This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
While it's not the massive, high-prized GPP we're awaiting Thursday, DraftKings is still offering a reasonable $5,000 first-place price Tuesday evening, with a mix of NCAA and NIT games getting the post season kicked off. Eight games are featured on the main slate, tipping at 6:40 p.m. EDT, with five doubling over to the evening 8:55 slate.
Three games carry point totals of 147 or greater, so it seems obvious which games we'll want to target. Michigan's Hunter Dickinson ($9,500) is the slate's highest-priced option. He's on an absolute tear, having a 41.75 DKP floor across his last four. He's in a great spot against a face-paced Toledo squad that's also vastly undersized. He's not must-use, but there's likely enough value to be had that he's going to be in the bulk of lineups. We'll consider some other options to be contrarian below.
Top Tier
Clifford Omoruyi, F, Rutgers ($8,200)
The question we must ask is if Omoruyi has enough upside to justify paying down here from Dickinson. And thanks to Omoruyi's ability to block shots, I think the answer is yes. He's averaging 2.2 blocks on the year and has at least two in eight of his last nine. Hofstra has some size, so Omoruyi won't waltz his way to a double-double, but the Pride struggle to rebound, ranking 302nd in offensive rebound percentage allowed, per KenPom, with nearly a third of opposing shots resulting in second chances. Omoruyi averaged 16.7 points and 9.9 rebounds in seven November non-conference games, and that should be our expectation Tuesday.
Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan ($7,800)
We're certainly not going to overlook the Wolverine's lineup entirely given the massive 163 point game total. And Michigan plays a core four of guys nearly the entire game, creating stability that's elevated by the game's pace. Bufkin is in a nice groove, averging a diverse 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals across his last five games, averaging 41.0 minutes. Yes, more than a full game, speaking to Michigan's inability to pull away from opponents. We need 31.2 DKP for a 4x return, and Bufkin's recent floor has been 29.5 DKP.
Mississippi State's Tolu Smith ($8,800) merits consideration as well, but moreso if Pittsburgh is without interior anchor Fede Federiko ($5,900), who is currently a game-time decision.
Middle Tier
EJ Jarvis, F, Yale ($6,800)
We've got a nice 147.5 point total here, and narrow 3.5 point spread, so it's not a game we should overlook. But with Vanderbilt having a core three doing most of their damage, it's caused pricing to surge to near unplayable numbers. So I'll pivot to Jarvis in hopes he can get on the glass at a higher rate. He's the Bulldogs leading rebounder, but grabs just 5.4 nightly. Vanderbilt hasn't been as vulnerable as I'd like on the glass without Liam Robbins ($3,000), but it still a spot we can attack and hope for potential. Jarvis has a team-high 25.4 percent usage rate over his last five, but has been volatile. There's no perimeter game to him, and he's been shut down in earlier meetings with Power 5 Colorado and Kentucky, at least as it pertains to this price point. But if he can just grab seven or so rebounds, and chip in some offense in a boosted total game, he can provide some much needed middle-tier forward production, something we rarely can find in DFS slates.
Trevian Tennyson, G, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ($6,000)
This game comes with a nice 155 point total, but it's obviously two teams we aren't too familiar with. Here's what we know, the Islanders lost third-leading scorer Terrion Murix ($3,000) for the remainder of the year two minutes into their conference championship game. Tennyson is already their leading scorer, and figures to shoulder even more burden here. He doesn't do much else, but that's okay at this price point. He shoots 41.2 percent from 3-point range, playing right into SE Missouri State's weakness, where they rank 262nd in defending the arch. If you're looking for a deeper dive, Owen Dease ($4,700) saw big minutes with Murix out, and could provide a sneaky return on the interior, but he's certainly more volatile.
Value Tier
Colin Porter, G, Liberty ($5,500)
This slot came down to a choice between Porter and Wisconsin's Chucky Hepburn ($5,800), and I'll side with Porter in the likely higher-scoring game at a slightly lower price. Neither are consistent scorers, so there's more volatility than I'd like given that neither is dirt cheap. Porter has averaged a usable 25.5 DKP across the Flames' last eight, only once failing to reach 20 fantasy points. He gets his value as a multi-category contributor. Liberty is, maybe somewhat surprisingly, a slight favorite over the bigger name Villanova, and should be plenty motivated here, giving them expectations of 70+ points which Porter will have his hand in.
Dashawn Davis, G, Mississippi State ($5,100)
We're just looking for 20 DKP in this price range, something Davis has been worth in six of the Bulldogs last nine games, only once failing to flirt with that number (17.5 DKP in eight of nine). That's a pretty stable floor at a less than lineup average cost. The caveat is he's scored 10+ points in only four of those, and just once in his last six. Still, he's a near lock for 30+ minutes in what should be a tight game, giving him ample chances to pick up peripherals even if neither team is expected to score 70+ points.
Colorado's Julian Hammond ($5,000) is an immediate plug and play if we get word K.J. Simpson ($7,800) is again out due to illness. He averaged 16.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals in three starts without Simpson. Also, keep an eye on Villanova's starting lineup. If they are without Justin Moore ($7,600) and/or Cam Whitmore ($6,600), it's going to open up massive production from their other starters, as well as value from new starters. Perhaps that helps Brandon Slater ($5,200) find some consistent production.
