College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 3/3/20

College basketball season is wrapping up conference play, and we have a 10-game slate tonight.

March Madness is right around the corner, 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?

Known Relevant Injury Situations: Jairus Hamilton (Boston College), Armanda Bacot (North Carolina), Torry Johnson (Wake Forest), Paul Reed (DePaul) are all questionable.

Guards

Cole Anthony, North Carolina ($7,700) - Anthony is one of my favorite players to target because he rarely leaves the court and he hoists up a TON of shots. The freshman owns a stellar 30.7% usage rate and he also takes 31.2% of the Tar Heels shots when he's on the floor. On tap is a smash spot as the Tar Heels host Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons love to push the tempo (76th in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings) and they also struggle defensively. Wake Forest is 123rd in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings. Markus Howard ($8,500) is a fine option albeit slightly more expensive than Anthony.

Cassius Winston, Michigan State ($7,100) - Winston is playing his best basketball of the season with March Madness right around the corner. Over the last three games, the Michigan State floor general is averaging 21 points, 3.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 0.3 steals in 35 minutes. Throw in a pace-up game for the Spartans as they travel to Penn State and Winston makes for a compelling option. Michigan State is 107th in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings while Penn State is 48th.

Charlie Moore, DePaul ($6,700) - Moore leads the Blue Demons with a 26.8% usage rate; he also takes 25.9% of the team's shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom. Despite two dreadful outings in a row, I'm expecting Moore to bounce back against an average Marquette Golden Eagles defense (69th in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings). DePaul star Paul Reed is questionable after missing the Blue Demons last game. If Reed sits, Moore's offensive load could be massive as Reed ranks second amongst the Blue Demons in usage rate (23.3% per KenPom). Immanuel Quickley ($6,600) is also worth a look in Moore's price range.

Joseph Girard III, Syracuse ($5,500) - The Syracuse point guard is averaging .7 FanDuel points per minute. At that production clip, he is expected to pay off his price tag in 31.4 minutes of action. The freshman has played 32-plus minutes in 11 consecutive games. His viability is further enhanced due to the matchup with Boston College. The Eagles defense is easily exploitable as evidenced by their 119th ranking in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings. Syracuse star Elijah Hughes ($8,000) is also an excellent high-priced guard option.

Andrew Jones, Texas ($4,900) - Jones has stepped up his play as the Texas Longhorns have been devastated by injuries this season. Over the last four games, Jones is averaging 24.85 FanDuel points in 36.3 minutes. He owns a usage rate of 24.5%; he's taking 27.1% of the Longhorns shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom (leads team). He should have plenty of opportunities to make plays as the matchup with Oklahoma Sooners represents a massive pace-up game for Texas. Texas is 290th in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings while Oklahoma is 113th.

Other guards to consider ($5,000 and below): Leaky Black, Brandon Robinson, Buddy Boeheim, Jermaine Haley, CJ Fredrick, Josiah-Jordan James, Eric Hunter Jr., and Justin Pierce (if Armando Bacot is OUT).

Forwards

Luka Garza, Iowa ($9,000) - Garza is having a phenomenal season for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Garza's rock-solid floor and sky-high ceiling are nearly unmatched in college basketball this season. He's recorded 30-plus FanDuel points in 22 consecutive games. He's topped 50 FanDuel points in five of those games. The Iowa star is averaging 23.7 points, 9.8 points, 1.1 assists, and 2.5 blocks/steals in 31.5 minutes. Due to the matchup with the Purdue Boilermakers, I think Garza's ownership percentage could be on the lower-end which makes him an intriguing GPP target (same with Maryland star Jalen Smith who's priced at $8,400). Purdue is 15th in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings.

Garrison Brooks, North Carolina ($7,400) - Brooks has been a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Over the last four games, Brooks is averaging 24.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks/steals in 36.5 minutes. With a phenomenal matchup on tap (against Wake Forest) and frontcourt mate Armando Bacot's availability in question, Brooks looks like one of the best forward plays on the slate. I'm also bullish on Penn State forward Lamar Stevens ($7,300) in Brooks' price range.

Steffon Mitchell, Boston College ($6,500) - Mitchell is averaging .83 FanDuel points per minute. At that production clip, he is expected to pay off his price tag in 31.3 minutes of action. Mitchell has logged 31-plus minutes in six out of the last seven games. The slate is loaded with quality forward options in the $6,100 to $6,500 price range. The players I like in that price range are: Olivier Sarr ($6,500), Oscar Tshiebwe ($6,400), Trevion Williams ($6,300), Nick Richards ($6,100), and John Fulkerson ($6,100).

Brady Manek, Oklahoma ($5,700) - Manek has put together a solid season despite being overshadowed by frontcourt mate Kristian Doolittle (also a solid play at $7,500). The junior is averaging 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds which ranks second amongst the Sooners. Manek's price tag has decreased as his box scores haven't been impressive. However, the Sooners have played four teams in KenPom's top 5 adjusted defense ratings over the last five games West Virginia, Texas Tech, and Kansas. This looks like a decent spot to take advantage of Manek's declining price tag as the Sooners host a Texas Longhorn squad that is exceptionally thin in the frontcourt. Joe Wieskamp ($5,900), Yves Pons ($5,700), Nik Popovic ($5,400), and Aaron Henry ($5,300) are other forwards priced near Manek that are worth a look.

Evan Boudreaux, Purdue ($4,100) - The senior has been a reserve for most of the season (averaging 15.9 minutes per game). However, Boudreaux has seen his role change as of late. He's played 23 minutes in four consecutive including 28 minutes in each of the last two games. Perhaps, most importantly, his cheap salary opens up a ton of cap space. Boudreaux has recorded at least 20 FanDuel points in two straight games.

Other forwards to consider ($5,000 and below): Justin Brown, Michael Durr, Quincy Guerrier, EJ Montgomery, Seth Lundy, and Darious Hall (if Paul Reed is OUT).

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.