This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Sunday brings a five-game slate on DraftKings, hosting its $10 Big Jam Contest with $3K up for grabs including $1K to first. FanDuel has just a two game slate, with two Big Ten games overlapping the main slate on DraftKings. The slate features five teams in the AP top-25, including a matchup between Ohio State and Purdue. Let's get on to the action.
Top Players
Justin Lewis, F, Marquette ($9,000 DK)
Marquette plays at a faster pace than any other team on this slate, and Lewis is the top offensive option by far. In 15 games, he leads the Golden Eagles is points (16.6), rebounds (8.0) and minutes. In addition, he has a strong 30.5 percent usage rate, giving him many scoring opportunities. He is coming off his best game of the season where he scored a whopping 60.8 DK points against Seton Hall. Marquette is in a highly contested top-25 matchup that gives Providence the slight edge, but Lewis scored 43.8 DK points when they beat Providence by 32 points at home back on Jan. 4.
Brad Davison, G, Wisconsin ($7,300 DK, $6,900 FD)
This is not the defensive-oriented Wisconsin team we are used to watching. The Badgers have scored at least 70 points in their last nine games. They are the biggest favorites on the slate and projected for 74 points, leaving opportunities for multiple players to have solid fantasy production. Davison is a natural leader for his team and always comes up with big plays when they need it. He is on a roll lately, scoring at least 31.8 DK points in three of his last four games. The super-senior set the all-time three-point records for the Badgers in his 43.3 DK point performance against Nebraska on Thursday. Davison is averaging 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.6 minutes this season. In addition, he's scored in double digits in the last seven games. You can go wrong with playing Johnny Davis ($9,800). He's obviously the most talented Badger, but Davison has a good shot at providing more bang for his buck.
Middle Tier
Tyler Wahl, G/F, Wisconsin ($6,800 DK, $7,700 FD)
Sticking with the Badgers, Wahl has been another surprise as another player who has taken a major step forward for the Badgers this season. He's at a slight discount on DraftKings Sunday because he missed a game last week with an ankle injury and played just 22 minutes against Nebraska on Thursday. However, he should be good to go against Minnesota in what looks to be a favorable matchup for the junior. He averages over 10 points/game and just shy of six rebounds, good for second on the team behind Johnny Davis. Before his ankle injury, he posted at least 32.2 DK points in four straight games, including a massive 44.3 points against a strong Ohio State team. At 21.1 percent, he has the second-highest usage rate on Wisconsin. He is a strong play on DraftKings, but isn't as valuable on FanDuel.
Jamarius Burton, G/F, Pittsburgh ($6,600 DK)
The Panthers may have failed to reach 70 points in their last six games, but that hasn't prevented Burton from scoring. He averages 13.2 points/game, which is second highest on the team. He has scored in double digits in all but the first two games of the season. The Texas Tech transfer is coming off a 43 DK point game Tuesday against Syracuse and even managed 25.8 DK points last week when his team scored just 48 in a blowout loss at Clemson. He's a safe bet, leading Pittsburgh with 35 minutes/game, including playing all 40 minutes in three of the last six contests.
Value Plays
T.J. Bickerstaff, F, Boston College ($5,900 DK)
Bickerstaff enters Sunday with a sub-$6K salary after posting over 30 DK points in three of his last four game. With Boston College favored against Pittsburgh, he has a great chance to produce 6x value again. Unlike most players, the majority of his points come from rebounds. He is averaging 8.2 rebounds/game, but he has 50 boards in his last four games including 17 on Wednesday against North Carolina. Due to his high rebounding rate, he has a relatively high floor for his salary range even if he fails to score any points.
Ithiel Horton, G, Pittsburgh ($3,400 DK)
Horton is in a unique situation as he's only appeared in one game this season due to a suspension and ongoing legal trouble. However, he's been reinstated to the Pittsburgh basketball program, according to Craig Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is the team's highest returning scorer from last season, and is greatly needed on a team that currently lacks consistent offense. The junior played 28 minutes and scored in double digits for 22 DK points in his lone game this season back on Jan. 5. It is very rare to have a player locked in for decent playing time at a $3K salary.
