Tuesday's slate includes some solid action from the Jimmy V Classic, a couple of Big 10 conference games and No.2 Michigan all in action. DraftKings has a solid seven-game slate with $7,000 in total prizes and a $2,000 first-place prize in its Heating Up main tournament. Tip offs run from 6:30 p.m. EST to 9:00.
Only two games have totals under 150, low-lighted by McNeese - Rhode Island, but with tight spreads abound, I don't think we should flat out ignore any matchup. Only Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg ($10,200) is priced in five figures, so we're not forced to pay extreme prices and can probably find value without dipping way down in salary.
College Basketball DFS Picks for Tuesday, December 9
College Basketball DFS Top Players
Chad Baker-Mazara, G/F, Southern Cal ($9,500)
Baker-Mazara seems like the obvious top purchase on this slate. He offers position flexibility, 20+ point scoring potential in a game where the Trojan's have the slate's highest implied total at 88 points, and enough peripheral stats to flirt with a 4x return. San Diego is 287th in defensive efficiency, per KenPom, so there is concern over a blowout and a reduction of minutes. But the Trojans haven't blown anyone out since mid-November, and coming off a loss, you'd expect them to keep their foot on the gas.
Bruce Thornton, G, Ohio State ($8,900)
This game comes with a narrow spread and nice 160.6 point total, and Thornton is by far the safest Buckeye with some upside potential; he has a double-digit rebound and double-digit assist game on his recent resume to go along with 20+ point scoring. He posted a 20-7-5 line against the Illini last season, and is a lock for 30+ minutes. His floor this season has been a 3.1x return at this price, and the close nature of the game suggests far more will be required.
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Middle Tier
Tomislav Ivisic, F, Illinois ($6,100)
Ivisic is seemingly trending up the further removed he is from an early-season knee injury, and looks like a bit of a bargain having been priced as high as $8,900 earlier in the year. He's coming off of a season-high 31 minutes which predictably resulted in his best game of the season. His minutes, points and overall fantasy scoring have increased in four straight. The matchup was noted above; it'll be tight and high scoring. He had a double-double against the Buckeyes last year to boot.
Garwey Dual, G, McNeese State ($5,700)
Dual is included here more as a precaution than a recommended play. Our college basketball advanced lineup tool likes three Cowboys (or more) to far exceed their prices, but I'll warn McNeese has an incredibly inconsistent starting lineup and player rotation. Nine players should see double-digit minutes and no one is likely to exceed 25. Dual as a specific consideration has shown capable of getting hot from the floor and scoring in bunches while also grabbing a handful of rebounds. I mentioned in the intro this is the lowest scoring contest, but it shouldn't be ignored. It's just difficult to put faith in one specific piece. The same can be said on the other side, where Jonah Hinton ($4,400) looks very appealing.
Check out RotoWire's college basketball starting lineup data to view recent stats, usage trends and identify potential DFS value plays.
College Basketball DFS Value Plays
Kennard Davis, G, BYU ($4,300)
Davis appears to offer rare stability for a value play. His usage isn't elite (14.9 percent), but his minutes are consistent, which means he can stumble into some additional stats while providing a double-digit point total. Much of his scoring is derived from the 3-point line, where Clemson defends well (27.9 percent), but it's rare to find a player in this price tier with consistent game logs Davis has shown. No ceiling exists, but the floor seems to still be around a 4x.
Nick Davidson, F, Clemson ($3,800)
Davidson has quickly fallen out of favor, opening the year in the starting five but moving into a limited reserve role where his minutes have been limited to 13-22 over the last five games. But it's come with quiet efficiency off the bench, averaging 18.3 DKP in his last three. That seemingly gives us some wiggle room in getting a fair return. BYU checks in 19th defensively and it won't be a high-tempo spot, but Davidson's size should result in ample rebound chances and a few buckets.
