College basketball season is in full swing, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for CBB DFS grinders. Examining the slate for March 2, 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 | March 2
Studs Tier
Zach Freemantle ($8,900) — It is looking like another slate without Ayo Dosunmu and Sharife Cooper, and the stud tier again lacks elite plays. With few alternatives, taking a look at Freemantle and Paul Scruggs ($8,700) looks like a sound strategy today. Xavier has the third-highest implied team total as 1.5-point favorite over Georgetown in a game totaled at 147.5 points. Freemantle has played at least 37 minutes in back-to-back games for Xavier with his 18% usage rate. He accounts for a 21.7% shot rate and 33.7% rebound rate in Xavier’s last three games. Similarly, Scruggs has a 22.9% shot rate, 13.7% rebound rate and 27.5% assist rate in Xavier’s last three games.
Isaiah Livers ($7,300) — Entering the slate with the second-largest implied team total, Michigan is an 8-point favorite over Illinois in a game totaled at 146.5 points. While Franz Wagner ($7,800) has the superior projection, Livers has superior rates of late. He accounts for a 15.5% shot rate, 19.8% rebound rate, and 15% assist rate in Michigan’s last three games. Livers also narrowly edges Wagner with a 15.9% usage rate compared to a 15.7% usage rate over the course of the season. Ultimately, both are solid plays on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Allen Flanigan ($7,200) — The most attractive DFS spot on the Tuesday slate, Auburn is a 10.5-point underdog to Alabama in a game totaled at 157 points. Despite the large spread, Auburn still ranks top five in implied team total. Without Cooper, Flanigan continues to take on a larger role in the offense. He has now played at least 35 minutes in three straight games while recording a 19% shot rate, 18.3% rebound rate and 40% assist rate in Auburn’s last three games. Alabama plays solid defense but allowed at least 78 points in four straight games prior to facing a horrific Mississippi State team in their most recent affair.
Mid-Priced Tier
Jose Alvarado ($6,600) — A highly competitive game with implications for March Madness, Georgia Tech enters the slate as a 1.5-point favorite over Duke in a game totaled at 145.5 points. Duke struggles on defense and ranks 316th in 3-point defense. Now priced below Moses Wright ($9,000) and Michael Devoe ($7,400), Alvarado looks poised to take advantage of this matchup. Alvarado has played at least 37 minutes in back-to-back games. He has an 18.8% shot rate and 25.7% assist rate this season. He also shoots 42% from 3 on the second-most 3-point attempts for Georgia Tech. Buying low on Alvarado makes sense here.
Jahvon Blair ($6,600) — On the other side of the Xavier game, Georgetown’s 73-point implied team total has some intrigue today. After sitting out Georgetown’s last game due to a coaching decision, Blair should make his return today. Blair averages 37.2 minutes per game and leads the team with an 18.5% usage rate. He accounts for a 22.1% shot rate and 29.3% assist rate on the year. He also attempts the most 3-point shots, and Xavier ranks 158th in 3-point defense.
John Petty Jr. ($5,800) — On the other side of the Auburn game, Alabama has a slate-leading 83.75-point implied team total. With that total, Jaden Shackelford ($6,500), Herbert Jones ($6,900), Jahvon Quinerly ($6,200) and Petty all look significantly underpriced. Petty in particular has played at least 33 minutes in back-t0-back games, with solid usage. He accounts for 12.8% of the shots, 10.6% of the rebounds and 10.5% of the assists. Those numbers are all down from his season-long statistics, pointing to him as a strong buy-low for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
Devan Cambridge ($5,500) — For those looking at cheaper access points to a Cooper-less Auburn team, Cambridge and Jamal Johnson ($4,900) are viable plays. Cambridge possesses the higher ceiling, with a 21.8% shot rate in Auburn’s last three games. Johnson’s 14.6% usage rate narrowly edges Cambridge’s 14.1% usage rate on the season. However, Johnson plays more in the periphery, making him more of a floor play than Cambridge. Cambridge played at least 33 minutes in back-to-back games and took a team-leading 16 shots in their most recent game.
Value Tier
Dwon Odom ($4,800) — As far as potential value options on Xavier, Nate Johnson‘s injury opened additional minutes for Odom and Jason Carter ($4,600). While both look like decent plays, Carter saw his minutes drop to 22 last game. Odom has played 28 and 31 minutes in back-to-back games, has a 15.7% usage rate on the year and parlayed that into double-digit points in each of his last two games. Both Odom and Johnson are viable sleeper options in your DraftKings and FanDuel builds.
Jarkell Joiner ($4,600) — One of the worst games for DFS, this Mississippi team is a DFS consideration due to a tight rotation. The Rebels are 2-point favorites over Kentucky in this game projected to score 130 points. However, Joiner and K.J. Buffen have both played at least 30 minutes in three straight and find themselves priced below $5,000. Joiner has the superior 15.1% usage rate this season. He has also shown more involvement of late with a 16.2% shot rate, 13.6% rebound rate, and 26.9% assist rate in Ole Miss’ last three games. Kentucky ranks 117th in defensive efficiency, creating the potential for a ceiling game from a value Ole Miss piece.
Adam Miller ($4,200) — Without Dosunmu, Illinois has expanded the roles of Miller, Andre Curbelo ($6,700), Da’Monte Williams ($4,800) and Jacob Grandison ($4,500). Curbelo is simply too expensive for a sixth man in this matchup. However, Miller may actually provide Illinois’ best chance of staying competitive in this spot. Michigan ranks second in interior defense. This hurts Williams and Grandison more than Miller. Miller actually leads Illinois in overall 3-point attempts narrowly over Trent Frazier ($5,400). Michigan ranks 141st in 3-point defense. Miller doesn’t provide much from a peripheral perspective, but he played 28 minutes in back-to-back games for Illinois without Dosunmu.
Rob Phinisee ($3,800) — Another potential injury situation to exploit, Indiana expects to miss Armaan Franklin until postseason play. Without Franklin, Phinisee stepped up to play 32 minutes in Indiana’s most recent game. Phinisee only scored 7 points, but his minutes provide consistent value on the slate. Indiana still looks risky as 3.5-point underdog to Michigan State, but Phinisee could open the additional salary for an extra stud.
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