College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for CBB DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Feb. 18, 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. 18
Studs Tier
Jalen Suggs ($8,600) — Carrying the highest implied team total on the slate, Gonzaga is a 21-point favorite over Saint Mary’s. While the entire Gonzaga team runs the risk of limited minutes in a blowout, only Luka Garza ($9,500) presents similar upside to the studs here. Suggs in particular looks like a strong buy-low with his 20.1% usage rate. Despite playing only 28 and 27 minutes in back-to-back games, Suggs still accounts for 20.4% of the shots, 20.9% of the rebounds and 25.6% of the assists in Gonzaga’s last three games. Saint Mary’s plays solid defense overall, but Gonzaga ranks No. 1 in offensive efficiency in the country. Locking in Suggs, Drew Timme ($9,300) or Corey Kispert ($7,700) looks like a strong play here.
Chris Duarte ($7,400) — Finally getting closer to full health, Oregon will look to continue their three-game winning streak against a strong Colorado team. Oregon enters the slate with a 3-point spread advantage over Colorado in a game totaled at 140.5 points overall. Duarte has played 34 minutes in each of his two games since returning from injury. Duarte has double-digit points in each of those game, with strong peripheral statistics. While this is a tougher matchup against Colorado’s 43rd-ranked defense, Duarte scores in many ways. Colorado’s main weakness is 3-point defense, where they rank 145th in the country. Duarte leads the team in 3-point attempts (86) and 3-point shooting percentage (44%).
Franz Wagner ($7,100) — Facing off against Rutgers as a 9.5-point favorite, Michigan has the third-highest implied team total on the slate. This game has a 136.5 total, with significant advantages on the Michigan side of the court. While Isaiah Livers ($8,400) continues to dominate for the Wolverines, Wagner looks like a potential buy-low. Wagner returned to 38 minutes after playing 29 and 30 in his two prior contests. On the year, his 16.5% usage rate ranks just behind Livers’ 16.6% rate. On the year, Wagner has accounted for a consistent 15.6% shot rate, 17.1% rebound rate and 17.3% assist rate in Michigan’s last three games.
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Justice Sueing ($6,500) — Another strong Big Ten matchup, Ohio State faces Penn State as a 5-point favorite, chasing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. This game has a 146-point total, giving Ohio State the second-highest implied total on the board (75.5). Ohio State’s best matchup comes against a Penn State defense ranked 313th in interior play. While E.J. Liddell ($7,300) and Kyle Young ($6,400) also take advantage of this matchup, Sueing provides a combination of security and upside in this matchup. Sueing has played 33, 17 and 34 minutes in Ohio State’s last three games. Sueing battled foul trouble in the 17-minute game and bounced back for 16 points and 10 boards in the subsequent game. He is cheaper than Liddell and more consistent than Young, making him a strong mid-priced option here.
Izaiah Brockington ($6,300) — While Penn State is a 5-point underdog, their implied team total is north of 70 points. Playing strong basketball of late, Brockington has played at least 31 minutes in three straight games for Penn State. He has a 18.3% usage rate this season, accounting for 15.8% of the shots, 13% of the rebounds and 20% of the assists in Penn State’s last three games. For those looking at more volatile assets, Myreon Jones ($5,800) also could be worth a look. He has 23.2% shot rate and leads the team in 3-point attempts in the last three games. However, with a rebound and assist rate below 10%, he is more volatile than Brockington.
Tyger Campbell ($5,800) — With Johnny Juzang‘s ($8,100) insane three-game run, Campbell presents a strong buy-low opportunity for UCLA. the Bruins are 1.5-point favorites over Arizona in a game totaled at 138 points. Juzang has accounted for an unsustainable 36.1% shot rate, 29% rebound rate, and 25% assist rate in UCLA’s last three games. On the year, he has a 19.3% usage rate, which narrowly edges out Campbell’s 18.2% usage rate. Campbell continues to average over 30 minutes per game with a 16.4% shot rate and 40.7% assist rate on the season. With regression due for both players, Campbell looks like a preferred buy-low since Juzang’s price is at a season-high.
Value Tier
Kyle Bowen ($4,600) — On the other side of the Gonzaga game, Saint Mary’s has the lowest implied team total on the slate (61.25). Despite the risky total, Saint Mary’s players enter the DFS conversation due to a narrow distribution of minutes. Priced below $5,000, Bowen has played 30, 40 and 39 minutes for Saint Mary’s in their last three games. Bowen only has a 7.4% usage rate this season, but he has accounted for 11.8% of the shots, 28.4% of the rebounds and 10.3% of the assists for Saint Mary’s over the last three games. As a pure punt play, Bowen offers value here.
Tyler Wahl ($4,400) — Unlike most Wisconsin games, the Badgers actually have an implied team total north of 70 points. Wisconsin faces Iowa in a game totaled at 145.5 points. After overnight line movement, the game is a pick-’em. The Badgers play a seven-man rotation with varied minutes. Coming on strong of late, Wahl has played at least 27 minutes in three straight games for Wisconsin. He has accounted for an 8.5% shot rate, 17.1% rebound rate and 10.3% assist rate in that span. Brad Davison ($4,200) is another intriguing option in this range. He also approaches 30 minutes per game with a 10.8% shot rate, 17.1% rebound rate and 17.2% assist rate in Wisconsin’s last three games.
Riley Battin ($3,800) — A middling game for DFS, Utah is a 2.5-point favorite over Oregon State in a game totaled at 137 points. However, Utah will play with a condensed rotation after Mikael Jantunen ($5,000) left the team. Rylan Jones ($4,100) also is questionable, potentially further condensing the minutes here. A primary beneficiary, Battin started and played 26 minutes in Utah’s most recent contest. He has a solid 14.1% usage rate this season and could see extended minutes here. With Oregon State ranking 226th in interior defense, the matchup also suits a Battin value play in this spot.
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