College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Feb. 1, 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 | Feb. 1
Studs Tier
Matthew Hurt ($8,200) — With only three players at $8,000 or higher on DraftKings, the stud tier looks barren. Kicking off the tier, the Blue Devils enter the slate with the highest implied team total against a struggling Miami team. While Hurt and Jalen Johnson ($8,000) both are solid plays, Hurt continued to play consistent basketball down the stretch. Conversely, Johnson has consistently battled fouling issues. In Duke’s last three games, Hurt has a 17.9% shot rate and a 20% rebounding rate. In that same span, Johnson sits at a 15% shot rate and 18% rebounding rate. While Johnson offers potentially more upside with his raw talent, Hurt looks like the safer stud to target.
Mac McClung ($8,100) — Playing with the second-highest implied team total, Texas Tech draws a surging Oklahoma team as a 6-point favorite. Playing well of late, McClung continues to see his price climb. McClung has at least 34 minutes in three straight games for Oklahoma, with over 20 points scored in three straight games. McClung leads the team in usage (21.3%) and continues to shoot more 3-point shots than any other Texas Tech player. Oklahoma ranks 261st in 3-point defense, creating another opportunity to see a McClung ceiling game.
Mid-Priced Tier
De’Vion Harmon ($7,100) — With a number of attractive, mid-priced options, Harmon stands out with Oklahoma slated to miss Austin Reaves ($7,800) and Alondes Williams ($3,900) again today. Without Reaves last game, Harmon played 38 minutes and led the team with 18 points. Harmon took a team-leading 15 shots while adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Harmon quickly emerged as the team’s usage leader and also shot more 3-pointers than any other player. On top of that, Texas Tech ranks 215th in 3-point defense.
Kevin McCullar ($6,900) — For those looking at buy-low situations, McCullar stands out as a solid pivot for Texas Tech. McCullar has played at least 32 minutes in three straight games. He shot 5-for-10 in their last contest but finished with just 10 points in a floor game. Without a price adjustment, McCullar now provides elite value in the mid-range. In Texas Tech’s last three games, McCullar has a 14.7% shot rate, 21.6% rebound rate and 34.5% assist rate.
Kameron McGusty ($6,700) — On the other side of the Duke – Miami game, the Hurricanes are decimated with injury. Isaiah Wong ($7,900) and Elijah Olaniyi ($5,800) are game-time decisions, while Chris Lykes ($6,300) and Earl Timberlake ($5,000) expected to miss extended action. McGusty is the only player locked into a role for Miami. McGusty played at least 34 minutes in Miami’s last three games. In that span he accounted for 22.8% of the Miami’s shots, 16% of the team’s rebounds and 27.6% of the team’s assists. While additional value may open up for the Hurricanes, McGusty looks like a strong bet to lead the team in usage tonight.
Value Tier
Umoja Gibson ($5,100) — Without Reaves and Williams, sixth man Gibson has entered Oklahoma’s starting lineup. Gibson played 34 minutes in his first game without the two starters, recording 12 points. Gibson showed solid involvement in all facets of the game, taking 10 shots and securing 5 boards. A bit cheaper than Elijah Harkless ($6,000), Gibson provides some salary relief on a short slate. Gibson also takes advantage of Texas Tech’s weak 3-point defense, as he has attempted at least 4 in each of his last two games.
Lester Quinones ($4,800) — While playing in the worst game environment on the slate, Memphis is an 8.5-point favorite over a UCF team ranked 202nd in defensive efficiency. Memphis typically rotates 10 players onto the floor, creating a risky situation for DFS. However, Quinones has played at least 27 minutes in each of Memphis’ last two games. Quinones holds a 15.3% usage rate, which ranks third on Memphis this season. While the ceiling is questionable, he offers a cheap attachment to a Tigers team projected to blow out UCF.
Jalen Hill ($4,500) — Among the available value plays on Oklahoma, Hill continues to fly under the radar. Hill played 31 minutes without Reaves and Williams on Saturday. Hill certainly draws the toughest matchup against Texas Tech’s 48th-ranked interior defense. However, Hill put up 8 point in his emerging role while adding 5 boards. Hill offers less upside than his guard counterparts and potentially even Brady Manek ($4,700), but he is the cheapest of the group. Projecting to play another sizeable role tonight, Hill enters the discussion as a value play.
Deng Gak ($4,000) — Miami is the most depleted team on the entire slate. Particularly thin at forward following the departure of Matt Cross, Gak started Miami’s most recent game. Now with 25 and 29 minutes in back-to-back games, Gak looks locked into a significant role for Miami. In the Hurricane’s last three contests, Gak has accounted for 7.2% of the team’s shots and 14.7% of the team’s rebounds. While still questionable from a talent and usage perspective, Miami continues to run out of available bodies. At just $4,000, Gak provides clear value in this spot.
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