This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We're down to seven games left in the college hoops season, which means DFS will have three-straight two-game slates followed by a showdown. Strategy becomes key over identifying plays in all tiers as we could name nine players here, and that could represent nearly 50 percent of the starting lineups.
Saturday's contest comes with a $10,000 first-place prize and $40,000 in total winnings. It's absolutely a slate where you'll want to consider multiple entries, even if that's not your preference over the course of a season (it's not mine either). And there are only two players - Cooper Flagg ($10,300) and JT Toppin ($10,100) - valued above $9,000. You can use both and still have an average of $5,000 to fill out a roster, take one while grabbing a few upper-tier options, or fade the pair and build from balance.
Everyone is going to want to stack Duke-Alabama and its huge 174.0-point total, though Florida-Texas Tech is still promising at 156.0 depending on where you look.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, player performance and the transfer portal, head RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.
College Basketball DFS Top Players
Mark Sears, G, Alabama ($8,500)
I'm omitting Flagg and Toppin from this column as that has to be your personal decision on roster construction. Sears obviously isn't making 10-plus 3s on Saturday, yet he's certainly going to take them. The appeal and hope for him is his playmaking as he's averaging 6.0 assists across his last nine - up from 4.2 on the season. Alabama's path is not to hoist, but rather use their undersized guards to dribble penetrate and distribute.
Kon Knueppel, G/F Duke ($7,600)
This is a pure diversity play. If we're not taking one of the top two, I assume everyone rosters Texas Tech's Darrion Williams ($8,000). And honestly, so would I. Knueppel's recent form doesn't suggest he's worth this salary, which is precisely why I'd take him. Over his last nine outings, he's averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Pace it up and get us a potential 5x return with ignored roster percentages.
Think your team has what it takes to win it all in March Madness? Find College Basketball National Championship Odds and other college basketball futures bets across multiple sportsbooks on RotoWire.
Middle Tier
Alijah Martin, G, Florida ($6,600)
Will Richard, G, Florida ($6,200)
Lumping these two together as they're my core roster builds while allowing us to fade Walter Clayton ($8,200) and seemingly guarantee at least 65 minutes. In the last nine matchups, Martin is averaging 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals during 29.3 minutes while Richard is at 16.1/4.0/2.1/1.2/31.4. One of them will emerge with a ceiling, the other with a clearly high floor.
Try our College Basketball DFS Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool and generate up to 150 lineups.
Bargain Options
Sion James, G, Duke ($4,900)
James is somewhat quietly averaging 29.8 minutes during Duke's last eight games while posting 10.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. It's been a bit more feast-or-famine than we'd want with four under 20 DKP and three over 25. But if the minutes remain, we have to like James' chances in a perceived paced-up matchup.
Kevin Overton, G Texas Tech ($4,000)
Included Overton by necessity, but probably best to fade him. He logged a season-high 37 minutes on Thursday. If Texas Tech can't count on Chance McMillian, Overton and his 12 and seven from last time out would be relevant. Yet he's only registered double-digits twice from his last nine outings. Let others chase Thursday's game log while using other options in this salary range even with fewer minutes, such as budding column favorite Patrick Ngongba ($3,400) as he continues to be a part of Duke's rotation.
Take advantage of the best March Madness betting promos to maximize your potential earnings in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
