This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We're down to a five-game slate on DraftKings today after the late cancellation of the match-up between Georgia Tech and UAB. That still leaves us with many anticipated games ahead of the $12 Heating Up DraftKings contest that features a $5k first prize. FanDuel's headliner is a four-game slate in the $7.77 All-American with a $2k grand prize.
Targets
Kofi Cockburn, F, Illinois ($8,000 DK, $7,300 FD)
Illinois' matchup with Penn St. today features the highest over/under of the day, so it's a good game to start with when building your rosters. Cockburn has been averaging 25 minutes this season, but in what is expected to be a close game, it's likely he sees 30-33 minutes, and that makes him a good value even as the seventh-most expensive player on the DraftKings slate. The Nittany Lions are going to struggle to defend Cockburn with their smaller lineup -- one that allowed Michigan center Hunter Dickinson to score 20 points in their most recent game.
DJ Carton, G, Marquette ($6,500 DK, $5,900 FD)
Carton gets a bit of a discount after fouling out in a shootout with Xavier that saw him only score 10 points. Typically he should be expected to play close to 85 percent of the team's minutes and outside of blocks, he fills the stat sheet in every category. Insert a matchup tonight against a Villanova team that is much better on the offensive side of the ball, and Carton should be able to put up plenty of points and assists, as he leads Marquette with a 24.1 percent usage rate. He's a safe bet for 30+ fantasy points with upside at an average salary.
Bryce Golden, F, Butler ($5,000 DK, $5,300 FD)
This is one of the more puzzling salaries on the slate today, as Golden has seen an increased role for the Bulldogs this season averaging over 30 minutes per game – up from 21 last year. He's struggled to connect on just 38 percent of field goals this season, but considering he made over 50 percent last season, it's likely due to the small sample size. With Golden leading the team in percentage of shots taken, he should easily live up to his price-tag if the shots start falling.
Fades
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Villanova ($8,100 DK, $6,400 FD)
Robinson-Earl has a highly over-priced salary on DraftKings, coming in at a whopping $1,700 more than FanDuel. There's no questioning that he's playing like one of the best players in the country right now, but I'd be anxious about using him on either site due to Marquette defending the paint well with big men Theo John and Dawson Garcia. It's likely a better time to use Caleb Daniels ($6,000 DK, $5,100 FD) who should get plenty of good looks from long-range.
Jair Bolden, G/F, Butler ($7,400 DK, $5,500 FD)
Another example of a large mismatch between the two site's pricing with Bolden being $1,900 cheaper on FanDuel. Butler's match-up with Providence features the lowest over/under on the slate due to slow pace that the Friars play at. Although value can still be found in a game like this, it's unlikely to be from Bolden who relies on making an efficient amount of his attempts as he doesn't contribute much on the glass or in the passing game.
Miller Kopp, F, Northwestern ($6,000 DK, $5,300 FD)
Kopp and the Wildcats face off against Indiana tonight, one of the best defensive teams in the country who also keeps the tempo reasonably slow. His main source of scoring has been from three, where the Hoosiers are allowing less than 28 percent from so far this season. Kopp also has a big difference in his splits against opponents, averaging 19 points per game in three games against weaker competition and just 7.5 points in two games against Michigan St. and Pittsburgh.