College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Jan. 31, 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 | Jan. 31
Studs Tier
Julian Champagnie ($8,700) – Playing in the highest totaled game on the slate, St John’s enters this contest as 3.5-point underdogs to Marquette. On the year, Marquette ranks 172nd in defensive efficiency and 223rd beyond the arc. Champagnie has double-digit points in three straight games and remains tied for the team-lead in 3-point attempts in that span. Champagnie holds a 20.7% shot rate and a 16.8% rebound rate, which equates to an elite 21.2% usage rate on the year. While expensive, paying up for Champagnie over other studs makes sense here on DraftKings.
Quincy Guerrier ($8,300) – Another strong game environment to target, Syracuse enters the slate with the second-highest implied team total as 6.5-point favorites over North Carolina State. NC State ranks 244 in interior defense setting up well for the Syracuse big men. Both Guerrier and Alan Griffin ($7,700) remain elite plays, but Guerrier holds an 18% shot rate and a 25.1% rebounding rate. Guerrier has also bested Griffin in shot rate and rebound rate in each of the last three games. While both remain solid plays, hitting at least one Syracuse big man looks like a strong play today.
D.J. Carton ($7,300) – A bit cheaper than the two players mentioned above, DJ Carton enters the stud conversation on a Marquette team implied for the most points on the slate. Marquette spreads its usage evenly, but Carton still leads the pack at 16.4%. Involved in every facet of the game, Carton holds a 19.3% shot rate and a 25% assist rate in Marquette’s last three games. While expensive, Carton finds a matchup against an up-tempo St John’s team that struggles on defense. Koby McEwen ($6,300) could make sense for those without the salary to select Carton.
Mid-Priced Tier
Buddy Boeheim ($6,300) – For those looking at cheaper attachments to a tight Syracuse rotation, Boeheim also provides upside. North Carolina State also struggles to defend the 3-point line. Boehim actually leads Syracuse with a 19.9% usage rate and a 19.0% shot rate on the season. While he is coming off two single-digit scoring performances, Boeheim still leads Syracuse in 3-point attempts over his last three. Buying low here makes sense in an up-tempo game against a struggling NC State team.
Justice Sueing ($6,300) – An interesting spot for DFS, Ohio State draws a Michigan State team that just put up 37 points against Rutgers in its return from an extended COVID-19 stoppage. Ohio State sits with the third-highest implied team total as 7.5-point favorites over the Spartans. Hot of late, Sueing has played at least 31 minutes in two of his last three games for the Buckeyes. His usage rate has also increased sharply throughout the season. In his last three games, Sueing has a 14.4% shot rate, a 17.8% rebounding rate, and a 9.8% assist rate. While Duane Washington ($7,000) and EJ Liddell ($7,800) are also sharp plays, Sueing provides a secure mid-priced DraftKings option within the offense.
Joey Hauser ($5,400) – In that same matchup, most of the Michigan State Spartans saw its prices drop after a pitiful performance against Rutgers. Hauser in particular looks like a value, but he still brings risk. Hauser holds a solid 16% usage rate, including 19.8% of the team’s rebounds. However, he has struggled to find consistent minutes recently. He only played 18 minutes in Michigan State’s last game, but they also lost that contest by 30 points. Hauser holds immense ownership, so he projects to come in lower-owned today. For those taking a risky approach in GPP’s, Hauser still provides upside in a tough game environment.
Value Tier
Tyson Jolly ($5,000) – SMU holds the lowest implied team total on the slate against a surging Houston team. However, Jolly continues to see his role expand after rejoining the team. Coming off the bench in all of his games this year, Jolly saw his minutes rise from 21 to 29 in his most recent game. In his three active games, Jolly has a 15.5% usage rate, while taking 14.7% of SMU’s shots. Importantly, this usage rate continues to increase as Jolly regains continues to acclimate to game speed. With Darius McNeill potentially missing this game, Jolly could enter the fold as a potential punt option.
Cam Hayes ($4,900) – News broke earlier this week that Devon Daniels ($3,000) tore his ACL for NC State. NC State’s best player, Daniels vacated 30+ minutes per game and 18.1% of the team’s usage. Without Daniels, Hayes ($4,900) projects to enter the starting lineup while Braxton Beverly ($4,400) and Thomas Allen ($5,200) already started. Up-and-down this year, Hayes has played 22, 15, and 20 minutes in his last three games. Despite typically coming off the bench, Hayes holds an 18.8% usage rate in NC State’s offense. In their last three, he accounts for 10.7% of the team’s shots, 8.6% of the rebounds, and 29% of the assists. Now projecting to play an elevated role, Hayes looks like a preferred punt play on the DraftKings and FanDuel main slate.
Malik Hall ($3,800) – Another potential buy-low for Michigan State, Hall enters the fold with a sub-$4k price tag. While Hall only played 17 minutes in the Spartans’ most recent game, he played 23 and 27 in the two prior games as the team’s sixth man. Hall holds a 12.6% usage rate, which includes an 7.5% shot rate, an 8.8% rebound rate and a 16.7% assist rate. Certainly not for the faint of heart, rostering Hall provides an avenue to multiple studs on the Sunday slate.
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