Welcome to another night of college basketball as you build those CBB DFS lineups. The weekend begins with the Friday night CBB slate that includes Michigan State at Illinois in a Big Ten matchup; Villanova and Butler in a Big East showdown and the late-night hammer game between Utah State and Nevada of the Mountain West Conference for our CBB daily fantasy picks. You can build CBB DFS lineups tonight on DraftKings for the 4-game main slate tipping off at 7 pm ET with Nebraska facing Zach Edey and Purdue. If you're looking to play college basketball DFS this season, get full access to our CBB DFS Playbooks and Core Plays with a Fantasy Alarm All-Pro Subscription. Check out all the CBB DFS top picks, lineup strategies, teams to target, and value plays to lock in for tonight's college basketball action. If you have any questions about CBB daily fantasy lineup strategy, ask away in the Fantasy Alarm Discord chat. Now, let's jump into the CBB DFS top plays and lineup picks for Friday, January 13th..

 

 

 

College Basketball CBB DFS Slate & Betting Odds January 13th:

 

  • 7p ET Nebraska @ Purdue (-15.0) 131.0 O/U
  • 7p ET Villanova @ Butler (-1.0) 133.0 O/U
  • 9p ET Michigan State @ Illinois (-4.5) 136.5 O/U
  • 11p ET Utah State @ Nevada (-1.5) 143.5 O/U

 

College Basketball CBB DFS Top Plays January 13th:

 

CBB DFS Top Guards

 

Terrence Shannon Jr- Illinois vs. Michigan State ($9.3K) 

Following three years at Texas Tech, Shannon returned to his home state to wear the orange and blue and is starting to play like the best guard in the Big ten again. He is coming off a monster game after he erupted for 25 points, 11 boards, four assists and four steals in the Illini's huge win over Nebraska.  With a 26.5% usage and 25.7% shot rate to go along with a 20.7% assist Shannon is now on another level, especially with Sky Clark gone for the year.  He's no longer a bargain in the mid-$7K range but Shannon Jr is still the top overall guard on the slate. 

 

Kenan  Blackshear- Nevada vs. Utah State ($7.2K) 

The big question at Nevada over the offseason was who would be replacing the departed Grant Sherfield, a two-time All-Mountain West honoree, at point guard. After Elon transfer Hunter McIntosh went down for the year before the season even started all eyes turned to Blackshear to run the show for the Wolf Pack.

Blackshear has not only answered the question, but he has become Nevada's best player and one of the top guards in the Mountain West. The former wing ranks in the top two on the team in minutes (31.8), scoring (14.0) rebounding (4.8), assists (1.4) and steals. With a 28.8% usage (99th) and 32.6% assist rate (41st) Blackshear is firmly in play tonight in all formats.

 

Other Top Guards

Top point-per-dollar plays

  • Caleb Daniels - Villanova ($8.4K) 25.7% usage/27.1% shot rate; 32 DKFP last 5 games
  • Steven Ashworth- Utah State ($6.6K) Just behind Blackshear as top pt/$ guard on slate; avg 30 DKFP last 5 games and has a 26% assist rate and shooting 5% from the 3.- bump up with no Rylan Jones
  • Sam Griesel - Nebraska ($6.8K) 
  • Max Shulga- Utah State ($6.5K) Back to back 20+ DKFP games with 25.1 assist rate; bump up with no Rylan Jones
  • Matthew Mayer G/F - Illinois ($6.2K) 24.9% shot rate with a 5.0% block and 2.5% steal rate; 25+ DKFP in 5 of last 6 games
  • Braden Smith- Purdue ($6.9K) Sneaky play- back to back 35+ DKFP games

 

CBB DFS Value Guards

 

Ali Ali- Butler vs. Villanova ($4.8K) 

Akron transfer Ali moved into the starting lineup for the first time this season in place of Jalen Thomas against St. John's on Tuesday. his usage was kinda low but his shooting injected life into the Bulldogs against an aggressive St. John's defense. He scored 10 points (24 DKFP) on 4-for-8 shooting and added four assists and four rebounds. This Butler offense has suffered through some major scoring droughts this season and  Ali may just be the answer.  He should help with spacing and can assist with ball handling and playmaking in the half-court. On a slate lacking value Ali is the low-priced play if he gets the start again tonight against Villanova

 

Other Value Guards

Top point-per-dollar value plays

  • Jarrod Lucas- Nevada ($5.7K) 26% shot rate and Nevada's leading scorer (16.7 PPG)
  • Simas Lukosius- Butler ($5.5K) 20+ DKFP last 2 games
  • Jaden Akins- Michigan State ($4.8K) 2.6% steal rate
  • RJ Melendez- Illinois ($4.7K)
  • CJ Wilcher- Nebraska ($4.6K) 5 straight double digit DKFP games
  • Mark Armstrong- Villanova ($4.5K) 
  • Denim Dawson- Nebraska ($3.0K) Total dart- but played 17 and 15 mins last 2 games
 

 

CBB DFS Top Forwards

 

Derrick Walker- Nebraska @Purdue ($7.3K) 

Keeping Walker away from the bench with early foul trouble and instead, on the court rolling as the teams playmaker on offense is the biggest key to the Cornhuskers game at #3 Purdue tonight. As Walker goes in Nebraska’s offense, so often go the Huskers. He is a frontcourt player who can initiate the offense – as long as he stays on the court- plus he can handle the ball and is an awesome passer. Walker is carrying a team best 28.4% usage and 25.8% shot plus is ranked nationally with a 12.2% offensive rebound, 27.1% assist and 3.0% block rate. Walker played all-world Purdue center Zach Edey to a draw back in December. Walker had 14 points and 10 boards, while Edey had 11 pojnts and 17 boards, in the Purdue's’ 65-62 overtime win. With a 30 point DKFP average over his last five games Walker is a top all around play in all formats. 

 

Joey Hauser- Michigan State @ Illinois ($7.9K) 

For Hauser, who spurned Wisconsin when he chose Marquette out of high school and again when he chose Michigan State as a transfer, it was a perfect end to probably his last trip to his home state on Tuesday night. He seems to be playing with so much more confidence and erupted for 20 points and eight boards with elite offensive efficiency going 6 for 8 from the field and 6 for 6 from the free throw line in the Spartans 69-65 win. It's been a breakout season for Hauser as he is playing some of the best basketball of his career and is now averaging 13.8 points per game (2nd on the team), with a team-best 7.8 rebounds per game and shooting 41 percent from 3-point range

 

Other Top Forwards

Top point-per-dollar plays

  • Zach Edey - Purdue ($10.7K) 21.9 points and 13.2 rebounds per game — is putting together a Naismith-caliber season- but will he play the full amount of minutes in a possible blowout? If he does- he will nuke the slate but if he doesn't he will not pay off the immense $10.7K tag
  • Coleman Hawkins- Illinois ($7.7K) 20.9 assist and 4.0% block rate
  • Manny Bates- Butler ($6.3K) Has been on a downward spiral but is in a nice spot at a real nice price 
  • Cam Whitmore- Villanova ($7.4K) 25% usage last 5 and seeing an uptick in mins (30+) especially with Longino out
  • Matthew Mayer G/F - Illinois ($6.2K) 24.9% shot rate with a 5.0% block and 2.5% steal rate; 25+ DKFP in 5 of last 6 games

 

CBB DFS Value Forwards

 

Wilhelm Breidenbach- Nebraska @ Purdue ($4.1K) 

Juwan Gary didn’t return after suffering a shoulder injury against Illinois and is out tonight. Why not take a shot in GPPs on Breidenbach. The former top-100 recruit who was limited last season due to injury and started slowly this season has shown some encouraging play as of late. In the Illinois game on Tuesday night he hit a couple of threes and ended with 11 points. He has now hit doible-digit DraftKings points in four of his last five games and is averaging about eight real points per game in that stretch, as well as four rebounds. 

 

Other Value Forwards

Top point-per-dollar value plays

  • Tre Coleman- Nevada ($4.9K) cheap for a guy that plays 30 mins- but his log is yuk
  • Jalen Thomas - Butler ($5.5K) 20 DKFP L2
  • Malik Hall- Michigan State ($5.2K) back from injury- playing 20+ mins- 12/13/18/14 DKFP since return
  • Mason Gillis - Purdue ($4.8K) 5 straight double digit DKFP

 

DraftKings Core

Terrence Shannon Jr- Illinois

Derrick Walker - Nebraska

Ali Ali - Butler (Value)

 

 

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