College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Feb. 8, 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. 8
Studs Tier
Jalen Suggs ($8,400) – With Gonzaga finally on the DFS slate, Drew Timme ($8,800), Corey Kispert ($8,300) and Suggs all are solid plays. Gonzaga enters this game with a slate leading 83.5-point implied team total. Suggs has an 18.7% usage rate and typically plays 30-plius minutes in competitive games. In Gonzaga’s last three games, Suggs has accounted for 15.8% of the shots, 19.8% of the rebounds and 13.0% of the assists. Suggs also has at least 17 points in two of Gonzaga’s last three games. While all of the Gonzaga studs deserve consideration on DraftKings, Suggs’ elite rate stands out.
Marcus Carr ($8,000) – Drawing an elite matchup, Carr and the Gophers enter this slate as 11.5-point favorites over a Nebraska team ranked 170th in defensive efficiency. Both teams play with incredible pace, and this game features a 143.5 overall total. Carr’s 22.6% usage rate dominates Minnesota. Carr accounts for 24.6% of the shots, 20.7% of the rebounds and 32.4% of the assists in Minnesota’s last three games. Also playing at least 37 minutes in each of these games, Carr looks significantly underpriced for this role and elite game environment.
Aaron Wiggins ($7,300) – Maryland ranks in the bottom four implied team totals (67.25) as a 4-point underdog to Ohio State. Fortunately, the Buckeyes only rank 166th in defensive efficiency. Maryland also plays a tight core, creating potential targets here. Eric Ayala ($7,000), Donta Scott ($7,000) and Wiggins handle a majority of the usage. Scott draws the toughest matchup against Ohio State’s 68th-ranked interior defense, while Wiggins has better rates than Ayala. Wiggins has played at least 35 minutes in three straight games, with a 27.9% shot rate, 23.9% rebound rate and 9.7% assist rate in that span. While all of the studs deserve consideration on DraftKings, Wiggins has the best usage/matchup combo for Maryland.
Mid-Priced Tier
Teddy Allen ($6,700) – On the other side of this Minnesota game, Nebraska still is worth mentioning in an uptempo spot against Minnesota’s 155th-ranked defense. After a COVID-19 stoppage, Allen saw his minutes limited to 23 in Nebraska’s most recent game. However, Allen played 30-plus minutes in their two prior contests. Typically Nebraska’s top player, Allen has a 22.6% usage rate on the season. He shot 1-for-10 from the field in Nebraska’s most recent game, but that is unusual him. Allen should come close to an every-minute role against Minnesota.
Garrison Brooks ($6,600) – Another team with a solid implied team total, North Carolina is a 10-point favorite over Miami in a game totaled at 140 points. Unfortunately for DFS players, North Carolina includes at least nine players in their rotation. Brooks plays the most secure role at the forward position, but he finds himself cheaper than Armando Bacot ($6,700). Brooks has received at least 32 minutes in three straight games for North Carolina, while Bacot and Day’Ron Sharpe ($6,000) continue to yo-yo minutes. Brooks has also received elevated usage of late, including a 17.6% shot rate, 20% rebound rate and 14% assist rate. With everyone else playing more volatile roles, Brooks is the safest access point to an elite North Carolina implied team total.
Andrew Nembhard ($5,600) – For those looking at cheap attachments to Gonzaga, Nembhard enters the slate with a depressed price tag. Despite coming off the bench, Nembhard has played at least 31 minutes in three straight games for Gonzaga. Nembhard also has a serviceable 16.2% usage rate, including a 14% shot rate and 39.9% assist rate in Gonzaga’s last three games. Nembhard has actually played more minutes with better rates than starter Joel Ayayi ($7,400) in Gonzaga’s last three games.
Value Tier
Nysier Brooks ($4,900) – On the other side of that North Carolina game, Miami plays a hyper-condensed rotation. At the forward position, Anthony Walker ($5,400) and Brooks play nearly every minute. North Carolina ranks 99th in interior defense, creating a tough matchup. However, Miami lacks the bodies to spell either Walker or Brooks. Brooks has accounted for 21.1% of Miami’s rebounds of late, giving him some upside. Ultimately, matchup and game environment render Brooks a CBB DFS pick, but he should play almost every minute without foul trouble tonight.
Gabe Kalscheur ($4,600) – Kalscheur offers secure minutes but a limited ceiling as a value play. Kalscheur has played at least 29 minutes in three straight games for Minnesota. In those last three games, he hasn’t scored more than 18.75 fantasy points. However, this is one of Minnesota’s top matchups of the year. With scoring expected to be elevated, Kalscheur helps jam multiple studs into lineups.
Gideon George ($4,600) – BYU enters the slate with a 72-point implied team total despite coming in as an 11.5-point underdog to Gonzaga. BYU typically poses problems for DFS because they rotate in 10 or more players. However, BYU has recently soured on Trevin Knell ($4,000) and Kolby Lee (3,100), sending both to the bench. In their place, George started BYU’s most recent game and played 21 minutes in a 45-point blowout. More importantly, George scored 19 points and secured 13 rebounds in his limited time of the floor. After such an elite performance, BYU should take a longer look at George. However, this assumes rational coaching, and BYU historically likes to rotate their players.
Hakim Hart ($4,100) – Maryland, on the other hand, plays a condensed rotation of players. This has extended down to Hart, who has now played at least 23 minutes in each of Maryland’s last three games. Hart has also shown a ceiling, with 27 and 30 minutes in two of those three. Hart has actually found decent percentages as well, with a 11.6% shot rate, 16.9% rebound rate and 12.9% assist rate. For those looking at pure punts on DraftKings, Hart provides a minute ceiling at a cheap price.
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