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. 26, 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
Jhivvan Jackson ($9,200) — With a slate short on value, paying up for studs like Neemias Queta ($9,700) or Grant Sherfield ($9,400) could cause problems with the rest of rosters. For those taking a contrarian approach, playing Jackson over teammate Keaton Wallace ($7,300) makes sense. The two have a similar projection, but Jackson provides more upside with his 22% usage rate. He has taken 22.6% of the shots 15.8% of the rebounds and 35.7% of the assists in Texas-San Antonio’s last three games. Wallace isn’t far behind with a 19.8% usage rate, along with a 16.6% shot rate and 28.6% assist in their last three. UTSA plays with an above average pace, and this game has a 145-point total. Depending on remaining salary, playing Jackson or Wallace here makes sense.
Jordan Goodwin ($8,700) — A solid game environment overall, Saint Louis has a top-three implied team total as a 4.5-point favorite over Richmond in a game totaled at 143.5 points. On the Saint Louis side, Goodwin has an excellent projection with his 19.4% usage rate and every-minute role in the offense Goodwin accounts for 22% of the shots, 29.9% of the rebounds and 25% of the assists in Saint Louis’ last three games. Richmond ranks 168th in defensive efficiency, but they particular struggle in the paint. They rank 327th in interior defense. Similar to the UTSA players, Javonte Perkins ($6,800) offers a cheaper viable play within the offense as well. He has a 21.6% usage rate and also plays close to every minute. Targeting either, or both, in this spot offers value on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Taevion Kinsey ($8,300) — Sitting as a 4-point favorite over North Texas in a game totaled at 142.5 points, Marshall has a top-four implied team total on this slate. For those looking at studs within the Marshall program, the Thundering Herd function primarily through their three stud guards. While Jarrod West ($9,000) brings an elevated price tag, Kinsey looks like a buy-low. Kinsey still possesses an 18.9% usage rate, 21.4% shot rate, 17.1% rebound rate and 21.1% assist rate on the year. North Texas plays solid defense, but Kinsey will also play every minute for Marshall.
Mid-Priced Tier
Marco Anthony ($6,500) — Ranking second in implied team total on tis slate, Utah State has a 7.5-point advantage over Nevada in a game totaled at 141 points. On the Utah State side, Anthony looks particularly underpriced with his 15.6% usage rate. Anthony has played at least 31 minutes in three straight games, accounting for an 18.2% shot rate, 11.5% rebound rate and 22.2% assist rate. Nevada ranks 142nd in 3-point defense, where Anthony shoots 37%. Anthony offers a strong way to attack this elevated team total.
Jacob Gilyard ($6,400) — On the other side of the Saint Louis game, Richmond’s top players enter the DFS slate with depressed price tags. Gilyard in particular has a 16.5% usage rate and has played at least 38 minutes in three straight games. Gilyard has taken 17.8% of the shots, 17.7% of the rebounds and 35.7% of the team’s assists in that span. Saint Louis plays solid defense overall, but Gilyard’s usage, minutes and price offer too much value in the mid-priced range.
Tavin Lovan ($5,900) — With the highest implied team total on the slate, UAB is a 4-point favorite over UTSA in a game totaled at 145 points. Annoying for DFS, UAB runs an eight-man rotation and splits minutes evenly. Lovan is one of the few players earning consistent minutes, averaging just over 26 minutes per game. He has a 17.3% usage rate and provides consistent rates across the board. UTSA ranks 278th in defensive efficiency and plays with an above-average pace. Michael Ertel ($5,500) also provides another option in the mid-priced tier for UAB. He has a 19.3% usage rate but functions primarily as a shooter.
Jacob Germany ($5,700) — For those looking at cheaper options for Texas-San Antonio, Germany looks like a solid option. Germany has played 28 and 33 minutes in back-to-back games, starting both. Germany scored 26 and 9 points in each of these contests while showing peripheral upside. Germany has a 17.5% usage rate, 18.6% shot rate and 20.8% rebound rate in UTSA’s last three games. UAB plays strong defense, but the easier matchup for UTSA is in the paint. In a projected close affair, Germany provides a mid-priced attachment to a solid game environment.
Value Tier
Yuri Collins ($5,000) — As for cheaper options on Saint Louis, Collins made his return from injury to play 22 and 32 minutes in back-to-back games for the Billikens. Collins possesses a 14.1% usage rate on the season. He has a 29.5% assist rate and primarily functions as a peripheral player. However, this slate is short on value, and Collins draws a phenomenal matchup against Richmond’s porous defense. Gibson Jimerson ($4,700) provides similar value for Saint Louis with less consistent minutes.
Cedrick Alley Jr. ($4,800) — In the value range, Alley looks like a potential DFS target for UTSA. Alley continues to start, but he has battled foul trouble in recent games. In their most recent game, Alley still scored 10 points despite playing just 12 minutes after committing four fouls. Alley has a reasonable 12.7% usage rate on the year. He has taken 10.6% of the shots and 11.9% of the rebounds in UTSA’s last three games. However, his minutes are risky. Another cheaper option here, Jordan Ivy-Curry ($4,300), has been starting for UTSA and has played at least 21 minutes in three straight games. He has a more enticing 16.5% usage rate.
Brock Miller ($4,200) — As for value options in the Utah State offense, Miller offers consistent minutes. Miller has played at least 29 minutes in three straight games for Utah State. While this team could return Rollie Worster today, Miller started prior to his injury. In Worster’s potential return, Steven Ashworth ($4,900) looks more likely to be affected. Either way, Miller also provides a 13.2% usage rate. On a slate short on value, Miller provides enough salary relief to jam multiple studs in your DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
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