This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
An absolutely loaded Tuesday of college hoops awaits DraftKings main slate, which tips off early at 6:00 p.m. EST. DraftKings has reciprocated by offering up a $10,000 first-place prize for a $15 entry -- one of the biggest contests you'll see until March.
We've got Duke-Michigan State and Kansas-Kentucky headlining, but there's also a juicy Iowa-Creighton and a 159.5 point total to sort through. Only Colgate, UNC Greensboro and UC Irvine hail from lower conferences, further showing how marquee of a slate we've got. There's a plethora of lineup choices needed in order to find success and win some big money. Are you paying up and targeting some players whose prices haven't adjusted to early season usage, or are we building with more balance? Both have merit Tuesday.
No players from Creighton-Iowa made this write up. I'm absolutely not fading that game, but there are issues. It's going to be popular -- Creighton likely shortens their rotation and makes their top options worth paying for, but they are super expensive, especially when paired with the popularity. Iowa meanwhile faces a defense that ranked 14th a year ago in efficiency and 20th to date this year. Their pace is usually appealing to their opponent for DFS purposes. I don't find any of their starters to be must-use. On to the plays...
Top Players
Hunter Dickinson, F, Kansas ($9,300 DK)
I find myself personally leaning towards a more balanced build with so many games with high totals, but if paying up for an ace, Dickinson is my heavy lean. He's only the third highest-priced option, so there is a touch of a discount, and his 7-foot-2, 260 pound frame is a massive mismatch for the undersized Wildcats. It certainly doesn't hurt that Dickinson is averaging 40.5 DKP in two games with his new team, piling up a 30.6 percent usage rate.
Wade Taylor, G, Texas A&M ($8,200)
I won't lie, it feels like every time I recommended Taylor last year, it felt like he got into foul trouble early and let me down. But he's got as much upside as anyone on the slate and comes at a nice discount to the top options. Plus, the matchup doesn't scream must-play, hopefully making for lower usage. He's earned a 37.1 percent usage rate through two games, taking 32 shots and 16 3-pointers. Pair that with 10 total assists and four steals, and there are multiple paths to fantasy points. SMU plays considerably faster than the Aggies do, so while I wouldn't call it a pace boost, A&M's implied 73.5 point total is more than enough to offer appeal.
Middle Tier
Braeden Smith, G, Colgate ($6,600 DK)
Don't be afraid to target some small-school players Tuesday, as hopefully they'll be overlooked and come with low roster percentages. Colgate is only a five-point underdog here and has an implied total of 76 points, with Syracuse checking in at 175th in defensive efficiency through two games. It's obvoiusly going to temper, but Smith had an insane 40.6 percent usage rate in the Raiders' opener. He'll be at the forefront of their scoring and is a capable distributor that can rack up steals too.
Tyler Wahl, F, Wisconsin ($6,300 DK)
The middle tier of forwards is pretty gross Tuesday, which is in line with my philosophy from last season in building around higher-priced frontcourt options and taking my value in the backcourt. But Wahl could prove the exception here. The game has a nearly pick 'em spread, and the Badgers are already battle-tested, playing Tennessee previously. Wahl played 33 minutes there, and flirted with a double-double. He's a proven double-digit scorer, and his size and anticipated minutes mean he'll fall into rebounds at worst. He showed sporadic upside last year as well, with five games over 30 DKP in February and March.
Robert Dillingham, G, Kentucky ($5,600)
Adding Dillingham here as a "bonus" to our traditional brief, six-man write ups. I hate this matchup for Kentucky enough I may be betting Kansas to cover. But I expect Dillingham to be incredibly highly-used given the price and his volume shooting. He's got a 29.9 percent usage rate, taking 25 shots in 49 minutes to date. I don't anticipate he'll be efficient, but the volume should be there to go along with a fair price. He also went from reserve to starter in Kentucky's second game, which led to 30 minutes on the court.
Value Plays
Justin Taylor, G, Syracuse ($5,000 DK)
Taylor has a modest 17.2 percent usage rate, but at this price, it's acceptable given the early-season returns. He's quickly emerged as the Orange's second option behind Judah Mintz, and we're not forced to pay for that opportunity. He's earned 31.0 and 27.75 DKP in two starts, the Orange have a nice 81.3 point implied total, and Taylor has chipped in across the board thanks to heavy minutes. There's almost no downside and a 3-4x return seems very safe, with room for far more.
Oziyah Sellers, G, USC ($3,800 DK)
Pay-down options are not my preference Tuesday, as the intro notes. I think we're going to see trimmed down rotations given the expectations the games will be tight across the slate. It's going to make for some lazy plays just looking at fantasy point per game totals in teams first few games against inferior opponents. The Trojans could be the exception to that, however, as they're favored by 14 points. Sellers has been great once and terrible once, but he's coming off a nice outing, and this is a spot where he could see 20+ minutes and build confidence on his last outing. UC Irvine ranks 31st in pace, potentially offering more opportunities as well.
