This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We've got a nine-game main slate to digest Tuesday evening, tipping at 6:30 p.m. EST. A solid $2,000 first-place prize is on the line despite a somewhat less than desirable slate.
The closest spread we have here is (-13) with Texas Tech over Oral Roberts. Four of the nine games have a 20+ point spread and only one game (Georgeton-Coppin St) has a total under 140 points. It's setting up for a major chalk city slate, as few of the underdogs seem to offer any appeal. Managers will have to ask themselves if they're willing to gamble on those options, or bench players from the heavy favorites.
Top Players
Kadary Richmond, G, Seton Hall ($8,800)
Long time readers know my preferred lineup build is ace forwards and value guards. But Richmond seems favorably priced down comparatively to the high-end front court options. He's had a 38.0 DKP floor across his last three and the Pirates should flirt with 80 points, plus Richmond has multiple paths to fantasy production, averaging 6.2 boards, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals to go along with 15.8 points. We can't miss on pay-ups, and while Richmond may not break the slate, he seems unlikely to bust.
Jermaine Couisnard, G, Oregon ($7,900)
Couisnard is essentially the last man standing for the Ducks, who are riddled with injuries. He's averaged 33.0 minutes across his last three, posting 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds,, 4.0 assists and 2.2 steals. He's not an elite player, but he's producing as such out of necessity that isn't going to fade Tuesday. The defensive production is strong, creating a nice ceiling while the usage/opportunity creates stability.
Middle Tier
DeShang Weaver, F, Oral Roberts ($5,900)
This is my upside play for the slate. Weaver has only an 18.6 percent usage rate over the last five, but he's scored in double-digits in all but one game, also playing 30+ in every outing except last week's blowout win. Both teams play small, so there's not clear advantage to the Golden Eagles' lone starting forward, but this is a guy averaging 2.8 blocks to go with double-digit scoring. He's shown a 45.5 DKP ceiling, and while this is a massive step up in class, the price point seems to mitigate risk. Weaver found success against Texas A&M previously.
Josh Ola-Joseph, F, Minnesota ($5,200)
This looks like our free square Tuesday. Dawson Garcia seems highly unlikely to play, Ola-Joseph got 27 minutes in his last absence and earned a 22.8 percent usage rate, resulting in 24.5 DKP. Not a huge performance, but well enough for a below-average price. Take it and move on.
Bargain Options
Caleb Foster, G, Duke ($4,600)
Foster profiles similarly to Ola-Joseph above; he's cheap, and should see ample opportunity. Duke gains nothing by bringing Tyrese Proctor back into action, and Foster has averaged 32.5 minutes across his last two games with Proctor sidelined. Nothing flashy, but Duke should score 80+ points and Foster will facilitate that at a low-end price.
Jaret Valencia, F, Montmouth ($4,600)
Montmoth likely won't score 65 points, so this is a risk overall, but not so much as a pay-down forward. Valencia averages 27.0 minutes and has provided a 4x return or better in three straight and five of six. Seton Hall checks in at 101st in defensive efficiency. Valencia hasn't been under 17.25 DKP in six games, suggesting a 3.75x floor.
