This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Shake off the egg nog, or whatever is still giving you a headache, folks. College football's not the only thing on the docket Saturday (though I'll be at the Fiesta Bowl — Go Tigers!), as there's a lot of action to be found in college hoops as well.
Slate Overview
Memphis (-23.5) vs. New Orleans O/U:145.5
Tennessee (-3.5) vs. Wisconsin O/U: 120
Kentucky (-1.5) vs. Louisville O/U: 131.5
Minnesota (-12.5) vs. Florida International O/U: 150.5
Butler (-23) vs. Louisiana -Monroe O/U: 123.5 (DraftKings only)
UCLA (-14) vs. Cal State Fullerton O/U: 131.5 (DraftKings only)
Arizona State (-16.5) vs. Texas Southern O/U: 150 (DraftKings only)
The core of the article will focus on the four shared games, and we will identify elite players and value plays for the three DraftKings games separately.
Top Players
Daniel Oturu, Minnesota (DK $8,900, FD $8,600) vs. Florida International
The sophomore center sits atop the slate on both sites, and for good reason. He has six double-doubles this year and ranks sixth in the country with an average of 3.4 blocks per game. The Golden Panthers have no one who can match up against the 6-foot-10 Oturu, and even though the line indicates a lopsided affair, the high O/U line gives us more confidence that we'll see good numbers.
Precious Achiuwa, Memphis (DK $8,500, FD $7,200) vs. New Orleans
With James Wiseman out of Memphis for good, Achiuwa's thrived as a starter in the Tigers' frontcourt. The sites have responded in kind, making Achiuwa one of the costliest options when Memphis is on the slate. He's recorded double-doubles in four of his last seven games, and came dangerously close in the other three contests. His steady output will make him highly owned.
Devon Andrews, Florida International, (DK $7,500, FD $6,800) at Minnesota
Although Osasumwen Osaghae is the top-rated player for the Golden Panthers, we can get similar production from Andrews for a little less. He's a solid multiple-category contributor and should perform well against a Minnesota team that has put up some decent wins but isn't the best defensive team. Osaghae is an equally viable option, albeit slightly more expensive.
John Fulkerson, Tennessee (DK $6,900, FD $6,000) vs. Wisconsin
The Vols' starting center is off to a great start this season, averaging 11.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in the first 11 games. The 6-9 junior has a tough matchup opposite Wisconsin's Nate Reuvers, but his steady contribution the last four games is encouraging, and I predict lower, under-the-radar ownership compared to other targets at this price point.
Also consider: Ashton Hagans, Kentucky (DK $8,300, FD $7,700), Marcus Carr, Minnesota (DK $8,400, FD $7,000), Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky (DK $6,400, FD $5,700)
Value Plays
Alex Lomax, Memphis (DK $6,200, FD $5,200) vs, New Orleans
Lomax runs with the second unit for the Tigers, and he should see a little more time if this game gets out of hand. Not only is the 6-0 sophomore collecting sufficient assist totals, but he's also excelling as a scorer and rebounder when he's given ample time to produce.
Jaylen Key, New Orleans (DK $5,500, FD $4,400) at Memphis
Key transferred to New Orleans from Northern Illinois to finish out his college eligibility. He's now taken up residence in the Privateers' starting five and is producing at a considerable clip to begin the season. His season averages are a little deceiving as he was slow out of the gate, and it isn't indicative of his production recently. This is a tough matchup, but his potential upside relative to his price is attractive.
Alihan Demir, Minnesota, (DK $5,100, FD $4,700) vs. Florida International
As the Gophers' starting power forward, Demir should be able to meet value at this discounted price. The high O/U should allow for increased production across the board, and Minnesota is a better rebounding team than FIU, allowing for more boards from the 6-9 senior.
Top Players - DraftKings Only
Romello White, Arizona State ($8,100) vs. Texas Southern
White has actually outperformed Remy Martin in recent contests, so I'm happily fading Martin in White's favor as the top option on the DK side of the slate. His six-game streak of double-digit rebound performances should extend to seven against a Texas Southern team that ranks a miserable 327th in total rebound percentage.
JD Williams, Louisiana-Monroe ($7,900) at Butler
Williams is logging an eye-popping 37 minutes per game in his senior season. And the 6-5 guard is making good use of his time on the court. He averages 16 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists, and the Warhawks will need even better numbers to have a shot against Butler. The usage is definitely there for Williams to put up a big stat line.
Aaron Thompson, Butler ($5,900) vs, Louisiana-Monroe
Thompson's emerged as a great source of assists for the Bulldogs. He's boosted up his numbers considerably from his sophomore season, and with more than 30 minutes of court time, there's plenty of time for him to drop a lot of dimes.
Also consider: Kamar Baldwin, Butler ($7,600)
Value Plays — DraftKings Only
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA ($5,500) vs. Cal State Fullerton
Jaquez's last six games have included two double-doubles as he's averaged 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Jaquez's surge makes him a great value at this price, and after starting the last five games, the freshman forward might actually serve an even higher floor as the season continues.
Tyger Campbell, UCLA ($5,000) vs. Cal State Fullerton
Things have started out slowly for Campbell, but when you're the unquestioned floor general of a Power 5 squad that's playing a much weaker opponent, even a freshman like Campbell deserves some consideration. Don't expect anything spectacular, but he's shown spurts of his potential and if a few more shots fall his way, he could meet value at this price.
Jules Bernard, UCLA ($4,200) vs. Cal State Fullerton
As Bernard returns to health from a shoulder injury, he could easily make an impact in the second unit. He has the ability to occupy multiple positions and when he's logged enough minutes, he's popped with a nice stat line. The second and third units might get more time in this game, and Bernard will be a key part of that rotation.
Game to Target
Kentucky (-1.5) vs. Louisville
We definitely did not give this game enough love in our endorsements, as there's little doubt that this intra-state rivalry will bring out the best in both teams. While Jordan Nwora has had a rough few games, the Cardinals have players like Steven Enoch (DK $6,100, FD $5,300) and Dwayne Sutton (DK $6,700, FD $6,200) who can get things done on both ends of the court. For Kentucky, there's a dropoff after Ashton Hagans but players like Immanuel Quickley (DK $5,800, FD $4,600) and Nate Sestina (DK $5,300, FD $4,700) can provide great value.
Game to Fade
Butler (-23) vs. Louisiana-Monroe
We gave love to a few Butler standouts, but ULM has too many unknowns to target anyone besides JD Williams, especially in a game this lopsided.
