College Basketball DFS Picks: Second Round Plays for Saturday, March 23

College Basketball DFS Picks: Second Round Plays for Saturday, March 23

This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.

DraftKings is offering a main slate Saturday featuring all eight second-round games, with a $20,000 first-place prize available and an overall pool of $60,000. They've also got some evening slates available with two afternoon matchups before business picks up with six in the evening.

Arizona is the only team here with an anticipated 80-point total while Gonzaga-Kansas lists the highest total at 151.5. And Iowa State-Washington State is our lowlight at only 129.5.

Top Targets

Hunter Dickinson, F, Kansas ($9,600)

The real question is how you fit Dickinson's salary into your lineups. He showed no issues in his return from a separated shoulder Thursday by posting a massive 65.0 fantasy points that surprisingly only came with a 19.4 percent usage rate, well below his normal which has hovered around 30 throughout the season. Gonzaga offers size, but if the Jayhawks are going to extend their season, it's clearly going to be on Dickinson's shoulders. He should be able to get to 40 fantasy points simply based on the team's needs. I find forwards to be increasingly challenging to find, making me a firm believer you need at least one top-end option who absolutely can't miss. And Oakland's Trey Townsend ($8,400) is about as low as I'm willing to go.

Dae Dae Grant, G, Duquesne ($7,200)

Duquesne's offense isn't a thing of beauty, though the matchup here seems to set Grant up for a stable floor that we can use to anchor lineups at a slightly reduced valuation. Over the last eight games, he's averaging 16.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals while taking 13.6 shots, 7.4 from 3-point range. The Illini will speed this up and force Duquesne's hand, but they rank 226th in defending the arch. Jimmy Clark arguably has a higher floor and gets terrific steal numbers to boost, yet Grant is the better shooter at a lower salary. If the Dukes are to compete or upset, I like it to come via Grant's hot hand from outside.

Middle Tier

Dylan Disu, F, Texas ($6,700)

Disu's DFS salary has been a roller coaster this season, and it's going down the hill right now having decreasing for the sixth straight outing. And it's obviously justifiable in looking at his fantasy point totals. What can't be seen there is the usage, which sits at 32.0 over the last six games - highlighted by Thursday's massive 45.3 where Disu took 18 shots. I don't love the matchup as he'll likely see plenty of Jonas Aidoo. But if we're accepting forwards are hard to come by on Saturday, Disu feels like a necessary evil even if the blowup potential is questionable.

Casey Morsell, G, North Carolina State ($5,400)

This is a hunch play based on matchup. Morsell isn't shooting well right now or really all year going 41.3 percent overall and 26.6 percent from 3-point range. The Wolfpack will try to get the ball beyond Oakland's 1-3-1 zone and down into DJ Burns as often as possible. And he arguably has 100 pounds on anyone on the Golden Grizzlies' roster, so they are going to be forced to double team while making the other three defenders scramble once he passes out. They are going to get a lot of open looks - particulaly in the corners, where I believe Morsell can thrive. He's been a useful fantasy player despite the season-long shooting issues while hitting 4x this in three straight, thanks to strong steal totals. Ball movement against the zone also opens up more assist opportunities.

Bargain Options

Jae'Lyn Withers, F, North Carolina ($4,900)

First and foremost, don't roster Withers with the expectation you're getting the 36 fantasy points he posted on Thursday as he only topped 20 twice this year with one a revenge spot against his former team. But if you've watched the Tar Heels recently, he's been highly active in limited minutes, particularly on the glass. Withers' uptick in rebounding - averaging seven across the last five - has coincided with Harrison Ingram's recent slide in board collection. It's a risk as the court time isn't massive to create safety, but perhaps one that's needed to fit in the likes of Dickinson.

Jadrian Tracey, G, Oregon ($4,900)

Tracey is almost the opposite of Withers, yet their value is identical. He logs lots of minutes having averaged 31.1 in his last 12 appearances, though it comes with only a 14.6 percent usage rate. Tracey has scored in double-digits just four times during that stretch, though he's still produced at least 15 fantasy points in seven of those while only failing to reach double-digits twice. I think this matchup has high-scoring potential, which would elevate Tracey's floor that seems to be in the 3x range. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Bennett plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: k30kittles, DraftKings: k30kittles.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Bennett
Bennett covers baseball, college football and college basketball for RotoWire. Before turning to fantasy writing, he worked in scouting/player development for the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos. He's also a fan of the ACC.
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