College basketball season is entering conference play, and we have a three-game slate tonight.
March Madness is months away, but you can get in all the college hoops hype by playing daily contests at FanDuel today. If you've played NBA DFS before, it's quite simple: pick a total of eight players -- four guards, three forwards, and one utility spot you can use for either position. Stay within the $50,000 salary cap and field the team you think will score the most fantasy points.
Where scoring differs from NBA is in the blocks and steals categories, with each worth two FanDuel points apiece rather than the three you get in daily NBA contests.
Now that you're in the know, we can attack today's main slate, which locks at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Which players should you be targeting, and why?
Guards
Jared Butler, Baylor ($6,800) - Butler leads the Baylor Bears with a 26.8% usage rate. He also takes 29.3% of the team's shots when he's on the floor per KenPom (also a team high). He's in a great spot, as the Bears host the fast-paced Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma is 75th in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings while Baylor is 262nd.
Kihei Clark, Virginia ($6,500) - The Virginia Cavaliers' point guard rarely leaves the floor, as he's playing 36.7 minutes per game (a slate high). While he won't score a ton of points, he's an intriguing play due to his ability to dent the score sheet in every statistical area. The sophomore is averaging 4.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks plus steals to complement his 9.8 points per game. The matchup with North Carolina State Wolfpack is a good one. The Wolfpack struggle defensively (111th in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings) and represent a significant pace up game for the Cavaliers. The Wolfpack are 150th in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings while Virginia is 353rd.
MaCio Teague, Baylor ($5,700) - The Bears will be popular players on this short slate. Baylor has a slate-leading implied team total of 72.5. Teague is the Bears' second leading scorer (13.5 per game) and ranks third on the team in rebounds (5.0 per game) and assists (2.2 per game). He's also logging a ton of minutes (32 or more in minutes in five straight games). He's my favorite mid-tier guard due to his ability to contribute in a variety of ways. Teammate, Mark Vital ($5,900), is also a solid mid-tier target.
Tomas Woldetensae, Virginia ($3,600) - If you need a super cheap guy to roster most of the high end players tonight, Woldetensae is your guy. The junior was inserted into the starting lineup in the Cavaliers' last game against Georgia Tech. He scored 9 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, had 2 assists, blocked a shot, and recorded 3 steals in 32 minutes (21.4 FanDuel points). Woldetensae has played 26 minutes or more in three straight games.
Forwards
Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma ($7,100) - Admittedly, the matchup with Baylor is brutal as the Bears are fourth in KenPom's adjusted defense rating. Doolittle leads the Sooners with a 26.4% usage rate, and he's also taking 27.8% of the team's shots when he's on the floor per KenPom. The senior provides a solid floor on this short slate, as he's topped 20 FanDuel points in 10 consecutive games.
Freddie Gillespie, Baylor ($6,900) - Gillespie is menace on both ends of the court. The senior is averaging 9.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 3.5 blocks plus steals in 27.1 minutes of action. As mentioned above (in the Butler blurb), this is a massive pace up game for the Bears. That should provide plenty of opportunities for Gillespie to stuff the stat sheet.
Braxton Key, Virginia ($6,700) - Key is averaging .75 FanDuel fantasy points per minute. At that production clip, the senior should pay off his current price tag in 35.7 minutes of action. Key has played 36 minutes or more in four straight games. Throw in a major pace up game against North Carolina State and Key makes for a good play on this slate.
Mamadi Diakite, Virginia ($6,200) - Diakite was a major contributor in Virginia's national championship run last season. He played a lot in the NCAA tournament because he was a solid rebounder and a good shot blocker. Now a senior, Diakite has grown his offensive game to complement his defensive capabilities. Diakite leads the Cavaliers with a 25.8% usage rate, and he's also attempting 26.2% of the team's shot attempts when he's on the floor per KenPom.
Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia ($5,900) - Tshiebwe is averaging a slate-best 1.09 FanDuel fantasy points per minute. At that production clip, the freshman should pay off his current price tag in 21.7 minutes of action. He's topped 26 minutes of game play in four out of the last five games.
Jay Huff, Virginia ($5,800) - Huff was inserted into the starting lineup in the Cavaliers' last game against Georgia Tech. The Virginia big man scored 17 points, collected 8 rebounds, assisted on 2 baskets, and blocked 6 shots in 34 minutes. If he draws the starting assignment tonight, he's a solid mid-tier play at his current price tag.
Matthew Hiatt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Hiatt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username easternmh. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.