College basketball season is finally upon us, and DraftKings and FanDuel continue to provide sizable contests for DFS grinders. Examining the slate for Jan. 21, a number of core plays stand out. In this piece I’ll be locating top plays from each college basketball matchup and determining the top CBB DFS picks for your DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
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CBB DFS Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Core Plays | Jan. 21
Wichita State vs. Memphis
Wichita State (67.75 Team Total)
Entering the slate with middling implied team total, Wichita State runs an annoying 10-man rotation. This generally causes problems for DFS, and today looks no different. The only consistent player is Tyson Etienne ($7,900), who has played at least 35 minutes in each of Wichita State’s last three games. Etienne also leads the team with a 21.6% usage rate, but he faces a Memphis defense ranked eighth overall in defensive efficiency. Behind Etienne, Alterique Gilbert ($5,500) and Dexter Dennis ($5,600) play the next most consistent minutes. Gilbert’s 17.8% usage rate dwarfs Dennis’ 12.9% rate. Perhaps Trey Wade ($4,300) enters the discussion as a punt, but he offers very little upside with 5 points or fewer in three straight.
Memphis (70.75 Team Total)
Similar to Wichita State, Memphis uses a 10-man rotation on most nights. Damion Baugh ($3,300) is questionable with a concussion, but that only removes an ancillary piece from the rotation. Landers Nolley ($5,900) leads the team in usage, but Memphis removed him from the starting lineup last time out. Deandre Williams ($7,800) currently plays the most consistent role, but his usage is depressed at 13.3%. D.J. Jeffries ($6,300) and Lester Quinones ($6,000) provide fliers in GPP’s, but neither has eclipsed 29 minutes in three straight. With better spots on the slate, this game and the deep rotations on each side look particularly difficult to get to.
Rutgers vs. Penn State
Rutgers (71.5 Team Total)
One of the better game environments on the slate, this contest features a 144-point total and an above-average projected pace. Rutgers enters this contest at a depressed price point after four straight losses. Because of that, stud Ron Harper ($6,800) looks like one of the best plays on the slate at a reduced price. Harper shot 2-for-13 last time out but notched double-digit points in his two previous contests, making him a superb buy-low. Geo Baker ($5,100) looks like a worthwhile play with his 17.6% usage rate. Baker has at least 29 minutes in two straight with an increasing usage. Jacob Young ($7,100) may also be considered in GPP’s, but his price exceeds Harper despite less usage. Montez Mathis ($5,000) and Myles Johnson ($7,100) round out the starting five, but they split time with Paul Mulcahy, Caleb McConnell and Clifford Omoruyi.
Penn State (72.5 Team Total)
Penn State enters this contest as a slight favorite despite a winless record in conference play. Rotational player Myles Dread picked up a shoulder injury in Penn State’s last game and couldn’t return. His absence would narrow a rotation that typically utilizes eight players. Myreon Jones ($6,600) leads the team in usage (21.9%) and minutes for Penn State this year. At a discounted price, he is a strong play. Izaiah Brockington ($5,800) could also see elevated minutes after playing just 20 last time out. He ranks second with a 19.4% usage rate and played 29 minutes in back-to-back games prior to their most recent contest. John Harrar ($5,400) may also find his way to a productive outing with at least 25 minutes in three straight games. Penn State also moved Seth Lundy ($5,200) to the bench, increasing Harrar’s time on the floor slightly. If Dread misses this game, Jamari Wheeler ($4,600) and Sam Sessoms ($4,700) also likely will see more time. Sessoms is the more used player of the two with a 17.2% usage rate compared to 10.4% for Wheeler.
Indiana vs. Iowa
Indiana (70.75 Team Total)
Playing in the game with the second-highest total, Indiana meets an Iowa team with a frantic pace of play. Most of Indiana’s production flows through big man Trayce Jackson-Davis ($9,400). Luka Garza isn’t known for his defense, keeping Jackson-Davis and his 23.6% shot rate and 25.6% rebounding rate firmly in play. Last game Armaan Franklin ($6,200) returned for Indiana to play 33 minutes of the bench. He took 15 shots, rendering Rob Phinisee and Trey Galloway sparsely used rotational players. Aljami Durham ($6,000) and Race Thompson ($6,700) round out the starting five, but neither plays a massive role. Thompson’s ceiling is somewhat depended on a Jackson-Davis floor game and Durham’s upside comes through his 21% rebounding rate. Indiana is a little expensive but in play in a solid matchup.
Iowa (81.25 Team Total)
Iowa runs through Garza ($10,200). Garza is a tricky evaluation as the most expensive player in college basketball DFS. At his price, he needs 40-50 points to hit value. However, few players hit that mark with his frequency. If value were to open, Garza would become the strongest play on the slate. Behind Garza, most of Iowa’s players find themselves overpriced compared to their usage. Joe Wieskamp ($7,200) and Jordan Bohannon ($8,100) are the next most used players, and both possess 18% usage rates. However, neither takes more than 15% of the shots, and Bohannon’s usage stems from his 22.7% assist rate. Both provide solid floors but questionable ceilings at these price tags. C.J. Fredrick ($4,500) and Connor McCaffery ($4,500) round out the starting five. Neither provides minute security, with Jack Nunge ($4,700) and Patrick McCaffery ($3,900) often rotating into the lineup. If picking between the fringe Iowa players, Fredrick possesses the best usage at 14.9%.
UCLA vs. California
UCLA (72.75 Team Total)
Another potential blowout, UCLA is a 9-point favorite over a struggling California team. This is one of the biggest mismatches, with UCLA ranking 17th in offensive efficiency and Cal ranking 268 in defensive efficiency. With Chris Smith out for the year, UCLA actually runs a fairly narrow rotation. Tyger Campbell ($6,700) leads the team in usage (20.2%) and is priced below Jaime Jaquez ($7,000). Both are solid plays, but Campbell looks like the safer option with a 16.7% shot rate and 30.2% assist rate. Jules Bernard ($5,900) and Johnny Juzang ($5,700) have also emerged as consistent players for UCLA. Juzang’s 17.7% usage rate and 16.1% shot rate in UCLA’s last three games stands out from a pricing perspective. Cal’s defense ranks 334 in defense behind the arc. Juzang’s specialty is shooting 3-pointers, making him a particularly enticing mid-range play. Cody Riley ($5,900) rounds out the staring five and can also be considered in GPP’s. His minutes aren’t as consistent as the four mentioned above, but this is a solid matchup for UCLA across the board.
California (63.75 Team Total)
On the other side, Cal continues to struggle after losing Matt Bradley ($6,100) earlier this season. Bradley is expected to miss this game again, making Cal’s rotation tricky to target. Andre Kelly ($6,400) plays the most minutes, but Makale Foreman ($5,000) actually leads the team in usage (18.2%). Grant Anticevich ($6,400) and Ryan Betley ($5,500) also approach 30 minutes in most competitive games. However, Cal typically won’t allow their starters much more than 30 minutes. With an already low implied team total, this renders the four aforementioned players GPP plays. Foreman is the most interesting at the cheapest price with the highest usage rate.
Arizona vs. Arizona State
Arizona (78 Team Total)
Playing in the highest-totaled game on the slate, Arizona enters a pace-up spot against a struggling Arizona State team ranked 236th in defensive efficiency. Notably, Arizona lost Jemarl Baker for the season and just played their first game without him. Predictably, James Akinjo ($7,600) continues to play a massive role with a team-leading 20% usage rate. In his last three games, Akinjo has played at least 32 minutes, taken 18.6% of the shots and provided an 43.4% assist rate. Without Baker, Bennedict Mathurin ($6,900) played a massive role for Arizona last time out. Mathurin led the team with 31 points and eight rebounds on a 30-minute effort, making him another strong price-adjusted play. In the paint Azuolas Tubelis ($7,300) also scored 15 points while adding to his 20.8% rebounding rate in Arizona’s last three games. Further shaking up the starting lineup, Arizona moved Dalen Terry ($3,600) and Jordan Brown ($6,200) to the bench in favor of Christian Koloko ($4,300) and Terrell Brown ($4,900). Koloko only played 17 minutes, and Terrell Brown was out-played significantly by Jordan Brown. Playing three fewer minutes than Terrell, Jordan notched 25 points and five boards, ranking only behind Mathurin in DFS scoring. With a massive total, Akinjo, Mathurin, Tubelis, both Brown’s and perhaps even Koloko are all in play for DFS contest.
Arizona State (75.5 Team Total)
On the other side, Arizona State also provides intrigue with the third-highest implied team total on the board. Rumor has it that Jalen Graham ($4,600) may return from his extended absence after recovering from Mono. Graham’s return should help a struggling Arizona post game that lost Taeshon Cherry ($3,400) for personal reasons. The staring guards consist of Josh Christopher ($8,000), Alonzo Verge ($7,500) and Remy Martin ($6,400). Martin returned from a two-game absence to play 36 minutes last time out. His 19% usage rate is squarely in play here. Both Verge and Christopher saw their minutes drop with the return of Martin. However, both also battled foul trouble and should see 30-plus minutes in this spot. Christopher has a 19.4% usage rate, while Verge checks in at 20.6%. In the paint, Marcus Bagley ($7,400) also has a 15.7% usage rate. However, he has seen increased usage in Arizona State’s last three games with a 19.3% shot rate and 30.2% rebounding rate. Behind Bagley, Arizona State likely uses some combination of Chris Osten ($4,500) and Graham. Osten actually played 32 minutes last time out and would provide value if Graham cannot return tonight.
Utah vs. Washington State
Utah (67.5 Team Total)
Arguably the worst game environment on the slate, Utah is 1.5-point favorites over Washington State in a game totaled at 133.5 points. Timmy Allen ($8,800) leads Utah in usage at 20.4%. However, he draws a difficult matchup against a Washington State team that ranks 31st in defensive efficiency. Positively, Allen has played 35 minutes in three straight games, giving him contrarian appeal. Pelle Larsson ($5,300) and Alfonso Plummer ($5,400) both push 30 minutes on most nights. Plummer’s 18.7% usage comes from a 19.2% shot rate, while Larson is a peripheral player. Mikael Jantunen ($5,000) also plays a fair amount but has low upside with a 9.4% usage rate. Utah’s low total and expansive rotation are difficult to trust.
Washington State (66 Team Total)
Another star in a poor game environment, Isaac Bonton ($8,300) and his 22.9% usage rate draw a slow Utah team in this spot. Utah also plays solid defense with the 92nd-ranked defensive efficiency in the country. Bonton has played at least 36 minutes in three straight games, giving him similar contrarian appeal to Allen on the other side. Behind Bonton, Dishon Jackson ($4,900) has begun to play over Noah Williams ($5,600). Jackson only has a 9.7% usage rate, but his increased playing time renders Williams almost unusable. In the paint, Efe Abogidi ($6,600) and Andrej Jakimovski ($4,400) hold down the interior. Both eclipsed 30 minutes last time out. Abogidi provides more usage and finished with a double-double in Washington State’s most recent contest. However, Jakimovski enters this contest with a cheap price tag and allows multiple studs into lineups at the top.
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