DFS College Basketball: Saturday Preview

DFS College Basketball: Saturday Preview

This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.

Eight games are shared by the two major DFS sites Saturday. We'll focus on those and the site-specific games as well.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Ohio State (-5.5) vs. Purdue O/U: 127.5

Florida State (-9.5) vs. Syracuse O/U: 147

Kansas (-11.5) vs. Oklahoma O/U: 136.5

Arkansas (-2.5) vs. Mississippi State O/U: 141

Texas Tech (-4) at Oklahoma State O/U: 133.5

Kentucky (-9.5) vs. Mississippi O/U: 136.5

Iowa State (-1) vs. Texas O/U: 137

Wisconsin (-6.5) at Nebraska O/U: 134.5

Butler (-9) vs. Georgetown O/U: 137

Miami (FL) (-4) vs. Wake Forest O/U: 147 (DraftKings only)

Dayton (-14.5) at UMass O/U: 147 (DraftKings only)

Penn State (-13) vs. Northwestern O/U: 141 (FanDuel only)

Top Plays

Reggie Perry, Mississippi State (DK $8,600, FD $8,400) at Arkansas

Perry is the unquestioned leader of the Bulldogs, and the 6-foot-10 sophomore had a career game in his last outing against the Razorbacks, totaling 26 points and 13 rebounds in a 77-70 win. He's one of the reasons the Bulldogs rank second in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage.

Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma (DK $8,000, FD $7,300) at Kansas

Doolittle and teammate Brady Manek (DK $7,800, FD $6,500) can be a source of DFS frustration as the duo can siphon output from each other. The see-saw stat lines between the two forwards make them a risky proposition, but the Sooners will need big games from both players to get past the Jayhawks.  In their l4-point loss to the Jayhawks in January, Doolittle scored 11 more fantasy points than Manek.

Devin Vassell/Trent Forrest, Florida State (DK $7,900/$7,600, FD $6,800/$6,800) at Syracuse

Vassell's suffered through a mediocre three-game stretch but expect him to bounce back against Syracuse, who has lost three of its last four games. The 6-7 sophomore is chock-full of potential, and has pushed his way through the Seminoles' deep rotation to become the team's best performer in recent weeks.  It only made sense to bunch Forrest in this recommendation as well, considering he leads the team with a minute usage of 78.3 percent and is primed for a good game against the Orange.

Also consider: Udoka Azubuike, Kansas (DK $8,300, FD $7,900) vs. Oklahoma

Value Plays

Jahvon Blair, Georgetown (DK $6,000, FD $4,100) at Butler

With Omer Yurtseven and Mac McClung still struggling with foot injuries, Blair has really stepped it up.  He was already posting great numbers in place of McClung, but Yurtseven's recent injury only enhances his load. Since inheriting the starting role, Blair has averaged 23.7 points and 3.7 rebounds over a three-game span.

Quincy Guerrier, Syracuse (DK $5,800, FD $4,700) at Florida State

With Elijah Hughes (lower body) questionable Saturday, Guerrier could be in line for another boost in production if the injury persists.  He posted 16 points and 10 rebounds during Hughes' missed game. Obviously you should discount this endorsement if Hughes  starts, but otherwise, he presents a great value opportunity.

Thorir Thorbjarnarson, Nebraska (DK $5,800, FD $4,500) vs. Wisconsin

The 6-6 sophomore averaged five 3-point attempts in his last five games, converting 44 percent.  He's also posted 20-plus fantasy points in eight of the last 10 games and exceeded 30 FP in three of those games. Thorbjarnarson comes in at a great price, especially on FanDuel.

Reggie Chaney, Arkansas (DK $4,800, FD $4,200) vs. Mississippi State

Chaney had a career performance against Missouri two games ago, and although his numbers have fluctuated a bit since inheriting the starting role, he's averaging almost 24 minutes per game and has the potential for a double-double in the right game scenario.

Kamaka Hepa, Texas (DK $4,300, FD $3,900) at Iowa State

Although Hepa has struggled a bit since returning from an ankle injury, he's had four more days of rest to continue recovery.  The injury was the primary reason for the price drop, and he should beat 5x value if he comes anywhere near his usual production.

DraftKings Only

Miami (FL) (-4) vs. Wake Forest O/U: 147

My top two selections for this matchup are Wake's Olivier Sarr ($7,400) and Miami's Kameron McGusty ($5,900), who is slowly getting back to his usual form after returning from injury. The high O/U line and reasonably narrow spread make a lot of players viable in this game.

Dayton (-14.5) at UMass O/U: 147

The oddsmakers view this as a blowout for Dayton, so we'll want to focus on great first-half showings from Obi Toppin ($8,500) and Jalen Crutcher ($7,100), with Rodney Chatman ($4,600) performing cleanup work.

FanDuel Only

Penn State (-13) vs. Northwestern O/U: 141

This game has blowout potential, which should negate most Northwestern targets, but Penn State's Lamar Stevens ($7,200) has to be considered whenever Penn State is on the slate.  Myreon Jones (illness) is questionable, so expect a greater load for Pat Spencer ($5,500) if he doesn't go.

Game to Targe

Arkansas (-2.5) vs. Mississippi State O/U: 141

I selected this game because we have other selections worth mentioning beyond Perry and Chaney. Arkansas' Mason Jones (DK $8,100, FD $7,700) is an excellent play, and the Bulldogs' Robert Woodard (DK $6,700, FD $5,800) is enjoying a recent surge of production and is a great mid-level fit. The total in their last game was 147, which is a full six points more than the predicted over/under Saturday.  It's an added bonus in what should be a hotly contested matchup.

Game to FAde

Ohio State (-5.5) vs. Purdue  O/U: 127.5

The syrupy-slow pace of the Buckeyes (235th with 66,8 points per game) matched with Purdue's even slower tempo (339th with 65.9 points per game) means we should fade usual suspects Kaleb Wesson and Matt Haarms and instead look to other contests for production. Purdue is in an especially risky scenario, as it's keen to tinker with its starting five frequently.  Both Nojel Eastern and Sasha Stefanovic have pushed their way into the starting lineup on occasion, affecting the outputs of Jahaad Proctor and Isaiah Thompson.

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.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only College Basketball Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire College Basketball fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Edgerton
Jeff has provided sports content for numerous sports outlets and has played fantasy sports since scores had to be tabulated via newspaper. He started working with RotoWire in 2017. Originally from South Carolina, he's a lifelong Clemson fan now enjoying the sun in Los Angeles.
College Hoops Barometer: Risers and Fallers
College Hoops Barometer: Risers and Fallers
Fantasy College Basketball Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week
Fantasy College Basketball Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week
College Basketball Best Bets: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Monday, December 23
College Basketball Best Bets: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Monday, December 23
College Basketball Pick'em Today: PrizePicks Plays for Monday, December 23
College Basketball Pick'em Today: PrizePicks Plays for Monday, December 23
College Basketball Best Bets: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Sunday, December 22
College Basketball Best Bets: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Sunday, December 22
College Basketball Pick'em Today: PrizePicks Plays for Sunday, December 22
College Basketball Pick'em Today: PrizePicks Plays for Sunday, December 22