College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Feb. 5, 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. 5
Studs Tier
Grant Sherfield ($8,700) – Playing in the highest-totaled game of the slate, Nevada is a 4-point underdog to Boise State. For those looking at contrarian pay-up options, Sherfield possesses an elite 23% usage rate. Unlike most players in this extended rotation, Sherfield has played at least 33 minutes in three straight games for Nevada. He has a 23.9% shot rate and 40.6% assist rate. Boise State plays tough defense against guards, but Sherfield has at least 15 points in each of Nevada’s last three games.
Aaron Wiggins ($7,600) – After mixing up their rotation earlier this season due to injury, Maryland has settled on a consistent starting five. In the expensive tier, Donta Scott ($7,200) and Wiggins both look like elite options. Scott draws the superior matchup against a Penn State defense that ranks 326th in interior defense. However, Wiggins has the elite usage of late with a 29.4% shot rate, 28.4% rebound rate and 16.2 assist rate. With both playing at least 34 minutes in three straight games for Maryland, picking one or both of these studs on DraftKings makes sense here.
Abu Kigab ($7,300) – Coming in with the highest implied team total on the slate (74.5), Boise State runs an eight-man rotation. Within that group, Derrick Alston, ($7,900) and Marcus Shaver ($7,300) both play 30-plus minutes. On the year Kigab has a 15.8% usage rate that continues to rise. Kigab has a 15.8% shot rate, 24.7% rebound rate and 12.2% assist rate in Boise State’s last three games. He also ranks second on the team in 3-point attempts in Boise State’s last three games. Nevada’s 3-point defense ranks 135th, while they rank 67th in interior defense. Scoring from everywhere, Kigab also makes sense as a stud for Boise State, along with Alston and Shaver.
Jarrod West ($7,100) – Entering the slate with the third-highest implied team total, Marshall is a 3.5-point favorite over Old Dominion. While Taevion Kinsey ($9,200) and Andrew Taylor ($7,700) both are targets in this price range, West offers similar upside at a cheaper price. West has played at least 30 minutes in three straight games for Marshall and has an 18.7% usage rate this season. In Marshall’s last three games, he accounts for 14.1% of the team’s shots and 32.4% of the teams rebounds.
Mid-Priced Tier
Eric Ayala ($6,400) – For those looking for a cheaper attachment to a Maryland team in the second-highest-totaled game on the slate, Ayala looks like a preferred play. Similar to Wiggins and Scott, Ayala has played at least 35 minutes in three straight games for Maryland. Ayala also has a 16% usage rate on the season, featuring a 22.2% shot rate, 16.1% rebound rate and an 18.9% assist rate in Maryland’s last three games. Penn State ranks 272nd in defensive efficiency, creating the opportunity to target multiple Maryland studs in this matchup.
Myreon Jones ($6,000) – Penn State’s top player on the year, Jones enters the DraftKings and FanDuel main slate significantly underpriced. Jones also plays the most consistent role for Penn State, who has the second-highest implied team total today. Jones has a 20.6% usage rate and at least 32 minutes in back-to-back games. Handling over 20% of Penn State’s shots and assists on the year, Jones is one of the top price-adjusted plays on the entire slate. Jones also leads Penn State in 3-point attempts, which takes advantage of a Maryland defense that ranks 250th against 3-pointers.
James Reese ($5,800) – Playing in the worst game environment on the slate, North Texas is a 4.5-point favorite over Louisiana Tech in a game totaled at 131 points. While the game isn’t ideal for DFS, Friday only provided a four-game slate. Looking at cheaper targets, Reese stands out with an increasing usage rate. Prior to a blowout in their most recent game, Reese logged 30 and 33 minutes in North Texas’ two close games. Over the last three games, Reese has taken, 14.9% of the team’s shots, 18.7% of the rebounds and 13.9% of the assists. Playing a consistent role in competitive games, Reese is a viable mid-range DraftKings target.
Value Tier
Darryl Morsell ($5,400) – Similar to Ayala above, Morsell is too cheap for his projected role in Maryland’s offense. Morsell has played at least 32 minutes in three straight games for Maryland. While his 14.8 usage rate isn’t ideal, Morsell’s consistent role makes up the difference. In Maryland’s last three, Morsell has a 13.9% shot rate and a 29.7% assist rate. Morsell also hit double-digit points in each of his last two outings, showing a reasonable ceiling in this offense.
Zane Meeks ($4,900) – Now two games removed from injury, Meeks returned in a major way for Nevada in their most recent game. He played 21 minutes off the bench but rallied Nevada with his 19 points and 8 rebounds. Meeks started 10 games before his absence and should regain his starting spot after a performance like that. Meeks has a 13.3% usage rate, but he excels as a shooter. Shooting 40% beyond the arc, Meeks is an interesting play as a punt on this slate.
Xavier Green ($4,500) – Old Dominion typically rotates eight players in their rotation. Among this group, only Malik Curry ($8,500) and Green average over 30 minutes per game in Old Dominion’s last three contests. Holding a mere 10.6% usage rate, Green makes up for his light involvement with at least 36 minutes in three straight games for Old Dominion. Showing increasing involvement of late, Green took 9 shots and handled 4 rebounds in Old Dominion’s most recent game. Without much value on the main slate, Green’s minute security makes sense on the Friday slate.
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