This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We're through Feast Week and most big-named schools are entering a lull of non-conference play before Christmas, but Saturday's slate offers some decent matchups. DraftKings has a six-game slate with a $1,000 first-place prize and a small entry of 372, so those aren't bad odds to beat.
Oregon-Alabama leads the way with a 166.5 point total, with three additional games sitting at 145 or greater.
Top Players
Hunter Dickinson, F, Kansas ($9,200)
I generally don't enjoy paying a premium for someone like Dickinson when facing an inferior opponent, yet he's posted a decent floor of 34.5 DKP in three of those previous opportunities. The Jayhawks' offense runs through him, and he'll produce with less than 30 minutes of action. You can question Dickinson's ceiling, but just pencil him in for safe points.
Wade Taylor, G, Texas A&M ($7,600)
This matchup comes with a modest 147.5 point projection largely due to A&M's 269th-ranked tempo, per KenPom. But Rutgers allows points, as they've smoked four non-Power 4 teams while playing Alabama and Notre Dame to a combined 180-174 total. The Aggies won't allow this to get that loose, though it suggests enough upside from a player like Taylor who can score, distribute and create turnovers to provide massive potential at a reduced number having previously been valued as high as $9,100.
Middle Tier
Tae Davis, F, Notre Dame ($6,400)
With Markus Burton out, I want all parts of the Irish rotation given salary points as Davis, Matt Allocco ($6,100), Braeden Shrewsberry ($6,000) and Kebba Njie ($4,800) are all in play. Davis carries a massive 33.2 percent usage rate over his last two while averaging 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists, which is elite production at this valuation. Use him as you assume most else will, but add a second Notre Dame piece given they shouldn't get blown out and are without their star guard.
Brandon Angel, F, Oregon ($5,600)
We simply can't ignore this game given the high total compared to the rest of the slate. And honestly, I'd expect most managers to target this from the top tier - likely in the form of Alabama's Mark Sears ($7,900) or possibly Grant Nelson ($8,300). So perhaps if we're different at the high end, we grab secondary pieces here to combat the popular sentiment. Angel has a low 16.6 percent usage rate from his last five, but it's been in the 20s in each of the last two. The appeal is the salary as a viable paydown forward while logging substantial minutes. If Oregon scores 80, Angel plays 25-plus minutes and can't help but produce. I also like Alabama's Latrell Wrightsell ($5,500) and Clifford Omoruyi ($5,500) for similar reasons.
Value Plays
Quante Berry, G, Temple ($4,700)
Berry isn't going to win you this slate, yet his game log and matchup suggest he can be a stable option that allows you to spend elsewhere in hopes of taking down a tournament. He's started every game to date while only under 26 minutes once while providing fantasy managers a 3x return or better four times. It's not overally targetable, but La Salle ranks 90th in tempo and 135th in defensive efficiency per KenPom, not exactly something we'd shy away from.
Nick Anderson, G, Furman ($3,000)
The Paladins are going to get blown out, and it's likely their guards struggle against Kansas's size and athleticism. But Anderson can't be valued lower than he is and doesn't need to give us more than 10 fantasy points to provide a return, making him a great punt play to free up top end spending elsewhere. He's averaging 11.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists across 26.1 minutes. Cut those in half and we're still good with our return on investment.
