FanDuel College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 2/3/22
March Madness is a ways away, but you can get into college hoops today by playing daily contests at FanDuel.
If you've played NBA DFS before, college basketball DFS is similar. You pick a total of eight players -- four guards, three forwards, and one utility spot. Stay within the $50,000 salary cap, and field the team you think will score the most fantasy points.
The scoring settings differ from NBA in the blocks and steals categories; each is worth two FanDuel points, rather than the three you get in NBA contests.
Now that you're in the know, let's attack today's main slate. All betting lines come from NCAAB odds.
The Iowa-Ohio State game has been postponed.
Guards
Jacob Young, Oregon ($6,900) - It's unlikely I'll spend a lot of salary on a high-end guard on this slate. I am into Young at his modest salary. He paces the Oregon Ducks with a 23.7% usage rate -- per Sports-Reference -- and has logged at least 29 minutes in 10 straight games. He's taken double-digit shots in seven consecutive outings. He's facing the Colorado Buffaloes, a team he just posted 28.1 FanDuel points against back on January 25th despite 5-for-15 shooting. Young offers good upside for the salary if his shot is falling.
Jules Bernard, UCLA ($6,700) - Bernard and the UCLA Bruins are in a massive pace-up spot against the Arizona Wildcats. UCLA sits 174th in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom, while Arizona is 2nd. Bernard has seen 30-plus minutes in six games in a row, putting up at least 24.0 FanDuel points five times in that span. He scored 29.8 FanDuel points last time out in a game in which fellow guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. exited early. Jaquez is questionable for today, and Jaquez sitting would only boost Bernard's outlook.
Tyrell Roberts, Washington State ($5,000) - The Washington State Cougars play at the Stanford Cardinal in the game with the slate's lowest total (131.5). I still like Roberts, though, and think he's a great way to save some salary. Roberts has been steady, registering between 16.3 and 24.7 FanDuel points in six of his past seven games. The one exception was an outburst of 31.6 FanDuel points, which represents a season-best mark. Stanford (159th in adjusted tempo) is a pace-up matchup for the Cougars (250th).
Kerr Kriisa, Arizona ($4,700) - Krissa is a low-salary starter on an Arizona squad with a 77.00-point implied total, the slate's second-highest. He's totaled a mere 12.9 FanDuel points across his last two games, one of which came against UCLA. But prior to that, he'd scored at least 15.1 FanDuel points in every other game this season. The minutes should be there as Kriisa has played at least 29 minutes in seven straight. Justin Kier ($5,000) and Pelle Larsson ($4,900) are also viable low-salary dart throws on 'Zona.
Forwards
Drew Timme, Gonzaga ($8,200) - You can make a strong case for Timme and Chet Holmgren ($8,300) as the Gonzaga Bulldogs carry a slate-leading 86.00-point implied total. I side with Timme, who has a 29.4% usage rate, which is much higher than Holmgren's 21.7% clip. Timme has recorded at least 34.0 FanDuel points in five of his last six games, and the 112th-ranked D of the San Diego Toreros shouldn't present much of a challenge. The only worry with the Zags is blowout risk as they're 21.5-point favorites.
Isaiah Mobley, USC ($7,900) - Mobley also stands out at the top-end of the forward pool. He's amassed at least 24.4 FanDuel points in nine consecutive games, scoring at least 29.9 in seven of those. He's also seen at least 32 minutes in 16 of his last 17 outings. Southern Cal is going up against Arizona State, and Mobley's 24.4% usage rate should ensure that he is busy in a game with a tight 5.5-point spread.
Marcellus Earlington, San Diego ($5,800) - Earlington is a great run-back piece if you stack Gonzaga. The bump in pace helps alleviate some of the concerns about a blowout and the difficult matchup. The Bulldogs are 3rd in adjusted tempo while San Diego is 298th, so this is going to be a huge hike up in pace for the Toreros. Earlington has produced at least 23.6 FanDuel points in seven of his past eight games, with spike outings of 36.7 and 44.0 in that stretch. His 30.4% usage rate is a team-best number by 7.2 percentage points.
Evan Battey, Colorado ($4,900) - The Colorado-Oregon game could fly under the radar and might wind up being pretty solid for DFS. The 138.5-point total is the third-highest on the slate, and the 2.0-point spread should mean both teams keep the gas down. The Ducks are just 118th in adjusted defense, so it's a nice spot for the Buffs. Battey is a low-salary way to get in on the action. He had 14.4 FanDuel points in his last appearance, and that was his worst FanDuel output since January 9th. He's played at least 30 minutes in four straight.
