This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
A Big Ten match-up between Maryland and Penn State headlines the Friday college basketball action. It's one of four games on the DraftKings' slate tonight, as the $12 Heating Up contest is featured with a top prize of $1,000 and a 7 p.m. EST start time.
Targets
Grant Sherfield, G, Nevada ($8,700 DK)
Sherfield is my highest projected player on tonight's slate and the first option I would look to when analyzing the highest salaried players. He's averaging .98 fantasy points per minute -- an elite amount in the college game and the highest of any of the top-level players in action tonight. That's in large part due his ability to score in multiple ways, including effectively from long range as well as when driving to the basket where he's been getting to the line often. When Sherfield isn't scoring, he's often contributing with an assist -- leading the team with just under six per game.
Zachary Simmons, F, North Texas ($6,900 DK)
Simmons' .95 FPPM is extremely high for someone in this price range and the big man has been efficient. connecting on 66 percent of his field goals this season. Louisiana Tech doesn't start anyone over 6-7, giving Simmons a mismatch offensively and on the glass. This should be a good spot for him to post a double-double, and he's also provided multiple blocks or steals in each of the last three games.
Darryl Morsell, G, Maryland ($5,400 DK)
Morsell provides great value as a below-average salary option, as he's likely to play around 35 minutes and has been an active part of the offense. Penn State's defensive struggles have been well documented, as the Nittany Lions have allowed over 70 points in eight of their last nine games. Morsell is able to contribute in every statistical category, and he stepped up with a 30-point fantasy night against a tough Illinois team less than a month ago.
Fades
Andrew Taylor, G, Marshall ($7,700 DK)
Taylor is coming off a pair of quality games including a season-high 20-point performance in a back-to-back with FIU, but Old Dominion will provide a contrasting style of play and tougher match-up as a slow and defensive-minded team. Taylor is also not typically one of the primary offensive options and is priced $2,500 higher than a month ago. ODU has struggled to defend the perimeter, making three-point specialist Jannson Williams ($4,700 DK) a quality low-cost lineup filler.
John Harrar, F, Penn St. ($6,700 DK)
There's no questioning Harrar's efficiency, but he's an afterthought on offense behind a trio of Penn State players that combine to take 78 percent of the team's shots. Tonight he comes in with the highest salary he's had all season -- one he hasn't lived up to in 10-of-14 games thus far. Maryland also plays at a slow tempo, averaging only 62 possessions over their last three games. Seth Lundy ($5,700 DK) and Myreon Jones ($6,000 DK) have both been priced down and provide more upside.
Joseph Reece, F, Old Dominion ($6,300 DK)
It's hard to get excited about Reece due to his limited ceiling, having failed to provide a 30-point fantasy night against a D-I opponent this season. After recording at least 30 minutes in 4-of-6 games to start the season, he's failed to reach that in any of the team's last six games. He's also been held without a made field goal in three of his last five games. Even with Marshall pushing the pace and creating more possessions, they're one of the better defensive teams Old Dominion will face this year.