This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We've got a full 12-game slate on tap Wednesday in DraftKings main contest, tipping at 6:30 p.m. EST. They are also offering a limited late slate tipping at 10:00, and it's a valuable spot with a $500 first-place prize on the line with only 176 entrants. I'm beating a dead horse on these slates, but they are winnable and should be considered by even the most casual player. For this column, we won't spend time breaking it down, as it's just a four-game slate.
Our first-place prize on the main slate is what's become standard at $2,000. The top two priced players come from the same game in Seton Hall vs. Providence, and that game has a total under 140 points. Virginia is on this slate which gives us another low total, and Iowa State-Kansas State comes in at just 134.5 points, so we can seemingly take this 12-gamer down to nine games right off the bat. There's also a clear lack of high-end front court options, so finding an anchor there should be highly successful.
Top Players
Julian Reese, F, Maryland ($8,200)
As the intro suggests, lets find an anchor forward to build around, and Reese looks like just that. He's turned in three double-doubles in his last four games, and is a mere two rebounds shy of having six straight. It's led to 36.0 DKP or better in three of four while twice topping 43 fantasy points. The rebounds give him a great floor, and the matchup against Iowa's sixth-ranked tempo, per KenPom, should lead to a higher than average scoring night.
Johni Broome, F, Auburn ($8,000)
I swung and missed on Broome over the weekend, where his 28.75 DKP tied an eight-game low. But I'm happy to go right back to the well for a player that's now $500 cheaper and $1,600 cheaper than his season-high. Over those eight games, Broome comes with a 29.6 percent usage rate, averaging 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.9 steals and 1.3 assists. This is a game everyone is going to want to stack given the massive 165.5 point total. Why not grab the top option and look to differentiate elsewhere?
Middle Tier
Kameron Jones, G, Marquette ($6,700)
Perhaps a second consecutive spot where we can buy a dip in price, as Jones has been priced as high as $7,200 previously. He's been inconsistent in his output, but where he hasn't been is in his opportunity. Jones has taken 10 or more shots in 11 straight games, averaging a 26.0 percent usage rate across 31.3 minutes. Marquette should run away with this game, which is a tad concerning for his playing time, but DePaul is woeful defensively, ranking 272nd overall, 323rd in effective field goal percentage and 317th in 3-point percentage allowed. Jones should have the opportunity to score 20+ with some peripheral stats.
D.J. Jeffries, F, ($5,900)/Shakeel Moore, G, ($5,300), Mississippi State
Pick your poison here based on need (stability or upside), or position openings around the rest of your lineup build. Mississippi State gets a scoring boost thanks to Florida's 17th-ranked tempo. Moore has started 10 straight for the Bulldogs and been under 16.25 DKP just once, so there's an established floor. Jeffries feels more volatile coming off a stinker against Kentucky, but he plays more minutes on average than Moore and has seven times given a 4x return on this below-average cost.
Bargain Options
Tyrell Ward, F, LSU ($4,100)
As long as Ward is rostered as heavily as I'd anticipate, he won't hurt us in any way. He's had a 4x floor at this number across his last three and hasn't failed to provide double-digit fantasy points in seven straight. The game comes with a solid 153.5 point total, which is based on LSU's preferred pace. The only downside is if Georgia slows this down, but the risk is minimal given the low investment.
El Ellis, G, Arkansas ($3,900)
This seems like a weekly routine where we debate what on Earth Arkansas will do rotationally. But Ellis appears to be their new current flavor. He's started two in a row, putting up a terrific 27.9 percent usage rate in route to a 19.5 DKP average. Not massive output, but more than enough for this price. And in a game with a 153.0 point total where Arkansas should sail north of 70 points, he's a no-brainer at under $4,000.
Miami's Michael Nwoko ($3,700) wasn't elite with Norchad Omier out over the weekend, but he's an immediate plug-and-play based on the price if Omier is again out, which I'm not anticipating.
