College Basketball DFS Picks for Tuesday, November 11
DraftKings brings us an eight-game main slate Tuesday evening, with first tip at 6:30 p.m. EST. We've got a handful of rivalry games in Louisville - Kentucky and Florida - Florida State to make things fun for casual viewers. DraftKings biggest tournament comes with a $2,000 first-place prize and $8,000 in total winnings.
Scoring seems to be up in the early part of this season, and that's again evident here as five teams have implied totals of 89.5 or greater, and eight more come sit at at least 76.0. As of Tuesday morning, we don't anticipate rotations changing from the first week of competition. Louisville's J'Vonne Hadley ($8,100), Illinois' Tomislav Ivisic ($7,800) and Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance ($7,500) are the injuries to monitor, though all seem unlikely to be available.
College Basketball DFS Top Players
JT Toppin, F, Texas Tech ($10,000)
There's a bevy of high end options available. You're likely forced to use at least one, but which one? I love all things Florida Gators in a paced up spot against Florida State, but perhaps we can go mid-tier there, and there's certainly nothing wrong with Cameron Boozer ($10,200). But I settle on Toppin for the sheer fact the game should be tight, resulting in as many minutes as Toppin can handle. Anything less than a double-double with some defensive additions would be disappointing.
Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky ($8,600)
With a 174.5 point total and narrow 5.5 point spread, this is one of many games we want to target on both sides. Oweh's game logs haven't popped, but that's because he's only averaging 21.5 minutes in two blow outs. The target is the 29.4 percent usage rate he's seen in those minutes. You have to anticipate 30+ minutes here, and if the usage stays the same, the fantasy production ramps up. He had four games north of 40 DKP in his final nine outings last season.
Graham Ike, F, Gonzaga ($8,300)
If you've read my columns over the years, you'll know my preference is to build my frontcourt at the high end as they offer consistency and upside, and you can usually find backcourt options at a lower price. Ike looks a touch underpriced to me. There's no defensive potential, which caps the upside, but he's provided two double-doubles to open the year and a 28.8 percent usage rate. Gonzaga has a 90 point implied total, setting Ike up for more of the same. He's a known commodity at a fair price.
Middle Tier
Micah Handlogten, F, Florida ($5,700)
See above about potentially getting a share of the Gators lineup without paying a premium. This could honestly be fool's gold, as Handlogten doesn't start and is the least likely to see an uptick in minutes if the game is close as he's never been a 25+ minute guy. But he's extremely efficient, posting two double-doubles while shooting 12-of-14 from the floor. The Gators have a massive advantage in terms of bulk here, which Handlogten plays a part of. He should feast on the blocks when on the court.
AJ Storr, G, Mississippi ($5,400)
After struggling to fit in at Kansas last year, Storr looks reborn at his fourth stop of his career, averaging 18.5 points and a 27.4 percent usage rate for the Rebels. Ole Miss is another team expected to score in the 80s in what should be a relatively competitive game, offering the potential for more minutes and added production.
Chauncey Wiggins, F, Florida State ($5,200)
It will be interesting to see how the 'Noles combat Florida's size, as Wiggins is FSU's tallest starter, but he's a stretch forward, with 18 of his 27 shots thus far coming from 3-point range. Can he get enough rebounds to provide some upside? Can he get the Gators bigs on the perimeter and slash around them? Either way, his current form suggests he can reach 20+ DKP with relative ease in a paced up matchup.
College Basketball DFS Value Plays
Khani Rooths, F, Louisville ($4,600)
I admit this looks like a trap, but the price is still low enough that Rooths can fail and not kill your builds. His game logs are impressive, albeit against inferior competition. With an uptick there Tuesday, Rooths could be phased out of the rotation and bottom out. But he's a cheap entry into a team expected to score 90 points, so there's boom-or-bust potential if he rises to the occasion.
Kevin McCarthy, G, Army ($3,800)
It's usually a good rule of thumb to not take any option in a game where you know the team is going to get blown out, and that's certainly the case with Army, but maybe they can catch lightning in a bottle for even 10 minutes with Duke playing a rare non-conference road game. McCarthy has taken 29 shots in two games, adding four steals and a 28.4 percent usage rate. The Black Knights have five starters all priced under $5,000. No, we're not stacking, at all, they are expected to score 60 points. But someone has to produce some, and rounding out your build with one cheap option can work.
Maliq Brown, F, Duke ($3,600)
Finding value is already a challenge despite it being early and prices historically not adjusting this quickly; they simply started correctly. Brown isn't likely to log 20 minutes, but in a game Duke should control, the reserves will play. He posted 18.5 DKP in the Blue Devils last blowout, and while this play is a little game log chasing, Brown can contribute across the board, giving him multiple paths to 10+ fantasy points, which works okay for the low investment.
