This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
As usual, there is some deviation between the slates on the two major sites. Today's preview consists of first finding targets in the shared games, followed by site-specific endorsements.
OVERVIEW
Editor's Note: Odds current at time of posting.
Michigan (-5.5) vs Penn State O/U: 147.5
Mississippi State (-3.5) vs. Arkansas O/U: 136
Notre Dame (-4.5) vs. Syracuse O/U: 142
Louisville (-13.5) vs. Georgia Tech O/U: 132
Virginia Tech (-7) vs. North Carolina O/U: 139
Iowa (-5.5) vs. Rutgers O/U: 138
Memphis (-3) @ Tulsa O/U: 135
Dayton (-15.5) vs. St. Bonaventure O/U: 136.5 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)
Auburn (-10.5 ) vs. South Carolina O/U: 144 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)
DePaul (-1) vs. Creighton O/U 145.5 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)
Cincinnati (-2.5) @ Temple O/U: 131.5 (FANDUEL ONLY)
Seton Hall (-9.5) vs. Providence O/U: 137 (FANDUEL ONLY)
TOP PLAYERS
Precious Achiuwa, Memphis (DK $8,500, FD $8,100) @ Tulsa
Achiuwa is on a tear of six straight double-doubles, and he should find little resistance in notching his seventh against a porous Tulsa defense that ranks 171st in total rebounding percentage. Once James Wiseman announced his intention to enter the NBA draft, opportunity opened up for the 6-9 freshman. He hasn't disappointed. This recent six-game run has been spectacular, as he's put together averages of 18.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and three blocked shots over the span of double-doubles.
Lamar Stevens, Penn State (DK $7,500, FD $7,100) @ Michigan
With big elites like Luka Garza and Reggie Perry facing excellent defenses, I'm trying to achieve some balance for my cash lineups, and Stevens' stable floor fits the bill. You can depend on steady output in every category from Stevens, who's averaging 16.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocked shots over 18 games played. He's also incredibly efficient, sinking 46 percent of his shots this season. Michigan's defensive skills are tepid at best, so I expect a good night in this spot.
Marek Dolezaj, Syracuse (DK $6,300, FD $6,300) @ Notre Dame
Even though Dolezaj has his work cut out for him with John Mooney in the paint, the Irish aren't exceptional defensively (105th in scoring defense), and even with a guy like Mooney, they don't rebound all that well either (186th in total rebounding percentage). A look at his seasonal minute average would be deceiving, as over the last 10 games, he's seeing over 36 minutes per game and is also beating his seasonal averages with 10.6 points and nine rebounds over that span. We also have a bit of case history for Dolezaj against the Irish, as he put up a 13/10/7 line against them a few weeks ago.
TJ Gibbs Jr., Notre Dame (DK $6,100, FD $5,800) vs. Syracuse
Gibbs gets a nod based on his last game against the Orange, where he shot an insane 6-for-8 from long range on the way to a 21-point, three-assist stat line. To say that Gibbs is running hot would be an understatement, as the senior guard is converting 59 percent of his shots in January, and also nailing an insane 52.9 percent of his shots beyond the arc. While we are on the subject, you can also say the same thing about Prentiss Hubb (DK $5,900, FD $6,300) when it comes to game history, as he blitzed the Orangemen for a 41 FP score.
Also consider: Jordan Nwora, Louisville (DK $8,300), FD $7,400) vs. Georgia Tech
VALUE PLAYS
Franz Wagner, Michigan (DK $5,300, FD $5,700) vs. Penn State
Don't look at Wagner's seasonal averages. The true tale of the tape comes in looking at his last four games, where he's averaged well above his normal numbers, with 15.0 points and 5.3 rebounds over that span. It's difficult to say if the freshman's numbers are sustainable, but the potential ceiling here makes Wagner a reasonable play in my GPP lineups.
CJ Fredrick, Iowa (DK $5,200, FD $5,500) vs. Rutgers
Fredrick's price took a bit of a dive after missing two games with a foot injury, so we can now take advantage of the starting forward's price while it's still low. Since returning from the injury he's performed exceptionally well, with a 21/4/3 line against Michigan in his last game. The freshman came out of the gate as a starter and is logging a steady 27 minutes per game, and while his seasonal averages aren't going to wow you, a pop like his last game is enough to warrant a serious look at this price point.
Tyrece Radford, Virginia Tech (DK $5,000, FD $5,600)) vs. North Carolina
Although Radford had a terrible game against Syracuse where he couldn't get anything going shot-wise, I think you have to look at it as a blip on the radar for the talented freshman. Prior to that game, he was enjoying a productive January, averaging 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists over a four-game span. The point guard produces about five more FP when playing at home, and I think he's in a great spot against a Tar Heel unit that ranks 224th in scoring defense.
Seth Lundy, Penn State (DK $4,300, FD $4,500) @ Michigan
Lundy's now started two straight games for Penn State, and at the moment there's no indication that there will be a change at the three. For the time being, the Nittany Lions seem to prefer the 6-6 freshman, and he's responded well in his new role, averaging 13.5 points and five rebounds over his two starts. When you see a starter log more than 20 minutes at this price, he's usually an immediate grab, and Lundy is no exception.
Also consider: Malcolm Dandridge, Memphis (DK $3,900, FD $4,300) vs. Tulsa
DRAFTKINGS-ONLY PLAYS
Paul Reed, DePaul ($9,100) vs. Creighton
Reed emerges as one of the best elites you can cull from the DraftKings slate. The junior is simply superb in almost every aspect of his game. He has 12 double-doubles on the season and is averaging a true double-double as well. Although Charlie Moore leads the Blue Demons in usage, I like Reed a lot more despite the inflated price.
Ryan Mikesell, Dayton ($5,700) vs. St. Bonaventure
The Flyers are heavy favorites in this game, and that means that their star Obi Toppin probably won't be needed in the late going. Toppin should give way to Mikesell, who's usually the guy to do cleanup work in games that are out of hand. His usage dips way down when things are close, but in a game script like this one, Mikesell has a double-double ceiling that could show itself.
Jermaine Couisnard, South Carolina ($5,000) @ Auburn
Couisnard is the newly-anointed starting shooting guard for the Gamecocks after Keyshawn Bryant went down with a head injury. Even with that injury, I find it hard to believe that the team hasn't made every effort to get this outstanding freshman in the starting lineup already, as he's been incredibly consistent as the first guy off the bench. The team appears to get a jump-start every time he takes the floor. He does a little bit of everything: he's a pure shooter and an apt ball-handler, and with 33 and 37 DKFP scores in his first two starts, I expect big things for the freshman as long as Bryant is out.
FANDUEL-ONLY PLAYS
Alpha Diallo, Providence ($7,200) @ Seton Hall
Diallo struggled a bit in his last game against Creighton, but otherwise, Diallo has been a mainstay for the Friars this season. The 6-9 senior is an able multi-category contributor and is one of the better rebounders in the conference. He currently ranks fifth in the Big East with 8.3 rebounds per game and is a nightly double-double threat.
Quincy McKnight, Seton Hall ($6,900) vs. Providence
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about Myles Powell ($8,000), but McKnight is one of the reasons why Powell is so effective. He's quietly one of the most efficient point guards in the Big East. His 5.3 assists per game puts him just behind Charlie Moore for second-best in the conference, and he's shooting a respectable 44 percent from the floor this season as well.
Trevon Scott, Cincinnati ($6,700) @ Temple
Scott struggled a bit against Memphis but bounced back with a double-double against ECU in his last game. He'll show up as Tre Scott in FanDuel's listing. He averages just shy of a double-double, with averages of 5.7 points and 9.1 rebounds over 18 games.
GAME TO TARGET
Michigan (-5.5) vs. Penn State O/U: 147.5
I already outlined several spots I like in this game but we may have not given Michigan enough love. Guys like Jon Teske (DK $8,000, FD $7,800) and Zavier Simpson (DK $7,600, FD $7,300) can't be ignored, and for value you could do far worse than Brandon Johns (DK $3,800, FD $4,100), who's currently filling in for the injured Isaiah Livers.
GAME TO FADE
Louisville (-13.5) vs. Georgia Tech O/U: 132
The Yellow Jackets have an uphill battle against a superior Louisville team, and outside of Nwora, I didn't feel compelled to make many endorsements here.
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