With conference play in full swing around the college basketball landscape, we get loaded NCAA DFS slates to analyze every day. There is a full breakdown of the three-game slate on DraftKings starting at 7 p.m. Below we’ll take a look at some of the best options on Saturday’s slate
Duke Blue Devils @ Miami Hurricanes (+11)
O/U 136.5
The Blue Devils travel to Coral Gables to take on a banged-up Hurricanes squad. The slate could very well be determined by the news of Isaiah Wong ($7,900). He’s a game-time decision with an ankle injury that happened late in the second half against Wake Forest on Saturday. The Hurricanes might only have six scholarship players available tonight if Wong and Elijah Olaniyi ($5,800) are confirmed out. Every Hurricane is in play tonight and the Blue Devils have been soft inside. I like both guards tonight, as they should see all the burn they can handle between Kameron McGusty ($6,700) and Harlond Beverly ($5,700). The Hurricanes may be only down to three forwards: Anthony Walker ($6,000), Nysier Brooks ($4,600) and Deng Gak ($4,000). I prefer Brooks at the savings, as he should impose his will against Matthew Hurt ($8,200). Anthony Walker loves to shoot the rock, so he's always in play for GPPs, but the minutes he’s likely to see makes him appealing in all formats. Choosing which Hurricanes to play will be key to winning the Mania seat and having a solid day at the office.
The Blue Devils have won their last two at home and seem to be trending in the right direction at the right time. They’re finally fully healthy and my man Jalen Johnson ($8,000) has provided stability on both ends of the court. He’s firmly in play in this matchup, as I expect Duke to be the aggressor on both ends. The Hurricanes are coming off a game where they scored 54 points on the road against a bad Wake Forest team with Wong playing 38 minutes in that game. I could see this game getting out of hand very quickly and Duke has a deep bench when Coach K chooses to implement it. Duke bench players in GPPs make a ton of sense, as I expect them to get some extra burn tonight. Jeremy Roach ($4,500) and Mark Williams ($4,200) could smash in limited minutes off the bench. Miami struggles in every facet defensively, so Matthew Hurt ($8,200) makes a ton of sense as well. I hate paying above $8,000 for him when Jalen Johnson’s around to gobble up rebounds and usage.
Prediction: Duke -11
Central Florida Knights @ Memphis Tigers (-9)
O/U 133
The Knights travel to Fed Ex Forum to take on a solid Tigers squad that's coming off of a tough loss against SMU. This matchup is a contrast of styles, as the Knights play at the 258th-fastest tempo while the Tigers play at 76th-fastest tempo. Vegas suggests that this game will play slow because the Knights are going to struggle to score and kenpom has them projected for 62 total team points.
The guards for UCF are Brandon Mahan ($7,600), Dre Fuller ($5,900), Darin Green ($5,200), and the Louisville grad transfer Darius Perry ($5,400). Mahan plays 80% of the minutes but, at that price, he’s is unplayable for me. Green also plays 80% of the minutes, but he’s shot reliant and Memphis’ defense holds opponents to 28% shooting from behind the arc and ranks fourth in defense efficiency. Fuller is coming off the bench, so it's hard to get excited about him, but he fills up the stat sheet, and Perry was in great form before the stinker he just had against Wichita State. He’s a sneaky GPP play because they’re going to need him to handle the rock against the pressure. The forwards are Isaiah Adams ($6,900), the Oregon transfer CJ Walker ($5,100) and Jamille Reynolds ($3,800). Adams has been playing the small-ball four and will have his hands full trying to guard Deandre Williams ($7,500). He’s been great on the road this year and should play in the mid-30s minutes-wise, so he's firmly in play in GPPs. When you play Walker, you’re gambling more on the talent than you are the price. He’s going to struggle amongst the trees, but they don’t have much behind him. He’s only playing 20-25 minutes, so he's a boom-or-bust GPP play.
The Tigers play a plethora of guys and are 30th in the country in bench scoring at 40%. The first thing that stood out to me in this matchup is the size advantage that Memphis has inside tonight. Walker plays a majority of the minutes at the five and he’s only 6-foot-8. Moussa Cisse ($6,500) and Deandre Williams ($7,500) should have their way inside. Those two have played the majority of the post minutes but I wouldn’t be surprised if Penny goes small and plays Landers Nolley ($6,200) and DJ Jeffries ($4,900). The guards have been a muddled mess, but they’re priced down for the most part. Alex Lomax ($5,300), Lester Quinones ($4,800), Boogie Ellis (4,200) and Damion Baugh ($3,600). Quinones is probably my favorite play because the minutes seem to be consistent around 30 while he’s priced down $900. He’s hasn’t been great, but he’s been a better fantasy producer at home, and the Knights are not great defensively. Lomax has gotten the keys to the offense and is probably the only other guard I’d consider. The other two are fliers: Ellis hasn’t played 20 minutes since December 21st, and Baugh hasn’t produced many fantasy points since returning from injury.
Prediction: Memphis (-9)
Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Tech Red Raiders (-7.5)
O/U 134.5
The Sooners travel to Lubbock without Austin Reaves and Alondes Williams. They overcame adversity and knocked off Alabama on Saturday. We saw De’Vion Harmon ($7,100), Elijah Harkless ($6,000) and Umoja Gibson ($5,100) form a three-headed monster. They went seven deep in the game and got the best performance out of Brady Manek ($4,700) since returning from COVID-19. All four are viable on a short slate but the matchup is difficult. The Red Raiders are an elite defense under Coach Beard and playing on short rest against them sounds daunting. The prices have all gone up and the matchup is much less desirable. Harkless is probably my favorite guard to target because he can fill up the stat sheet in so many different ways. The forwards who are viable are Jalen Hill ($4,500) and Kur Kuath ($4,300). Hill did not get a price bump even though he played 31 minutes and had 19 fantasy points. He’s not my favorite value play but Coach Kruger calls him a coach on the floor, and he’ll be on the court during the stretch run.
The Red Raiders are coming off a hard-fought victory on the road against LSU. Mac McClung ($8,200) has taken over as the alpha dog of this offense. Both teams struggle from behind the arc, so I don’t mind playing McClung while hoping he can bury a bunch of triples. Kevin McCullar ($6,900) is finally healthy and playing all the minutes he can handle. The pace boost for the Red Raiders should help McCullar maximize his possessions. He’s coming off a stinker after the sharps touted him, so I like going right back to the well. I don’t normally play Kyler Edwards ($5,600), but he’s out there and will shoot the three when he’s open. Terrence Shannon ($7,300) is priced up after playing very well in his last two games. I like him a lot on this slate, but he’s been coming off the bench and we have to pay a $700 upcharge. He had 27 fantasy points in the first matchup while playing 33 minutes, but he’s been capped at 30 minutes in the last two. I like him in cash with rebound floor but without those extra minutes, I’m a little hesitant to lock him in the main lineup. The other player worth playing is the VCU transfer Marcos Santos-Silva ($5,300) who played well in the first matchup, scoring 29 fantasy points. He’s been a better fantasy producer at home as well, and no one on Oklahoma can guard him one-on-one in the post.
