Good morning FAmily! We have a huge college basketball Saturday on tap so let's get to some weekend CBB DFS lineup building at Fantasy Alarm!  All of the major conferences will be represented including games from the SEC/Big 12 Challenge series for our CBB daily fantasy picks. You can build CBB DFS lineups tonight on DraftKings for the 12-game main slate tipping off at 12pm ET. 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 today'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 Saturday, January 28th.

 

 

College Basketball CBB DFS Slate & Betting Odds January 28th

(via DraftKings Sportsbook)

  • 12pm ET: Auburn @ West Virginia (-3.5) - 142.0 O/U
  • 12pm ET: Louisville @ Notre Dame (-10.0) - 140.5 O/U
  • 12pm ET: Boston College @ Virginia (-15.0) - 124.0 O/U
  • 12pm ET: Minnesota @ Northwestern (-12.5) - 125.5 O/U
  • 12pm ET: Temple @ Central Florida (-6.5) - 132.5 O/U
  • 12:15pm ET: Xavier @ Creighton (-5.0) - 157.0 O/U
  • 1pm ET: North Carolina State @ Wake Forest (-2.5) - 154.0 O/U
  • 2pm ET: Alabama (-6.5) @ Oklahoma - 145.0 O/U
  • 2pm ET: Marquette (-9.0) @ DePaul - 153.5 O/U
  • 2pm ET: Texas Tech (-3.0) @ Louisiana State - 133.5 O/U
  • 2pm ET: Iowa State (-1.5) @ Missouri - 143.0 O/U
  • 2:15pm ET: Cincinnati @ Houston (-14.5) - 132.0 O/U

 

CBB Top Team Totals

  1. Creighton- 81.5
  2. Marquette- 80.75
  3. Wake Forest- 79.0
  4. Xavier- 76.5
  5. North Carolina State 75.75
  6. Alabama- 75.75
  7. Notre Dame 75.25
  8. Houston - 73.25
  9. West Virginia- 72.25
  10. DePaul- 72.25
  11. Iowa State- 72.25
  12. Missouri- 70.75

 

College Basketball CBB DFS Top Plays January 28

CBB DFS Top Guards

Tyree Appleby, Wake Forest vs. North Carolina State ($8.9K) 

Senior guard Tyree Appleby has thrived at Wake Forest, his third school after transferring from Florida and Cleveland State. The 6-foot-1 guard leads the Demon Deacons with 18.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 6.0 APG per game this season, he's shooting a career-best 45.0% from the field and is just below his top mark in three-point percentage (38.7). He leads the ACC in assists per game, which puts him at 11th in the nation and he is also second in the conference in scoring with 18.1 PPG — only behind Terquavion Smith of NC State). With double-digit scoring performances in 17 of his 19 games played, Appleby is a top pay-up at guard today. 

Cameron Hildreth, Wake Forest vs. North Carolina State ($7.5K)

Hildreth has turned into one of the better DFS players in all of college basketball. Like Jarkel Joiner is to Terquavion Smith at NC State, Hildreth is the Robin to Tyree Appleby's Batman. He has two double-doubles this month and one was against an always-elite Virginia team. This is an underpriced play as Hildreth has at least 30 DraftKings fantasy points (DKFP) in six straight games while carrying a 23% usage with a 14.9 PPG/6.1 RPG (28 DKFP) over that span. As a stat sheet stuffer, Hildreth has a safe floor and if he put the ball in the basket this could be one of the top plays of the slate when the afternoon is over. 

Kam Jones, Marquette @ DePaul ($7.4K)

This is the lowest price point on Kam Jones. He is the man right now at Marquette and averages a team-high 16.4 PPG in addition to 3.6 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.6 steals per game. Jones is also shooting 68% inside the arc and 48.9% overall and since December 20th, he has scored in double-figures in all nine Marquette games. Even better, Jones is averaging 36 DKFP over his last two games with six total steals and nine three-pointers .

Marcus Hammond, Notre Dame vs. Louisville ($5.7K) 

Hammond is starting to become the player that most of us thought he could be at Notre Dame — the Marcus Hammond from Niagara. He has put up three double-digit scoring performances in the last four games and led the team in scoring in two of them (Syracuse and Boston College) while averaging 13.8 PPG over the four-game span. Hammond is also coming off his first double-double of the season, and fifth of his career, with 11 points and 10 rebounds at NC State. When Hammond is on, he can be unstoppable and today, he gets a smash matchup against a very bad Louisville team. We can expect to see at least 4X value from the Irish guard. 

Other Top Guards

Top point-per-dollar plays

  • Souley Boum, Xavier ($9.1K) - The best game environment on slate, but not cheap. Boum is a GPP pay-up option.
  • Terquavion Smith ($9.5K) & Jarkel Joiner ($7.9K), North Carolina State - Both fully in play in a big time up-tempo game environment. If you can't get to the pricy Smith, Joiner is just as good of a play and could be a main lineup type play due to his price.
  • Jaren Holmes, Iowa State ($6.7K) - I left Holmes for dead earlier in the season, but he's back and fully in play with 30 DKFP in his last five games.
  • Tyler Kolek, Marquette ($8.0K) - Kolek is one of the best assist men in the nation and is always in play. 
  • Wendell Green Jr., Auburn ($7.6K) - 35 DKFP in his last five games with 29% usage/25.7% shot and a top-50 assist rate (31.7%).
  • Arman Franklin, Virginia ($7.4K) - His price is up but Franklin has been playing so well with 33.7 DKFP per game in his last five games
  • Boo Buie ($7.5K) & Chase Audige ($7.8K), Northwestern - One of these two players will smash- but which one?
  • Darius Johnson, Central Florida ($6.9K) - Johnson is back from injury and immediately played 30+ minutes. I love this kid but we won't get a discount.
  • Ryan Nembhard, Creighton ($6.7K) - 20+ DKFP in his last two games.
  • De'Vion Harmon, Texas Tech ($6.3K) - Gets a bump up in value with Pop Isaacs out.

 

CBB DFS Value Guards

Ryan Dunn, Virginia vs. Boston College ($3.6K)

6-foot-8 freshman guard Ryan Dunn saw a major uptick in minutes over his last two games (24 against Virginia Tech and 30 at Wake Forest) and this is certainly a Tony Bennett-type player. It's only a matter of time before he supplants fifth-year senior Jayden Gardner in sixth-ranked Virginia's starting lineup. Over the last three games, Dunn has averaged 23.7 minutes per game and he’s averaging 5.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG over that stretch. Dunn is a good offensive rebounder and can hit the three, so with his role growing by the game, you have to love his $3.6K price tag. 

 

Jahvon Quinerly, Alabama @ Oklahoma ($4.1K)

Quinerly has now scored in double-digits in five of the last seven games as he continues to get better and better in the Crimson Tide offense since returning early from the ACL injury he suffered last March. In their last game against Mississippi State on Wednesday, he finished as Alabama's leading scorer in the game with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and just one turnover. Quinerly's 27 minutes against Mississippi State was the second-highest total he's played all season and his shooting has greatly improved. He has made eight of his last 19 shots from beyond the arc and is over 35% on the season, compared to shooting south of 30% last season. With 22+ DKFP in three of his last four games, Quinerly will be a main cash play today.

 

Other Value Guards

Top point-per-dollar value plays

  • Isiaih Mosley, Missouri ($5.7K) - If Mosley starts and Tre Gomillion is out, Mosley will fully be in play even in a tough matchup; 30% usage in last three games since his return.
  • Caleb Murphy, DePaul ($4.7K) - He will not be popular like last weekend and this is where I may attack with the former USF guard Murphy in my lineups. He is due for his first smash game at DePaul.
  • Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern ($4.8K) - Definitely in play if Julian Roper is out. Has three straight games of 24+ minutes.
  • Isaac McKneely, Virginia ($3.9K) - McKneely can be a Ryan Dunn pivot in GPP lineups. He could hit 6X value if he plays 20 minutes.
 

 

CBB DFS Top Forwards

Jarace Walker, Houston vs. Cincinnati ($6.9K) 

I debated between Jarace Walker and Quentin Post as the top overall forward today and landed on Walker — the first-round lottery pick NBA prospect from Houston. Walker is a beast and a strong, athletic forward that can score efficiently and in so many ways. He can score off the dribble and is a solid playmaker. The four-time AAC Freshman of the Week has put up 30+ DKFP in four of his last five games while averaging 15.2 PPG and 8.3 RPG with a 26.88% usage rate over his last five games. He has already smoked this Cincinnati team for 33 DKFP with 21 real points three weeks ago so get one of Walker or Post (or even both) in your main lineup today.

Taylor Hendricks, Central Florida vs. Temple ($7.9K) 

I don't like the game with Temple but I sure like Taylor Hendricks. He does it all for UCF. In their last game against Houston, Hendricks was not intimidated and showed up on both ends of the floor, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Hendricks also leads UCF with 38 blocks this season. He will be in the NBA soon as a two-way player can defend, rebound, block and shoot. With at least 20 DKFP in every game since mid-January, Hendricks also didn't seem to let the return of teammate Darius Johnson affect his stat sheet which puts him back in play again today. 

Other Top Forwards

Top point-per-dollar plays

  • Brandon Miller, Alabama ($9.5K) - Miller is a GPP-only play today and has been mediocre lately. A slow game today, but could nuke at any time.
  • Jamison Battle, Minnesota ($6.7K) - If Dawson Garcia is out again, Battle will be a main cash play. Battle had 37 DKFP against Indiana last game and played every minute.
  • Jack Nunge ($8.6K) & Zach Freemantle ($8.4K), Xavier - A high ceiling today for both are elite rebounders with immense upside in the top game environment of the slate.
  • Johni Broome, Auburn ($8.7K) - Broome is finally getting stable minutes and is putting up 14.4 PPG/7.8 RPG in his last five games.
  • Oso Ighodaro, Marquette ($7.9K) - Ighodaro is a cash play with 32 DKFP in his last five games. DePaul is weak on the boards too.
  • Andrew Carr, Wake Forest ($7.5K) - Two double-doubles out of last four games and shooting 35% from long range. he's a good Cameron Hildreth GPP pivot.
  • Ben Vander Plas, Virginia ($6.1K) - Vander Plas is a solid mid-priced play.
  • Arthur Kaluma, Creighton ($6.8K) - Kaluma is a sneaky play with 23% usage in a high scoring matchup.
  • Quinten Post, Boston College ($6.3K) - Post will be VERY popular play today as he's played 30+ minutes over his last two games and a 30+% combined rebound rate. Virginia is no pushover obviously, but if Post continues to play 30+ minutes, he trends toward a top-overall play. 

 

CBB DFS Value Forwards

Top point-per-dollar value plays

  • Treyton Thompson, Minnesota ($4.2K) - Thompson is In play ONLY if Dawson Garcia is out. Thompson had 30 DKFP in Garcia's absence last game.
  • Nick Jourdain, Temple ($5.7K) - If Jourdain stays out of foul trouble, Jourdain is capable of 5-7X value.
  • Jae'Lyn Withers, Louisville ($5.0K) - Notre Dame can be beaten inside and Withers played 30 minutes and put up 26 DKFP in his last game.
  • Ernest Ross, NC State ($4.2K) - Could nuke the slate with a 7-8X value.
  • Jerome Hunter, Xavier ($4.7K) - Sneaky play here as Xavier's rotation is only seven players deep. If Hunter stays out of foul trouble, he could put up 25-30 DKFP today. Averages 20 DKFP in just 20 minutes in last five games.

 

DraftKings CBB DFS Core Plays

  • Marcus Hammond, Notre Dame
  • Jarace Walker, Houston
  • Kam Jones, Marquette
  • Cameron Hildreth, Wake Forest

FanDuel CBB DFS Core Plays

  • Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
  • Arthur Kaluma, Creighton
  • Markquis Nowell, Kansas State
  • Myreon Jones, Florida