This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
DraftKings has a diverse seven-game slate available Wednesday evening, where only LSU, Louisville and Seton Hall are the big schools in the pool. The Tigers have essentially started from scratch with their roster, further making this a difficult one to break down. They don't expect to name a starting lineup much in advance, and figure to rotate a plethora of players throughout. In no way am I suggesting ignoring the Tigers -- they are expected to win handedly and score 80.5 points -- just be a little careful and/or try out multiple combinations.
Top Players
Ahsan Asadullah, F, Lipscomb ($7,600)
On a slate with limited marquee teams/players, I prefer a more balanced lineup rather than paying up. If budgetary constraints don't exist, I'd absolutely be targeting LSU's KJ Williams ($9,200), and/or Louisville's Jae'Lyn Withers ($8,900), both of whom can overwhelm smaller teams. But for quite the discount, Asadullah stands out with slate-breaking upside. The 6-foot-10, 275 pound big man has averaged better than 14 points and eight boards for three straight seasons, and while he's not in the same class as Wisconsin's Tyler Wahl, the Coyotes did allow 19 points and 10 rebounds in just 27 minutes to Wisconsin's power forward Monday.
Foster Loyer, G, Davidson ($7,000)
Davidson is rebuilding a bit this season, and Loyer is expected to be its anchor. That clearly played out in their opener Monday night, where he dropped 30 points in 33 minutes against Guilford. He's not likely to hit 6-of-8 from 3-point range again, but the price doesn't match the 31.9 percent usage mark he saw there. He's capable of contributing across the board, and this game figures to be close, keeping Loyer on the court. A 5x return at this price is certainly possible, maybe even more.
Middle Tier
Marcus Shaver, G, Boise State ($6,200)
Shaver isn't diverse enough in his statistics to have an elite ceiling, but he's a near lock to lead Boise in scoring every time out, scoring in double-digits 26 times last season. That, at a minimum, gives us a 2x floor, and with the Broncos expected to score in the 70s Tuesday, he should be able to put up at least a few peripheral numbers to flirt with closer to a 4x return at a reasonably average price.
Juston Betz, G, Bellarmine ($5,800)
Betz isn't a big scorer, but he rarely leaves the court, averaging 34.7 minutes last season. I don't put too much stock in Louisville's exhibition loss to Lenoir Rhyne, but it did happen, and this game has a relatively close 9-point spread, so the Knights' starters are in play. The lack of scoring history (7.0 ppg) caps Betz' ceiling, but an all-around contributor makes him a stable play to build around.
Value Plays
Zeke Mayo, G, South Dakota State ($5,500)
The Jackrabbits are another team playing their second game already, so we know a bit more about their rotation. Mayo saw 41 minutes in their overtime loss to Akron, putting up 13 points and seven boards, taking a team-high 13 shots. This game has the third-highest total on the slate, and while SDST is an underdog, Mayo's opportunity should lend itself to stable production.
Allen David Mukeba, F, UM-Kansas City ($4,900)
It's always a risky proposition taking guys from these smalls schools when we expect they'll get blown out. And it's arguably more risky taking their frontcourt options, as they'll likely be overwhelmed, and the potential for foul trouble and limited minutes is real. But at this price, there isn't too great a risk. The Roos already have a game under their belt, and Mukeba put up a double-double, finishing with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The rebounding potential should give him a 2x floor at this low number, opening up spending elsewhere.
