College basketball season is in full swing, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for CBB DFS grinders. Examining the slate for March 4, a number of core plays stand out. In this piece I’ll be locating top plays from each college basketball matchup and determining the top CBB DFS picks for your DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
CBB DFS Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Core Plays | March 4
Stud Tier
McKinley Wright IV ($8,500) — Entering the slate with the third-highest implied team total at 78.5 points, Colorado is a 10-point favorite over Arizona State. With the game totaled at 147 points, Colorado should find ways to exploit Arizona State’s 242nd-ranked defense. Wright looks like the safest option for Colorado, playing at least 34 minutes in each of the last four games. He has a 20.7% usage rate and accounts for 27.3% of the team’s shots and 62.2% of the assists. Wright has scored at least 15 points in each of Colorado’s last three games. While this game brings the risk of blowout, Wright provides a safe floor/ceiling combination.
Jared Butler ($7,900) — Perhaps the best game environment on the slate, Baylor has the second-highest implied team total (80.5) as an 11.5-point favorite over Oklahoma State. This game brings a 149.5 overall total and an above-average pace. Butler finds himself with a depressed price tag after a series of average performances. In Baylor’s last game, Butler rebounded for 25 points while adding solid peripherals. He now has a 21.7% usage rate, 20.2% shot rate and 27.8% assist rate in Baylor’s last three games.
Miles McBride ($7,500) — Another potential blowout spot, West Virginia enters the slate as a 13-point favorite over TCU in a game totaled at 143.5 points. West Virginia’s lone consistent stud, McBride has a 20.9% usage rate and plays almost every minute. He has a 20.2% shot rate, 10.4% rebound rate and 33.7% assist rate on the year. The only thing to consider here is blowout risk and the weakness of the forward position today. Derek Culver ($7,300) saves $200 and fills a thin position today. Culver certainly brings more risk, but TCU ranks 234th in interior defense and Culver has soaked up 29.6% of West Virginia’s rebounds in their last three games. Both make sense here as plays on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Mid-Priced Tier
R.J. Nembhard ($6,800) — On the other side of the West Virginia game, TCU has a 65.25-point implied team total. While this leaves much to be desired, Nembhard’s elite usage deserves consideration despite the lackluster game environment. Nembhard averages 34.9 minutes per game and has a team-leading 19.7% usage rate. He has taken 27.1% of TCU’s shots and 34.2% of their assists in their last three games. While the Horned Frogs will likely struggle in this spot, Nembhard takes enough shots to warrant GPP consideration on the Thursday DFS slate.
Umoja Gibson ($6,000) — Perhaps the most competitive game on the slate, Oklahoma is a 2-point favorite over Texas in a game totaled at 142.5 points. Both teams play with an above-average pace, causing the total to rise after opening lines. Outside of Austin Reaves ($8,900), Oklahoma spreads usage across playmakers. Brady Manek ($5,900) draws a tough matchup against Texas’ 23rd-ranked interior defense, but Gibson looks capable here. Gibson has played at least 35 minutes in three straight games. He accounts for a 14.5% usage rate. He also has a 22.6% shot rate, 26.2% rebound rate and 8% assist rate in Oklahoma’s last three games.
Brandon Suggs ($5,700) — An interesting addition to the Thursday DFS slate, East Carolina faces Central Florida in a game totaled at 134.5 points. East Carolina is a 3.5-point home underdog after losing Tyrie Jackson and Bitumba Baruti. However, that narrows the potential rotation for the existing starters. Suggs typically comes off the bench, but he played 31 minutes in ECU’s most recent game. With Baruti out, Suggs will likely enter the starting lineup and improve on his 13.9% usage rate. He also can fill a weak forward position and take advantage of UCF’s 204th-ranked interior defense. Ultimately, Suggs, Tremont Robinson-White ($4,700) and Tristen Newton ($5,000) should play elevated minutes for ECU.
Value Tier
Keegan Murray ($4,700) — The Hawkeyes draw a blow-up spot on Senior Night against Nebraska. Iowa has the highest implied team total on the slate as a 16.5-point favorite over the Cornhuskers in a game totaled at 152.5 points. Senior Luka Garza ($9,800) has the top projection on the slate, but he still runs the risk of limited minutes in a blowout. The primary beneficiary, Murray already plays north of 20 minutes per game with strong rates. In Iowa’s last three games, Murray accounts for a 9.5% shot rate and a 14.6% rebound rate in limited minutes. With the chance for an elevated role, he looks like a sleeper at a weak forward position tonight on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Bryce Williams ($4,700) — For those looking at cheaper attachments to Oklahoma State, Isaac Likekele ($4,700) continues to draw the questionable tag. Without Likekele, Williams has played 38 and 35 minutes the last two games. Williams now has a 17.3% shot rate and 18.2% assist rate in Oklahoma State’s last three. Williams’ role depends on the status of Likekele. However, Likekele could become a direct swap if active. Last time Likekele returned from injury, he immediately played 33 minutes.
Mike Smith ($4,500) — Another potential blowout spot, Michigan has a 76-point implied team total as a 12-point favorite over Michigan State in a game totaled at 140 points. Playing in three straight blowouts, some of Michigan’s starters have played limited minutes. In the Wolverines’ last contest, Smith only managed 27 minutes after 30.6 per game this season. Smith has a 13.4% usage rate and accounts for only 11.2% of the shots this year. However, Smith provides a solid floor with peripherals and a 31.9% assist rate on the season.
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