This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
DraftKings is bringing us another busy day of games Wednesday night, with an 11-game main slate tipping at 6:30, and a four-gamer of non-overlapping games in the 9:00 window. Lets dive in!
Main Slate
This main slate should be an enjoyable one where points are plentiful. Only three of the 11 contests have totals under 140. It sets us up for some fun and different options where we're not forced to have shares of any one game. I'd expect Arkansas-Alabama to be the main target if that weren't the case, and while I certaintly wouldn't ignore that game, building a lineup without any shares is doable and could prove profitable. There's some elite, slate-breaking talent atop the pricing tier, and you're likely only able to afford one, making for more interesting choices as you build out.
Top Tier
Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana ($9,800)
The choice atop this slate comes down to Jackson-Davis and his adversary in Jalen Pickett ($9,600), and while there is no wrong answer, I'll side with the frontcourt option simply because I think we can find more options in the backcourt at varying prices. Jackson-Davis has been incredible in his two recent games since a two-game absence, putting up 48 points, 33 rebounds, 11 assists and seven blocks. Penn State is also incredibly undersized, with their top-five minutes leaders all being guards at 6-foot-6 or less.
Sean Pedulla, G, Virginia Tech ($8,400)
I'd be shocked if Pedulla garners any usage; he's not a marquee name in a non-marquee game. But he's a 17+ point scorer, leads the team in assists and most importantly, leads the team in made 3-pointers. Facing Syracuse's 2-3 zone, there's no reason to think he won't get ample looks, knocking down his share in the process. As the team's playmaker, he'll get his dimes too. I've had success targeting opposing shooters against this zone of late, so Wednesday should be no different when it comes to strategy.
Middle Tier
Quinten Post, F, Boston College ($6,500)
Post has been pretty impressive in his three games since returning from offseason foot surgery, increasing his production in each outing. He logged 27 minute against Duke over the weekend, pumping in a season-high 16 points, and his prior outing against Notre Dame resulting in him falling short of a double-double by one rebound. Post's size will be needed to combat Miami's Norchad Omier ($8,500), so we'd expect him to get as many minutes as Omier remains on the floor, which has been an issue due to fouls. Still, he seems like an easy bet to lead the Eagles in rebounds, with scoring coming too. If you're looking for a more inconsistent, upside play in this price point, consider Texas A&M's Henry Coleman ($6,400) in a pace-boosted spot against Missouri (31st in tempo, 178th defensively).
Trey Alexander, G, Creighton ($6,100)
I've found the mid-tier here difficult to navigate. Three games have obvious appeal in Creighton-Xavier, Marqutte-UConn and Alabama-Arkansas, but they feature a plethora of high-end options. Heck, Xavier presents with four players priced in the $8,000 range. Alexander perhaps gives us some potential and salary relief. He's averaged 14.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists across his last seven, playing 31.6 minutes. He is volatile, having a 43.5 DKP ceiling and 10.0 DKP floor. Perhaps Xavier's 78th ranked defense and 17th ranked tempo, per KenPom, raise that floor some.
Value Tier
Mark Mitchell, F, Duke ($6,000)
Predicting roster percentages is likely futile on a slate this large, but if there's an obvious pick Wednesday, it's Duke's Dariq Whitehead ($5,900), who is finally starting and scoring in bunches. But he's doing nothing else, so the ceiling isn't immense. For just $100 more, we can look at Mitchell, who offers a similar 4x opportunty. He's averaged 10.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists over Duke's last seven games, playing 26.9 minutes. He saw a boost to 35 minutes over the weekend in a narrow win at Boston College, and this feels like a game Duke needs to have, so heavy run is the anticipation. Pitt checks in just 99th in defensive efficiency.
Joe Toussaint, G, West Virginia ($4,900)
This is only a play if Kedrian Johnson (concussion) is out again Wednesday, which seems probable but not confirmed. Toussaint got the start over the weekend in his abensce and nearly went the distance, playing 35 minutes against Kansas, resulting in 20 DKP with a nice diverse line of eight points, four boards and five assists. This game features another nice, high total (147.5) and narrow spread (1.5).
Late Slate
This is an uncomfortable slate for me. We've got five of the eight teams with implied totals of 70 of more, but one of which is ridiculously deep (Texas), so it's pretty clear where lineups are going to be built around, and what teams are going to be ignored. It won't be easy to differentiate. The flip side is we don't have anyone priced north of $9,000, allowing for some deeper builds with more high-end options.
Top Tier
[LOGO] Matt Cleveland, G, Florida State ($8,400)
Cleveland not being the slate's highest-priced option seems like a bargain. He's two rebounds shy of having seven-straight double-doubles. He's averaged 37.25 DKP in that span, playing less than 36 minutes just once. Furthermore, he faces a Wake Forest team that's allowed at least 70 points in all five conference games thus far.
Cliff Omoruyi, F, Rutgers ($8,600)
Forward is going to be a challenge on this slate, especially if we choose to fade Clemson's duo mentioned below, who surely will be incredibly popular. That leaves us with Omoruyi by default. He's 0.1 rebounds shy of averaging a double-double, and his potential for blocks lends itself to upside. I don't love the matchup, especially with Northwestern having 7-foot, 255-pound Matt Nicholson on the interior. We may not get to 4x given the matchup (ninth in defensive effeciency), but nearing 30 DKP with low usage on a slate with minimal other options at the position works for tournaments.
Middle Tier
Emanuel Miller, F, TCU ($7,400)
The price point isn't exactly mid-tier, and to be frank, this is more of a necessity play than one of value or appeal. I can't state more clearly how bad the frontcourt options look on this slate, so we're going to have to be a tad uncomfortable. Miller has shown 42.0 DKP upside, and still only needs 22.2 DKP to get to 3x, something he's done in five of six. Texas is borderline elite defensively, ranking 19th nationally, so we need limited fouls, big minutes and a steady effort on the glass.
Chase Hunter, G, Clemson ($6,600)
Louisville simply stinks, making the Tigers and their 78-point expected total easy to understand. Hunter Tyson ($8,900) is surging, PJ Hall ($7,500) enjoys high usage stats, but Hunter is who I'm hoping goes overlooked and offers similar potential. He's had a 3.5x floor across Clemson's last five games, and the Tigers don't have a deep rotation, so even if this game gets out of hand, Hunter should see his minutes in the 28-30 range. He should coast to double-digit scoring with four+ assists.
Value Tier
Mike James, G/F, Louisville ($5,700)
James is honestly a game log play more than anything else. Clemson is sound defensively, ranking 65th in efficiency, and we've already established an expected blowout, so production from the Cardinals could be limited. But the freshman seems to be emerging. He's played 30+ minutes in five straight, and has been particularly impressive in his last two, averaging 21.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists. The fact he has forward eligibility is an added bonus on this slate.
Daivien Williamson, G, Wake Forest ($4,100)
Wake's 79.5 point implied total is the highest on the slate, but they don't present with any must-use players. Grabbing both of their starting guards in the 6k range makes sense, but if we're trying to squeeze in these overpriced yet stable forwards, I'm willing to go down to Williamson, who doesn't need to shine to not fail at this price. He's played 22+ minutes in three straight, scoring at least 12 points in each. Pair that with Florida State ranking 181st in effective field goal percentage and 235th against the 3-point shot, and there's the expectation of a 3-4x return while freeing up salary elsewhere.
