 O/U
- 1:40 pm ET – VCU vs. Saint Mary’s (-4) – 123 O/U
- 2:45 pm ET – Vermont vs. Marquette (-10.5) – 143 O/U
- 3:10 pm ET – Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State (-4) – 131.5 O/U
- 4:00 pm ET – NC State vs. Creighton (-5.5) – 148.5 O/U
- 4:30 pm ET – Iona vs. UConn (-9.5) – 141 O/U
- 6:50 pm ET – Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue (-23) – 145 O/U
- 7:10 pm ET – Providence vs. Kentucky (-3.5) – 144.5 O/U
- 7:25 pm ET – Drake vs. Miami FL (-2) – 146.5 O/U
- 7:35 pm ET – Grand Canyon vs. Gonzaga (-15.5) – 156 O/U
- 9:20 pm ET – Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis (-2) – 153 O/U
- 9:40 pm ET – Montana State vs. Kansas State (-8.5) – 139 O/U
- 9:55 pm ET – Kent State vs. Indiana (-4) – 140 O/U
- 10:05 pm ET – Arizona State vs. TCU (-6) – 141 O/U
CBB Top Projected Team Totals
(per KenPom.com)
- Purdue – 87
- Gonzaga – 85
- Xavier – 83
- Baylor – 79
- Marquewtte – 78
- UConn – 77
- Memphis – 77
- FAU – 76
- Creighton – 76
- Kentucky – 75
- Miami FL – 75
College Basketball CBB DFS Picks 3/17
CBB DFS Top Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Colby Jones | XAV | KENNS | 9100 | 31.76 | 8100 | 29.65 |
| Xavier is playing in one of the slate’s highest totals, so it puts Jones in a great spot to be a great cash play per usual. Outside of a dud vs Marquette last game, Jones regularly stuffs the stat sheet for a strong DFS floor and he has upside to score 20+ points in any game. He’s averaging 15.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 31 DK over the past 10 games and has been locked into more DFS production ever since Zach Freemantle went out. | ||||||
| Baylor Scheierman | CRE | NCST | 8800 | 31.49 | 7800 | 28.23 |
| Scheierman has been a strong cash stud almost every game with his rebounding and heavy usage from the point-forward position. He’s averaging a safe 12.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 30 DK over the past 10 games. Now his floor/ceiling get raised a bit more in a pace-boost matchup vs NC State where a double-double and 40+ DK are definitely in play for Scheierman. | ||||||
| Jordan Miller | MIA | DRA | 8400 | 30.25 | 7600 | 28.69 |
| Even though Isaiah Wong was the ACC Player of the Year, Miller is usually the better DFS play as he filles up the stat sheet in multiple ways. He’s averaging 16 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 33 DK per game over the past 10 contests and should continue the stat-stuffing ways vs Drake here. Miller is a solid cash play on both sites among the expensive guards. | ||||||
| Ajay Mitchell | UCSB | BAY | 7600 | 30.2 | 7300 | 28.98 |
| Mitchell is UC Santa Barbara’s alpha playmaker as a unique 6-foot-5 point guard and he can do plenty of damage against Baylor’s inconsistent defense. He’s averaging 17.6 points, 6.0 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 33 DK per game over the past 10 contests coming into this one. Although Baylor does present tougher competition, Mitchell should still do his thing and will likely go overlooked on the slate overall. | ||||||
| Mike Miles Jr. | TCU | ASU | 7200 | 26.79 | 6800 | 24.53 |
| Miles is really cheap on both sites compared to his actual talent level and proven ceiling from earlier this season. He’s admittedly been up-and-down for DFS since returning from injury, but TCU’s star guard can go for 30-40 DK or better in any given game. Miles just had 22 points and 33 DK vs Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament, which is a good sign that he’s feeling more comfortable. | ||||||
| Roman Penn | DRA | MIA | 6600 | 28.07 | 6700 | 26.67 |
| The Drake offense revolves around Tucker DeVries and Roman Penn and both are firmly in play in a higher-scoring matchup vs Miami. We’ll get to DeVries below as he’s forward-elgibile on DK, but Penn deserves his own spot here. The senior point guard is averaging 34 DK over the past 10 games with an average stat line of 15.8 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds. Penn should fill up the stat sheet yet again and he’s very affordable on both sites for 30+ DK. | ||||||
| Terrell Burden | KENNS | XAV | 6500 | 26.66 | 6300 | 24.90 |
| As Kennesaw State’s top guy on offense, Burden is definitely an option in cash or GPP in this high-scoring matchup vs Xavier. The senior point guard actually feels underpriced considering he’s averaging 15 PPG and 31 DK over the past 10 games while regularly stuffing the stat sheet. Yes, the competition gets tougher now, but Kennesaw should still score a fair amount of points and Burden offers a strong DFS floor. | ||||||
Also Consider:
- Kendric Davis – Memphis (GPP)
- Souley Boum – Xavier (GPP)
- Adam Flagler – Baylor (Cash)
- Malique Jacobs – Kent State (Cash)
- Ryan Nembhard – Creighton (Cash)
- Antonio Reeves – Kentucky (GPP)
CBB DFS Value Guards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Wooga Poplar | MIA | DRA | 5500 | 17.34 | 5400 | 16.08 |
| If you want a cheap way to get exposure to Miami and one of the higher totals, Poplar is a great bargain. He’s averaging 10.5 PPG and 20 DK over the past 10 games while regularly doing just enough across the board to return value. He’s a solid cash salary-saver in the mid-5k range on both sites. | ||||||
| Nolan Hickman | GONZ | GRACA | 5400 | 19.17 | 5100 | 17.51 |
| If you want cheap exposure to Gonzaga in that high total, the Zags’ guards are pretty affordable outside of Julian Strawther. You can roll out Hickman, Malachi Smith, or Rasir Bolton and feel good about the 4-6x value. As for Hickman, he has 21+ DK in four of the last five games coming into this matchup and started playing better in Gonzaga’s backcourt in the month of February. You could do a lot worse in the mid-5k range than Hickman for cash lineups. | ||||||
| Alex Lomax | MEM | FAU | 5100 | 20.01 | 4400 | 18.61 |
| Lomax has been a risky DFS option since recently returned from injury, but he’s still a good bargain in this high-total matchup with FAU. The senior guard was good against Houston in the AAC title game with 10 points and 24 DK across 30 minutes – his best game since getting hurt in January. The potential for 25-30 DK is there for Lomax and he’s too cheap on both sites, especially on FD. | ||||||
| Chance McMillian | GRACA | GONZ | 5000 | 19.33 | 5000 | 17.24 |
| McMillian offers another cheap way to get a piece of this high-scoring matchup with Gonzaga. The sophomore guard is averaging a solid 12.3 PPG and 22 DK over the past 10 games and has gone for 28+ DK in three recent matchups over the past month. The upside for 5x or 6x value is there when he gets going from three and he’s shooting 43% from deep this season. We know Grand Canyon will have to shoot a ton to keep pace with the Zags and McMillian should benefit from the faster-paced environment. | ||||||
| Desmond Claude | XAV | KENNS | 4600 | 12.15 | 4200 | 11.15 |
| If you want cheap exposure to Xavier in one of the slate’s high totals, Claude is a solid way to do it. The backup guard is the team’s sixth-man in a tight rotation and plays starter-level minutes in that role. While Claude isn’t heavily involved offensively, he does tend to do just enough to return value. He’s averaging 17 DK over the past 10 games but has 19+ DK in three of the past four coming into this matchup. | ||||||
| Dale Bonner | BAY | UCSB | 3800 | 13.06 | 4500 | 12.11 |
| Bonner has been getting more minutes with Langston Love out lately and it’s made him a decent bargain. He’s logged 20+ minutes in four straight games with two 20 DK performances in there. We’ll see if Love is back or not for Baylor, but Bonner would be a good value again if he’s not. The sub-4k price tag on DK is especially attractive for the potential 5x or 6x value. | ||||||
Also Consider:
- Calvin Wishart – UC Santa Barbara (GPP)
- Brandon Newman – Purdue (Cash)
- Robin Duncan – Vermont (Cash)
- Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky (GPP)
- Jalen Sullinger – Kent State (GPP)
CBB DFS Top Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Zach Edey | PUR | FDU | 11200 | 45.36 | 10400 | 42.39 |
| Edey will have about a full foot of height advantage over Fairleigh Dickinson’s tallest guys and he should dominate with this size mismatch. The Purdue big man would be a top play either way, but the upside for a 20-20 stat line and 60+ DK is definitely possible here. Of course the expensive price tag is always a limitation, but Edey is “fade at your own risk” in this type of matchup where the only chance he doesn’t come through is due to a blowout or weird foul trouble. | ||||||
| Trayce Jackson-Davis | IU | KENT | 11000 | 47.39 | 9900 | 44.59 |
| If you’re not paying up for Edey, then TJD is the pivot and he could actually outscore Edey. The Indiana center has been on an unreal run lately with 53+ DK in four straight games and averaging an insane 50 DK over the past 10 games. He’s the best DFS stud going right now and Kent State likely won’t slow him down. It’s going to be tough to fade TJD in cash and the expensive price is the only reason we don’t play him. | ||||||
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | CRE | NCST | 8600 | 30.01 | 7600 | 28.77 |
| Kaklbrenner would be a top forward play anyway, but he should have plenty of success in this favorable matchup vs NC State. Not only is it a pace boost for him and Creighton, but NC State has a subpar frontcourt that’s very undersized compared to Kalkbrenner’s 7-foot-1 frame. He should have his way offensively in this matchup to score 20+ points and 30-40 DK. | ||||||
| Jack Nunge | XAV | KENNS | 8300 | 31.35 | 8000 | 29.29 |
| Nunge will have a notable size advantage over the smaller Kennesaw State frontcourt. It puts the Xaver center in a good spot to get a double-double and post 30-40 DFS points like we know he can. Nunge is averaging 28 DK over the past 10 games but his ceiling gets raised in a more favorable matchup here. | ||||||
| Tucker DeVries | DRA | MIA | 7700 | 31.86 | 7200 | 29.00 |
| DeVries is one of those NBA prospect sleepers who plays at a small school, but he’ll soon be known on the national stage if Drake pulls the upset. The sophomore wing is averaging 20.1 PPG and 32 DK over the past 10 games while anchoring the offense along with Roman Penn. Both guys are great plays in a higher-scoring matchup vs Miami and DeVries brings plenty of GPP upside. | ||||||
| Anton Watson | GONZ | GRACA | 7700 | 26.96 | 7700 | 25.50 |
| If you’ve been playing CBB DFS lately, you know that Watson has actually been just as good as Drew Timme when it comes to fantasy production. Of course, Timme always has the GPP upside to smash for 50 DK or more and could do so against Grand Canyon. Still, Watson is much cheaper for likely similar DFS production. The power forward is averaging a stat-stuffing 30 DK over the past 10 games and ended the season strong with 42, 36, 38, and 33 DK over the past four games. | ||||||
Also Consider:
- DeAndre Williams – Memphis (GPP)
- Drew Timme – Gonzaga (GPP)
- Joey Hauser – Michigan State (GPP)
- Arthur Kaluma – Creighton (GPP)
CBB DFS Value Forwards
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Andre Kelly | UCSB | BAY | 5700 | 21.17 | 5700 | 19.98 |
| Rostering value plays from small schools is always a risk, but Kelly is a great bargain in the mid-5k range. He’s averaging 21 DK over the past 10 games while usually doing just enough to return value in his 30 minutes or so starting for UC Santa Barbara. The former Cal transfer won’t back down from facing Baylor and its shaky defense here – and he’s even shown 30+ DK upside in a few recent games. | ||||||
| Chuck O'Bannon Jr. | TCU | ASU | 5500 | 17.13 | 4600 | 16.08 |
| With Eddie Lampkin leaving the team, O’Bannon is locked into a lot more playing time in the TCU frontcourt. He’s started the past five games with 19+ DK in four of those, including 34 and 22 DK in the past two games. It’s a risky DFS value, but O’Bannon can easily 5x his cheap salaries at his best. JaKobe Coles is also a good bargain from TCU with Lampkin out. | ||||||
| RaeQuan Battle | MONTS | KSU | 5400 | 25.15 | 5700 | 23.93 |
| Even though he’s facing Kansas State in a tougher matchup than usual, Battle is mispriced on both sites here. The former Washington transfer is Montana State’s alpha scrorer with high 28% usage and 35% shot rates this season. The heavy shot volume keeps his DFS floor higher than most and he’s averaging 17 PPG and 25 DK this season. This is a great value for sub-6k on both sites. Keep in mind that Battle is listed as a guard on DK but a forward on FD. | ||||||
| Guillermo Diaz Graham | PITT | ISU | 4500 | 9.82 | 4700 | 9.25 |
| Diaz Graham has been a great value over the past two games with Federiko sidelined. The lanky 7-foot freshman had 19 DK in 37 minutes while starting in Federiko’s place in the First Four game. He also had 26 DK the game prior with his teammate out. If Diaz Graham starts again, the value is clear even in a low-scoring matchup vs Iowa State. | ||||||
| Jamiya Neal | ASU | TCU | 4500 | 12.16 | 4000 | 11.15 |
| Neal was awesome in Arizona State’s First Four win on Wednesday night. He scored 16 points with 29 DK to smash value on that slate and he’s still a great bargain. Neal has been a bigger part of ASU’s rotation with Austin Nunez out recently, and that’ll likely be the case again here. Neal has 29, 16, and 19 DK over the past three games in his bigger role. | ||||||
| Robert Jones | ISU | PITT | 4300 | 13.31 | 4500 | 12.38 |
| Both Jones and Tre King have been good values recently with Caleb Grill leaving the team. You can consider both at their cheap prices, but Jones is a slightly better discount. He just put up 21 DK last time out and has 16+ DK in three of the past five games with Grill gone. We’ll take that value at his cheap mid-4k prices. | ||||||
Also Consider:
- Darnell Brodie – Drake (GPP)
- Joshua Morgan – USC (Cash)
- Jubrile Belo – Montana State (Cash)
- Ben Gregg – Gonzaga (GPP)
- Yvan Ouedraogo – Grand Canyon (GPP)
CBB DFS Core Plays
DraftKings All-Day Cash:
- Trayce Jackson-Davis – Indiana
- Roman Penn – Drake
- Jordan Miller – Miami FL
- Desmond Claude – Xavier
DraftKings All-Day GPP:
- Zach Edey – Purdue
- Mike Miles – TCU
- RaeQuan Battle – Montana State
- Chance McMillian – Grand Canyon
FanDuel Early Cash:
- Baylor Scheierman – Creighton
- Colby Jones – Xavier
- Desmond Claude – Xavier
FanDuel Early GPP:
- Ajay Mitchell – UC Santa Barbara
- Ryan Kalkbrenner – Creighton
- Andre Kelly – UC Santa Barbara
FanDuel Late Cash:
- Roman Penn – Drake
- Trayce Jackson-Davis – Indiana
- Wooga Poplar – Miami FL
FanDuel Late GPP:
- Zach Edey – Purdue
- Tucker DeVries – Drake
- Jamiya Neal – Arizona State
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