Welcome back to another night of CBB DFS fun! This Tuesday slate is a fun one with 10 games on the docket and the sites agreeing for the most part on the slate. There is just one unique game on each site, so we won’t have to differentiate too much between the two. We also have a few games tonight with 145-plus over/unders, so there will be plenty of offense to play with. There is just one game in the NBA tonight, so this is your time to give CBB DFS a go. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out @VarneyDFS. Let’s dig in and take down this slate.
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Games and Lines
St. John’s @ Marquette (-8.5) – 151.5
Miami @ Duke (-17.5) – 149.5
Georgia @ Kentucky (-11) – 145.5
Florida @ LSU (-2) – 143
Maryland (-7) @ Northwestern – 130.5
Butler @ Villanova (-4.5) – 129
Illinois @ Purdue (-5.5) – 126
Kansas State @ Kansas (-14) – 126
Texas Tech (-3) @ TCU – 125
(FanDuel Only) Oklahoma State @ Iowa State (-5.5) – 138
(DraftKings Only) Wake Forest @ Clemson (-8.5) – 136.5
FanDuel and DraftKings CBB DFS TargetsÂ
CBB DFS Guards
Markus Howard – Marquette – FanDuel $8,600 DraftKings $9,200
This price is going to scare a lot of folks away, but don’t run. Howard has averaged 35 points, not fantasy points, per game over the last five and the matchup couldn’t be better. Howard has eclipsed 45 DraftKings points in four of his last five while shooting at a 48% clip. You have to love Howard here against St. John’s team that ranks 10th in the country in pace with 77.5 possessions per game. Of any team on the Marquette schedule, St. John’s plays the fastest. This is the best matchup of the year for Howard and he has a higher ceiling than ever before.
The phenom point guard doesn’t just score either, averaging a combined six rebounds and assists per game. In a fast-paced contest, there will be more peripherals up for grabs and Howard will be all over the court. Marquette is also favored by just 8.5 points, which is right in that perfect range where we can expect Marquette to dominate the game, but not blow them out. Howard is going to play 35 minutes and there isn’t a player on the slate with a ceiling anywhere close. If you can find a way to fit him in, Howard is the top play in all formats and I will personally have 100% exposure.
Ashton Hagans – Kentucky – FanDuel $7,100 DraftKings $8,000
While Georgia may not play as fast as St. John’s, they still rank 23rd in the country with 76 possessions per game. Kentucky is going to be playing at an increased pace and Hagans should benefit most. He has the ball in his hands every possession and isn’t afraid to let it go. The guard didn’t come into the season with such lofty expectations, but has since taken over the lead guard role for the Wildcats. Through 14 games, Hagans has eclipsed 31 DraftKings points in 12 of them. His usage is sitting at 26% and Hagans has been a monster defensively.
He’s going to matchup with superstar Anthony Edwards tonight and Edwards isn’t the same animal on the defensive end. Expect Hagans to show that Edwards doesn’t deserve to be getting all this attention while he gets none and for him to put up a monstrous number against the Bulldogs. They’re one of the worst defensive teams in the conference and Hagans is one of the most consistent players in the nation. Especially at guard, where it’s tough to find any consistently outside of the rare superstars, Hagans is a rare breed at an affordable price. Lock in Hagans for 30 fantasy points with realistic upside for 45.
Isaac Likekele – Oklahoma State – FanDuel $6,100
This is a FanDuel only play, but Likekele is a bit cheap over there. Iowa State ranks dead last in defensive efficiency in the Big 12, while playing at the 81st-fastest pace in the NCAA. Oklahoma State is a team you want exposure to and Likekele is the most obvious of the bunch. When looking at his box scores, some will be scared off by a terrible four-game stretch recently, but the point guard faced a gauntlet of tough matchups and you’re better off throwing those away. If anything, use it to your advantage as his price has dropped and ownership won’t be high. This is still the same guy who dropped 50-plus fantasy points twice already this year and hasn’t faced an opponent that plays as fast as the Cyclones will tonight.
The point guard averages 11.5 points a game on top of 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals. He’s a do-it-all player and you won’t go a minute without hearing his name. Against a fast-paced Iowa State squad, Likekele is going to have every chance to show off the speed and basketball IQ that make him special. I’m expecting a huge game out of Likekele and he is far too cheap over on FanDuel. He was in the $7,000 range before going cold for just four games. He got back on track with 36 fantasy points last time out and I love him in this matchup against Iowa State.
Andrew Nembhard – Florida – FanDuel $6,000 DraftKings $6,800
These Florida guards don’t get much CBB DFS attention and rightfully so. Tonight though, they’re facing off with an LSU team that’s going to push the pace and I love Nembhard. The Tigers play at the 89th-fastest pace in the country while Florida sits 219th. This is going to be a huge increase in pace for the Gators and I’m a fan of a few of these guys. Nembhard is the most consistent Gator and you can lock him in for 34-plus minutes, but Scottie Lewis is a phenomenal GPP play as well. LSU is stronger defensively in the paint and they’ve given up some huge performances to guards so far this year. In the grand scheme, they rank 144th in defensive efficiency against the point guard position.
After three games of not being needed much, Nembhard will likely be called on for big minutes tonight as the Gators don’t have time to let the Tigers do damage on offense. Nembhard is the best on-ball defender Florida has and he’ll be used on Skylar Mays, who plays some of the heaviest minutes in the country. Nembhard is affordable on both sites and I’m a big fan in both cash games and tournaments. Lewis deserves attention as well, but only consider him in a tournament.
Rasheem Dunn – St. John’s – FanDuel $6,000 DraftKings $6,100
I’m expecting L.J. Figueroa to garner a lot of attention for St. John’s, and I’m not sure I necessarily agree. While Marquette will be playing up in pace, St. John’s will be playing down. Yes, the game will still be fast, but these Red Storm players are already priced like that as it’s an every game thing for them. In CBB DFS, you always want to favor the team playing up in pace. Figueroa lives off steals and blocks and the Golden Eagles are far from a sloppy team (221st in turnovers) that will let that happen.
I’d rather pay down for Dunn, who’s a lot cheaper and has played 32-plus minutes in four straight games. Over the span, Dunn has averaged 13 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. He’s a mini version of Figueroa and you’re getting him for nearly $2,000 cheaper. Dunn is going to be on the floor for 32-plus minutes once again as they’ll need his scoring punch to match Howard and Marquette. Dunn is affordable on both sites and my preferred St. John’s guard.
CBB DFS Forwards
Kerry Blackshear Jr. – Florida – FanDuel $7,200 DraftKings $8,000
Blackshear doesn’t get much ownership anymore as he’s burned just about everyone who’s played CBB DFS this season. The Virginia Tech transfer has shown his upside at times for the Gators, and it’s pretty impressive when you can have the following games and people are still disappointed: 20 points, 10 rebounds; 13 and 13; 20, 11 and five assists; 22 and 14; and 24 and 16. That’s in a span of 16 games and I left a few double-doubles unmentioned. Blackshear is my all metrics still one of the best forwards in the country and he’s going to have a field day with the fast-paced LSU Tigers
The last time Florida played a fast-paced team was on Jan. 4 when Blackshear went for 24 points and 16 rebounds against Alabama. The Tigers have a better interior than the Crimson Tide, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that Blackshear thrives when the Gators get up and into transition. Blackshear will be facing off with Trendon Watford and Emmit Williams in this one and I like the Florida big man to wear down LSU with a double-double.
Matthew Hurt – Duke – FanDuel $4,900 DraftKings $5,800
With Wendell Moore Jr. sidelined, Hurt is going to be asked to step up in a big way. Mike Krzyzewski has already made it a point that Vernon Carey isn’t going to play big minutes for Duke, so they need a second forward to step up and score 15 points per game. Hurt has already shown the capability to seamlessly replace Moore, dropping 25, 20 and 16 points the only times he got substantial minutes this season. Hurt is a phenomenal shooter and he’s involved in the paint as well with nearly four boards a game. He also averages 1.8 blocks in games that he plays at least 22 minutes. Miami is the worst team in the ACC on defense and Duke already blew them out once this year. Hurt put up 36 fantasy points in that game and dominated the Hurricanes interior. He’s still cheap and he’s hard to get away from in any format.
Aamir Simms – Clemson – DraftKings $7,900
Clemson and Wake Forest is a DraftKings-only special, but Simms is simply too cheap on DraftKings and the matchup with Wake Forest is an excellent one. The Tigers typically play extremely slow, ranking 236th in the country with 70 possessions per game. Tonight, they’ll be forced into a fast-paced game against a Wake Forest Demon Deacons team that ranks 71st with 74 possessions per game. Simms has been over 37 DraftKings points in four of his last five games and this matchup with Wake Forest is better than any of those four.
Simms is the number one option for Clemson and he’s going to tear apart a weak Wake Forest interior. Olivier Sarr is a seven-foot animal in the paint for Wake Forest, but he’s the only guy they have down low. Clemson has three different weapons to throw his way and Simms is the best of the bunch. Expect Simms to have a huge game here and his ownership should be relatively low with this game only on DraftKings.
Nick Richards – Kentucky – FanDuel $6,700 DraftKings $7,500
We already touched on Ashton Hagans for the Wildcats and there is no problem with playing two of these guys tonight. As mentioned, the Bulldogs play at one of the fastest paces in the entire country and there are going to be a ton of rebounds up for grabs. In CBB DFS, you can play two or three guys on the same team and not worry about correlation as much as in the NBA. Nate Sestina came into the season as the more expensive big, but Richards has taken over as the concrete No. 1 option in the paint. Richards has been an offensive monster this season, averaging 16 points and nine rebounds over the last seven games.
He’s also going to be needed to cover Rayshaun Hammonds, who can kill a team if given the opportunity. Look for Richards to play around 30 minutes and for him to put up around 30-35 fantasy points. I also love pairing him with Hagans, as the pair play a terrific two-man game. If you watch this game, there will be a ton of pick-and-rolls between Hagans and Richards and there is a chance both of these guys post 40 fantasy points. I love Kentucky tonight against this Georgia defense that can give up 90 points.
Sacar Anim – Marquette – FanDuel $5,900 DraftKings $6,000
Anim is listed at guard on FanDuel and guard/forward on DraftKings, so you have some versatility there. He’s second to Markus Howard in scoring and against a St. John’s team that runs as much as anyone in the country, it’s going to be extremely tough for Anim to miss value here. He’s averaged 39.5 minutes over the last four games and got up to 34 fantasy points against Xavier. Don’t worry about his typically low output as Marquette never plays at the pace they’ll be at tonight. Anim does it all on the floor and he’s going to be out there for just about every minute. On DraftKings, I would probably prefer him at forward as there is a bevy of guard options I love.
