College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Feb. 3, 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.
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CBB DFS Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Core Plays | Feb. 3
Studs Tier
Herb Jones ($8,100) — Before discussing the slate, it should be noted that most LSU and Alabama players are significantly underpriced. That game has a 162.5 total, which is over 10 points higher than the next game. Alabama’s 85.5 implied team total leads the slate by over 5 points. With that said, Jones projects as an elite value play against LSU’s 191st-ranked defense. Jones has played at least 36 minutes in three straight games with solid rates. In Alabama’s last three games, he has an 11.4% shot rate, 18.2% rebounding rate and a 35.2% assist rate. Last time these teams faced, Jones scored 13 points and grabbed 5 boards. While Jones projects as an elite play, John Petty ($6,700) and Jaden Shackelford ($6,100) both project as strong plays as well. Those two have recorded 18.2% and 19.3% of Alabama’s shots in recent games. Taking at least two Alabama players makes sense in most contests here.
David Duke ($8,200) — More expensive than Jones, Duke draws a significantly worse game environment. Providence enters this contest as a 1-point favorite over Seton Hall in a game totaled at 142 points. Despite the worse game environment, buying low on Duke makes sense. Duke has an elite 21.4% usage rate, which includes a 27.6% shot rate, 20.2% rebound rate and 43.6% assist rate in Providence’s last three games. Seton Hall also ranks 321 in 3-point defense, where Duke shoots over 40%. Duke has scored 10 points or fewer in two of his last three games, creating an elite buy-low opportunity for the Providence stud.
Cameron Thomas ($7,100) — Mentioned above, almost every player on LSU enters this slate at a discounted price. In particular, Trendon Watford ($7,400) and Thomas look like elite plays. Watford has played at least 30 minutes in three straight games while recording a 22.2% shot rate, 25% rebound rate and 22.2% assist rate. An elite play himself, Thomas enters the fold at a cheaper price with a 24.2% usage rate. Thomas accounts for 34.7% of LSU’s shots and 11.1% of the team’s assists in their last three games. Thomas is the more volatile asset, but LSU has the third-highest implied team total on the slate as an 8.5-point underdog. Without Darius Days, Watford also provides the potential to see even more minutes. Even playing Watford and Thomas together could make some sense tonight.
Mid-Priced Tier
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ($6,900) — Entering the slate with the second-highest implied team total, Villanova is a 9-point favorite over St. John’s. The Red Storm plays at an elite pace and ranks 192nd in defensive efficiency, creating a solid game environment for Villanova. After recording 4 fouls in 20 minutes in Villanova’s last game, Robinson-Earl’s price held below $7,000. In that contest, Robinson-Earl still managed to put up 23 points and 5 boards. In Villanova’s last three games, Robinson-Earl has a 20.4% shot rate and 12.9% rebound rate. With St. John’s also ranking 275th in interior defense, Robinson-Earl looks like a solid mid-priced option on the DraftKings and FanDuel main slate.
Buddy Boeheim ($6,500) — Typically attractive an DFS target due to the tight rotation, Syracuse is a 1.5-point favorite over Louisville. Syracuse could also return the services of Bourama Sidibe ($4,600), who missed over a month with a torn meniscus. Sidibe warmed up ahead of Syracuse’s last game and could suit up here. For those taking a contrarian approach to Syracuse, Boeheim still leads the team with a 20.5% usage rate and is unaffected by Sidibe. Boeheim has played at least 34 minutes in each of Syracuse’s last three games while handling 23.7% of the shots and 21.1% of the assists. Boeheim hasn’t scored 30 DraftKings points in three straight game but is incredibly involved in the Syracuse offense. Also coming in cheapest among full-time players, Boeheim offers some salary relief.
Xavier Johnson ($6,300) — Despite playing in a tough game environment against a strong Virginia Tech team, Johnson enters the Wednesday slate underpriced. Often struggling with foul trouble, Johnson saw his minutes limited to 19 as he struggled to keep his hands to himself. However, Johnson played at least 32 minutes in each of Pittsburgh’s prior two games. With a full-time role, Johnson has shown elite upside with his team-leading 22.4% usage rate. In Pittsburgh’s last three games, Johnson accounts for 15.5% of the shots and 35.3% of the team’s assists. While a bit contrarian, Johnson possesses elite upside in an every-minute role for the Panthers.
Value Tier
Tyson Jolly ($4,900) — Still coming off the bench, Jolly continues to see his role expand for SMU. Jolly has now played 29 and 31 minutes in back-to-back games for SMU. While he didn’t score double-digit points in either contest, Jolly continues to show solid involvement. In SMU’s last three games, he has taken 15.2% of the team’s shots and 18.1% of the team’s rebounds. Tulsa plays solid defense, and this game only brings a 135-point total. However, Jolly’s expanding role deserves consideration as a potential punt play on DraftKings today.
Alex Reese ($4,800) — For those looking at cheap attachments to Alabama, Reese has played at least 27 minutes in each of the Crimson Tide’s last three games. Reese has struggled a bit in his time on the floor, but the Tide need his side without the presence of Jordan Bruner. Luckily, Reese has now scored double-digit points in three straight games while increasing his rebound totals. Reese is volatile, but he has now accounted for 17.1% of the team’s shots and 14.8% of the rebounds in their last three games.
Mwani Wilkinson ($3,700) — A similar play to Reese, Wilkinson projects to see an elevated role in LSU’s offense due to injury. With Days ruled out, LSU lost over 20% of their rebounds and 30 minutes from the floor. Already starting, Wilkinson played about 20 minutes per game prior to the injury. LSU will likely deploy Wilkinson in a committee with Josh LeBlanc ($4,100) and Shareef O’Neal ($3,700), but all three should see an expanded role. Wilkinson already handed 9.1% of the team’s rebounds and should see those numbers climb. While the upside is limited, Alabama has struggled on the glass without Bruner. Taking a flier on Wilkinson, LeBlanc, or O’Neal could pay dividends in tournaments today.
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