This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
DraftKings gives us an eight-game main slate, and its truthfully the first one of the year where it feels like college basketball is back. We'll be treated to marquee matchups of Kentucky-Michigan State and Duke-Kansas that will be popular viewing, likely begging casual DFS players to grab pieces of that action. But there aren't any real mid-majors on the slate, so there are ample names across the board, making choosing six here difficult and fun at the same time! There's just a plethora of mid-tier players averaging nearly 5x return through two games. Who can we trust to continue those trends as the competition ramps up?
Note the earlier-than-usual 6:30 p.m. EST tip.
Top Tier
Zach Edey, F, Purdue ($9,300)
Edey, seemingly at anything under $10,000, figures to be a mainstay in this column as long as I'm penning it. We've well known his per-minute production was elite, but he's now seen 28.0 minutes in the Boilermakers first two games, nearly 10 minutes more than last season. At 7-foot-4, 290 pounds, he's a matchup nightmare for any team, and Marquette is no exception, with no starter within eight inches or 60 pounds. Only foul trouble prevents a double-double here, giving him a safe floor with 40+ DKP upside.
Jaelen House, G, New Mexico ($7,900)
There's no shortage of top-tier backcourt options Tuesday, but House seems to be the bottom of the upper tier price wise, and we can argue his merits to be priced higher. I'm not confident his 7.0 assist average is sustainable, but this game should have decent tempo which will give him ample scoring and distribution chances. He's adept at thefts too, further boosting the floor and ceiling.
Middle Tier
Javon Pickett, G, St. Louis ($6,200)
Arguably any/all of the Billikens' starters are viable options Tuesday, as they rarely leave the floor, should be in a tight game and should top 70 points as a group. We're forced to make a call here; has Pickett's price not caught up to his new found role, or is he playing above his head, specifically on the glass, and he's due regression? I'm siding with the former. This is a team that saw guard Jordan Goodwin average 7.5 rebounds or better for four straight years, and Pickett has two inches on him. He's not going to average 12+ boards, but that doesn't mean he can't be a double-double threat nightly, which he has been and isn't priced to be.
Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette ($6,000)
The matchup may be less than perfect, with Marquette likely needing help to reach 70 points, but Kolek is another guy on this slate that's producing in a variety of ways, giving us a very nice floor with the potential for more. He's averaging 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 10.0 assists. There's plenty of room for regression there, but slashing those averages in half still leaves Kolek flirting with 3x. That would be disappointing here, but not the lowest of floors.
Value Plays
Samuell Williamson, F, SMU ($5,600)
This game has the highest total on the slate, so we need to consider both sides in our builds. And I assume many will gravitate towards Zhuric Phelps ($4,800) on the Mustangs' side thanks to his incredibly low price relative to 30.9 percent usage. And there's no real downside there, but it's worth noting his two games haven't been consistent. Williamson on the other hand has been, as he's one rebound away from consecutive double-doubles. The 16.9 percent usage is concerning, but I trust he'll be a steady source of boards at a minimum, and if the scoring continues he'll be good for a 4x return.
Dajuan Harris, G, Kansas ($5,300)
Harris isn't a big scorer, but this big matchup should have Kansas leaning more on their veterans down the stretch rather than freshmen like Gradey Dick ($5,700) who is off to a hot start and figures to be a more sexy target. But Dick has really just been a scorer, where as Harris can find a path to fantasy relevance in multiple ways. 21.2 DKP is a 4x return, and that doesn't seem like we're asking too much while opening up our budget elsewhere.
