This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Friday's College Basketball action features action on both DraftKings and FanDuel with a pair of games in the Big Ten and two key matchups in the Atlantic 10 and Sun Belt conferences. DraftKings has a four-game slate for their $10 Big Jam contest with $2,000 to first, while FanDuel has a two-game slate for the $7 All-American and a $500 top payout. Both sites kick off the action at 7 p.m. EST.
Top Players
Jalen Pickett, G/F, Penn State ($7,700 DK, 8,300 FD)
Pickett is my preferred option at the top of the board tonight coming off back-to-back games with over 35 fantasy points. He rarely comes off the court, having logged all 40 minutes in three of the last five games. He's reached double figures in all but one conference game this season, including an 18-point game against Northwestern earlier this year. Pickett provides a safe floor with his ability to produce points in the passing game and on the defensive end.
Grant Golden, F, Richmond ($7,200 DK)
Golden has been an efficient fantasy producer this season, averaging 1.05 fantasy points per minute. It's not uncommon for him to see over 30 minutes in tight games, which is likely to be the case tonight against Saint Louis. Although he only shot 36 percent against the Billikens in their first meeting, he still managed a double-double for his fourth-highest fantasy performance of the season. He should fare better this time around at home.
Middle Tier
Isiah Small, F, Texas State ($6,700 DK)
Small is a bit underpriced, which can be common with smaller schools that are rarely part of the DFS slate. The 6-8 power forward has been a big part of Texas State's success in leading the Sun Belt, and he's posted four 30+ point fantasy performances over his last six games. He recorded 17 points and eight boards in their first meeting, and considering Troy struggles offensively, Small should be active on the glass and have a good chance at a double-double.
Gibson Jimerson, F, Saint Louis ($5,400 DK)
Jimerson has been the clear go-to option for Saint Louis, taking a team-high 25.1 percent of the team's shots when he's on the floor. Despite the heavy workload, he's still managed to shoot 40 percent from three with over two made per game. Meanwhile, Richmond has allowed over 70 points in three of their last four games and rank 143rd in defensive efficiency and 286th in 3-point percentage defense.
Values
Robbie Beran, F, Northwestern ($4,700 DK, $4,300 FD)
Beran has mainly been used as a three-point specialist for the Wilcdats, shooting 37 percent from deep and 47 percent overall on the season. That's an area where Penn State has struggled to defend, as its strength has been defending the paint while allowing teams to shoot 35 percent from three. With the small slate, he's one of the few sub $5k players that has 20 fantasy point upside if he gets hot from long-range.
Payton Sandfort, G, Iowa, ($4,200 DK, $3,400 FD)
Sandfort carries some risk as his playing time has been sporadic this season, but the freshman has looked good when given the opportunity with shooting splits of 50/36/92 albeit a relatively small sample size. With this being a double-digit spread against Nebraska, it's a likely spot for Sandfort to get increased playing time, something he took advantage of in their first meeting, as he was just two boards shy of a double-double.
