This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We've got a full 12-game slate Saturday on the hardwood with tips spread widely from noon all the way until 10:00 p.m EST and features a mix of early conference games with decent power conference teams playing out of league. As of now, DraftKings is only offering a $1,000 first-place prize in their primary tournament, but it's also Championship weekend for football and eyes may be elsewhere.
The large slate offers us 120 starting options to consider with six appearing below. Hopefully, the thought process is right and we get some hits and identify the right games to target. If your player isn't listed here, don't worry as there are many different ways to build a winning lineup Saturday.
Top Players
Kyle Filipowski, F, Duke ($9,700)
I always want to be reflective when writing these columns. And, to be honest, I haven't been great so far. We've had some hits in the middle and bottom tier that's won a few dollars, but my top selections haven't been good enough. You can't miss on your anchors, and I have to do better. Sorry Duke fans if I'm putting the kiss of death on Filipowski Saturday. His usage is through the roof, sitting at 32.2 percent over the last five. Filipowski's also taken less than 10 shots only once all year, is coming off consecutive double-doubles, and has failed to reach 34.5 DKP just one time and got Georgia Tech for 34.75 last season. The Jackets rank 148th in defensive efficiency and are greatly undersized, which means a high floor and high ceiling for Filipowski.
Anton Watson, F, Gonzaga ($7,400)
I'm a firm believer in paying up for frontcourt options as I find the falloff to be significant. Watson's salary isn't huge and he's playing at a high and efficient level by shooting 65.1 percent from the floor while posting three double-doubles in six outings. There's no pace boost here, and Southern Cal is decent enough on defense, though the matchup comes with a narrow spread and nice 150.5 point total. Watson has been north of a 4x return at this number in five of six appearances.
Also considered: Wooga Poplar, G, Miami ($7,100); Sahvir Wheeler, G, Washington ($7,200); Reece Beekman, G, Virginia ($7,700); Terrence Shannon, G, Illinois ($7,200); Jameer Nelson, G, TCU ($7,400)
Middle Tier
Casey Morsell, G, North Carolina State ($5,900)
I'm not in love with the 6k tier here, so I'm inclined to go down a touch further and see how many of the above 7k players we can work into a lineup. This game is nearly a pick 'em and lists a 151-point total, so we should get nice numbers from multiple pieces. Morsell leads the Wolfpack in minutes and is second in usage. There are questions about his upside since he's mainly a shooter/scorer, but he's recorded five-plus rebounds in three straight. Morsell also went for a nice 31.75 DKP last year against BC.
Terrance Williams, F, Michigan ($5,800)
This is the game where we should be able to round out lineups with a few choices. Michigan has started the same five for seven outings and only two bench options are seeing 10-plus minutes, so we know we're getting more than from the starters. Williams gives us another frontcourt player under my belief it's easier to find guards. His 16.6 percent usage rate isn't ideal, but it's countered by the expected minutes and that this matchup projects a 2.5 point spread and a total of 152. Williams has gone under a 4x return three times to date and 3x only once, so there's some stability. And Oregon's Keeshawn Barthelemy ($5,800) profiles almost identically.
Also considered: Dain Dainja, F, Illinois ($5,300); Baye Ndongo, F, Georgia Tech ($5,200); Elliot Cadeau, G, North Carolina ($5,000)
Bargain Options
Wayne Bristol, G, Georgetown ($4,800)
Bristol has started the Hoyas' last two games while scoring 25 total points and averaging 24.0 DKP. That's good enough for me. Georgetown is a 10.5-point underdog with an implied total of nearly 73 points, so Bristol is still viable.
T.J. Caldwell, G, Mississippi ($4,500)
Caldwell's salary has risen $500 since Tuesday, but I'm willing to go back to this well while he's still sub-5k. He doesn't do anything flashy, yet logs 28 minutes per outing with a season-low of 24. Caldwell had failed to return 3.5x only once so far. The total in this game isn't huge at 141.5 and the Rebels are an underdog, so perhaps the value point is a bit too high for our needed return - though the floor seems as safe as we can find in this range.
Also considered: Kyshawn George, G, Miami ($3,500), Michael Nwoko, F, Miami ($3,500)
