DFS College Basketball: Thursday Preview

DFS College Basketball: Thursday Preview

This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.

Today's college hoops slate features a common pool of five games with a distinct Pac-12 flavor. All my selections for today's preview happen to play on the West Coast but I should note that the Michigan-Maryland game is also worth considering as both teams are ranked top-11 in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency.

Targets

1.  Eugene Omoruyi, F, Oregon ($6,900 DK, $6,500 FD)

The Ducks have the highest projected point total among all teams on the common slate so it's only natural that we target their leading scorer. Omoruyi has seen a slight dip in production the past couple games, but I'm not concerned because today's he's going against the second-worst defense in the Pac-12. Omoruyi is averaging 28 minutes per game while taking 33 percent of his team's shots when he's on the court.  And it's not just volume -- Omoruyi currently has the 38th-highest offensive efficiency rating in the country among players that use at least 28 percent of possessions. Hard to ask for a better matchup in a buy-low situation. 

2.  Chris Smith, G/F, UCLA ($5,700 DK, $6,500 FD)

Here we have another excellent buy-low candidate. Chris Smith is coming off his roughest two-game stretch of the year but thankfully now returns home to face a Utah defense that is middle of the pack in terms of Pac-12 ranking. The key for this game is that UCLA has a massive rebounding advantage over Utah, so I'm expecting Smith and his frontcourt teammates to dominate on the glass. Smith has the highest usage rate on the team, so he can provide major value if he starts knocking down his shots. A couple other Bruins that could provide value in this matchup are Cody Riley ($4,900 DK, $4,800 FD) or Jalen Hill ($5,000 DK, $6,300 FD).

3.  Azuolas Tubelis, F, Arizona ($6,700 DK, $5,900 FD)

Arizona is expected to put up plenty of points on Washington, but the most important DFS note for this game is the fact that the Wildcats have a significant rebounding advantage over the Huskies. Tubelis was recently inserted into the starting lineup two games ago and saw extra minutes in both games. Another good option given this matchup is Jordan Brown ($6,000 DK, $6,000 FD), as he leads the team in rebounding and blocks. Christian Koloko ($4,400 DK, $4,000 FD) is a great value candidate, as he also boasts high rebounding rates.

DraftKings Exclusive - Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers are projected to score around 76 points -- the highest point total of any team on the slate. Needless to say, it's probably a good idea to consider taking a Badger if you're playing DraftKings. Minnesota's defense has been weaker at guarding the three-pointer this season, so one of Wisconsin's long-range shooters will likely have a big payoff. Point guard D'Mitrik Trice ($7,300) leads the team in minutes. Micah Potter ($6,400) uses the most possessions when on the court. Brad Davison ($6,100) has the highest offensive rating on the team. All three are shooting over 42 percent from behind the arc this season.

Fades

1.  Alfonso Plummer, G, Utah ($5,800 DK, $6,200 FD)

UCLA's strength on defense is guarding the perimeter -- a tough break for Plummer because his specialty happens to be shooting three-pointers. I'm expecting the Bruins' defense to clamp down on the edges in this contest, forcing the Utes go inside which means fewer three-pointers for Plummer. If his shots start falling then three's a chance I get burned here, but I'm trusting UCLA's perimeter defense will keep Plummer quiet.

2.  Quade Green, G, Washington ($6,600 DK, $6,000 FD)

The Huskies have the second-worst offense in the conference and are expected to score just 65 points tonight, one of the lowest totals on the slate. Green put up fantasy duds in each of his last two games and I'm not finding many reasons to think he's going to do much better tonight. Arizona's defense is ranked No. 45 in the country in terms of adjusted efficiency (per KenPom), so Green will have his hands full. Green is the primary player for Washington so he could be good buy-low candidate if you're looking to fade Arizona, but I'm staying away given the struggling offense and tough matchup.

3.  California Golden Bears

Oregon has a top-25 defense and Cal has the third worst offense in the conference. Not a great matchup for the Golden Bears. This would explain why they're only projected to score around 60 points, easily the lowest total among all teams on the slate. The main problem here is that the two best Bears are Matt Bradley ($7,600 DK, $6,800 FD) and Grant Anticevich ($6,200 DK, $6,000 FD), and both have question marks. The former is dealing with an ankle injury while the latter is recovering from an appendectomy. They might play but they also might be limited, which could potentially turn into a disaster for DFS contests. All in all, it's simply a safer bet to look elsewhere for DFS points.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Steve Peralta plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Buddusky, DraftKings: Buddusky24.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Peralta
Graduated from USC in 2012 while interning for ESPN and FOX Sports. Following graduation, I started working full-time for FOX Sports and been there ever since. Been an avid fantasy player for over fifteen years. In addition to my fantasy teams, you'll also find me rooting for the USC Trojans and New York Yankees.
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