This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Sunday brings a seven game slate on DraftKings, hosting their $12 Heating Up Contest with $12K up for grabs including $3K to first. FanDuel has its own six game slate, with all the games overlapping the main slate on DraftKings. The slate features three teams in the AP top-25, including a BIG10 matchup between Michigan and No. 15 Wisconsin. Let's get on to the action.
Top Players
Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin ($8,600 DK, $8,000 FD)
Just when Davis starts to cool off, he erupts for 30 points and 12 rebounds resulting in 50 DK points against Indiana on Tuesday. The sophomore is playing some of the best basketball across the NCAA, and heavily relied on by his teammates. The Badgers win when Davis is at his best and they will need him again Sunday against a Michigan tram that has won three of its last four, including a dominant win over Purdue. Despite, having a few off games, Davis is nearly averaging a double-double (18.7 points, 9.6 rebounds) over his last 10 games. As a possible contrarian play, Hunter Dickinson ($9,100 DK) should be lower-owned, as he's the most expensive player on the slate, but Wisconsin has struggled against opposing lengthy centers this season. However, his ceiling may not be as high as Davis and the latter offers a $500 discount.
Marcus Weathers, G/F, SMU ($7,100 DK, $6,900 FD)
The most important news to pay attention to for Sunday's slate may be the status of Kendric Davis ($8,300 DK). Davis is by far the best player and leading scorer on SMU. However, he missed Wednesday's game against Temple and is questionable for Sunday. This allowed Weathers to take control of the court and post his third double-double of the season, despite the Mustangs scoring just 57 points in the loss. This matchup against Memphis is projected for 146.5 points, which is the highest on the slate. Weathers already projects to score around 30 DK points. He averaged 14.9 points and 7.3 rebounds in his last 10 games. If Davis is ruled out, it could be a high-ceiling day for Weathers in a back-and-forth affair. If Davis plays, both him and Weathers still have value, but Davis would be the preferred option. Both players have even higher value on FanDuel.
Middle Tier
DeVante' Jones, G, Michigan ($6,800 DK, $6,700 FD)
Jones has been a big part of the recent surge Michigan has been on. Over the last 10 games, he has the second highest usage rate (21.8 percent) among starters. In that stretch, he is averaging 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 30 minutes. In addition, he has only dropped below 20 DK points once in that time. He had double-doubles in two of his last three games, contributing to two 33.5 and 42.5 DK-point contests. If he continues his current play he could easily provide 5x value.
Craig Porter, G, Wichita State ($6,600 DK, $7,400 FD)
Porter is a stat-stuffer for the Shockers. His average salary accurately matches his low 17.5 percent usage rate over his last 10 games. However, he is up to averaging just shy of double digit points in that stretch. His value comes with his consistent ability to pick up fantasy points in multiple categories. Over his last four games, he's averaged 9.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, two steals and a block. This has contributed to him scoring between 29 and 34.5 DK points in each of the four games, providing around 5x value. Wichita State are clear underdogs against Houston, but Porter's top three fantasy performances this seasons have all come in losses.
Value Plays
Darius Johnson, G, UCF ($5,000 DK)
The freshman guard has stepped it up recently, starting each of the last four games. Due to starting, he now averages 30 minutes a game when before he was lucky to play 20 minutes. He posted 30.8 and 33.0 DK points in his last two games with the latter coming in a game where UCF scored just 52 points. Both games he scored in double digits and recorded at least five rebounds and five assists. Assuming he draws the start, he could be in line for a fantastic fantasy day given his cheap salary.
Zhuric Phelps, G, SMU ($4,200 DK, $3,900 FD)
Phelps is quite a risky play with the chance that he busts. However, if the aforementioned Kendric Davis doesn't play, Phelps will likely start in his place. Phelps received his first career start in place of Davis on Wednesday. Despite only playing 20 minutes in a lackluster offense, he still produced 22.3 DK points and scored in double digits for the first time since Jan. 12. If he gets another start, he will likely surpass the 20-minute benchmark. At such a low salary, he is a high-risk/high-reward tournament play that has returned 7x value in games this season.
