This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
The appetizer before the feast. FanDuel's slate consists of the NCAA play-in games, while DraftKings is also including the two NIT tilts.
Targets
Darnell Brodie, F, Drake ($5,900 DK, $5,600 FD) 
Drake is expected to score the most points of any NCAA Tournament team that's playing today, so it's a natural starting point for filling out your roster. The key matchup note for this game is that Drake has a significant rebounding advantage over Wichita State. Darnell Brodie is the leading rebounder for the Bulldogs, so it seems he'll have an upper hand in this game. The other notable consideration is ShanQuan Hemphill, who's expected to make his long-awaited return from injury. Hemphill was leading Drake with 14.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game before he broke his foot on Feb. 10 against Northern Iowa.
Dexter Dennis, G, Wichita St ($5,300 DK, $4,800 FD) 
Dennis does a little bit of everything. Whether it's rebounds, blocks, or three-point shooting, he's usually involved in the game. Dennis doesn't get as much attention as other starters on the team, but he's had a few monster games within the past few weeks, so it's always possible he'll do it again. Overall, Dennis provides a reasonable floor with the potential for a big payout.
Aaron Henry, F, Michigan St. ($8,700 DK, $7,800 FD) 
Henry and the Spartans are taking on a UCLA defense that's ranked No. 86 in the country, in terms of adjusted efficiency, not much of a concern for Michigan State which is accustomed to playing against much tougher defenses. The Spartans had a bumpy season but seemed to recover nicely as they defeated Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan down the stretch. Long term, Michigan State's offensive issues remain a problem, but I'm expecting them to have a strong showing against an opponent that ended the season on a slide. Henry is the only premier DFS option for Michigan State, so he's your guy if you like the Spartans in this contest.
DraftKings Exclusive
Luka Brajkovic, F, Davidson ($6,200) 
Davidson's offense is ranked No. 18 in the country, in terms of adjusted efficiency, and has the advantage of playing against an inferior defense, with NC State's defense ranked at No. 93. The offense should put up plenty of points, but the more important note is that Davidson has a massive rebounding advantage over the Wolfpack. Brajkovic is Davidson's leading rebounder so he figures to have a boost in this matchup. Brajkovic is also a consistent offensive force, as he had the ninth highest usage rate in the Atlantic 10 during conference play this season, while also posting the highest field goal percentage on two-point attempts in the conference.
Fades
Jules Bernard, G, UCLA ($7,000 DK, $6,000 FD) 
Michigan State's defense is ranked No. 34 in the country, the best among all teams on today's slate. If that's not enough, Bernard (or potentially Jaime Jaquez) will likely matchup against Aaron Henry, who was recently named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team. All in all, it's hard to consider Bernard or Jaquez if they're going to have Henry on them all game. A guard like Tyger Campbell or Jonny Juzang seems like a safer bet.
Nana Opoku, F, Mount St. Mary's ($7,500 DK, $5,900 FD) 
The Mountaineers have the worst offensive efficiency of any team playing today, ranking No. 287 in the country. To make matters worse, Texas Southern's defense is a relentless group as it held opponents to the 30th lowest effective field goal percentage in the country. Opoku's usage rate is under 20 percent, and that could be an issue from a DFS perspective considering the low-scoring expectations for the game.
John Walker III, F, Texas Southern ($6,300 DK, $6,000 FD) 
Mount St. Mary's plays in a style similar to the Virginia Cavaliers. Strong defense, accompanied by an extremely slow pace. In fact, Mt. St. Mary's had the second slowest adjusted tempo in college basketball this season. The only team with a slower tempo was, you guessed it, Virginia. Mt. St. Mary's defense held opponents to the fourteenth-best effective field goal percentage this season, so it's a solid bunch. This will be an interesting test for Texas Southern as its offense is ranked all the way down to No. 236 in the country. Either way. this game has a real shot at being the lowest-scoring game of the day. Plan accordingly.
