This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Friday's College Basketball action features a four-game DFS slate that includes games from the Atlantic 10, Mountain West and a showdown in the Big East between a pair of top-25 teams as UConn travels to Cincinnati to take on Xavier. DraftKings highlights their $10 Big Jam contest and a $2,000 top prize with a 7 p.m. EST start time.
Top Players
RJ Cole, G, Connecticut ($7,600 DK)
Cole has established himself as one of the best players in the Big East this season, ranking in the top-5 in the conference in both points and assists. He's scored 25 points in two of his last four games (including against Villanova) and this should be another good opportunity for him to have another big fantasy game in what should be a closely contested matchup against a Xavier team that likes to push the pace.
Yuri Collins, G, Saint Louis ($7,100 DK)
No need to overthink this one -- Collins ranks second on the slate in fantasy ppg but comes in with a salary outside the top-10. The point guard has posted seven double-digit assist games this season and leads the country with a whopping 8.4 per game, giving him a reliable floor. This is a solid matchup against the Bonnies, who rank 157 in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric.
Middle Tier
Brandon Horvath, F, Utah State ($6,400 DK)
The pricing on Fridays tends to be a bit softer with teams on the slate that aren't typically on it, and Horvath is a perfect example of that. He's posted at least 37 fantasy points in four consecutive games, as the team's starting center has been an efficient rebounder with at least seven boards in five-straight games. He had a modest 10-point, seven-rebound performance in Utah State's first meeting with Nevada, but he only played 22 minutes due to foul trouble.
Francis Okoro, F, Saint Louis ($5,500 DK)
Many of the SLU players are simply underpriced tonight, including Okoro, who has scored 29+ fantasy points in four of the last five games. He's been the most efficient player for the Billikens this season, shooting 58 percent from the floor while averaging 1.1 fantasy points per minute. Since joining the starting lineup at the beginning of conference action, Okoro is averaging 11.9 points and 8.6 rebounds over 11 games.
Values
Will Baker, F, Nevada ($4,900 DK)
If you're looking for a game to stack, the Utah State/Nevada matchup features the highest over/under of the day, as Nevada likes to push the tempo, and both teams are weaker on the defensive end. Baker is a tough matchup, as the 7-footer is efficient in the post and is also shooting 41 percent from three. He scored 11 points in their first meeting on 63 percent shooting, and if this game stays close, Baker should see more than the 21 minutes he saw last time.
Tyson Degenhart, F, Boise St. ($3,900 DK)
Degenhart is a great low-cost option to fill out your roster, as the freshman has been a pleasant surprise for the Broncos with efficient shooting splits of 56/42/79. It's not often you find a lot of starters locked into around 35 minutes and under $4k, so he'll be a difficult fade for even the most contrarian of DFS players. UNLV will also have matchup problems as they've been weaker defensively with a four-guard starting lineup.
