Welcome back to the start of another weekend of college basketball action and CBB DFS lineup building! We have a small slate of games on this Friday night, but there are plenty of intriguing matchups and top-tier players 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 Big East and Atlantic 10 matchups. 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 20th.

 

College Basketball CBB DFS Slate & Betting Odds January 20

(via DraftKings Sportsbook)

  • 7 pm ET – VCU (-1) @ Richmond 131.5 O/U
  • 7 pm ET – Villanova @ St. John's (-4.5) 150.5 O/U
  • 8:30 pm ET- Toledo (-4) @ Buffalo 168.5 O/U
  • 11 pm ET- Boise State @ New Mexico (-1.5) 146 O/U

CBB Top Team Totals

(via KenPom.com)

  1. Toledo 87.00
  2. Buffalo 81.50
  3. St. John's 77.25
  4. Villanova 73.25
  5. New Mexico 73.00
  6. Boise State 71.50
  7. VCU 66.75
  8. Richmond 65.75

 

College Basketball CBB DFS Top Plays January 20

CBB DFS Top Guards

Zid Powell and Curtis Jones – Buffalo vs. Toledo ($7.2K/$6.7K)  

The MaC showdown between Buffalo and Toledo is by far the marquee fantasy game on the slate- 17.5 points higher than the second-highest game total (Villanova/St. John's). Powell and Jones are firmly in play as top point-per-dollar guards. Powell, who normally has been coming off the bench but started last game, leads the team with a 29.6% usage rate to go along with a 26.9% shot and 20.5 assist rate. In the last game against Bowling Green Powell exploded for 27 points and 10 boards (50 DKFP) and has been over 30 DKFP in three straight games. Jones meanwhile also has a shot rate over 26% and has one of the safest floors on the slate with five straight games between 30-39 DKFP. Both players are in play in all formats tonight. 

Jamal Mashburn Jr. – New Mexico vs. Boise State ($7.0K) 

Jalen House ($8.3K), who was just named to the Oscar Robertson midseason watch list as the top guard in the country, is considered a top pay-up tonight but teammate Mashburn Jr. is just too cheap at only $7.0K. Mashburn Jr is coming off a Mountain West player of the Week honor for a Lobo squad that had to recover from two consecutive losses. He ignited the New Mexico offense that now has had three straight impressive victories over Oral Roberts (24 points/38 DKFP), San Diego State (22 points/28 DKFP), and San Jose State (20 points/25 DKFP). Even with House in the same backcourt, Mashburn Jr leads the team with a 30.3% shot rate and even leads the team in usage over the last 5 games with a 30% rate. 

Other Top Guards

Top point-per-dollar plays

  • RayJ Dennis – Toledo ($8.0K) Coming off a 54 DKFP game and now will be in the highest scoring game of the night-impressive 28.2% usage/29.7% shot rate on the season- top pay-up guard of slate
  • Jalen House – New Mexico ($8.3K) 10 of his last 11 games are over 30 DKFP; 27% usage leads Lobos
  • Posh Alexander – St. Johns's ($6.6K) At lowest price point of the season but a safe 20 DKFP play nightly- gut call he will have a big game
  • Caleb Daniels – Villanova ($8.2K) 26% usage/27% shot with a 21.3% assist rate

 

CBB DFS Value Guards

Armoni Foster – Buffalo vs. Toledo ($4.5K) 

Foster was a National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II All-America selection, and was a finalist for the NABC Division II Player of the Year as he helped Indiana University of Pennsylvania reach the Division II national semifinals last season. The graduate transfer who averaged nearly 17 PPG over four D-II seasons is now providing leadership at Buffalo and playing 30+ minutes per game. At $4.5K and with usage over 20%, an 18% assist rate and a DKFP over 20 points Foster is a top guard value in the highest scoring game environment on the slate. 

Other Value Guards

Top point-per-dollar value plays

  • Chibizo Agbo – Boise State ($5.8K) 17.6% defensive rebound rate- 26, 34 and 19 DKFP last 3 games
  • Dylan Addae-Wusu – St. John's ($5.6K) Volatile guard playing 30 mins-  low of 7 DKFP and a high of 36 DKFP over last 4 games
  • Rafael Pinzon – St. John's ($3.3K) 27/23 mins last 2 games with Mathis out - avg 15 DKFP in those 2 games
  • AJ Storr – St. John's ($3.5K) 25/20 mins last 2 games plus starting with Mathis out- avg 17 DKFP in those 2 games
  • Dante Maddox – Toledo ($4.4K) 30 mins a game with 22 DKFP last 3 games- will be popular but a possible leverage fade
 

 

CBB DFS Top Forwards

Joel Soriano – St. John's vs. Villanova ($9.0K)

Soriano has been in straight beast mode and has turned himself into one of the top forwards not only in the Big East but the entire nation. With an offensive rebound rate of 14.5 (29th) and a sixth-best, in the country 30.1% defensive rebound rate he has an easy 30 DKFP floor and can pull down a fifty burger any night. Over his last five games in the Big East Soriano is averaging a double-double of 20 PPG/11.4 RPG and should eat tonight against a weak Villanova interior that is only pulling down offensive rebounds at a low 23.3% rate (322nd).

JT Shumate – Toledo @ Buffalo ($6.9K)

JT Shumate will be a popular cash choice tonight as $6.9K is just way too cheap for a top forward on a team with a 87 team total. Yes there are foul concerns (4+ in two of his last three) but he carries a 140.4 KenPom offensive rating and has scored 30+ DKFP in eight of his last 10 games. Buffalo struggles on the boards (31% team defensive rebound rate) and also allows 32% from beyond the arc which should be right up Shumate's alley- a 44% 3-point shooter. 

Other Top Forwards

Top point-per-dollar plays

  • Tyler Burton – Richmond ($9.1K) 27.4% usage/29.6% shot rate
  • Morris Udeze – New Mexico ($7.9K) Four straight double-doubles and his seven on the season are the most by a Lobo since 2013-14; leads Mountain West with 8.6 rebounds per game
  • Cam Whitmore – Villanova ($7.4K) 25% usage and 27+ DKFP in 3 of last 4 games
  • Isiah Adams – Buffalo ($6.0K) 3 of last 6 over 20 DKFP- 30 point ceiling 
  • Jalen DeLoach – VCU ($6.1K) 31 DKFP and 46 DKFP in 2 of last 3 games plus 6.4 RPG last 5 

 

CBB DFS Value Forwards

Matt Grace – Richmond vs. VCU ($4.0K)

Grace is a volatile DFS player but $4.0K is a near free square for a player that averages nearly 30 minutes per game. Just a week ago he was the Spiders leading scorer against St. Bonaventure with 16 points plus he pulled down five boards en route to a 28 DKFP game. He has been over 20 DKFP in three of his last six and should throw up a 4-6X tonight.

Other Value Guards

Top point-per-dollar value plays

  • Isaac Jack – Buffalo ($3.7K) 8 PPG/5.0 RPG last 5
  • Naje Smith – Boise State ($5.4K) 22% usage last 5 with a 23 DKFP average
  • Josiah Allick – New Mexico ($5.8K) 40 DKFP against Oral Roberts
  • Jonnivius Smith – Buffalo ($4.9K)

 

DraftKings Core

  • JT Shumate – Toledo
  • Zid Powell – Buffalo
  • Jamal Mashburn Jr – New Mexico
 

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