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. 25, 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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Studs Tier
Quentin Grimes ($8,300) — With a full nine-game slate on deck, Luka Garza ($9,800) always deserves consideration as a preferred stud. However, he draws one of the toughest matchups in the country against Michigan’s No. 2 interior defense. For those looking to save a bit in the stud range, looking towards Grimes provides similar upside. Houston hasn’t played many competitive games of late and they enter this slate as 11.5-point favorite over Western Kentucky. The total sits at 136, giving a top four implied team total on the slate. Prior to Houston’s 36-point blowout win, Grimes played 39 and 35 minutes. He has a 21% usage rate, 25.1% shot rate, 14.9% rebound rate and 16.7% assist rate in Houston’s last three games. Western Kentucky ranks 289th in 3-point defense, and Grimes shoots 37% from beyond the arc.
Aaron Henry ($7,400) — After upsetting Illinois earlier this week, Michigan State enters another tough draw against Ohio State as a 4-point underdog. With the total sitting at 145.5 points, Michigan State still has a healthy 70.75 implied team total. Narrowing their rotation of late, Henry has played at least 35 minutes in three straight games for the Spartans. He has a 19.9% usage rate, 21.4% shot rate, 14.5% rebound rate and 20.8% assist rate over the course of the season. While Ohio State plays strong interior defense, Henry’s every minute role warrants consideration on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Isaiah Livers ($7,100) — Holding the highest implied team total on the slate, Michigan is a 5-point favorite over Iowa in a game totaled at 156.5 points. Of the Michigan studs, Livers has the cheapest price at $7,100. He also plays the most consistent minutes, receiving at least 34 in three straight games. Meanwhile, Hunter Dickinson ($8,200) hasn’t eclipsed 29 in that span, and Franz Wagner ($7,300) saw his minutes drop to 28 in Michigan’s most recent game. For rates, Livers has a 16.3% usage rate, 17.9% shot rate, 15.3% rebound rate and 14% assist rate.
Mid-Priced Tier
James Akinjo ($6,900) — Formerly priced around $8,000, Akinjo continues to see his price fall below $7,000. Arizona enters the slate as a 9-point favorite over Washington State with a 138.5 game total. Akinjo leads Arizona with a 20.4% usage rate and continues to play nearly every minute for this team. On the year, Akinjo has a 21.2% shot rate and 34.1% assist rate for Arizona. Washington State plays solid defense, but Arizona still brings a top-five implied team total with their 40th-ranked offensive efficiency. Akinjo is a strong buy-low as a mid-priced option on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Matt Mitchell ($6,400) — An interesting game to include on the slate, San Diego State has a 6-point advantage over Boise State in a game with a 138.5 total. Most of San Diego State’s players come with a depressed price tag after winning each of their last three games by at least 14 points. Even with sizeable margin of victories, Mitchell continues to play around 30 minutes per game. He has a 17.8% usage rate, 19.1% shot rate and 17.7% rebound rate in San Diego State’s last three games. Boise State ranks 146th in interior defense, giving Mitchell a solid matchup here as well.
Justice Sueing ($5,700) — On the other side of the Michigan State game, Ohio State will play this game without Kyle Young ($5,500). Despite his absence, the Buckeyes have the third highest implied team total on the slate. Without Young, both Sueing and Duane Washington Jr. ($6,400) look like solid options in the mid-priced range. Sueing has played at least 33 minutes in two of Ohio State’s last three games. He accounts for 10.1% of the shots and 20.% of the rebounds in this span. Conversely, Washington has a 20.7% shot rate over Ohio State’s last three. With Sueing providing more size, he looks more likely to benefit from the Young absence against a Michigan State team that ranks 196th in defensive efficiency.
Value Tier
Boo Buie ($4,600) — One of the worst teams in the Big Ten, Northwestern draws a competitive matchup against a banged-up Minnesota team. Northwestern is a 4.5-point underdog in a game with a 141-point total. Continually shaking up their rotation, Buie re-entered Northwestern’s starting lineup and played 32 minutes in their most recent game. Buie finally displayed some efficiency, scoring 19 points and providing solid peripheral involvement. Minnesota plays fast and ranks 195th in defensive efficiency, giving Buie sleeper appeal in this spot.
Tre’ Williams ($4,200) — On the other side of this game, Minnesota has a 72.75 implied team total despite dealing with injuries to Gabe Kalscheur and Liam Robbins. Benefiting from the injuries, Williams has played 31 and 34 minutes in two straight games for Minnesota. In their last three games, he has taken 16.8% of the shots and 13.8% of the assists. Northwestern ranks 240th in overall defensive efficiency, making Williams a preferred value play on tonight’s DFS slate.
Rocket Watts ($4,200) — For those looking at cheaper options on Michigan State, Watts entered the starting lineup in the Spartan’s most recent game. Foster Loyer ($3,300) continues to nurse an injury, which allowed Watts to play 31 and 32 minutes in back-to-back games. Watts has a 20.5% usage rate on the season. When he gets minutes, he actually provides a solid ceiling and floor for DFS. In Michigan State’s most recent game, Watts scored 15 points and picked up 5 assists with solid peripheral involvement.
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