This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Friday's College Basketball action features an identical five-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel for the afternoon slate, with conference tournament games from the AAC, Big Ten and SEC. DraftKings features their $12 Heating Up Contest with a $2,000 top prize, while FanDuel headlines the $5.55 All-American and $500 to first.
Top Players
Jabari Smith, F, Auburn ($8,200 DK, $8,400 FD)
Smith is priced slightly less than teammate Walker Kessler, although Smith has been the focal point of Auburn's offense with a team-high 27.8 percent of the team's shots. He's emerged as the likely No. 1 overall pick in this summer's NBA Draft due to the 6-10 freshman's ability to shoot the three at 44 percent this season while also getting to the line frequently. He only played 24 minutes in the season's first meeting against Texas A&M but should see more playing time as long as this game stays relatively close, and the Aggies lack the size to defend the Tigers' frontcourt.
Xavier Johnson, G, Indiana ($7,200 DK, $7,800 FD)
Trayce Jackson-Davis has been the face of Indiana basketball over the last three years, but Xavier Johnson has emerged over the second half of the season to give the Hoosiers another legitimate scoring option. The Pitt transfer is shooting 39 percent from long-range and has done a great job creating offense for others, averaging 7.0 assists over the last five games. With the Hoosiers going up against Illinois and Kofi Cockburn in the middle, this is a better matchup for Johnson than Jackson-Davis.
Middle Tier
Cliff Omoruyi, F, Rutgers ($6,700 DK, $6,300 FD)
Omoruyi only played 19 minutes last time out due to two early fouls to start the game but has normally been logging at least 30 minutes, and he's been an efficient 62 percent shooter for Rutgers. The 6-11 post player is difficult matchup for Iowa, as it doesn't start anyone over 6-9 and allowed Omoruyi to grab 14 rebounds in their first meeting. A good double-double candidate at an average salary.
David DeJulius, G, Cincinnati ($5,800 DK, $6,100 FD)
DeJulius drops down to his lowest salary of the season despite coming off back-to-back 33-point fantasy performances. The Bearcats' senior point guard has been a workhorse this season with a team-high 26 percent usage rate and has 10 games with at least 20 points. DeJulius struggled in their most recent meeting on the road but should benefit from the neutral court matchup, and he lit up Houston for a season-high 25 points in early February.
Values
Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois ($4,400 DK, $4,800 FD)
Hawkins received the start Sunday in place of the injured Jacob Grandison, logging 37 minutes and coming up a point away from a double-double. Grandison appears to be questionable at best to face Indiana and will likely come off the bench if he's even able to take the court. Hawkins will be tough for the Hoosiers to defend with his 6-10 size, as they don't start anyone over 6-9 and will also have to focus on defending Cockburn.
Hassan Diarra, G, Texas A&M ($4,100 DK, $5,200 FD)
Diarra gets a generous $1,100 discount compared to his FanDuel salary, making him a great value to fill out your lineup. Although he's only shooting 36 percent on the season, he hasn't been shy about taking his shots, accounting for a 24.6 percent usage rate in a bench role. Diarra has also been seeing increased playing time ahead of Andre Gordon, logging at least 20 minutes in four of the last five games.
