This article is part of our FanDuel College Basketball series.
Before diving in to the two offerings FanDuel provides us this Saturday, let's briefly review the rules, format and tournament options.
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 is:
Points Scored = +1 PT
Rebound = +1.2 PT
Assist = +1.5 PT
Block = +2 PTs
Steal = +2 PTs
Turnover = -1 PT
FanDuel continues to provide a plethora of games to compete in, including but not limited to:
$30,000 Saturday Bank Shot (early) – First prize = $3,000 ($2 entry fee) 17,241 entries
$4,000 Saturday Press (early) – First Prize - $400 ($1 entry) 4,597 entries
As well as countless head-to-head and 50-50 leagues.
The early contests start at noon eastern and use a player pool featuring the following games that tip between noon ET and 4:00:
North Carolina at Pittsburgh
Memphis at South Florida
Ohio State at Michigan State
St. John's at Xavier
Baylor at Kansas
Marquette at Creighton
Auburn at Georgia
South Carolina at Kentucky
Florida State at Georgia Tech
Wake Forest at Virginia
West Virginia at Iowa State
North Carolina State at Louisville
Seton Hall at Providence
LSU at Tennessee
With 26 teams to choose from, the options are vast. Over the course of the past week, I've found more value at the guard position than at forward, but this slate felt like the opposite. And with eight ACC teams playing in the early time frame, the value picks appear to come from the eastern seaboard and in the front court, which leaves plenty of cash to spend on top notch backcourt mates to round out a squad.
G – Anthony Barber ($6,000)
Barber's minutes have increased dramatically over his last three outings, and his production has followed suit. Despite giving owners 22.4 fantasy points against defensive-minded Virginia on Wednesday, he's averaged 35.11 points over his last three outings.
F – Isaiah Hicks ($4,700)
Hicks represents a bit of a gamble, as he enters Saturday's game against Pittsburgh with just one eye-opening performance. He was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Kennedy Meeks last Saturday against Boston College, and he responded with 21 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes. His offensive assertiveness was a welcomed sight for the Heels, and while one could argue Meeks' benching was in part due to an illness he's battled for over a week, it's clear that Hicks deserves more minutes. With another solid showing Saturday, his price could rise substantially prior to next week's showdown with Duke.
F – Shaq Goodwin ($7,200)
Goodwin has seen a large price increase during the week, checking in at $5,300 for Tuesday night's contest. But even at this dollar amount, he does not feel overpriced. He's grabbed 42 rebounds in his last three games, while averaging 12.3 points per game over that span. In short, Goodwin's 33.5 FPPG average over his last three is at least consistent, if not still under, his price tag.
F – Anthony Gill ($5,900
Gill enters Saturday's game against Wake Forest having played at least 24 minutes in three straight games after seeing fewer than 20 in five of his previous six. Those minutes feel more secure with Justin Anderson sidelined by a finger injury, and minutes equal production for the South Carolina transfer. Gill averaged 24.2 FPPG in his last three outings, making him a bargain at this total.
F – Tony Parker ($5,400)
Parker simply seems to have found his grove now that conference play in full swing. He's played at least 27 minutes in three straight games, an encouraging sign of both discipline in limiting his fouls, as well as conditioning. It has led to a 24.2 FPPG average, which plays very nicely at this price tag.
Others to consider:
G - K.T. Harrell, Auburn, $6,800
G – London Perrantes, Virginia, $5,100
F – Elgin Cook, Oregon, $6,700
F – Trevon Bluiett, Xavier, $5,700
Saturday's late slate includes the following games, which tip between 6:00pm ET and 9:00:
Duke at Syracuse
Oklahoma State at TCU
Villanova at Butler
Oklahoma at Kansas State
Texas Tech at Texas
Vanderbilt at Alabama
Maryland at Penn State
UConn at SMU
Arkansas at Mississippi
In summing up these contests, there appear to be two near "must buys," which makes a third bargain less necessary. Having said that, if all three of the following names pan out, you'd be hard pressed to not field a winning lineup with your remaining $7,533 price average for six remaining slots.
G – Matt Jones ($4,500)
Jones' price has bottomed out following a scoreless outing Tuesday at Florida State. That shouldn't be a huge deterrent, however, as Jones seemed to be hitting his stride prior to Tuesday, seeing extended minutes with the dismissal of Rasheed Sulaimon. In his previous three outings, Jones averaged 19.1 FFPG, and while not tremendous, if you can get that for the minimum price, it's a great foundation to build around.
F – James Siakam ($5,800)
Siakam's price just hasn't caught up with his recent production. He's played at least 30 minutes in three straight games and has posted at least 31.4 FPPG in that stretch. Siakam is producing across the board, having scored at least 11 points in four straight, grabbing at least seven boards in three straight and tallying 11 blocks and eight steals in his last four contests.
F – Devin Robinson ($4,500)
Robinson started Thursday's game against Mississippi in place of the injured Michael Frazier, and he promptly turned in his best outing of the year, posting 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in 31 minutes, a cool 32.9 fantasy points. Frazier is expected to miss up to two weeks, and Robinson's price is due to elevate next week as a result. Enjoy the bargain while it lasts, even if he's unable to replicate Thursday's performance.
Others to consider:
F – Andrew Chrabascz, Butler, $6,400
G – Kasey Hill, Florida, $5,600
G – Devaughntah Williams, Texas Tech, $4,900
