The 2023-24 college basketball season rolls on with another CBB DFS slate for Wednesday night. It's only a 5-gamer on DraftKings, but we still have plenty of top plays and value picks to lock in for college basketball DFS lineups. This slate features some top matchups like Florida Atlantic vs Loyola Chicago and Arizona State vs Mississippi State. Plus, we get SMU, Syracuse, and Texas Tech as large favorites. Let's now jump into the top CBB DFS picks and value plays for the guard and forward positions. All CBB odds below are via DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Plus, check out KenPom top team totals as you build your CBB DFS lineups. Enjoy!

 

College Basketball DraftKings Slate November 9

  • 7 pm ET – Western Illinois at SMU (-17.5) – 147 O/U
  • 7 pm ET – Florida Atlantic (-6.5) at Loyola Chicago – 142.5 O/U
  • 7 pm ET – Canisus at Syracuse (-13.5) – 152 O/U
  • 8 pm ET – Texas A&M Commerce at Texas Tech (-24) – 128.5 O/U
  • 9:30 pm ET – Arizona State at Mississippi State (-3.5) – 129.5 O/U

 

Top KenPom Team Totals

  1. Syracuse – 80
  2. SMU – 79
  3. Texas Tech – 75
  4. Florida Atlantic – 74
  5. Loyola Chicago – 71
  6. Mississippi State – 71

 

College Basketball CBB DFS Picks 

Top CBB DFS Guards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPG
Judah MintzSYRCAN930034.75
After an impressive freshman season, Judah Mintz is back to lead Syracuse again this year. He averaged 16.3 PPG and 4.6 APG last season and is already off to a strong start. Mintz scored 20 points with 34 DK in the Orange’s first game on Monday. He had a 30% usage rate, took 15 shots, and went 9-for-11 from the free-throw line. Expect similar numbers tonight against an easier Canisus opponent. Mintz is a top overall play as the best player in the highest total of the slate.
Zhuric PhelpsSMUWIU860038.75
Zhuric Phelps was SMU’s best player last year, averaging 17.5 PPG with a 32% usage rate – one of the highest USG% in college hoops. He’s a definite top play tonight as he’ll be SMU’s top scorer and all-around best playmaker this season. The Mustangs brought in Chuck Harris to play point with Phelps moving to shooting guard, but that shouldn’t impact his scoring much. Phelps scored 24 points with 38 DK in Monday’s season opener and should do something similar tonight in an easy matchup.
Johnell DavisFAULY-IL82000
FAU brings back almost its entire rotation from last year’s Final Four team, so at least we know what to expect. The Owls’ offense is anchored by Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin, who both averaged 13 PPG with a 25% usage rate last year. Davis might be a bit pricey, but he’s still a top guard on this slate without many studs to choose from. Keep an eye on Alijah Martin’s status because if he’s out, then Davis would take even more usage and shot volume.
Chuck HarrisSMUWIU670026.25
Chuck Harris transfers over from Butler to be SMU’s point guard this season. He replaces Zach Nutall in the backcourt and will be asked to run the offense more than Nutall as Zhuric Phelps moves over to shooting guard with slightly less ball-handling responsibility. Harris averaged 10.4 PPG last year for Butler but his role is bigger on his new team. In Monday’s opener, he had 16 points and 26 DK. The price tag puts him in GPP territory, but he’s a nice pivot away from Phelps or other top-priced guards.
Pop IsaacsTTUTXA&M66000
Texas Tech went through a complete roster turnover this offseason with the coaching change, but Pop Isaacs stuck around and he’ll likely be the team’s top scorer early on. He dropped 30 points on Texas A&M in an exhibition game, which is a great sign of his usage and shot volume with this new squad. Isaacs showed promise last season as a freshman and will be looking to another jump this year, especially with a bigger role. This price tag is really affordable for getting the top Texas Tech scorer.

Value CBB DFS Guards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPG
Frankie CollinsASUMSST59000
Frankie Collins is back as Arizona State’s point guard and he’s the only returning starter from last year’s team. ASU is replacing Desmond Cambridge, DJ Horne, and Devan Cambridge in the backcourt/wings. We’ll see how the rotation and usage shakes out, but Collins should be the lead ball-handler and top playmaker early on with some transfers and unproven guys around him. Collins is a nice bargain at sub-6k, but better suited for GPPs. You can also consider Jose Perez at $5400 if he starts.
Tahj StaveskieCANSYR57000
Tahj Staveskie was Canisus’ best player last year as a freshman and he should be their go-to playmaker this season. He averaged 12.4 points and 5.9 assists+rebounds per game last year while leading the team in usage rate. Expect him to take on a high usage rate this year as one of the MAAC’s best players and Canisus’ clear top guy. The price is really cheap with the high total matchup vs Cuse and Staveskie’s team likely hanging around enough to rack up plenty of DFS points. He might be the best value on the slate, but is a bit tough to trust in cash.
J.J. StarlingSYRCAN500021.25
J.J. Starling is now at Syracuse after a solid freshman season with Notre Dame. He averaged 11.2 PPG last year but his numbers should increase on a faster-paced Cuse team. The Orange are essentially replacing Joe Girard with Starling in the backcourt to pair up with Judah Mintz as top two playmakers – especially with Jesse Edwards gone. In Monday’s season opener, Starling had 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, and 21 DK points. He’s a great bargain at just 5k.
Joe ToussaintTTUTXA&M49000
Joe Toussaint transfers in from West Virginia to be Texas Tech’s lead point guard. He’s expected to run the Tech offense more often than not and be the lead distributor. In the exhibition vs Texas A&M, Toussaint had six points, seven assists, and one steal across 36 minutes. We’ll take that stat line all day at this value price for cash lineups. Even in a blowout win, Toussaint should provide 20-25 DK points or so.
Justin TaylorSYRCAN450031
After being a backup for most of last year, Justin Taylor has moved into the starting lineup for Syracuse this season. The sophomore had a stat-stuffing season opener with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block for a 31 DK outing. We want pieces of this Syracuse game and Taylor is a very affordable way to do it with the 6x upside. Keep an eye on Benny Williams’ status because if he plays tonight then it might impact Taylor’s minutes and role.
Josh HubbardMSSTASU38000
With Shakeel Moore out, Josh Hubbard should be more involved offensively for Mississippi State and is a great value tonight. The freshman led the team in scoring in Miss State’s exhibition game while taking the most shots as well – and that was with Moore playing. We could see Hubbard enter the starting lineup, but he’ll still be a high-usage scorer off the bench even if he doesn’t. Miss State’s backcourt is essentially Hubbard and Dashawn Davis, but the former is much cheaper tonight.
Quadir CopelandSYRCAN330032.25
Another cheap value to consider from Syracuse is Quadir Copeland. The sophomore barely played last year but he looks like a main role/bench player for Cuse this season. In Monday’s game, he had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists for a massive 32 DK performance. While he didn’t start, Copeland did log 27 minutes off the bench and benefited from Benny Williams sitting out. If Williams is out again, Copeland is a great bargain at a near-minimum price.

Top CBB DFS Forwards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPG
Cameron MatthewsMSSTASU72000
The top-end of the forward pool is ugly tonight. One guy who should provide a strong DFS floor for cash, though, is Cameron Matthews. The senior forward will do a little bit of everything to fill up the stat sheet. In Miss State’s exhibition, Matthews had nine points, six rebounds, two assists, four steals, and one block. That’s a pretty good example of what Matthews will do most nights while playing multiple positions for Miss St. He’s even more important offensively right now while Tolu Smith and Shakeel Moore are out.
Philip AlstonLY-ILFAU71000
As a freshman last year, Philip Alston led Loyola-Chicago in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. He’s expected to take another leap forward this season to be one of the better players in A-10 conference. Alston led Loyola in scoring in the exhibition game with 17 points, which is a good sign that he’s still the alpha scorer and playmaker as a sophomore. From the wing/power forward position, Alston should have an advantage over the smaller FAU lineup that could let him go off and force others to beat them. He's a top cash forward on this slate without many trustworthy guys.
Vladislav GoldinFAULY-IL68000
FAU’s center spot is usually split between Vladislav Goldin and Giancarlo Rosado sharing minutes. When Goldin is dominating in the paint, especially offensively, he can be a top DFS performer with a 15-point double-double not out of the question. Loyola doesn’t have a ton of size to matchup with Goldin’s 7-foot-1 frame and he could have a ton of success scoring inside tonight. The price tag puts him in GPP territory, but the upside for 30+ DK is there at his best.
Jesiah WestWIUSMU640033.25
In Western Illinois’ season opener, Jesiah West put up 33 DK with a double-double. He had the second-highest usage rate and shot volume on the team behind James Dent, which should be true in most games this season for WIU. Even in a likely blowout loss, the senior wing should get his numbers in a pace-boost matchup and with high usage/volume as one of WIU’s top playmakers. The forward position is weak at the top, but West is a solid cash floor play at sub-7k.

Value CBB DFS Forwards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPG
Maliq BrownSYRCAN570026.5
Maliq Brown showed flashes last season and should be a big part of Syracuse’s wing/forward rotation this year. In Monday’s opener, he had 10 points, six rebounds, four steals, and 26 DK points off the bench in 24 minutes. Brown is another guy who benefited from Benny Williams being out, so keep an eye on his status. This sub-6k price tag is a bargain for one of the top players in the highest total of the slate.
Devan CambridgeTTUTXA&M56000
Devan Cambridge is now at Texas Tech after transferring over from Arizona State. He’s expected to start on the wing for Tech and be one of their top players this season. Cambridge had 14 points and six rebounds in the exhibition game vs Texas A&M. This sub-6k price is very affordable for a guy that will likely be priced higher for much of this season.
Jimmy Bell Jr.MSSTASU40000
With Tolu Smith out, Jimmy Bell should start at center for Mississippi State. The big man started every game last year for West Virginia but wasn’t really DFS-relevant with a small role. Though he won’t be a big part of Miss St’s offense, he’s still worth a GPP dart at just 4k for the potential 5x value at his best with a double-double as a possibility. There are better values for cash.
Joe Jones IIICANSYR33000
Let’s grab another value from the highest total tonight. Joe Jones is expected to be Canisus’ starting center after transferring in from Georgia State. There should be plenty of rebounding opportunities for Jones and others with a faster-paced flow. He had some big games when given the minutes last year at Georgia State and can smash value if he sees 20-30 minutes. Check the starting lineup ahead of time because Jones didn’t play in the exhibition game. If he sits, then Bryce Okpoh is the pivot.
Shawn Phillips Jr.ASUMSST31000
Arizona State is replacing Warren Washington with Shawn Phillips at the center spot. Phillips is a 7-footer who barely played at LSU last season but still has plenty of raw talent and elite size. He’s really cheap for being a starting big. It’ll be interesting to see if either he or Jimmy Bell get the best of each other down low and around the rim in tonight’s matchup. Phillips is worth a GPP dart throw for the potential 20-30 DK points at his best.

 

CBB DFS Core Plays 

DraftKings Cash

  • Judah Mintz – Syracuse
  • Zhuric Phelps – SMU
  • J.J. Starling – Syracuse

DraftKings GPP

  • Pop Isaacs – Texas Tech
  • Tahj Staveskie – Canisus
  • Josh Hubbard – Mississippi State
 

Keep the College Basketball DFS winning going! Plus, check out our partners over on PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy & join our Discord!