This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Once again, Sunday's set of games should involve a few more points than the previous day's slate. That's evident in the over/unders and the style of play as all four teams can run when needed. Of course, Duke's two studs will again be the talking point, but as seen on Friday (and Saturday), it may be worth it to have a more balanced lineup.
Kentucky (-4) vs. Auburn, o/u 142, 2:20 p.m. EST:
I'd be tentative on getting too much exposure of Auburn on this slate since their production is often spread across the team. Leading scorers Bryce Brown and Jared Harper combined for just 21 points in the win over UNC, yet the Tigers still reached 97. Plus, there isn't one player that's going to take Chuma Okeke's minutes and match his production. The downside of the matchup is that Kentucky only has five players worth considering and two of them rarely look to score (Ashton Hagans, Reid Travis).
Duke (-2.5) vs. Michigan State, o/u 150, 5:05 p.m. EST:
The biggest decision will be if you want to roll with Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett and a slew of cheap guys or run with a slew of mid-range plays. The mid-range would likely mean Tre Jones from Duke, but also a mix of Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman and Kenny Goins from Michigan State. Given Duke's defensive issues, it could be a better idea to focus on the cheaper Spartans, but also try and fit Williamson into the squad.
Top Players
Zion Williamson ($9,900 FD, $10,100 DK):
Even in a down fantasy outing last game, Williamson still almost hit 40 points at DraftKings thanks to going 11-for-14 from the field. However, when rostering Williamson, that usually leaves holes in the rest of the lineup. If you're comfortable with an extra cheap play or two, Williamson is the way to go.
R.J. Barrett, Duke ($9,400, $9,600 DK):
If you think Barrett can match what he did last game, then he makes more sense than Williamson at a better price. However, while he totaled 11 assists against the Hokies, he had just eight in the prior three games. A lot of those came via Tre Jones knocking down threes, which hasn't happened all season. Both of the Duke guys are fairly safe in that they'll hit close to 40 fantasy points, but Williamson is more likely to take over.
Cassius Winston, Michigan State ($8,600 FD, $8,600 DK):
If you want to fade the public, Winston is the best route, as he probably won't be a popular play after only 28 DKP last game. He has a tough matchup with Tre Jones, but he's already had success against a similar player in Zavier Simpson three different times this season. With Winston, you'll save money to get 30 fantasy points, but the upside may not be there.
P.J. Washington, Kentucky ($7,500 FD, $7,600 DK):
If Washington was fully healthy, I'd be all over this play. However, after playing only 26 minutes on Friday and experiencing some soreness even with drugs, it's hard to see him getting more than that. If you want to test your luck in GPP, this is a matchup he's already had success in, but I think upside will still be limited due to his foot.
Value Players
Aaron Henry, Michigan State ($5,000 FD, $4,700 DK):
Henry was one of my favorite value plays on Friday and I actually said, "He doesn't have a ton of upside." While he's not going to hit the same numbers in this game, Henry is still too cheap to pass up for a guy that's going to get a minimum of 30 minutes. And similar to last game, Matt McQuaid ($4,700 FD, $4,800 DK) is the GPP option since his fantasy value is based off getting hot from three. It also has to be mentioned that Gabe Brown ($3,500 FD, $3,000 DK) will probably be over owned so I wouldn't look his way. Also, I assume Duke has a better scouting report on him and will actually defend him.
Ashton Hagans, Kentucky ($5,200 FD, $4,900 DK):
Hagans lost me a few contests last slate, but I'm still comfortable with using him because he's already won me plenty. He still comes at a discount and as long as he doesn't get into foul trouble again, should play at least 30 minutes with a 20-point floor possible due to rebounds and assists.
Danjel Purifoy, Auburn ($3,900 FD, $3,300 DK):
There's been talk about Austin Wiley ($4,300 FD, $4,200 DK) getting more time with Chuma Okeke injured, and while that'll be true, it's not like he's going to play 30 minutes. Purifoy, who hit four three against UNC, is a closer comparison to Okeke in that he's bigger, but also provides athleticism with an ability to stretch the floor. Wiley and Horace Spencer are closer to true bigs and don't stretch the floor as much as Purifoy and Anfernee McLemore ($4,100 FD, $4,400 DK), both of whom will likely see the most time in the frontcourt. If you have more money to spend, Malik Dunbar ($4,600 FD, $4,300 DK) is a little safer, though he may be too popular after 20.5 DKP last game. However, the 23 minutes played was the most he's had in more than a month and he should see close to that number due to Okeke's injury.
J'Von McCormick, Auburn ($4,000 FD, 3,800 DK):
I had to fit McCormick somewhere in this article because he's been a spark whenever on the court for the Tigers. There's a chance Auburn goes really small, which would again give McCormick close to 20 minutes. Either way, he's hit 15 DKP in three of the last four games and none of that is because of shooting.
Alex O'Connell, Duke ($3,800 FD, $3,700 DK):
If Cam Reddish doesn't play again, O'Connell will probably be chalk in cash games. He played 35 minutes against Virginia Tech and while he didn't do much offensively, still found 16.75 DKP because he was on the court. The issue is that Reddish wasn't declared out until just before Friday's game making O'Connell a somewhat risky play, as well.
Players to Avoid
Nick Ward, Michigan State ($4,800 FD, $5,700 DK):
It's just not happening, especially at his DraftKings price. I thought he'd be a worthy GPP play last game and while he injured his hand, wasn't having a great game anyway. There's always the chance Xavier Tillman gets into foul trouble and Ward gets more minutes, but his defensive inefficiencies mean he's only likely to play around 20 minutes.
Jared Harper, Auburn ($7,300 FD, $7,500 DK):
For some reason, Harper keeps getting into foul trouble and he hasn't played more than 31 minutes in three of the last four games. Even when he didn't battle foul trouble in the first two meetings with Kentucky, he was still mediocre, combining for 29 points, six assists and six turnovers in two games. I'd rather look at Bryce Brown ($6,100 FD, $6,200 DK) for GPP purposes since he's more likely to get hot from three and he at least helps on rebounds. For cheaper, Tyler Herro ($6,800 FD, $6,500 DK) has a better floor.
