This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We've got two slates to digest at DraftKings Tuesday evening as we're getting into the thick of the season. March awaits in less than a month!
Main Slate
DraftKings' main slate tips at 6:30 and spans until 8:30 starting times, with $2,000 up for grabs for the winner amongst 784 entries, with a solid $10,000 overall prize pool. It's a deep 12-game slate where three games come with a total under 130 points and five games sit north of 150 points.
As I went through player pricing, it seemed like an odd slate. Value is becoming scare as rotations tighten, but aside from not having a player in five-figures, the higher-end players felt a touched priced up to me. There appears to be a plethora of options in the $6,000 price range that offer ample stability. We've got some highlights below, but don't be afraid to target Vanderbilt of all teams in a pace boost against Kentucky. Oklahoma/BYU both offer the same appeal but have more depth, so you'll need to guess right.
Top Players
Tristen Newton, G, Connecticut ($9,100)
It's not often I lead with the slate's highest-priced player, but this looks like the right spot to do so. Newton is just so versatile, garnering fantasy points in any number of ways. UConn has a terrific 81.0 expected point total and isn't certain to be at full capacity with Alex Karaban (ankle) a game-time decision. Maryland's high-priced duo look like decent contrarian plays, and I also like any of UNC's big three, but Newton takes the cake and is a worthwhile pay-up. The 30 DKP he posted against Butler on January 5 is his lowest output in eight games.
Malik Reneau, F, Indiana ($7,300)
We're simply a buying opportunity at a reduced price here for Reneau. He played 33 minutes over the weekend after entering the game questionable with an ankle issue, garnering a 25.2 percent usage rate. Health isn't a concern. He'll face a Buckeye squad that he posted 23 points and seven rebounds against previously (37.25 DKP), hasn't been under 29 minutes in any conference game where he's been healthy and has at least five rebounds in all of them. With Felix Okpara tasked with dealing with Kel'el Ware on the interior, Reneau is a matchup problem for Jamison Battle, who's conceding two inches and 10+ pounds.
Middle Tier
Baye Ndongo, F, Georgia Tech ($6,200)
I'm struggling to find a reason not to use Ndogo here. His current form is a tad misleading, as he left the UNC game after slamming his head on the court, was able to return over the weekend but fouled out in just 20 minutes. This is a player that's been priced $1,900 higher just a few weeks ago, speaking to his upside. The matchup isn't ideal, as he'll likely be undersized in a matchup with Efton Reid. The scoring for both teams should be there, however, and Ndongo will need to be a fixture if GT is to be competitive.
Darin Green, G, Florida State ($5,800)
The 'Noles have Jamir Watkins priced up and not another option north of $6,000. With an anticipated 74.25 point total, it would seem to make sense to target a secondary option here, so you have to ask if you want stability or upside. I'm siding with the former, with Green having gone for at least 20.5 DKP in five straight and eight of nine. Only once has he topped 23.25 DKP, so we know there's no ceiling. But at a less-than-average price, the safe floor helps round out lineups.
Bargain Options
Churchill Abass, F, DePaul ($4,800)
The rising price is honestly a bit of a concern, as Abass is anything but consistent. He's alternated single-digit and double-digit fantasy outings across his last five, and if that trend holds, he's due a stinker here. DePaul is woeful and likely gets blown out here, but the Blue Demons gain nothing by not letting their freshman play. At 250 pounds, Abass can push around all but Joel Soriano. Rebounds are the path to a floor, and St. John's is woeful against offensive rebounding, ranking 295th nationally. If Abass can snag a few and put 'em back, we're cooking.
Landon Moore, G, Butler ($3,500)
This is only a play if Posh Alexander (foot) is unable to play. Moore started in his absence over the weekend, and earned 13.5 DKP while playing 24 minutes. When he's seen 20+ minutes, he's returned under 3x this low price just twice in eight games. Minimal reward, seemingly minimal risk and it opens up the rest of your lineup immensely. Rutgers Jamichael Davis ($4,800) is far more pricey, but he's my preferred pivot if Alexander returns to action.
Evening Slate
The nightcap Tuesday evening features just five games, tipping at 9:00, but there's an elevated $1,000 first-place prize at stake with only 352 entries available. The smaller number of games obviously means we'll have some pretty trendy roster builds, but those are decent odds at a big prize, so lets see where we may be able to be different.
It's a tightly-packed slate, scoring-wise. Nevada-Utah State leads the way with a total of 150.0 points, and while San Diego State-Air Force is the low point at 133.0 points, the other three games are within 11 points of the slate leader. The lowest total comes with the biggest spread, so we should be all systems go across the board, save maybe for Air Force. Utah State's Great Osobor is the highest-priced option by $900, but he offers position flexibility, and the stablest of stable floors. Use him with 100 percent confidence.
Top Players
O'Mar Stanley, F, Boise State ($7,400)
Stanley could provide a high-upside option that you can pair with Osobor, or use to combat him, as the ceiling can be as high. He erupted for a 41.25 DKP outing agianst Colorado State previously, a low-scoring 65-58 contest where he produded 23 points and 11 boards. Since then, he's been under 29 DKP just twice in seven outings. His 240-pound frame can lean on the Rams, who don't have an option that plays regularly who can match his size.
Kenan Blackshear, G, Nevada ($7,300)
I like Michigan State's duo of Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard a good bit, but Blackshear comes cheaper and seemingly has the better matchup with Utah State ranking 85th in tempo. He's also in a bit of a slump, which may have others fading him. Blackshear is usually a well-rounded asset, averaging nearly five assists and rebounds to go with 15+ points. His current form is due to a couple of blowouts and foul issues -- not necessarily poor play. The Wolfpack are underdogs here, and will need him at his best, which should give us a nice return on investment with the price sliding.
Middle Tier
Ja'Kobe Walter, G, Baylor ($6,600)
This is more swinging for upside than stability, which isn't always the correct path in the middle tier, where I prefer safer scorers. Walters' worst game over his last 14 returned 16.5 DKP, but his best netted 45.0, so we've got a wide range. Texas Tech ranks 86th defensively and 270th in tempo, but the Bears are still expected to top 75 points here, and we know Walter will be integral in that. He averages 5.7 3-point attempts, where the Red Raiders can be vulnerable, ranking 225th in percentage allowed. We know Walkter will see 30+ minutes, giving him opportunity for peripheral stats.
Malik Hall, F, Michigan State ($6,400)
If we're off of the Spartans top two guards, it makes sense to come back around and take a secondary piece to their attack, as they've got a reasonable 72-point total Tuesday and posted 76 in a prior matchup with Minnesota. Hall had a massive 16-point, 12-rebound double-double in that game, showing a ceiling not easily found at this price point, but he's also scored in double-digits in seven straight and nine of 10, averaging 29.3 minutes in that stretch. That should set up a safe floor as well.
Bargain Options
Isaac Johnson, F, Utah State ($4,800)
Johnson looks like a big matchup problem, literally. He goes 7-feet, 227 pounds. That's not a ton of bulk, but it's huge size that Nevada can't come close to. Neither of their bigs play more than 15 minutes. Johnson has reached double-digit fantasy points in four straight, so we are accepting a 2x floor. He's also flashed, showing a 35.25 DKP ceiling and 19.75+ DKP in four of eight. With the Aggies expected to score 78 points, this looks like a solid spot for Johnson to play up.
Darrion Trammell, G, San Diego State ($4,700)
As noted in the intro, the Aztecs are the slate's biggest favorite, and the game has the lowest total, so I don't want to have too many shares here. Trammell appears to make some sense at the lower end, however. He's averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists across his last four over a valuable 25.8 minutes, which we can't get often at under $5,000. Three of those four games have yielded at least 19.75 DKP.
