This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Following up the busiest day of the week in college hoops, DraftKings is offering a five-game slate with a $1,000 top prize, while FanDuel is putting up $500 to first in its All-American GPP for a three-game slate. Both tip off at noon EST. Let's take a look at the day's implied totals and then jump into plays.
Targets
1. Iowa Hawkeyes
When a team has the highest implied total out of anyone on the slate by a full 10 points, you take notice and make them the foundation of most lineups. The Hawkeyes did put up 87 in the first matchup between these two teams, after all. Every slate featuring Wooden Award favorite Luka Garza ($10,000 DK, $9,400 FD) features a key decision right off the bat -- is there enough value on the slate to put him in? I'd say yes today despite the fact that he was held to a season-low 28.5 DK points the last time he saw the Wildcats.
Much of that production the first time around came from Jordan Bohannon ($8,600 DK, $6,800 FD), who just saw his DK price skyrocket after putting up a 50-point effort against the Gophers. His second-best fantasy game of the year was against Northwestern, so he stays in play here. It's tough paying that enormous DK price, but FanDuel players should most definitely stack him up with Garza.
If you are going to fade Garza, the pivot is Joe Wieskamp ($6,700 DK, $7,200 FD). He had a bit of a rough stretch against Maryland and Rutgers but bounced back with 30.5 DK points against Minnesota. Should Garza get a few quick whistles or be limited for any other reason, it's typically Wieskamp in line for more field-goal attempts and opportunities on the glass. He also sports the second-highest usage rate over Iowa's last 10 games.
2. Chase Audige, G, Northwestern ($5,500 DK, $5,900 FD)
Building on this game, Audige checks all the boxes here. He's the team's leader in usage rate after putting up 23 shots his last time out, and the Wildcats get an up-tempo matchup against Iowa. He oddly fouled out the last time these teams faced off Dec. 29, but the sophomore still had 21.0 DK points on the back of four three-pointers. If you need more mid-range targets, Boo Buie ($5,300 DK, $6,100 FD) fits the bill as well for many of the same reasons.
3. Marcus Sasser, G, Houston ($7,000 DK, $5,900 FD)
Take it or leave it on DraftKings, but the FanDuel price was enough to get Sasser a spot in this column. This man is playing with confidence, putting up a whopping 15 three-pointers in his recent 28-point effort against Tulane. He went 6-for-14 from the field the first time these two teams met, and that was with Caleb Mills getting up 10 shots off the bench. Since Mills transferred, Sasser is putting up 24.9 FD points/game in three contests.
Fades
1. Landers Nolley, G, Memphis ($5,700 DK)
My first thought when a saw this price tag for a player of Nolley's caliber was to lock him in, but then I looked at what's been happening since the last time Memphis was in the player pool. In the three games since DeAndre Williams was declared eligible, Nolley has averaged 18 DK points. His worst outing of that stretch -- 11.8 DK points -- came against today's opponent in Tulsa.
2. Brandon Rachal, G/F, Tulsa ($8,000 DK)
Sticking with this game, I simply can't justify paying this price for a star when his team has the second-lowest implied point total of the day. He's coming off a 2-for-15 shooting day against Wichita State, plus put up a mere 18.8 DK points in the first meeting between these two teams.
3. Brandon Mahan, G/F, UCF ($8,400 DK, $7,000 FD)
For pretty much the exact same reasons as above, I'll fade the top-priced player on the team with the lowest implied total of the day. Mahan will meet a Houston defense that checks in fourth in the country in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric, He had less than 20 DK points his last time out against Houston and is putting up 16.9 DK points over his last three (with only SIX combined actual points in his last two). This isn't a matchup players bounce back in.