This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We're jumping into conference play Saturday on an incredibly watchable schedule. DraftKings is offering three slates spread across the afternoon and evening, with their main one tipping off at 12 p.m. EST featuring 12 games with a $12 buy-in for a $2,000 first-place prize and $7,000 in total winnings.
Only North Carolina and Iowa State have implied totals north of 80 points, though there are many more above 75 to give us plenty of spots to consider. BYU's low 61.0 number makes them an obvious one to ignore with seven other teams also not anticipated to reach 70.
Top Players
Eric Dixon, F, Villanova ($9,500)
Saturday's top four players salary-wise are all forwards, so it makes sense to grab one and have and spend more for an ace frontcourt option. I generally prefer players who aren't so point-heavy, with Dixon averaging a four-year low of 5.5 rebounds. But his usage is astronomical at 35.0 percent on the season while recording 16.7 shots per game. The offense runs through and around Dixon, who's going to have nearly 50 pounds on most of the DePaul players called on to guard him. His season low is 33.5 DKP, which represents a 3.5x return. That floor is worth taking knowing the ceiling could be as high as 5.5x.
Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee ($8,300)
Lanier just seems buried in the middle of the top-end options coming with a 33.6 percent usage rate the last nine games while posting at least 35.0 DKP in six and never taking less than 15 shots. It doesn't profile as an elite matchup as Arkansas ranks 23rd in defensive efficiency and 74th in tempo, per KenPom, but the volume will be there for both stability and potential if you want a pay-up guard.
Tae Davis, F, Notre Dame ($7,800)
North Carolina's frontcourt doesn't exist. They're undersized, not physical, and don't rebound or defend well. All bets are off if Markus Burton returns for the Irish, though that seems unlikely. Davis holds a 31.4 percent usage rate across his last eight matchups while averaging 19.3 points and topping 20 in each of the last three. Rebounds are sporadic, which has only resulted in four performances during that stretch over 30 DKP. But at a sub-8k salary, we can live with the floor/ceiling combo that can play up given the matchup.
Middle Tier
Ian Jackson, G, North Carolina ($6,400)
Jackson isn't doing much more than scoring, yet is doing so at an elite level and merits our attention despite the rise in value. He's averaging 24.3 points from his last three while adding 4.3 rebounds across 34.3 minutes and clearly looks the part of a near future lottery pick. UNC has a nearly 81.0 implied point total to further add interest. The caveat here is Seth Trimble ($7,900) hasn't appeared the last two games due to an upper-body issue. There's some concern it's a concussion, in which case he wouldn't be thrust into heavy minutes upon returning. Jackson has been's UNC's best of late, and we get him at a fair salary. Drake Powell ($4,600) is also logging heavy minutes with Trimble out and should be considered.
Ben Middlebrooks, F, North Carolina State ($5,800)
I stand by my position on building around high-end forwards with the middle tier not presenting very well. Middlebrooks could be the exception, provided he's healthy. He didn't appear midweek due to illness, yet that seems like a short-term concern. He'd started five straight before that while scoring double-digits in each of his last three and averaging 13.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.7 blocks with a 26.5 percent usage rate - including an impressive 14-and-eight line at Kansas. If Middlebrooks is out or not starting, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield ($4,800) is an easy - and likely more popular - pivot.
Jeremy Roach, G, Baylor ($5,700)
There are so many solid guards in the middle with L.J. Cryer ($6,000) and Kobe Johnson ($6,300) both likely to draw plenty of interest. But I'll side with Roach at a salary reduction only two games removed from injury. He's averaged 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals during those two outings. And while that came against inferior competition, it also came with slightly less-than-usual minutes. This matchup with Iowa State lists the slate's second-highest total, which suggests Roach will get 30ish minutes.
Value Plays
Jonas Aidoo, F, Arkansas ($4,300)
When in doubt, we can always bank on a revenge game narrative with Aidoo facing his former Volunteer teammates, yet I find much more appeal than that. He got off to a slow start due to injury, but he's moved into the starting five in the last five while averaging 11.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks across 23.2 minutes. Aidoo has also posted 22.0 DKP or more during four of those efforts, which would be a massive return at this low number. Arkansas comes with a 66.0 implied point total, so I'd rather take a shot on Aidoo as a punt to get some boards and blocks than target anyone above him. Karter Knox ($4,300) has also moved into the starting lineup while playing well.
CJ Gunn, G, DePaul ($4,300)
Gunn has yet to see less than a 21.8 percent usage rate all season, and it's up to 28.8 his last five. He's started the last two while putting up 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals over 27.0 minutes. Villanova plays incredibly slow ranking 344th nationally, though they aren't a great defensive team at 187th. If Gunn is starting again and gets more than 25 minutes, he should be able to exceed expectations at this salary.
Ty-Laur Johnson, G, Wake Forest ($3,600)
This is simply a punt play for someone whose role may be changing. Johnson started Wake's last matchup while playing 20 minutes and registering 20.5 DKP on 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. He's unlikely to be that productive again across the boxscore, but we can see a path to a 3x return that opens spending for upside elsewhere if he starts and earns similar court time.
