March Madness is finally here, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for CBB DFS grinders. Examining the slate for the second round on DraftKings, and FanDuel 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 | March Madness
Stud Tier
Austin Reaves ($8,000) — Drawing the toughest matchup on the Monday slate, Oklahoma faces off against top-seeded Gonzaga as a 14-point underdog. However, this game has a 154.5-point total, keeping Oklahoma playable here. With De’Vion Harmon also missing his second consecutive game due to COVID-19 protocols, Oklahoma will feature a narrow rotation. Reaves has played 38 minutes in back-to-back games with his 19.8% usage rate. He scored 23 points on 16 shot attempts in Oklahoma’s first game without Harmon. Reaves has scored at least 19 in three straight games and provides a solid floor/ceiling combination in a pace-up spot.
Jalen Suggs ($7,700) — Again pacing the slate with an 84.25-point implied total, Gonzaga deserves serious consideration today. Gonzaga plays with three studs in Drew Timme ($8,200), Corey Kispert ($7,900) and Suggs. While all three are usable, Suggs has the cheapest price. Suggs has a 19% usage rate and accounts for a 15% shot rate, 13.4% rebound rate and 22.7% assist rate. With Gonzaga blowing out opponents routinely, Suggs’ DFS projection rises in this spot where the game projects to be more competitive. Oklahoma’s defense struggles to defend 3s, which favors 3-point specialist Kispert in this matchup. However, any of Gonzaga’s big three can be played with confidence.
Trendon Watford ($7,500) — LSU is a 5-point underdog to Michigan in a game totaled at 148 points. LSU plays with an above-average pace, and Michigan recently lost Isaiah Livers, sweetening the matchup. LSU plays with three studs in Cameron Thomas ($8,300), Watford and Javonte Smart. All three play almost every single minute and soak up most of the usage. Watford in particular looks like a potential buy-low despite a tough perceived matchup against Michigan’s third-ranked interior defense. Watford accounts for 21.3% of the shots, 31.3% of the rebounds and 20.7% of the assists in LSU’s last three games. Watford scores all over the floor and provides strong peripheral upside. This makes him a worthwhile consideration as a GPP CBB DFS pick to target in this spot on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Joe Wieskamp ($7,300) — After a double-digit victory over Grand Canyon, Iowa faces Oregon as a 5.5-point favorite in a game with a 148-point total. Wieskamp has an injury scare in the conference tournament, but he has squashed all concerns. He has played at least 35 minutes in three straight games and contributes with a 17.5% usage rate. While many will gravitate towards Luka Garza, Wieskamp brings the more attractive price. He accounts for a 17.6% shot rate and 21.8% rebound rate in Iowa’s last three games. Oregon’s biggest weakness is its shorter starting five, which Garza and Wieskamp both directly exploit. With Garza priced way up, Wieskamp offers a solid consolation prize in the same offense.
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Mid-Priced Tier
L.J. Figueroa ($6,600) — After a first-round bye, Oregon makes their tournament debut against Iowa. Oregon actually provides a tough stylistic matchup for the Hawkeyes, as Iowa ranks 229th in 3-point defense and every Oregon starter shoots at least 35% from beyond the arc. The Ducks also play a tight distribution of minutes, so the entire starting five looks playable. Specifically, Figueroa deserves consideration as an elite price-adjusted play. Figueroa has a 15.6% usage rate on the year, but he has displayed considerable involvement of late. Figueroa accounts for a 19.3% shot rate and 14.5% rebound rate in Oregon’s last three games and is shooting 38% from 3.
Javonte Smart ($6,600) — LSU plays with a tight rotation, and Smart has played 31, 38 and 40 minutes in LSU’s last three games. His involvement continues to increase down the stretch, as evidenced by his 16.7% usage. He has a 21.3% shot rate, 14.5% rebound rate and 34.5% assist rate in LSU’s last three games. Michigan’s primary defensive weakness comes from their 151st-ranked 3-point defense. Smart doesn’t take quite as many 3’s as Thomas, but he shoots 42% from beyond the arc. Smart continues be a value as a mid-range play that directly exploits Michigan’s weaknesses.
Dwight Wilson ($5,800) — Another strong environment for DFS, Ohio is a 5-point underdog to Creighton in a game totaled at 149 points. This line is particularly close, with Creighton barely sneaking past UC Santa Barbara and Ohio upsetting Virginia. Ohio plays a tight distribution of minutes, headlined by Jason Preston ($9,200) and Ben Vander Plas ($7,200). While both are playable, they eat a lot of salary on a tight slate. For a slightly cheaper price, Wilson also plays north of 30 minutes per game and has solid usage. In Ohio’s last three, Wilson accounts for a 17.8% shot rate and 24.5% rebound rate. For those that cannot find the salary to snag Preston or Vander Plas, Wilson also offers a solid price-adjusted play on both FanDuel and DraftKings.
Andrew Nembhard ($5,500) — Gonzaga’s last three victories all ended with a margin of victory at or above 10 points. In these blowouts, Gonzaga expanded their rotation and reduced the minutes for their starters. Nembhard received extra rest of late but started and played consistent minutes down the stretch. He has a 15.2% usage rate on the season and provides solid peripherals. Nembhard only accounts for an 11.6% shot rate this year, but his 22.9% assist rate gives him a solid floor. Providing a cheap attachment to this high-powered offense, Nembhard can be played with any of the other Gonzaga studs at the top.
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Joe Pleasant ($4,900) — While the Monday DFS slate brings ample stud options, the value tier is scarce. Pleasant, a forward for Abilene Christian is one potential option. Abilene Christian is a 5-point underdog to UCLA in a game with a 133-point total. Pleasant has played 27 and 28 minutes in the last two games while providing a 17.2% usage rate, and he has a 12.3% shot rate and 16.8% rebound rate in the last three. UCLA ranks 192nd in defensive efficiency, creating the potential for a ceiling performance. While still risky, Pleasant has enough upside to consider as a value play in GPPs on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Aundre Hyatt ($4,900) — For those looking at pure value plays, LSU recently retooled their starting rotation. Outside of the big three and Darius Days, LSU has taken a committee approach to fill the final starting spot. However, in their last two games, Hyatt has started and played 32 and 33 minutes. Playing well in those spots, Hyatt scored eight and 13 points for the Tigers. In their last three, he has accounted for an 8.9% shot rate and 21.7% rebound rate. Hyatt won’t provide an immense ceiling, but he has begun playing consistent minutes for an explosive offense in a game with a solid total.
Hakim Hart ($4,100) — Facing off against No. 2 Alabama, Maryland has a 66.5-point implied team total as a 5.5-point underdog in a game totaled at 138.5 points. Maryland continues to uses a tight starting five, as all five starters played at least 33 minutes in their opening-round win over UConn. Hart has an 11.7% usage rate, but he has played at least 31 minutes in two of Maryland’s last three games. Hard is mostly a peripheral player with a 14.3% rebound rate and 18% assist rate in Maryland’s last three games. However, the minutes are too secure to pass up on a slate with very little value CBB DFS picks to be found.
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