This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Let's dive into a packed Wednesday schedule, where we'll cover the diverse slates on DraftKings and FanDuel.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Georgetown (-2) vs, Creighton O/U: 151
Georgia (-2.5) vs. Tennessee O/U: 134.5
Marquette (-3.5) vs. Xavier O/U: 144.5
Baylor (-10.5) vs. Iowa State O/U: 140
Minnesota (-3.5) vs. Penn State O/U: 144.5
Auburn (-2.5) at Alabama O/U: 159
Wichita State (-4.5) vs. Temple O/U: 134.5
N.C. State (-8) vs. Miami (FL) O/U: 154 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)
Stanford (-1.5) at UCLA O/U: 133 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)
Florida State (-6.5) vs. Virginia O/U 112 (FANDUEL ONLY)
Oklahoma State (-3) vs. Texas O/U: 122.5 (FANDUEL ONLY)
Georgia Tech (-2.5) vs. Notre Dame O/U: 133.5 (FANDUEL ONLY)
Top Plays
Daniel Oturu, Minnesota (DK $9,300, FD $8,800) vs. Penn State
Oturu shook off a shoulder injury and posted a career-high 30 points against Michigan three days ago, so it appears that the shoulder won't be a huge concern against the Nittany Lions. The 6-foot-10 sophomore's season averages are nothing short of spectacular, posting 19.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and a whopping 2.9 blocks over a 14-game span. He'll face a Penn State squad that ranks 324th in the country in offensive rebound percentage, which puts double-double potential right in the crosshairs for Oturu.
Markus Howard, Marquette (DK $8,700, FD $8,000) vs. Xavier
Howard lit up the scoreboard in his last five games, averaging 28.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists over that span. The 5-11 point guard is close to the top of national rankings in a few stats, including possession usage percentage (3rd), shots taken percentage (2nd) and fouls drawn per 40 minutes (6th). His floor is as stable as anyone's on this slate, as he's only dipped below double-digit scoring once this season. He should be reliable for 35-40 FP against the 109th-ranked scoring defense of Xavier.
Lamar Stevens, Penn State (DK $7,900, FD $7,500) at Minnesota
The senior is the unquestioned leader of this offense, and although his stat lines have jumped around a bit recently, he's demonstrated an explosive ceiling with scores of 42 and 54 FP the last few weeks. The Gophers have some explosive offensive options but have struggled defensively, allowing 66.7 points per game, and yielding a rebound rate of 53.2 percent and about 13 turnovers per game. Stevens should exploit Minnesota's interior for a decent score.
Tyrique Jones, Xavier (DK $7,700, FD $7,300) at Marquette
Jones' most recent games featured three double-doubles and two games where he was one rebound short of reaching that milestone. The 6-9 senior ranks sixth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage and should set up well against a Marquette defense that's just so-so off the glass. As long as he can stay out of foul trouble, Jones should have no problem putting up 5x value on Wednesday.
Mac McClung, Georgetown (DK $7,600, FD $6,900) vs. Creighton
I especially like McClung's price on FanDuel. He suffered an eye injury in late December, but he still scored 20-plus points in two of the last three games. He's been consistent for the most part, though he'll look to rebound from a mediocre game against Villanova where he only managed eight points. If his 3-point shot betrays him he might be in for a long night, but he's cheap enough on FanDuel to make him a reasonable add.
MaCio Teague, Baylor (DK $6,600, FD $6,000) vs. Iowa State
Teague settled right into the Bears' offense after transferring from UNC Asheville and has started every game this season. Although he's had a couple lackluster games, his scores usually land well into double-digit territory and when his 3-point shot is humming, his numbers trend even higher. Although his minutes dip a bit in blowouts, I think the Cyclones can do enough to keep this game somewhat close, thus allowing Teague to log 30 minutes or more.
Also consider: Isaac Okoro, Alabama (DK $6,300, FD $6,200) and Herb Jones, Alabama (DK $6,000, FD $6,400) vs. Auburn
Value Plays
Mark Vital, Baylor (DK $5,500, FD $6,100) vs. Iowa State
Vital comes in at a good price on DraftKings, but is a little too high on FanDuel. It's safe to assume Vital has reclaimed the starting position at the four as the 6-5 junior has started six consecutive games. His numbers as a recent starter are decent but not spectacular, averaging 6.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and an impressive 2.5 steals in six contests. With significant contribution in the ancillary categories, he always seems to find a way to get his FP up close to 30, which is more than 5k value in a DK lineup.
Josiah James, Tennessee (DK $5,400, FD $5,000) at Georgia
The pace of this game is a little slower than I'd like, but the freshman guard is a capable multi-category contributor and is favorably priced. One concern for James is that he seems to end up in foul trouble a lot, especially for a point guard. If he avoids early foul trouble, he should log more than 30 minutes as the starting floor general.
Izaiah Brockington, Penn State (DK $4,700, FD $4,900) at Minnesota
Brockington comes off the bench for the Nittany Lions, but the St. Bonaventure transfer averages about 23 minutes of court time and sometimes leads the team in scoring, which he did against Iowa three games ago. You'll sometimes see Brockington in the backcourt, but he's also utilized often at the three and gets a bit more court time when Penn State elects to go small with a three-guard scheme. There's always going to be some variance at these low price points, but his ceiling could go well past the 20-FP range.
Jaden Shackelford, Alabama (DK $5,100, FD $5,000) vs. Auburn
The favorable over/under is leading me to target players at all levels in this game, and Shackelford is probably the last player before a huge drop in talent. The freshman guard has garnered a few starts but primarily comes off the bench for the Crimson Tide. He averages 12.1 points and 3.8 rebound through 15 games.
DraftKings Only
Markell Johnson, N.C. State ($8,400) vs. Miami
Johnson's 36.7 assist rate ranks 27th in the country. His dime-dropping skills are much improved, and he's coupling those totals with a baseline of 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He's shown an ability to pop well into the 40-plus DKFP range but somewhere around 34 DKFP is a reasonable floor guarantee.
Oscar da Silva, Stanford ($7,600) at UCLA
The Cardinal's starting center delivers value in all categories and has produced double-digit scoring in 14 of 16 games. The 6-9 junior is also a great source of rebounds and blocks, and he's demonstrated a ceiling of 11 boards and five swats this season.
Devon Daniels, N.C. State ($6,000) vs. Miami
The 6-5 junior has started five consecutive games, averaging 11.2 points and 6.6 rebounds over that span. While his season is marked with some sub-par games, he's popped for 30 or more DKFP in three of his last 10 games, with a highlight of 43 DKFP. His 17.4 percent usage rate isn't as high as we'd like, but he plays nearly 30 minutes a game and has an excellent chance to beat value at this price. If C.J. Bryce returns, I'd backtrack on this pick a bit.
Prince Ali, UCLA ($4,700) vs. Stanford
His 22.8 percent usage rate is remarkable for a player at this price, and although his numbers may not indicate it, the opportunity is certainly there as he plays more than 60 percent of the Bruins' minutes. In 16 games, he's averaged 9.4 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists.
FanDuel Only
John Mooney, Notre Dame ($8,400) at Georgia Tech
You must consider Mooney every time the Irish make the slate. He's one of the best centers in the country and ranks fifth nationally in defensive rebounding percentage. He's coming off a 15/19 night where he posted a whopping 50.8 FDFP, which is better than 6x value at this price. He's also double-doubled in all but two games this season. Need we say more?
Moses Wright, Georgia Tech ($6,300) vs. Notre Dame
Tech's starter at the four has averaged a respectable 13.6 points and 8.2 rebounds this season, and the 6-9 junior has recorded seven double-doubles in the process. He leads the team with a 25.2 percent usage rate, which is a remarkable number at this price point.
Jose Alvarado, Georgia Tech ($5,500) vs. Notre Dame
Alvarado's ankle injury has kept his salary low, but he's now played in seven consecutive games with no ill effects. Since his return, his numbers have been wildly erratic but have settled into an average of 12.1 points, 5.0 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.0 rebounds in the last seven games. His season highs — 25 points, eight assists and six steals — are excellent, and I'm inclined to make a play for those numbers at this favorable price.
Game to Target
Auburn (-2.5) at Alabama O/U: 159
With the highest over/under on the slate, there's nothing like a good old intrastate rivalry game to get the pace going. Alabama's John Petty Jr. (DK $8,200, FD $7,200) and Kira Lewis Jr. (DK $8,000, FD $7,000) deserve to be at the top of everyone's list, and Auburn's Samir Doughty (DK $7,300, FD $6,400) is the team's highest-priced target. Value can also be found in this game, with Auburn's Danjel Purifoy (DK $5,600, FD $5,000) coming in as my favorite budget selection.
Game to Fade
Florida State (-6.5) vs. Virginia O/U: 112
While I suppose you could find some targets here, I'm following the same advice I've clung to all season, and fading any game with the slow-paced Cavaliers.
