College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Feb. 2, 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. 2
Studs Tier
Jared Butler ($9,000) — While Luka Garza ($10,000) always warrants consideration, his cost often prohibits other solid plays on the slate. For those looking at slightly cheaper options, Butler continues to play the best basketball of his career. Butler has scored at least 30 DraftKings points in four straight games with Baylor often blowing out opponents. Butler plays every minute in Baylor’s competitive games, with an elite 22.7% usage rate. Today Baylor faces a tough matchup in Texas as a 6-point road favorite. However, Texas has a number of players making their return from COVID-19 absences, raising the volatility of the contest. Despite the tough matchup, Baylor still possesses the second-highest implied team total on the slate, putting Butler squarely in play among the studs.
Trevion Williams ($8,500) — Typically playing on a minute count, Williams has been forced into an expanded role for Purdue with Sasha Stefanovic out. Stefanovic will miss another game here due to COVID-19 protocols, setting up Williams for an increased role. Without Stefanovic in Purdue’s last two games, Williams played 27 and 32 minutes. Williams already leads the team with an absurd 25.1% usage. In Purdue’s last three games, he has accounted for 28.4% of Purdue’s shots, 28.6% of the rebounds and 23.1% of the assists. Williams posted double-doubles in both of Stefanovic’s absences, equating to 43.5 and 33.75 DraftKings’ points. With Maryland ranking 206th in defensive efficiency, Williams is a top stud on the main slate.
Ayo Dosunmu ($8,100) — Another strong stud to target, Dosunmu is too cheap for an Illinois team implied for the fourth-most points. Illinois is a 3.5-point favorite against Indiana in this spot. Dosunmu leads Illinois with a 24.0% usage rate while playing every minute. Some argue that Kofi Cockburn‘s ($8,300) emergence reduced Dosunmu’s upside. However, Dosunmu has a 26.3% shot rate, 7.2% rebound rate and 29.2% assist rate in Illinois’ last three games. From a DFS perspective, Dosunmu eclipsed 30 points in three of his last four games while pacing the team in shots. With Trayce Jackson-Davis ($8,700) slated to defend Cockburn in the post, Dosunmu also has the better individual matchup for Illinois tonight.
Mid-Priced Tier
MaCio Teague ($5,900) — For those looking at cheaper attachments to Baylor, Teague continues to see his price fall despite a consistent role. After playing limited minutes in a pair of blowout victories, Teague saw his minutes jump back up to 31 in Baylor’s most recent contest. Teague’s 18.2% usage rate ranks second on Baylor this season, and he accounts for 16.4% of Baylor’s shots, 11.7% of their rebounds and 10.2% of their assists over the last three games. In Baylor’s last game against Auburn, Teague shot 6-for-13 from the field and still finished with 15 points and 4 rebounds in 31 minutes of action. With Texas projected to keep this game close, Teague and the Baylor starters should play their normal, every-minute roles tonight.
Joey Hauser ($5,600) — Coming off a COVID-19 stoppage, Michigan State has now lost back-to-back games by double-digit points. However, the Spartans took positive steps this weekend by narrowing their rotation. Tonight Michigan State takes on Iowa in the highest-totaled game on the slate (157). Despite coming in as 10.5-point underdogs, the Spartans retain the third-highest implied team total today. After playing just 18 minutes in their return to action, Hauser saw his minutes jump to 34 in Michigan State’s last game. Despite the minute spike, Hauser still turned in a mediocre performance. The Marquette transfer finished with 11 points and 5 boards while recording 3 fouls. That said, Hauser’s price is low and his role looks to be increasing moving forward. Playing in an up-tempo affair, Hauser looks like a solid, mid-priced CBB DFS pick here.
Keegan Murray ($5,200) — On the other side of this Michigan State – Iowa game, the Hawkeyes continue to list C.J. Fredrick as questionable. Fredrick missed Iowa’s last game with a lower body injury and looks doubtful here. In his place, Murray drew a start and played 32 minutes for Iowa. In impressive fashion, Murray recorded 8 points and 8 boards in his first start, setting up another start here. Iowa brings the highest implied team total on the slate by over 8 points. Taking multiple Iowa players makes sense here, but Murray provides the best price-adjusted value against a struggling Michigan State team.
Value Tier
Brad Davison ($4,800) — Entering the slate with the fifth-highest implied team total, Wisconsin will attempt to avenge their weekend loss to Penn State. Cheap for the second consecutive game, Davison continues to play a strong role for Wisconsin. He has at least 29 minutes in each of Wisconsin’s last three games, with a 15.2% usage rate. Davison has still taken 14.5% of the team’s shots, but they have not been falling of late. Davison brings some minute concerns, as Wisconsin switches their rotation on a weekly basis. However, he seems to possess one of the few secure roles here.
Jacob Grandison ($4,700) — Starting back-to-back games for Illinois, Grandison has played well enough to retain his role moving forward. In his first start, Grandison played 15 minutes but battled foul trouble. In his second start, Grandison showed his true upside, playing 30 minutes in a competitive game. In that contest Grandison put up a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Adam Miller ($4,300) only played 18 minutes as he battled foul issues. With Andre Curbelo ($4,600) and Da’Monte Williams ($3,700) also playing reduced roles of late, Grandison offers a salary-saving option for an Illinois team implied for the fourth-most points tonight.
Rocket Watts ($4,100) — For those looking at cheaper attachments to Michigan State, Watts has re-entered the Spartans starting lineup. He has now played 25 and 27 minutes in a pair of games since the COVID-19 stoppage, putting him in punt territory. Watts has played horrific basketball and went 2-for-9 shooting last time out. However, this poor outing kept his price extremely low. If starting again, he should play 25-28 minutes. Watts has an elite 21.1% usage rate this season. With this minute and usage combination, Watts looks primed for positive regression.
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