College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Jan. 27, 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 | Jan. 27
Studs Tier
Julian Champagnie ($9,400) — The most expensive on the player on the slate, Champagnie also brings the highest projection. Facing DePaul in the highest-totaled game on the slate (153 points), Champagnie also benefits from a matchup against a DePaul defense ranked 210th in defensive efficiency. Champagnie has a 21.1% usage rate while taking 23.2% of St John’s shots in their last three games. With double-digit points in three straight games, Champagnie is as safe as they come.
Sandro Mamukelashvili ($9,000) — After losing to Creighton 89-53 in their first meeting, Seton Hall will look to rebound at home. In their first game, Mamukelashvili finished with 14 points and five rebounds, but he shot just 42% from the field. On the year he has handed 24.9% of the Seton Hall’s shots and 23.6% of the rebounds. While Creighton plays strong interior defense, Mamukelashvili projects to carry low ownership with a solid ceiling in an up-tempo matchup. This game has the second-highest total on the slate (147.5).
David Duke ($8,600) — Once priced near $10,000, Duke’s price continues to drop after three-straight games below 40 points. However, Duke is extremely involved with his 21.2% usage rate. He also has at least 36 minutes in three straight games. Even in his last three games, Duke has a 27.5% shot rate, a 19.4% rebounding rate, and a 43.9% assist rate. Marquette ranks 164th in defensive efficiency, but they struggle to defend the perimeter. Marquette ranks 234 in perimeter defense, setting up a buy-low situation on Duke.
Mid-Priced Tier
Charlie Moore ($7,000) — After a long COVID-19 pause to start the year, DePaul started the season with a 3-5 record. Moore currently paces the team in usage (18.2%), but his recent play caused a significant price drop. In this spot DePaul finds themselves favored by a point over St John’s, with the second-highest implied team total on the slate. St John’s ranks 262 in overall defensive efficiency, and Moore still handles 21.1% of the team’s shots and 30.6% of the assists. While DePaul recently expanded their rotation, Moore played 30 minutes in the Blue Demons’ most recent game. Moore provides a direct access point to the best game environment on the entire slate.
Marcus Zegarowski ($6,900) — Another talented player in a buy-low situation, Zegarowski’s price is below $7,000 after missing a pair of games with a hamstring injury. Since his return Zegarowski has played 38 and 36 minutes in back-to-back games. He also has an 18.7% usage rate with at least 15 points in his last two games. Seton Hall also provides a favorable matchup for Zegarowski. The Pirates rank 282nd in perimeter defense but 110th inside the paint. This funnels offensive production to opposing guards, working strongly in Zegarowski’s favor.
Jamal Cain ($5,200) — While Cain has struggled of late, he is the cheapest viable attachment to an attractive Marquette offense. Facing Providence, Marquette draws a strong matchup in the paint. Providence ranks 214th in interior defense and 224th in overall defensive efficiency. Cain has played at least 32 minutes in two of Marquette’s last three games. On the year he has a 13.9% usage rate while taking 15.8% of the shots and 15% of the team’s rebounds on the year. In the first matchup Cain scored 12 points and secured four rebounds while playing 34 minutes. Cain provides a mid-priced attachment to Marquette while taking advantage of a solid matchup.
Value Tier
Romeo Weems ($4,900) — Another underpriced DePaul player, Weems has struggled considerably to open the season. He has not eclipsed 20 DraftKings points in either of his last two games despite immense preseason hype. Positively, Weems has played at least 28 minutes in three straight games, and now his price tag has dipped below $5,000. Weems has also seen his rates size throughout the season. In DePaul’s last three games, he has a 15.4% shot rate and a 14% rebounding rate. With the second-highest implied team total on the card, Weems makes a strong value play on DraftKings.
C.J. Walker ($4,400) — Entering the fold as a punt play after a multi-game absence, Walker continues to provide value. Ohio State has the highest implied team total on this slate (77.5). Bookmakers currently project them to handle Penn State by 8 points in a game totaled at 147. Ohio State’s top matchup comes in the paint against a Penn State defense that ranks 320th in the interior. However, Walker provides too much value at his current price. In his first game back, Walker played 24 minutes coming off the bench. He scored 8 points, secured a pair of rebounds and notched three assists. If placed in the starting lineup, Walker should see 30-plus minutes against a Penn State team that plays at an above-average pace. Walker played at least 30 minutes in eight straight games to open the season before getting hurt. While his playing time is still a risk, Walker looks like a strong calculated dart throw on this eight-game slate.
Hunter Cattoor ($4,300) — With Tyrece Radford getting arrested, Cattoor, Jalen Cone ($4,200) and Wabissa Bede ($3,500) all look like supreme values. Bede already starts for Virginia Tech, but he actually plays the least out of these three. Cattoor and Cone routinely play over 20 minutes off the bench, but Virginia Tech uses them in different ways. Cone functions primarily as a shooter, while Cattoor provides more consistent peripheral involvement. Cattoor has an 9.8% shot rate and 19.1% assist rate in Virginia Tech’s last three games. Notre Dame ranks 319th in defensive efficiency, and with an enormous piece removed from the rotation, all of the Virginia Tech team looks underpriced on DraftKings.
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