DFS College Basketball: Friday Preview

DFS College Basketball: Friday Preview

This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.

Another early slate in play today with a pair of games from the Big 10 and SEC tournament kicking things off. Both slates on DraftKings and FanDuel have an 11:30 a.m. EST start time. Later on, things go into full gear with a $2,000 top prize in DraftKings' $15 Pull Up Jumper Contest. Meanwhile, FanDuel features their $5.55 All American contest with a $1,000 top payout. Note that the night contest on DraftKings starts a half-hour earlier at 6 p.m. EST.

Early Slate

Targets

Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan ($7,200 DK, $6,900 FD)

Livers has been quiet as of late but gets a dip in price from being in the $8,000+ range from less than a few weeks ago. He's still getting significant minutes (34 mpg over his last three), and he should benefit against a Maryland team that has struggled to defend the perimeter. That led to Livers lighting up the Terrapins for 20 points in their most recent meeting. Chaundee Brown could also be a beneficiary in this game ($4,200 DK, $4,200 FD) should Eli Brooks (game-time decision) be unable to go. 

Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue ($6,600 DK, $5,500 FD)

If you're looking to stack a handful of players from a game on a smaller slate, Purdue/Ohio St. is a good place to start as this game is likely to be a back-and-forth affair with both teams likely to reach the 70s. Ivey has emerged as a significant contributor since February but still has a modest salary. He played well against the Buckeyes earlier this year with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Ivey has also been active on the defensive end – averaging 3.4 combined blocks and steals over his last five games.

Trey Wade, F, Wichita St. ($5,100 DK)

Wichita State opens the conference tournament with a rematch against South Florida after playing them in the regular season finale. Wade nearly posted a double-double in the game despite only playing 24 minutes with things being out of hand in the second half. Prior to that, Wade posted a career-high 23 points against Tulane and provides a great value with upside while playing some of his best basketball of the season.

Fades

Aaron Wiggins, G/F, Maryland ($8,200 DK, $7,600 FD)

Wiggins has stepped up his play recently with three consecutive games over 30 fantasy points but that stretch was against three opponents with losing conference records. It's going to be difficult for him to keep up that level against Michigan, who in two meetings this season held him to 16 points combined on 5-of-19 shooting. Coming in with the third highest salary in the early slate, I'd like to see 40+ point potential and Wiggins has only done that once in the last 10 games.

Jaden Shackelford, G, Alabama ($7,300 DK, $6,200 FD)

I don't see much value in Shackelford considering he didn't top 25 fantasy points in either of his meetings against Mississippi State and is also priced $1,000 higher than those two games. Although the Bulldogs have been mediocre this season, they aren't a great target for DFS purposes as they've been better on the defensive side and keep the pace slow. I prefer to target someone less expensive for Alabama such as Jahvon Quinerly ($6,200 DK, $4,900) – a great FanDuel value with how active he's been offensively recently.

Colin Castleton, F, Florida ($6,200 DK, $6,400 FD)

It can be difficult to fade effective players, and the Michigan transfer has been just that as a 60 percent shooter and as an active member on the glass. A matchup with Tennessee, however, makes it a different story as the Gators averaged just 51.5 points in their two meetings this year. Castleton's upside is also limited having not topped 30 fantasy points in his last seven games. Tyree Appleby ($6,300 DK, $5,100 FD) is the better pivot having averaged 16 points points and five assists against the Vols this season.

Late Slate

Targets

Jared Butler, G, Baylor ($8,300 DK, $7,700 FD)

With an over/under around 150 this is a good place to start with, although stacking isn't as necessary on a larger slate. Butler has been one of the best players in college basketball this season and is a potential NBA lottery pick this year. He put up 22 points in each of their two meetings this season and is also active across the stat-sheet. The Cowboys allowed Baylor to score 80+ in both contests this season and Butler should challenge to be one of the highest scorers on tonight's slate. 

Ron Harper, G/F, Rutgers ($6,800 DK, $6,800 FD)

The Rutgers offense has been a difficult one to decipher on a nightly basis with four players all priced in the $6k range on DraftKings, but Harper has been involved significantly and the most reliable of the group. Earlier this season, he torched Illinois for 28 points and was just one board shy of a double-double. Harper has been a two-way threat averaging nearly two threes per game while also shooting 56 percent from inside-the-arc. As long as the game stays close, he should see around 35 minutes as well.

Xavier Pinson, G, Missouri ($5,100 DK, $5,200 FD)

Pinson has a head-scratching salary tonight, coming in cheaper than we've seen him all season. It's surprising considering he's accounting for a team-high 30.8 percent usage rate and scored 23 points in both contests against Arkansas this season. He doesn't see as many minutes at only 25.9 per game, but he could see an uptick in a good matchup. Pinson's .91 fantasy points per minute is also a very high metric for someone in this salary range.

Fades

Kofi Cockburn, F, Illinois ($7,900 DK, $7,700 FD)

Cockburn's minutes have decreased recently, as the big man hasn't topped 25 minutes in any of Illinois' last seven games. Playing Rutgers is no easy task, either, as they rank third in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency and have a pair of quality big men in Myles Johnson and Clifford Omoruyi to put up resistance in the paint. After a stretch of 11 consecutive double-double's, Cockburn last one came Feb. 16 against Northwestern.

DeJon Jarreau, G, Houston ($7,800 DK)

It's hard to pay up for expensive players in games with high spreads, as you run the risk of the game getting out of hand and the starters being pulled. That happened in both of Houston's outings with Tulane this season – two 20+ point wins that saw Jarreau average less than 20 minutes with only 10 combined points. I'd prefer a pivot to Markus Sasser ($6,200 DK), as he dropped eight threes against Tulane in their first meeting.

Jahvon Blair, G, Georgetown ($6,700 DK)

Blair has seen decreased minutes since being a healthy scratch against DePaul a couple of weeks ago, averaging 28 minutes over his last four games – seven less than his season average. It's been a month since he cracked 30 fantasy points, and Seton Hall has held him to 17 total points on 5-of-17 shooting in their two meetings. Meanwhile, Qudus Wahab ($6,600 DK) has been emerging as Georgetown's best player and has posted a pair of double-double performances against the Pirates.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ryan Pohle
Ryan Pohle is a DFS Product Specialist at RotoWire and has written for the site since 2020.
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