This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
The main slates for FanDuel and DraftKings on Saturday are early in the day. If you play college basketball DFS with any regularity, you know that sometimes sites and sportsbooks take their sweet time getting the salaries and spreads online in time for any early slate article to be useful. As a result, we will only focus on DraftKings' six-game night slate, which begins at 4 p.m. EST.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Marquette (-0.5) at Kansas State O/U: 133.5
Oregon (-19) vs. Hawaii O/U: 139
Kansas (-9.5) vs. Colorado O/U: 137
Arkansas (-1.5) at Western Kentucky O/U: 137
Temple (-4.5) vs. Missouri O/U: 125
SMU (-3.5) vs. Georgetown O/U 141
I think by far the most intriguing situation on the slate involves the Georgetown Hoyas, whose roster took a big hit amid the burglary investigations involving Josh LeBlanc, Myron Gardner and Galen Alexander. While Gardner and Alexander are still on the team and were active as recently as Wednesday, LeBlanc has left the team and intends on entering the transfer portal. Although not connected to the investigation, James Akinjo elected to enter the transfer portal this week as well. This unfortunate string of events for the Hoyas should result in some value opportunities as we try to assess who will see bumps in production. We'll provide our game to target and game to fade later in the article, but first, let's focus on the elite players for this slate.
Elite Players
Omer Yurtseven, Georgetown ($8,400) at SMU
The 7-foot senior is an obvious place to begin as we attempt to figure out how this week's news impacts the roster. Although he's had his share of frustrating games already, he's logged four double-doubles and flirted with recording two more in the last week. After a year away from basketball due to transferring from NC State, his assimilation into the Hoyas' offense isn't yet complete, and the roster shakeup is only going to open more opportunities.
Devon Dotson, Kansas ($8,300) vs. Colorado
Dotson had some help, but he almost single-handedly plowed his team through to win the Maui Jim Invitational. The 6-2 sophomore has posted double-digit scores in every game this season and is a significant contributor in almost every category. He's already exceeding totals from what was an encouraging freshman campaign when he started all 36 games.
Kendric Davis, SMU ($8,200) vs. Georgetown
Vegas is certainly a believer in the intangibles of this game by making SMU the favorite, but Davis has the talent to carry this squad to victory without the opponent's issues. After a lackluster tenure at TCU, Davis went to cross-town rival SMU and is now an everyday starter after the NCAA voted yes on immediate eligibility. That process held him out of the first four games, but he looks to be a significant contributor as a dime-dropper and scorer.
Udoka Azubuike, Kansas ($7,800) vs. Colorado
We're targeting yet another 7-0 senior in the elite category, this time with the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year. It's a dubious distinction for Azubuike when you consider his resume is blighted with season-ending injuries in his freshman and junior campaigns, but he's a beast off the glass when healthy. He finally found his shooting stroke with 29 points in an OT win against Dayton to win the Maui Jim Invitational. If he can pair his shooting with a great rebounding night, a huge stat line will be in order.
Also consider: Payton Pritchard, Oregon ($8,600) Xavier Sneed, Kansas State ($7,700), Zigmars Raimo, Hawaii ($6,800), Quinton Rose, Temple ($7,900)
Value Plays
Mac McClung, Georgetown ($5,600) at SMU
In the midst of the recent turmoil, the talented sophomore will need to step up and keep providing the steady production he displayed in his freshman year. He's already popped with some impressive totals, most notably a 41 DKFP total against Oklahoma State. That's a number we love to see at this price point, and while we can't expect totals anywhere near that level, increased contribution is almost certain given the roster shakeup.
Brendan Bailey, Marquette ($5,200) at Kansas State
Bailey makes this list due to the questionable status of Markus Howard, who will probably play but will no doubt be limited after he suffered what appears to be a concussion against Maryland. He also registered a career-high 27 points in that Maryland game, and though he was used sparingly in their last game, I view him as a decent risk-reward candidate against Kansas State.
Greg Elliott, Marquette ($4,200) at Kansas State
I might be focusing way too much on the Howard injury, but Elliott will start Saturday if Howard can't go, so his addition as a value candidate is readily apparent. He's received decent exposure off the bench as well, so going this low for Elliott could also work absent the current game script.
Terrell Allen, Georgetown ($3,600) at SMU
Here's your big value in the wake of James Akinjo's departure. Allen's been handed the keys at point guard, and he's already shown good results. In his first game as a starter, he logged a great number at this price with 23.75 DKFP. Expect his numbers to only go higher as he acclimates to the new role.
Game to Target
Arkansas at Western Kentucky
I held off mentioning anyone in this game and waited until we identified it as my favorite Saturday. The rosters are awash with value candidates as well as a few elites, and I like the over/under and narrow spread. Sophomore Charles Bassey ($8,100) is a 6-11 bruiser inside for Western Kentucky and is my favorite elite for this game. At the other end of the ball, Mason Jones ($7,900) and Isaiah Joe ($7,700) represent the core of the Razorbacks' offense. You can also find significant value in this contest as well. For the Hilltoppers, I like both Camron Justice ($5,800) and Jared Savage ($5,800). Desi Sills ($4,700) is at a great price as Arkansas' starting point guard, and Adrio Bailey ($5,700) is due to get back on track after a couple of subpar games.
Game to Fade
Hawaii at Oregon
It was close between this game and the Mizzou/Temple matchup, but you can find a lot of value in that game. That's not the case here, and the lopsided margin will make any endorsements for Oregon difficult. I already identified Pritchard and Naimo as viable targets, but I had a hard time finding any floors that correlated well with their price.
