This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
DraftKings is giving us what's becoming a tradionally loaded 11-game main slate Tuesday evening, with a tip at 6:30 p.m. EST. There is also a three-game evening slate, but we'll focus on the deeper contest for this column. Alabama-Vanderbilt lead the way with a 156.5-point total, though six other games have 140+ point expectations, so there's no shortage of games to target.
Top Tier
Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas ($9,300)
Loyal readers know I prefer to pay up for forwards and seek value in backcourts. As such, we've got four choices in this upper echelon, and while there's certainly nothing wrong with the other options, I like Wilson for stability. He's posted 30+ DKP in five straight and nine of 10, twice going over 40 DKP. He's posted double-doubles in two of his last three, rarely leaves the court, averaging 34.5 minutes, and the Jayhawks are expected to score 75 points. He arguably doesn't have the highest ceiling, but the floor is pretty elite.
Marcus Sasser, G, Houston ($7,800)
Sasser looks like a bargain at this price. He's posted 32.5 DKP or better in four straight, including a season-high 42.75 in his last outing against USF. He's taken at least 10 shots in nine straight, including 10+ 3-pointers in two of his last three. I'd expect Houston to try and slow Tulane down as much as they can, but we still should think positively when it comes to Sasser getting a boost against the Green Wave's sixth-ranked tempo, per KenPom. Given current form and the matchup, 5x should be our expectation.
Middle Tier
Matthew Murrell, G, Mississippi ($7,000)
The middle tier of this slate was not my favorite, and I generally prefer a balanced build over stars and scrubs. But I think there's ample value Tuesday to where we can use a lot of high-end options. In any event, Murrell is the Rebels' alpha, something we can't always get for this price. He is a virtual lock for a 3.5x return, something he's done in consecutive games and 11 times overall to date. The matchup does him no favors for upside, with South Carolina being 343rd in tempo, but at 224th in defensive efficiency, Murrell should get his. And with the game's lower total, he'll likely come with low usage.
Dane Goodwin, G, Notre Dame ($6,600)
Goodwin is surging, posting 30+ DKP in three of his last four, including a 41.5 DKP eruption against Georgia Tech two games ago. He's taken 10+ shots in six straights, creating a reasonable floor, and he's garnering upside from a variety of stats, snagging 12 boards against Georgia Tech while dishing out six assists against Syracuse. Florida State certainly isn't a matchup we'd shy away from, checking in 219th in defensive efficiency.
Bargain Tier
Ali Ali, G/F, Butler ($5,400)
The Bulldogs are pretty banged up, and that's created opportunity for Ali, who has started the last two games and averaged 22.75 DKP. He's a bit of a compiler, not doing any one thing great but finding his way in to well-rounded production thanks to 30+ minutes. Keep an eye on starting lineups as they roll in, but assuming Ali is again in a meaningful role, there's no reason to think he won't continue to produce at a near 4x rate.
Myles Stute, F, Vanderbilt ($5,000)
Stute has been relatively volatile, but we can live with that in this bargain tier. Overall, he's averaing 10.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg, resulting in 20.4 DKP, playing a solid 28.1 minutes nightly. Pair that with Alabama's fourth-ranked tempo, and we should hopefully see the floor rise some. He's returned 5x this price five times to date, giving him some serious upside.
