This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Our Saturday slate is remarkably clean, with only one outlier game that isn't shared by both sites. Let's dive right into the action.
Slate Overview
Indiana (-2) vs. Wisconsin O/U: 130
Villanova (-7.5) at Georgetown O/U: 144.5
Marquette (-2.5) at St. John's O/U: 153
Tennessee (-2.5) vs. Auburn O/U: 137
Florida (-2.5) vs. Kentucky O/U: 136.5
West Virginia (-1) vs. Baylor O/U: 129
Purdue (-6) vs. Rutgers O/U 126.5
LSU (-9) vs. Georgia O/U: 158
Kansas (-3.5) at Texas Tech O/U: 134
Creighton (-4) vs. Seton Hall O/U: 150.5
Colorado (-2) at Utah O/U: 136.5 (FanDuel only)
Top Plays
Skylar Mays, LSU (DK $8,000, FD $7,600) vs. Georgia
This obviously is the slate's top game to target. I'll go with Mays as the most consistent player for the Tigers, averaging 26 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists the last two games. The Bulldogs rank 334th in the country with 75.4 points allowed per game, which you can take all the way to the bank by loading up on LSU talent.
Keyontae Johnson, Florida (DK $7,700, FD $7,100) vs. Kentucky
There's a heap of talent at the top end of this slate, and normally I wouldn't go this route with so many other faster-paced games. Johnson's 33 FP game against Kentucky in their last matchup is a great piece of game history to follow, however. Although his six-point game against Tennessee recently left a lot to be desired, his other recent totals have been brilliant, with five double-doubles in his last 10 games.
Saddiq Bey, Villanova (DK $7,500, FD $6,300) at Georgetown
Bey is a frequent resident among my elite endorsements, and I'm once again highly confident in his output Saturday. Bey blew up for 33 points in Villanova's 80-66 win over the Hoyas in January, and though he's exceeded his season FP average only four times in the last 10 games, the game history and swift pace aid my decision-making for this endorsement.
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky (DK $7,200, FD $6,500) at Florida
Quickley went off on the Gators with a 26-point performance two weeks ago, and he's distinguished himself with an impressive run of games in the last month. His ability to keep the heat off Ashton Hagans with his spot-on perimeter shooting will help Kentucky in the postseason, but his output is almost entirely dependent on success from beyond the arc. He drilled four threes against Florida in their last game, and if he can match that with decent secondary numbers, he'll be on the way to a value-beating number.
Julian Champagnie, St. John's (DK $6,700, FD $6,100) vs. Marquette
Champagnie's three-position eligibility makes him easy to slide into any roster build. His excellent game history against Marquette and an attractive price relative to his usual production make him a solid pick. I had originally had Ty-Shon Alexander, but that made my elite endorsements a little top heavy; we needed another mid-range play in a fast-paced game like this one.
Also consider: Jahvon Blair, Georgetown (DK $6,700, FD $6,400) vs. Villanova
Value Plays
Damien Jefferson, Creighton (DK $5,600, FD $5,700) vs. Seton Hall
Jefferson certainly isn't variance-free, but the 6-foot-5 junior plays regular minutes for the Bluejays and is in a favorable spot against Seton Hall, a team on which he lowered the hammer in their last matchup. While most of his numbers fluctuate wildly, he's a consistent rebounder, and the Red Storm ranks 194th in total rebounding percentage.
Kevin McCullar, Texas Tech (DK $5,500, FD $4,800) vs. Kansas
The Red Raiders are often faded most weeks due to their slow pace, but the Jayhawks will amp up the possession rate in this contest, and we can finally take advantage of some of their talent. As their newly anointed starter at the four, the freshman has performed well, averaging 10.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals in five starts.
Theo John, Marquette (DK $5,300, FD $4,800) at St. John's
John's Achilles heel is usage, as his minutes fluctuate from game to game, but I'm encouraged by the pace of this matchup. John also played about four minutes more than his usual average against St. John's in their last meeting. He'll have his hands full against Julian Champagnie, but I think both centers can put up decent numbers.
Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia (DK $5,300, FD $4,500) at LSU
As we hunt for value in this lightning-fast game, I'll go with Wheeler as a low-ownership target who quietly posts decent numbers in Anthony Edwards' shadow. The freshman wrestled the starting point-guard gig away from Tyree Crump mid-season. The core of his production is in the assist column, where he ranks fifth in the SEC with 4.4 assists per game.
Qudus Wahab, Georgetown (DK $4,500, FD $4,800) vs. Villanova
I've yet to call out Wahab's name in my recommendations, but he's a reasonable dart due to the favorable over/under as well as his new role as a starter. His 14/12 double-double against Creighton three nights ago is a solid indication of an upward trend, and as long as Omer Yurtseven (ankle) is out, Wahab is an excellent value target.
Also consider: Robert Phinisee, Indiana (DK $4,900, FD $4,600) vs. Wisconsin
DraftKings only
Colorado (-2) at Utah O/U: 136.5
It's not exactly the flashiest addition to the DraftKings slate, but It does give us the chance to fire up Timmy Allen ($8,300), who's one of the best wingmen in the country. Both McKinley Wright ($8,200) and Tyler Bey ($7,900) are chalky targets for Colorado, and the best value is also on the Colorado end with Evan Battey ($5,300), who put up a 17/10 double-double against the Utes in their last meeting.
Game to Target
Marquette (-2.5) at St. John's O/U: 153
This was a close call, but I like the competitiveness of this game over Georgia-LSU. First, the elephant in the room in Markus Howard (DK $9,200, FD $8,500), who everyone should at least consider giving some exposure to despite his price. If you can find enough value on the slate, he gets high marks as a cash and tournament core. We've already given a little love in this game, but we left out Rasheem Dunn (DK $6,100, FD $5,900) and Greg Williams Jr. (DK $5,200, FD $4,100) for St. John's and Marquette's Sacar Anim (DK $6,600, FD $5,100). All three posed good stat lines the first time these two teams met.
Game to Fade
Purdue (-6) vs. Rutgers O/U: 126.5
Purdue ranks 334th in the country with an adjusted tempo of 64.7, and Rutgers only fares slightly better at 67.5 (233rd). The last time these two teams met, they fared a little better than advertised with a 133-point total, but no player scored more than 16 for Rutgers in that game, and the lone standout for Purdue was Jahaad Proctor, who scored 19 points but was below average in all of his secondary categories. With all the opportunities elsewhere, this game is an easy fade.
