This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
FanDuel and DraftKings share eight games on Saturday's main slate, but, as per usual, each site has exclusive matchups too. We'll first focus on the shared games and then move on to highlight some targets in the site-specific contests.
Slate Overview
Ohio State (-1.5) at Penn State O/U: 137
Baylor (-6) at Oklahoma State O/U: 125
Florida State (-6) at Miami (FL) O/U: 142
Florida (-1) vs. Auburn O/U: 140
Maryland (-5) vs. Purdue O/U: 125
Georgetown (-3.5) vs. Marquette O/U: 153
Kansas (-6.5) at Texas O/U: 128.5
Arizona (-6.5) at Colorado O/U: 139
Pittsburgh (-4) vs. North Carolina O/U: 136 (DraftKings only)
Oklahoma (-4) vs. TCU O/U: 134 (DraftKings only)
Seton Hall (-4.5) at St. Johns O/U: 142 (FanDuel only)
Villanova (-9) vs. Connecticut O/U: 134.5 (FanDuel only)
Butler (-3.5) at DePaul O/U: 129 (FanDuel only)
Top Players
Markus Howard, Marquette (DK $8,800, FD $8,500) at Georgetown
Although Marquette's dropped two of its last three games, Howard continues to be worth every penny in DFS play. The senior point guard leads the country in percentage of shots taken, responsible for 41.3 percent of Marquette's field-goal attempts. He's also red-hot in January, averaging 29.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in five games. He'll look to keep things rolling after a 49 DKFP performance against Xavier on Wednesday.
Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida (DK $7,800, FD $7,200) vs. Auburn
The cornerstone of Blackshear's production comes from the free-throw line. He ranks sixth in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes and averages 7.2 attempts per game from the charity stripe. Although Auburn is a decent rebounding team, Blackshear should handle Auburn's Austin Wiley despite Wiley's one-inch size advantage. Wiley could win the rebounding game, but Blackshear is a much more efficient scorer.
Trent Forrest, Florida State (DK $6,600, FD $6,700) at Miami
FSU's floor general might not be a high-scoring candidate, but his assist and rebound numbers provide significant fantasy value. The 14th-ranked Seminoles have won eight consecutive games and are heavy favorites against Miami, so Forrest warrants consideration based on the matchup alone. Miami is in the basement in almost every defensive category, and although this game is not my selected game to target, it definitely earns an honorable mention.
Josh Green, Arizona (DK $6,500, FD $6,300) vs. Colorado
The 6-foot-6 freshman has started every game for the Wildcats after entering the season as one of the nation's top recruits. He hasn't disappointed, averaging 12.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 17 games. Arizona's favored against Colorado, the over/under is among the highest on the slate and Green's price sits comfortably at the median on both sites.
Devin Vassell, Florida State (DK $6,300, FD $6,800) at Miami
I'll continue to promote Florida State's favorable spot with Vassell. He's incredibly efficient with the ball, as he ranks fifth nationally with a turnover percentage of only 6.3 percent. His recent four-game run outperformed his regular-season averages, with 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals in that span. Vassell joins Forrest as another player who will exploit the Hurricanes' weak defense.
Courtney Ramey, Texas (DK $6,100, FD $6,300) vs. Kansas
The 6-3 sophomore is priced favorably in an underdog matchup against Kansas. Ramey rejoined the Longhorns' starting lineup two games ago. He gave up that spot to Andrew Jones for three games, but that experiment ended up working in Ramey's favor as he made a significant contribution in those games off the bench. His 14/9/6 line against Oklahoma State three days ago resulted in almost 40 FP. I'll take him just below the median price in hopes of notching another good score.
Also consider: Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State (DK $8,100, FD $7,400) at Penn State
Value Plays
Isaiah Moss, Kansas (DK $4,400, FD $4,000) at Texas
I'm targeting Moss due to the potential continued absence of Devon Dotson (hip). Even if Dotson takes the floor, it's likely that he'll be limited, and the team appears confident with Moss, who put up 20 points in 38 minutes in Dotson's absence Tuesday.
Kamaka Hepa, Texas (DK $4,100, FD $3,600) vs. Kansas
Hepa's fought through injuries but has regained his footing in the starting five. His extended absence in December resulted in a much lower salary and his cost is yet to rebound, so we get a great price opportunity with a starting power forward in a decent offensive scheme. Looking back a few games would be enough to give you pause, but I'm a fan of the recent upward trend, as his minutes have gone from 24 to 31 since his return to the starting lineup.
Seth Lundy, Penn State (DK $4,000, FD $3,600) vs. Ohio State
The 6-6 freshman started his first game of the season against Minnesota and put up 15 points in 26 minutes on the court. He joined John Harrar as a surprise starter in the matchup, but I think Lundy's insertion into the starting lineup might have been a result of Izaiah Brockington's string of underwhelming games. Lundy has a much better chance to break through the crowded depth chart than Harrar, but there's certainly an element of variance involved in deducing Lundy's overall usage.
Also consider: Scottie Lewis, Florida (DK $5,500, FD $5,800) at Auburn
DraftKings Only
Pittsburgh (-4) vs. North Carolina O/U: 136
North Carolina's season is in jeopardy of imploding after losses to Clemson and Georgia Tech, and the Tar Heels play a Pittsburgh squad they lost to 10 days ago. Both Garrison Brooks ($8,200) and Armando Bacot ($6,900) put up great stat lines against Pitt, and Leaky Black ($5,000) figures to be the best value for the Tar Heels after beating value against the Panthers. Trey McGowans ($6,800) erupted for 51.5 DKFP against the Tar Heels and is one of my favorite DraftKings picks, and Justin Champagnie ($6,500) also excelled with 41.5 DKFP in the matchup.
Oklahoma (-4) vs. TCU O/U: 134
Desmond Bane ($8,300) tops the slate, and is the only TCU target I can endorse with confidence. The Sooners are a bit more diverse with their offerings, and I can reach for value with picks like De'Vion Harmon ($4,800) and Jamal Bieniemy ($4,700).
FanDuel Only
Seton Hall (-4.5) at St. Johns O/U: 142
Myles Powell ($8,000) has been on fire since returning from a concussion, averaging 23.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals in the last five games. For FanDuel, you can't get much more consistent than Powell, though the 13-4 Pirates are chock full of other great options, with values like Romaro Gill ($6,000) and Jared Rhoden ($5,800) leading the pack. St. John's depends heavily on L.J. Figueroa ($7,100), but you can also go a little lower with Rasheem Dunn ($6,200).
Villanova (-9) vs. Connecticut O/U: 134.5
The great thing about this matchup is the reasonable prices for the game's top performers. UConn's Christian Vital ($6,900), Villanova's Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ($6,800) and Saddiq Bey ($6,600) provide a great way to form a mid-priced core on FanDuel.
Butler (-3.5) at DePaul O/U: 129
The low over/under in this game is a bit bothersome, and despite his video game-like numbers I think Paul Reed ($8,700) might be too expensive. I'm more of a fan of Butler's Kamar Baldwin ($6,800) and DePaul's Jaylen Butz ($6,200), as they are better values in relation to their output.
Game to Target
Georgetown (-3.5) vs. Marquette O/U: 153
Markus Howard's already merited a mention, but his monstrous usage kills any value for the rest of the team. As a result, we need to focus on Georgetown's best options. Mac McClung (DK $7,800, FD $6,400) consistently provides 30 FP, and Jamorko Pickett (DK $5,900, FD $5,800) has come alive lately with scores as high as 42 FP in the last two weeks.
Game to Fade
Baylor (-6) at Oklahoma State O/U: 125
The Cowboys have had their share of troubles this season, and their top salary candidates haven't been consistent. You can still reach for a bit of value, though, as Cameron McGriff (DK $5,600, FD $5,100) has put together a decent string of games in relation to his price, with 9.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last four games. I'm fine with Baylor's Freddie Gillespie (DK $7,300, DK $6,800), but the low over/under doesn't give me a lot of confidence in endorsing anyone heavily.
