This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
DraftKings' nine-game main slate Tuesday tips at 6:30 p.m. EST and stretches until 8:30 starts, and comes with a $2,000 first-place prize and $8,000 in total payouts. It's a pretty split slate, where four games come with totals of 142.0 or lower, while the other five sit at 149.5 or greater. Iowa-Indiana highlights the scoring with a 160-point total and nearly-even spread, while North Carolina's implied total of 81.25 leads the slate overall. Tennessee's Dalton Knecht leads the way price-wise at a moderate $8,800, so balance will not be a problem.
We've also got a smaller late slate that features six games, tipping at 9:00. As we move into February and March, we'll start looking into both slates a bit more, but for now, we'll have just some passing thoughts.
Top Players
Harrison Ingram, F, North Carolina ($7,900)
It makes all the sense to build around one of the Tar Heel aces in Ingram or R.J. Davis, so pick your poison. As stated in most columns, I prefer anchor forwards to guards. Davis is a fine option, but he's still a scorer first and foremost, so I like Ingram as the play Tuesday. He's had double-digit rebounds in three straight, five of six and six of eight, scoring no less than seven points in all of those games. The upside is limited, topping 35.0 DKP just three times all year, but the floor looks as stable as possible.
Quinten Post, F, Boston College ($7,700)
This is perhaps a reach given current form. Post has given us a 4x return in just two of his last five outings, largely laboring with foul trouble. That doesn't include fouling out against Syracuse the last time the faced each other, failing to score in 26 minutes. It's curious, as the Orange don't have great size, play fast (41st in tempo, per KenPom), and that pace makes their defense look worse than their 31st efficiency rating. The Eagles have an implied total of 79.5 points despite scoring just 59 in their prior meeting. The books are expecting a better performance, and so am I, with the hope that Post comes with low roster percentages. He's topped 40 DKP six times, showing slate-breaking upside when it's right.
Middle Tier
Joe Toussaint, G, Texas Tech ($6,200)
Toussaint has had a 24.5 percent usage rate in six conference games during January and potentially gets a pace boost Tuesday against TCU, a team ranked 65th in tempo. He's a capable, diverse player who's averaging 11.3 points, 2.5 rebounds. 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in that stretch, and while the game logs are inconsistent, there should still be a 3x floor with a much higher ceiling given the matchup.
Josiah-Jordan James, G, Tennessee ($5,200)
It would be better if James gave us forward eligibility, but regardless, the price point has fallen so much that he's now of interest even with middling form. James has been priced as high as $7,500 this season, and has shown 30+ DKP upside six times to date. This game has the makings of a slugfest, which I think plays to James' stability. The Gamecocks aren't big, and they are going to have to use an undersized guard to match the 6-foot-7, 220 pound James. He's a terrible shooter, so the points aren't going to come easily, but he should be in a spot for a diverse stat line, and the price point is where we need it to be given the volatile floor.
Bargain Options
Hakim Hart, G, Villanova ($4,900)
Hart has been a useful player throughout the year, but also inconsistent, which gives us this sub-5k price. He made his first start of the year over the weekend and saw a massive 37 minutes, which truthfully is all we can ask for at the price point. While he earned only an 11.3 percent usage in that start, he returned 20 DKP, which again, is all we can ask for. Assuming he starts again, we've got a pick 'em game in which both teams should score into the 70s, which sets Hart up for another 4x return or better.
Xavier Johnson, G, Indiana ($4,700)
Consider this the Hoosiers' portion of this column. We likely want a piece, as they're facing Iowa's wide-open style, but there are a lot of questions rotationally. If you want to set it and forget it, take Malik Reneau and move on. If you're willing to roll the dice, consider Kel'el Ware, though we'll need to confirm he's available; and if he's not, Payton Sparks will be a popular pay-down option. Perhaps we can squeeze some upside out of Johnson as a less-than-obvious target. He started the Hoosiers last game, and that makes four starts in his last seven. The results have been feast-or-famine, so the floor is low and the ceiling high, even more so given the matchup. Johnson was a four-category force at Pittsburgh before injuries have lessened his effectiveness, but if we get minutes and pace, he's going to look nice in lineups.
Late Slate Targets: Jaelin Llewellyn ($4,600) with Dug McDaniel again out on the road. Kevin McCullar ($8,500) at the top for stability, Ian Schieffelin ($7,300) for potential upside, Casey Morsell ($6,200) in the middle tier for 20+ DKP safety.
