Welcome to the 2018-19 NCAA Basketball season on RotoWire. For those new to daily fantasy sports, the major players are offering college basketball contests for the first time since the 2015-16 season. As a result, we're ramping up our coverage here at RotoWire, and are trying a few new article ideas for our subscribers in the upcoming year.
We won't do this type of in-depth breakdown for every slate, but plan to offer it for the biggest ones. Remember, RotoWire subscribers can always access tools such as:
Our DFS Lineup Optimizer
College Basketball Value Report
College Basketball Injuries
We plan to focus primarily on FanDuel and DraftKings salaries, but the logic in these breakdowns can be used across any format of your choice.
Without further delay, here are my early impressions of Tuesday's opening slate.
Kansas vs. Michigan State, 7 p.m. EST (Both Sites)
Michigan State (-115), o/u: 156
Dedric Lawson ($8700 FD, $9500 DK) is one of the highest-priced players on both sites, and while I love his prospects this season, he's someone I'm fading on opening night. Michigan State plays at a slow pace, and I think Nick Ward can limit his effectiveness around the basket, especially if he can stay clear of foul trouble -- which hasn't been easy for him over the years. I'm staying away from this game for the most part, but MSU's Cassius Winston ($7700 FD, $7600) isn't a bad option in cash games. FanDuel users might want to take a look at
Welcome to the 2018-19 NCAA Basketball season on RotoWire. For those new to daily fantasy sports, the major players are offering college basketball contests for the first time since the 2015-16 season. As a result, we're ramping up our coverage here at RotoWire, and are trying a few new article ideas for our subscribers in the upcoming year.
We won't do this type of in-depth breakdown for every slate, but plan to offer it for the biggest ones. Remember, RotoWire subscribers can always access tools such as:
Our DFS Lineup Optimizer
College Basketball Value Report
College Basketball Injuries
We plan to focus primarily on FanDuel and DraftKings salaries, but the logic in these breakdowns can be used across any format of your choice.
Without further delay, here are my early impressions of Tuesday's opening slate.
Kansas vs. Michigan State, 7 p.m. EST (Both Sites)
Michigan State (-115), o/u: 156
Dedric Lawson ($8700 FD, $9500 DK) is one of the highest-priced players on both sites, and while I love his prospects this season, he's someone I'm fading on opening night. Michigan State plays at a slow pace, and I think Nick Ward can limit his effectiveness around the basket, especially if he can stay clear of foul trouble -- which hasn't been easy for him over the years. I'm staying away from this game for the most part, but MSU's Cassius Winston ($7700 FD, $7600) isn't a bad option in cash games. FanDuel users might want to take a look at KU freshman Quentin Grimes ($5300 FD, $6700 DK) due to the price break. The matchup isn't great, but he should start and get a good amount of shots up. Edit (11/6): I'm backing off Grimes just a bit, as it looks like he's competing with three other players for two spots. I wouldn't put it past Bill Self to go with experience here -- Charlie Moore & Marcus Garrett started the team's final exhibition game.
Syracuse vs. Eastern Washington, 7 p.m. EST (DraftKings Only)
Syracuse (-18), o/u: 131.5
Syracuse typically runs a tight rotation, so we know who their contributors will be, but Eastern Washington doesn't play at a fast enough pace for me to have heavy exposure to this matchup. The one thing to watch out for is the injury to Frank Howard (ankle), who is doubtful for the opener. In that case, Tyus Battle ($7900 DK) gets a boost for me, especially in cash. O'Shae Brissett ($8700) stands to be the leading contributor this year, but the blowout potential and pace in this game makes me tend to lean towards other options in this price range.
Virginia vs. Towson, 7 p.m. EST (DraftKings Only)
Virginia (-25), o/u: 130.5
Virginia is one of those teams that runs a deep rotation and plays at one of the slowest paces in the country, so I'm out on this matchup. A case can be made for Jack Salt ($5600 DK) due to double-double potential, but I don't like it enough to have a lot of exposure. Ty Jerome ($7200) and Kyle Guy ($6900) could be in play down the road, but I don't see enough touches here to warrant those price tags.
Villanova vs. Morgan St, 7 p.m. EST (DraftKings Only)
Odds: TBD
There are enough value plays on opening night for me to work in Eric Paschall ($9000 DK) alongside Luke Maye ($9900 DK, $8600 FD), who we'll mention in a bit. Villanova develops players as good as any program in the nation, and I'm expecting a big uptick from Paschall in the post. The Wildcats lost their top four scorers last season, making Paschall their leading returner after averaging 10.6 points and 5.3 boards last year. Phil Booth ($6300 DK) and Joe Cremo ($5700) could have nice value as well, but I prefer to see how the rotation and shot distribution shakes out before rolling the dice. Pascall is much closer to a sure thing.
Wofford vs. UNC, 7 p.m. EST (Both Sites)
North Carolina (-10), o/u: 154.5
I'm all over Luke Maye ($9900 DK, $8600 FD) in cash games and tournaments on both sites. While Wofford doesn't play at a very fast pace, they will be greatly overmatched. Maye had 17 points and 14 boards when he played Wofford last season, and averaged 18.5 points and 10.5 boards through non-conference play. Freshman Naz Little ($6400 DK, $7400 FD) is also in play for me, mostly on DraftKings due to the price break. He has star potential and might be underpriced off the bat. Lastly, I'm looking at Fletcher Magee ($5400 DK, $7100 FD) on DraftKings due to the price break. He averaged 22.1 PPG last season and should play the whole game, getting up plenty of shots.
Florida St. vs. Florida, 9 p.m. EST (Both Sites)
Florida State (-4), o/u: 150.5
Florida State plays at a projected top-40 pace in the country due to KenPom's projected tempo rating, so there are a few Florida players in play for me. I like Jalen Hudson ($7500 DK, $7000 FD) in cash games, as he'll provide plenty of scoring as the cornerstone of that offense. It's risky, but Andrew Nembhard ($6600 DK, $5300 FD) should start at PG and return nice value, especially on FanDuel. Not a bad tourney play. On the Seminole side, Mfiondu Kabengele ($4100 DK, $5800 FD) is a tournament option on DraftKings. He's expected to start for the injured Phil Cofer (foot). Kabengele was efficient off the bench last year, averaging 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds across just 14.8 minutes.
Auburn vs. S. Alabama, 9 p.m. EST (DraftKings Only)
Auburn (-20), o/u: 156.5
Unlike most matchups on the slate, I'm looking at the mid-major team in this one. Auburn plays at a projected top-20 pace in the country according to KenPom, and could be weak on the interior without starting center Austin Wiley (foot). I'll have some exposure to Josh Ajayi ($3900 DK) to exploit that interior weakness, as well as Rodrick Sikes ($4600 DK), who put up 18.7 PPG a season ago. Of course, if Wiley plays I'll step back -- especially on Ajayi -- but that seems unlikely. There aren't really any obvious replacements for Wiley, as neither Chuma Okeke or Horace Spencer have very high fantasy ceilings. Bryce Brown ($7100 DK) is the one Auburn player I'm seriously looking at, as he'll have to do it all given their bleak injury situation.
Kentucky vs. Duke, 9:30 p.m. EST (Both Sites)
Pick'Em, o/u: 157.5
The play that jumps out for me is Tyler Herro ($3800 DK, $3600) for the Wildcats. A former Wisconsin commit, Herro started Kentucky's final exhibition game, and has been a stud offensively since the offseason tour in the Bahamas. Salaries were released before Kentucky's exhibition games, so Herro's price will take a while to catch up. I also like Keldon Johnson ($6600 DK, $4500 FD) on FanDuel. He is Kentucky's top-rated recruit on paper, and could see ball handling duties if the Hagans/Quickley combo doesn't work out as anticipated. Lastly, Reid Travis ($6800 DK, $8300 FD) provides exceptional value on DraftKings. The upperclassman and Stanford transfer will start, and is coming off an exhibition where he dropped 22 & 14.
Unlike the last time DFS was around, the Duke freshman studs are priced appropriately. I like the long-term fantasy outlook of R.J. Barrett ($8800 DK, $8800 FD) a little bit better than Zion Williamson ($9400 DK, $8000 FD) or Cam Reddish ($8100 DK, $8200 FD), so Barrett would be the play for me if you're looking to roster a Duke player. That being said, I won't have heavy exposure due to uncertainty about the shot distribution, and other top plays having much softer matchups. Marques Bolden ($5400 DK, $5500 FD) could be in play for salary relief after he appears to have won the job, but there's not enough ceiling there for me to have heavy exposure.
Washington vs. W. Kentucky, 10:30 p.m. EST (FanDuel Only)
Washington (-7), o/u: 151
Charles Bassey ($5800 FD) should be owned in just about every FanDuel lineup, as he's a stud player in a fast-paced matchup that is badly mispriced. He'll start at center for the Hilltoppers and has immediate double-double potential. He's already expected to be an NBA lottery pick. Dalano Banton is another Hilltopper worth a look due to his crazy-low price at $3000. He started over Lamonte Bearden (academics) during exhibition play, and fell one point and three boards shy of a triple-double. Not much jumps out on the Washington side, though I couldn't fault anyone for using Matisse Thybulle ($6100 FD) in cash games due to his potential for all-around production.
Nevada vs. BYU, 11 p.m. EST (FanDuel Only)
Nevada (-12.5), o/u: 154.5
The fast-paced BYU style of offense means DFS players should have as heavy exposure to Nevada as they can possibly afford, and there are enough value plays on the slate to do so. Watch out for possible absences from Jordan Caroline ($6700 FD) and Jordan Brown ($4600 FD), who are dealing with injuries. If they were healthy, they would both be prime plays, but whether they sit or not, Cody Martin ($7600 FD), Caleb Martin ($8400 FD) & Trey Porter ($5400 FD) are in play for me as well. There's not a ton to like on the BYU side, as this will be the toughest matchup they face all year outside of Gonzaga. That said, there could be a little value to be had of Jahshire Hardnett ($4100 FD) and Zac Seljaas ($3900 FD), who should get more run while Nick Emery misses the first nine games. Edit (11/6): Caroline & Brown are still technically game-time decisions, but it's looking more and more like they will play. It's risky without late swap, but Caroline is my favorite to pair up with Caleb Martin.
