This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Thanks to the State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta, Tuesday's hoops slate has some marquee teams, and DraftKings is rewarding us with a $10,000 GPP contest with $2,000 available to the winner, so lets take a look!
It includes seven games overall, highlighted by Duke - Kentucky's 160.5 expected total. Towson - South Carolina is our low point at 134.0 points, and given the Gamecocks' style, writing off Towson players isn't a necessity, but likely the way to go. Three players, led by Cooper Flagg, check in with five-figure price tags and will require creativity elsewhere to slot into lineups.
Top Players
Norchad Omier, F, Baylor ($9,500)
Baylor has played two tough games against Gonzaga and Arkansas, resulting in a tight seven-man rotation, so I'll be curious to see how that loosens in this anticipated blowout. But Omier has averaged a double-double in each of his first four seasons and is currently as well. He should be able to bully his way to that again against an undersized Sam Houston squad, creating a stable floor at worst.
Jaden Akins, G, Michigan State ($8,000)
While I personally question whether the Spartans have the personnel to compete with the Jayhawks, I believe it's certain their competitiveness flows straight through Akins. He's embraced an elevated role in the offense through two blowouts, while also rebounding and distributing at an increased rate. The 23.1 percent usage rate isn't elite because it hasn't been fully needed like it will be tonight, and anything less than a 4x return would be disappointing and somewhat surprising.
Jaemyn Brakefield, F, Mississippi ($7,400)
I tend to try and highlight frontcourt options in this column as I find them to be more scarce and less reliable. Brakefield isn't starting and his minutes are down from last year, but it's a role that's suiting him, as the production is up and his fouls are down. He's earned a 24.7 percent usage rate and is flirting with double-double averages, and comes at a fair price for one of the five teams expected to score into the 80s.
Middle Tier
Nick Pringle, F, South Carolina ($5,400)
Pringle profiles as steady and unspectacular, making for a nice mid-range priced forward Tuesday. He's seemingly assured of 20+ minutes, and will collect rebounds and a few blocks as a result. Any scoring he offers is a bonus. Towson doesn't have the size to match up with Pringle and Collin Murray-Boyles, and if they're doubling the latter, Pringle could see additional offensive chances.
Caleb Foster, G, Duke ($5,300)
I personally find all of Duke's secondary pieces viable, and wouldn't hate using Foster, Tyrese Proctor ($6,600) and Khaman Maluach ($6,300). Duke has played two blowout games, but have a relatively tight eight-man rotation through it that will seemingly tighten against Kentucky. Foster comes as the cheapest of this trio, and thus gets the highlight. He's second with a 22.2 percent usage rate, taking 19 shots through two while handing out three assists in each. The ceilings are higher for Proctor and Maluach, but Foster offers a safe 3.5x floor to fall back on.
Moustapha Thiam ($5,100)
Thiam has started each of his first two games for the Knights, averaging 24.0 minutes, 7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. The defensive potential gives him upside and you'd think his 7-foot-2 frame gives him a rebounding floor. Six of his seven blocks on the year came against Texas A&M, and while he fouled out in that game, we can gain confidence in his minutes right out of the gate and expect a similar role Tuesday.
Value Plays
Kerr Kriisa, G, Kentucky ($4,600)
Similar to Duke's secondary options, I view much of Kentucky's rotation in play Tuesday, with Lamont Butler ($6,000) and Otega Oweh ($5,900) also viable. But Kriisa offers some upside at a value price, having handed out 12 assists in 21 minutes last time out. The backup role makes him very volatile, but he's a proven scorer and distributor at previous stops, and the elevation in opponent could result in added minutes and a diverse stat line.
Jayson Kent, F, Texas ($4,400)
We likely shouldn't ignore the Longhorns as they are the anticipated highest-scoring team on the slate. But their top pieces feel a touch overpriced for my liking, and despite beating Houston Christian by 31 last time out, they played a core group of seven players. Kent logged 18 minutes and provided 20.75 DKP, which works just fine at this price. He was a non-factor against Ohio State, so there is a floor of almost zero, but that likely doesn't manifest against Chicago State.
Tre Carroll, F, Florida Atlantic ($3,800)
Our lineup optimizer loves the Owls Tuesday night, but I'd caution that they are underdogs and have shown a very fluid rotation through two games. But Carroll looks immune to it all give this low price. He's averaging 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in just 16.5 minutes, garnering a 29.8 percent usage rate. Is that increased production a product of inferior opponents, or is Carroll an emerging player that will play a key role moving forward? We'll start finding out Tuesday, but for the minimal investment, it's not much of a risk.
