This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
DraftKings is giving us a brief two-game slate as an appetizer Tuesday afternoon, followed by a six-game main slate with tipoffs running from 6:00 to approximately 10:15 p.m. EST. $2,000 is available to the winning lineup in their featured contest.
The slate features three games with a total north of 140 points, headlined by a showdown in Hawaii between Kansas and Marquette at a massive 157.5 points. We'll obviously want shares there, but will look to be different elsewhere to get an edge.
Top Players
Hunter Dickinson, F, Kansas ($9,400)
The top of this slate is difficult to choose from. Zach Edey is completely priced out, coming in $1,800 higher than Dickinson. Kyle Filipowski likely sees low roster rates, but his minutes could be capped in a blowout. Further down the list, I'd assume the masses to be on Kevin McCullar, who is off consecutive triple-doubles and not priced according to form. Dickinson too will be popular but perhaps not as much so as his teammate. That said, McCullar is priced fair enough to consider using them both.
Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette ($8,400)
There are far safer players on this slate, but if we're trying to take down a GPP, you've got to take some swings. It feels like it's been a quiet start for Kolek, but his scoring and rebounding are up marginally from last year, it's just the assists that are down. He's played 70 minutes in the last two, so there are no concerns over an early ankle injury, and the 23.5 percent usage rate is fair enough. We know the pace/total is there in this game, and Kolek had 40+ DKP upside 10 times last year, including a massive 57.5 outing. He's got the same upside as McCullar, is priced fairly, and won't be nearly as rostered.
Middle Tier
Xavier Johnson, G, Southern Illinois ($6,100)
This is the game to go heavy into for value, with a solid 146.5 point total and only one player priced higher than Johnson. The fifth-year senior is enjoying a breakout season, averaging 19.7 points and 5.7 assists in the early going, with a low of 27.5 DKP. He's piled up a 28.0 percent usage rate, and gets a boost playing against the Dukes, who come in ninth in adjusted tempo. He'll have the ball in his hands often, and has done a great job attacking the basket and getting to the line, taking 19 free throws over the last two. There's no reason to not expect a 4x return or better in this matchup.
T.J. Bickerstaff, F, James Madison ($5,500)
We'll stay in this contest and target some frontcourt help. Bickerstaff has a 27.4 percent usage rate, which is nearly unheard of at this price. Fouls have been his Achilles' heel however, collecting four or more in three of the Dukes first four games. That makes him a bit more of a high-floor, low-ceiling option, though he's still failed to return 4x this number only once. SIU doesn't have a ton of size outside of Clarence Rupert, who's getting just 22.3 minutes nightly. The aforementioned pace boost remains in play, and Bickerstaff can take advantage of the Salukis as long as he's on the court. JMU has a knack for playing close games, further giving Bickerstaff ample opportunity.
I also like Duke's Mark Mitchell ($5,900) as a cheaper "in" to the Blue Devils Tuesday.
Bargain Options
Robert Carpenter, F, New Mexico State ($4,100)
Carpenter erupted for 18 points in 30 minutes against UC Irvine, and was inserted into the starting lineup for the next two, now sitting with an attractive 25.3 percent usage rate. He's not particularly efficient, shooting just 40.4 percent from the floor, but he was a volume guy at Mississippi Valley State last year, and that's starting to manifest in his new home, averaging 9.4 attempts in the early going. There's no pace boost here, and the Aggies have just a 66.0 expected point total, but the price takes most of the risk out of Carpenter.
Jackie Johnson, G, UNLV ($3,500)
The matchups are tighter, rotations are a bit more set and pricing is getting sharper, making values slightly harder to come by. Johnson is far from perfect or safe, but he's a reasonable punt play to get more high-end players into your lineup. He's playing only 12 minutes nightly, and does nothing but score. But he's instant shooting when on the floor, resulting in a 30.2 percent usage rate. Richmond isn't great defensively, ranking 104th overall and 194th against the 3-point line. Johnson just needs a few to fall for him to give us a 3x return while we enjoy big points from better options.
