This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
While future Saturdays may have more top matchups, this Saturday holds plenty of questions. How will Duke do on the road at Florida State? Can the Seminoles' length control Duke's freshmen? Tennessee is on the road to face the defensive-oriented Florida Gators, while Kansas is also on the road at Baylor. Can they maintain their play without Udoka Azubuike? Perhaps the most intriguing game on the slate takes place late at night when Gonzaga travels to San Francisco. The Dons have been quite good and could claim the title of second-best team in the WCC. Can they compete with the Zags? Will Jimbo Lull and Matt McCarthy be able to stay out of foul trouble against the talented Gonzaga frontcourt?
These questions and more will be answered soon enough. Here are some more potential answers for your DFS lineup.
Top Players
Markus Howard, G, Marquette vs. Seton Hall ($10,100 DK, $8,800 FD): It may be too much to ask for Howard to have another 53-point game, but the 5-11 guard has showed that he can do amazing things. He has now scored at least 45 points three times. The last time he met the Pirates, he scored 32 points on 13 field-goal attempts in a road win last season. Seton Hall will have to put a variety of players on Howard, but he should still produce at least 26 points for the seventh time in the last eight games.
Alpha Diallo, G, Providence at Georgetown ($9,800 DK, $8,400 FD): The 6-7 swingman has largely given offensive facilitation duties to the Friar guards, but he is capable of putting up triple-double numbers. Diallo has only had more than three assists once since Nov. 17. Last year, he had a nine-assist game against the Hoyas, and Providence swept the series. The junior has five double-doubles, including two in his last four games. Diallo will want to put up big numbers to help the Friars snap a two-game losing streak.
Tremont Waters, G, LSU at Arkansas ($7,800 DK, $7,500 FD): Waters started the season slowly, but has started rolling in the last three weeks. The sophomore point guard has led the Tigers to a four-game winning streak with 17.0 points and 6.8 assists. He added eight steals in the Dec. 28 win over UL-Monroe. If the Razorback guards are loose with the ball, Waters will take it and start the Tiger fast break. Last season, LSU swept Arkansas while Waters averaged 17.5 points and 9.5 assists.
Deshon Taylor, G, Fresno State vs. Nevada ($8,200 DK, $8,000 FD): It doesn't look like Nevada is going to have much competition in the Mountain West (even given their loss at New Mexico last week). Fresno State may be their best competition, so this is a big game for the Bulldogs. Taylor was effective against Nevada last season and had a 32-point game with four assists at Reno. The 6-2 senior missed four games in December with an elbow injury, but has played in the last three games and seen major minutes.
Value Players
Shaq Carter, F, Rutgers at Minnesota ($4,000 FD): Leading scorer Eugene Omoruyi was lost in the first half of the team's win over Ohio State with a dislocated kneecap. The 6-9 Carter took over and had a productive game with 11 points and seven rebounds. The junior should move into the starting lineup against Minnesota and will likely be charged with keeping Jordan Murphy off the boards. Carter has scored in double digits twice in his last four games.
Abdul Ado, F, Mississippi State vs. Mississippi ($4,300 DK, $5,000 FD): I was very high on Ado prior to the season because I thought he would be the Bulldogs' leading rebounder and add just enough offense. That has not happened. The 6-11 sophomore has taken a step back in nearly every area. He has continued to patrol the paint, though, and has 1.6 blocks per game in just 25.3 minutes. Ado has blocked nine shots in his last three games and his minutes appear to be on the slight rise. He could equal his modest price tag with boards and blocks alone against the Rebels.
Romello White, F, Arizona State at Stanford ($5,000 DK, $5,500 FD): There is a chance that Zylan Cheatham will miss Saturday's game against Stanford due to a family issue. While they do not play the same position, the loss of Cheatham could create more opportunities for the 6-8 White, who has seen his production decrease as a sophomore. He has had some big games of late with 19 points and eight boards against Colorado and 18 points and 11 boards in the loss to Princeton. White averaged 11.0 points and 5.5 rebounds against the Cardinal last season.
Matt Bradley, G, California vs. Arizona ($4,900 DK, $5,700 FD): As if things weren't bad enough for the Golden Bears, the team has not had its leading scorer, guard Paris Austin, for the last two games due to an ankle injury. Bradley has moved into the starting lineup and been pretty good. The 6-4 freshman has averaged 17.0 points and 3.5 assists as a starter against UCLA and Arizona State. Austin's status for the game against Arizona is questionable, so Bradley could get another start and put up nice numbers for a modest price.
Games/Teams to Target
Western Kentucky (pick) at Marshall (o/u 158.5), 7PM EST: This game could have implications on the eventual Conference USA regular-season champion. Marshall represented the conference in the NCAA Tournament last season and has won its first two conference games. The Hilltoppers were the preseason favorite. The Herd could have a hard time with freshman center Charles Bassey ($8,600 DK) who has six double-doubles. He had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the upsetting loss to Old Dominion last Saturday. Josh Anderson ($4,900 DK) made his debut last season and scored 16 points. Freshman Delano Banton ($4,300 DK) continues to start at point guard. His scoring is inconsistent, but he reliably puts up boards and dimes. He will likely be tasked with slowing down Jon Elmore ($9,300 DK), who has struggled with his shot this season. He is still capable of putting up double-digit points and assists, like he did with a 20-and-10 against Old Dominion on Jan. 3. C.J. Burks ($7,700 DK) has also suffered a downturn in his senior season but had 25 points and six three-pointers in the win over Charlotte last Saturday.
Louisville (+12) at North Carolina (o/u 157), 12PM EST: The Tar Heels like to run. Per KenPom, they run at the fifth-fastest speed in the country and manage to maintain a top-10 defense. The team has only been held under 77 points once in its last seven games. Louisville plays relatively methodically, but they will have a hard time slowing UNC if they do not convert a high percentage of their shots. Cameron Johnson ($7,200 DK, $7,700 FD) was limited to 23 minutes in the win over NC State on Tuesday due to cramps. He still had 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Johnson should be fully hydrated for the Cardinals. It may be that Luke Maye ($8,400 DK, $8,400 FD) was waiting for conference play to get revved up. He has double-doubles in the wins at Pittsburgh and NC State. Maye had 19 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the win over the Cardinals last season. Jordan Nwora ($9,200 DK, $8,000 FD) is coming off his worst scoring game of the season with eight points in the overtime loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. He has four double-doubles. Due to the Tar Heels' size, Steven Enoch ($4,600 DK, $5,100 FD) could play extra minutes. He has scored in double digits in two of his last four games.
Washington State (+10) at Utah (o/u 155), 8PM EST: Neither the Utes nor the Cougars play much defense. Even though Utah plays slowly (318th in the country), this game may see a high volume of possessions and points. Prior to being held to six points against Washington on Thursday, Sedrick Barefield ($6,600 DK, $7,100 FD) had scored at least 24 points in three straight games. He hit 16 three-pointers in those games, but was held down by the Husky zone. Barefield should find some openings. Donnie Tillman ($6,100 DK, $6,300 FD) was on a similar roll until the game against Washington. He had back-to-back 20-point games against the Arizona teams. He adds rebounds and a handful of assists. Junior center Jayce Johnson ($4,200 DK, $5,100 FD) had 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against the Huskies. Robert Franks ($10,100 DK, $8,600 FD) has not played in the last three games due to a hip injury and the Cougars have averaged 66.0 points in his absence. Freshman forward CJ Elleby ($8,500 DK, $7,900 FD) put up 22.5 points in the first two games without Franks, but fouled out after 18 minutes and six points in the Thursday loss at Colorado. Sophomore forward Marvin Cannon ($4,100 DK, $6,000 FD) has a great name for a three-point shooter. He has only taken 19 three-pointers this season and has hit seven. If Franks is out, Cannon and Elleby will get more shots and be reasonable DFS adds.
Games/Teams to Consider Fading
Texas Tech (-1) at Texas (o/u 121.5), 2PM EST: Half of the Big 12 is in the top 11 of the KenPom rankings for defensive efficiency. Both the Red Raiders (No. 1) and Longhorns (No. 11) qualify and both play at a slow tempo. Texas Tech has only allowed more than 60 points once in its last games (and that was against Duke in the team's lone loss). Coach Chris Beard's squad have only played one road game and came away with a close win against West Virginia. Sophomore Jarrett Culver ($9,500 DK, $8,100 FD) had grown into a star. He is coming off one of his best games with 23 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Oklahoma on Tuesday. Culver has not hit a three-pointer in his last three games, but is hitting 39.6 percent from long range on the season. Tariq Owens ($5,800 DK, $6,300 FD) is an excellent shot blocker and has swatted nine shots in his last three games. Davide Moretti ($4,800 DK, $6,100 FD) has hit eight three-pointers in his last three games and scored in double digits in each. With Jericho Sims out with an ankle injury, freshman center Jaxson Hayes ($6,000 DK, $6,200 FD) has been given more minutes. He is not a volume shooter (just 14 shots in his last three games), but has blocked 10 shots and grabbed 20 rebounds in that span. Matt Coleman ($5,100 DK, $5,700 FD) and Kerwin Roach ($7,300 DK, $6,900 FD) take a lot of shots for the Longhorns. Coleman has only scored more than nine points once in his last four games. Roach had 20 points in both regular-season games against the Red Raiders last season, but had four points in the Big 12 tournament loss. That's Kerwin Roach for you.
Kansas State (+9.5) at Iowa State (o/u 129.5), 12PM EST: The Wildcats are another team within that top 11 on defense, sitting in ninth. Like the other two teams, the Wildcats play at a glacial pace. Iowa State is not far off the defensive pace at 25th and even they do not play that quickly (196th). After beating Kansas and looking great, the Cyclones lost at Baylor. Marial Shayok ($8,700 DK, $7,900 FD) continues to pour in points. The lineup around him swirls, but the Virginia transfer has scored at least 14 points in every game this season. Over his last five games, Shayok has provided 20.2 points and hit half of his three-point attempts. Lindell Wigginton ($6,300 DK, $6,500 FD) has been coming off the bench. He had 16.0 points in his first two games after returning from a foot injury, but cooled off for 9.5 in his last two games. Freshmen Talen Horton-Tucker ($7,400 DK, $7,300 FD) and Tyrese Haliburton ($7,000 DK, $7,100 FD) have both cooled off. Nebraska transfer Michael Jacobsen ($6,500 DK, $6,700 FD) has also been caught up in the minutes crush and you probably can find better options. Dean Wade ($7,800 DK, $7,100 FD) is questionable for the game and would solve some of the offensive issues for the Wildcats. Senior guard Barry Brown ($7,100 DK, $7,600 FD) had a season-high 29 points in the win over West Virginia on Wednesday. He hit better than 41.7 percent of his field goals for the first time since Dec. 15. Makol Mawien ($4,300 DK, $4,800 FD) only played six minutes against the Mountaineers before fouling out.
Georgia Tech (+10) at Syracuse (o/u 125), 6PM EST: Here are two words to avoid when looking at matchups for DFS consideration: defense and slow. The Yellow Jackets and Orange (two colors that clash) fit both of those categories. Coach Josh Pastner has fashion a solid defensive squad around Texas transfer James Banks ($6,700 DK, $7,400 FD). The 6-8 forward has been slumping offensively. He has blocked eight blocks in his last three games, but scored a combined 26 points in those games. In that span, leading scorer Jose Alvarado ($6,800 DK, $7,100 FD) has provided 13.7 points. He had 20 points in the loss to Virginia Tech on Wednesday even though the team only put up 49 points. Everyone knows about the Syracuse zone, which should give Georgia Tech plenty of trouble. The Syracuse offense is plenty ugly. The team is hitting just 30.3 percent of its three-pointers. Elijah Hughes ($7,000 DK, $7,100 FD) has been the team's consistent source of perimeter shooting. He has hit 15 three-pointers in his last four games, and the East Carolina transfer has hit 36.4 percent of his three-pointers overall. Oshae Brissett ($7,700 DK, $8,200 FD) and Tyus Battle ($6,900 DK, $7,300 FD) have both struggled mightily from long range. Brissett's production has been down in his sophomore season. He has two double-doubles in his last five games. Battle leads the team with 17.5 points, but is hitting just 29.1 percent of his three-pointers. He had 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the loss to Georgia Tech last season. The teams combined for 106 points.
