This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
After a robust Friday night, the Saturday hoops slate appears to be taking a back seat to football. DraftKings is offering a seven-game main slate featuring some named teams, but a lot of blowout expectations per spreads. It still comes with a $1,000 first place prize and you only have to beat 351 other lineups, so there's a shot at some decent coin.
Top Plays
Donovan Clingan, F, Connecticut ($8,500)
I'd really like to take the discount on teammate Alex Karaban, but this matchup screams brute force. Clingan comes in at 7-foot-2, 280 pounds and piled up a 39.2 percent usage rate in his debut. Stonehill starts two forwards who are at least at 6-foot-8, 205. Clingan posted 28.0 DKP in only 15 minutes last time out. There may not be reason to use him more than that here, though he should be fed and feast when on the court.
Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame ($7,700)
We never want to exclusively chase past performances, but Burton was borderline elite in his collegiate debut. He's a former Mr. Basketball in Indiana whose size is the only thing that held him back from a higher recruiting profile. But outside of the 29-4-4 line he posted, what really stood out is how badly the Irish need Burton as they only won by seven over Niagara and he played 34 minutes while amassing a gaudy 45.0 percent usage rate. That's not sustainable, but given a lack of other options, it's not going to dry up. I worry Burton's not much more than a scorer and rebounds won't be plentiful at his size, but with minutes and usage come production.
Middle Tier
Vonterius Woolbright, G, Western Carolina ($7,000)
I recognize this salary point isn't exactly "middle tier", but this looks like the play if you're going to take a shot on a team that's expected to lose. And there should be enough dart throws on big teams' benches to allow this to work. Woolbright had a 35 percent usage rate in the Catamounts opener and contributes in all areas. And it's not just a flash, as he averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists a year ago. This game shouldn't be a blowout given the Irish's rebuild, and Woolbright will be the reason it's competitive.
Dre Davis, G/F, Seton Hall ($6,100)
I'm a fan of Dylan Addae-Wusu, but for a discount we can get a frontcourt player with a one-game higher usage rate and heavier minutes. Addae-Wusu is diverse and that offers different paths to fantasy scoring, but we know what we're getting with Davis. He'll flirt with double-digit points and five-plus rebounds while lacking upside but providing stability. He also comes with position flexibility.
Value Plays
Isaac Traudt, F, Creighton ($4,800)
This seems to set up as a second game where Creighton just rolls through its opponent with super-efficient offense and depth. Traudt impressed in his Bluejays' debut by posting 24 DKP in 20 minutes, something he should see again Saturday either by means of the expected blowout or because North Dakota State starts two big men at 6-foot-10. I like Ryan Kalkbrenner a lot as a different, low-used play, but Traudt is exactly half the salary and the opportunities should be similar if the expected rout materializes.
Terrance Arceneaux, G, Houston ($4,700)
Yet another blowout spot on this slate where we can target non-starters who seem to be ascending and should receive ample minutes. Simply, a repeat of Arceneaux' opener flirts with a 4x return. He garnered three steals, which we can't bank on, and the 16.4 percent usage rate wasn't encouraging. But you'd expect him to shoot better than 2-of-6 against a defense that ranks 288th in effeciency despite only giving up 46 points. Houston has a nice 85.0 point anticipated total, and the bench should be intregal in that total. Ramon Walker merits consideration if you need a frontcourt punt.
Note: We're not trying to suggest using all six players, just some options in each tier. If you play all six, you're still left with $5,600 to use on two additional options, which is doable.
