NCAAB

College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 1/28/20

Matt Hiatt Jan 28th, 2020
Taking on Pittsburgh, Tre Jones is in a phenomenal spot on Tuesday. Who else should you roster?

College basketball season is entering conference play, and we have a ten-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?

Relevant Injury Situations: The big news of the slate revolves around Miami (FL) Hurricanes'guards Chris Lykes and Kameron McGusty. Both players are game-time decisions. Isaiah Wong ($3,500) and Harlond Beverly ($4,000) would likely start and make for solid value plays if both Lykes and McGusty are ruled out. Butler Bulldogs guard Aaron Thompson is questionable after missing the team's last game. Henry Baddley ($3,100) was the primary beneficiary as he logged 31 minutes and recorded 18 FanDuel points. Virginia Cavaliers Kody Stattman is questionable after missing the team's last game. Tomas Woldetensae ($4,500) would likely start if Stattman is unable to play.

Guards

Tre Jones, Duke ($7,400) - The Duke Blue Devils' point guard provides a solid floor with a sky-high ceiling. Jones has recorded at least 25 FanDuel points in nine out of the last 10 games. He also eclipsed 40 FanDuel points in four of those games. He should have no problem exploiting Pittsburgh's defense (72nd in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings). Mississippi guard Breein Tyree ($7,200) is a quality alternative at a similar price point.

Kamar Baldwin, Butler ($6,900) - Baldwin owns a usage rate of 30.5% and takes 35.5% of the Bulldogs' shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom. Both clips lead the team and rank inside the top 45 nationally. On tap is a phenomenal matchup with the fast-paced (48th in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings) and defensive-deficient Georgetown Hoyas. Georgetown is 109th in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings.

Landers Nolley II, Virginia Tech ($6,500) - Nolley II plays a ton of minutes and hoists up a ton of shots. The freshman has played 31 or more minutes in seven consecutive games. He has a usage rate of 32.9% and takes 33.5% of the Virginia Tech Hokies' shots. Both of those numbers rank inside the top 25 nationally, per KenPom. The matchup with the Miami (FL) Hurricanes is outstanding. The Hurricanes are horrendous defensively as they check in at 244th in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings.

Dru Smith, Missouri ($6,500) - Smith has recorded at least 34 FanDuel points in three out of the last five games. However, his price tag remains affordable after he struggled against West Virginia's swarming defense on Saturday. I expect Smith to bounce-back against the Georgia Bulldogs. The matchup with the Bulldogs is a massive pace-up game for the Missouri Tigers. The Tigers are 272nd in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings while Georgia sits 76th. Mac McClung ($6,700) is another viable guard in Smith's and Nolley's price range.

J'Von McCormick, Auburn ($5,300) - McCormick is a viable DFS play due to his ability to contribute in several statistical categories. The Auburn Tigers' point guard is averaging 11.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.0 blocks/steals in 29.3 minutes. The matchup versus Mississippi should provide McCormick with plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet. The Rebels are atrocious on defense as they check in at 108th in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings. Buddy Boeheim ($5,300), Wabissa Bede ($5,200), and Blake Hinson ($5,200) are solid alternatives in McCormick's price range.

Forwards

Reggie Perry, Mississippi State ($8,000) - Perry leads the Mississippi State Bulldogs with a 28.4% usage rate. He is also taking 28.7% of the team's shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom (also leads the team). Additionally, he's producing 1.17 FanDuel points per minute, which is third best on the slate (Vernon Carey Jr. leads the slate at 1.3 FanDuel points per minute, followed by Austin Wiley at 1.2). The sophomore has recorded a double-double in four out of the last five games. Vernon Carey Jr. ($7,300) and Omer Yurtseven ($6,900) are also excellent options who aren't quite as expensive as Perry.

Aamir Simms, Clemson ($6,700) - Simms is averaging 0.92 FanDuel points per minute. At his production clip, he should pay off his current price tag in 29.1 minutes of action. The Clemson Tigers' forward has logged 29 minutes or more in eight consecutive games. Kerry Blackshear Jr. ($6,700), at the same price tag, checks some boxes, too.

Rayshaun Hammonds, Georgia ($6,300) - Hammonds is posting a healthy usage rate of 25.0%, and he takes 27.7% of the Bulldogs' shots when he's on the floor, according to KenPom. He's producing 1.0 FanDuel points per minute. At his production clip, he should pay off his current price tag in 25.2 minutes of action. The sophomore has logged at least 30 minutes in three consecutive games.

Marek Dolezaj, Syracuse ($6,200) - Dolezaj is an intriguing DFS play because he plays nearly the entire game for the Syracuse Orange and has the ability to contribute in every major statistical category. The lanky forward has played 30 minutes or more in 12 consecutive games. He's averaging 10.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.3 blocks/steals in 34.1 minutes. He's cleared 30 FanDuel points in four out of the last five games. Mamadi Diakite ($6,200) is a decent alternative in Dolezaj's price range.

Omar Payne, Florida ($4,400) - The former four-star recruit is an integral part of the Florida Gators' rotation. Payne is averaging 5.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks/steals in 17.3 minutes. The freshman has seen his minutes spike as of late due to his ability to defend multiple positions. He looks like one of the best value plays after logging at least 22 minutes in each of the last four games. PJ Horne ($4,300) is also worth a look in this price range.


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.