This article is part of our FanDuel College Basketball series.
For those of us watching sports on the regular, it's hard to find a series of commercials nowadays that doesn't include an advertisement for FanDuel. Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) have taken over the world of fantasy sports, allowing us junkies to draft or auction new teams on a daily basis instead of waiting for the once-per-year drafts that we all salivate over. This weekly column will focus on FanDuel's college basketball contests. Let's take a look at FanDuel's format.
FanDuel gives members a $60,000 salary budget to construct a nine-player team, which includes five forwards and four guards. There are no flex players included. That breaks down to an average of $6,667 per player. The scoring format for FanDuel looks like this:
Points Scored = +1 PT
Rebound = +1.2 PT
Assist = +1.5 PT
Block = +2 PTs
Steal = +2 PTs
Turnover = -1 PT
The true beauty of FanDuel, and the reason the site has become so popular, is because of the wide variety of contests they have to offer. Regardless of your interest, overall knowledge, or the size of your bankroll, there is a game for you. Whether that's head-to-head for $2, or a tournament with 10,000 entries for $50 each. Below are just a few of the contests that FanDuel is offering for this Saturday:
$11K Sat CBB Bank Shot – First prize = $1,000 ($2 entry fee) 6,321 participants
$8K Sat CBB Alley Oop – First prize - $1,000 ($25 entry fee) 367 participants
$2K Sat CBB Buzzer Beater – First prize - $300 ($10 entry fee) 229 participants
CCB Salary Cap 60K – First prize - $225 ($50 entry fee) 5 participants
The contests listed above are for two different time frames. Below are the listed games included in each time frame.
12:00 PM – 5:30 PM (Eastern Standard Time)
Baylor at West Virginia
Notre Dame at Duke
Kansas at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma at TCU
Syracuse at Pittsburgh
Illinois at Michigan State
Providence at Xavier
Georgetown at Villanova
DePaul at Butler
Arizona at Arizona State
Tennessee at Georgia
Texas Tech at Iowa State
UNC at Boston College
Texas at Kansas State
Northwestern at Wisconsin
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time)
Alabama at LSU
Ole Miss at Auburn
Southern Methodist at Tulsa
Utah at Colorado
Texas A&M at Missouri
Louisville at Virginia
UCLA at Cal
Uconn at Tulane
South Florida at Cincinnati
Kentucky at Florida
Salary cap formats allow the fantasy owner to act as the general manager of their team, which is where all of the fun lies. If you're serious about making some money, this is also where all of the research and strategy lies. The winner of these salary cap contests is the guy that gets the most value and production out of the players that aren't going for top dollar. Finding the 'diamond in the rough' so to speak. This requires tapping into opponent mathchups, home and away sets, player's recent production, and a player's time on the floor.
Owning more than just a couple of the high-priced players is impossible due to budget restrictions. Finding a player in the $4,000-$7,000 range that can provide big time production on any given night is the key to success. Over the next month and a half leading up to the big dance, we will provide a weekly FanDuel column with players that we think match those credentials. Below are the inaugural FanDuel value picks of the week.
Bronson Koenig (Guard), Wisconsin, $5,600 - Since a foot injury to starting point guard Traevon Jackson, the Badgers have turned to backup point guard Bronson Koenig to run the show. However the talent level that Koenig possesses is not that of a backup. In fact, many people around the Badgers program believe Koenig should have been the starter all along, as he is the better of the two. Badgers coach Bo Ryan has always been loyal to his senior leaders; therefore, Jackson got the nod to begin the season. We don't know if Jackson is going to get that spot back, though. In the last five games, Koenig has averaged 36 minutes per game. The Badgers do not have a trustworthy point guard behind Koenig, which means Wisconsin needs him on the floor at all times. In those five contests, Koenig has averaged 18.72 FPPG. He's only committed four turnovers in the last five games and has averaged just 0.5 TPG on the year. Koenig is the perfect point guard for Ryan's efficient, low-turnover offense. Also, it should be taken into account that the Badgers are playing at the Kohl Center against a team that's lost eight straight in Northwestern. Koenig should be a shoe-in for 20+ fantasy points Saturday, which is a steal at $5,600.
Jameel McKay (Forward), Iowa State, $5,800 - The Cyclones face Texas Tech on Saturday, a team that currently sits dead last in the Big 12. McKay, a 6-9 forward who can run the floor, has really come on strong as of late, averaging 20.56 FPPG over the last five contests. He's the first guy off of the bench, and he has played an average of 23 mpg in those five games. If you take away the game in which McKay only played 13 minutes due to early foul trouble, you get a line of 25.5 mpg and 24.05 FPPG in the remaining four contests. McKay has blocked two or more shots in all but four games this year, and we love guys who block shots in FanDuel's format. Each block is worth two points, and guys like this can rack points up in a hurry when they are protecting the paint. Texas Tech comes in at eighth out of ten teams in the Big 12 in rebounding at 35.6 rebounds per game. They've been getting owned in the paint as of late, which should provide a juicy matchup for Iowa State's frontcourt. At $5,800, McKay is a steal when he hits that 22+ point mark, which we think he'll do this coming Saturday.
Amida Brimah (Forward), Connecticut, $6,400 - Speaking of blocked shots, this guy averages 2.8 swats per game. Brimah is a seven footer and very athletic. While the sophomore's skills are still raw, his size and athleticism allow him to provide good production anytime he's on the floor. Over his last five games, Brimah has averaged 20.64 FPPG over 27.2 mpg. He is the only solid big man on Connecticut's roster, so as long as he stays out of foul trouble, he is a force in the paint. Brimah is shooting 69 percent from the field, and he'll have a favorable matchup this Saturday at Tulane. The $6,400 price range is below the $6,667 average per player you'll have to work with in FanDuel's salary cap, so as long as he can top the 20+ point mark, he is of good value.
Isaac Copeland (Forward), Georgetown, $5,100 - Copeland is a talented freshman that has seen his minutes rise in a big way as of late, and he has taken advantage of that time. Over his last five games, Copeland is averaging 26.8 mpg, which allows plenty of time for fantasy production. In those five games, he has averaged 19.56 FPPG, including a 35.2 fantasy point performance against Marquette on Jan. 24th. The Hoyas face Villanova, a team in which they beat by 20 just a few weeks ago. Copeland went for 17 points and six boards in that game on his way to a solid fantasy performance (20.2 points). He played 25 minutes in that game, which he will top this time around. Look for good production out of the young freshman, who could provide enormous value at only $5,100.
Aaron Brown (Guard), Boston College, $5,600 - Brown is a senior guard on a bad team that puts up solid numbers on a regular basis because he is always on the floor (32.3 mpg). Over his last five contests, Brown has averaged 23.08 FPPG, including a 30.2 point performance against Louisville, who plays aggressive defense. Boston College plays against North Carolina on Saturday in what will be a faster paced game against a team that doesn't love to play defense. Brown will log a ton of minutes in this one, and he will provide plenty of production for the $5,600 price tag attached to him.
Other Notables:
Isaiah Cousins (Guard), Oklahoma, $6,400
Tre Demps (Guard), Northwestern, $5,600
Devin Williams (Forward), West Virginia, $6,400
Brandon Ashley, (Forward), Arizona, $5,900
