Getting ready for March Madness? Well there’s still some college basketball DFS to play on DraftKings and FanDuel in the lead-up and Austyn Varney has you covered with his top picks for each site on Sunday, March 2nd (3/2/20). Let’s get into his top CBB DFS Picks. Not a member of Awesemo+? Come and join the team!
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College Basketball Games and Lines for March 2nd
NC State @ Duke (-12.5) – 151
Texas Tech @ Baylor (-9) – 130.5
CBB DFS Picks: Guards
Tre Jones – Duke – FD $7,800 DK $8,400
March has arrived and it looks like Coach K is ready to let Tre Jones loose. He’s been over 40 minutes in back-to-back games and is going to be needed against an NC State team that upset the Blue Devils a couple of weeks ago. Tre Jones isn’t going to light it up on a per-minute basis, but the Wolfpack play as fast as Duke and he certainly has 45+ fantasy-point upside in the matchup. He posted 38.3 fantasy points in 35 minutes against NC State last game and I expect him to stay on the court for the full 40 here (assuming it stays close). With the two-game slate, it’s going to be tough to stay away from Tre Jones in any format as he projects for a safe 35-40 fantasy points with a higher ceiling than any other guard.
Markell Johnson – NC State – FD $7,200 DK $7,500
This is the game to Target between the two as both NC State and Duke play at top-80 paces. Markell Johnson was the leader of the upset against Duke and ended up posting 51 DraftKings points on 28 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He was a nightmare for the Blue Devils and they couldn’t find anyone to stop him down the stretch. They didn’t get anyone back from injury in the last week and Johnson will be a problem once again for Duke. Markell Johnson does it all for the Wolfpack and he excels in the open floor. It’s tough to project 50 once again, but 35 is fair and his price is affordable on both sites.
Jared Butler – Baylor – FD $7,000 DK $7,300
If you’re going to pay up for a guard in the Texas Tech @ Baylor game, Jared Butler is relatively safe and I’m a fan of his price on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Butler has been over 30 DraftKings points in five straight games and he’s going to come out on fire after the tough loss to TCU. Butler will also come in under-owned compared to Jones and Johnson, and he’s cheaper with similar value. Baylor is a guard-heavy team, but Butler still holds onto a 24% usage while being locked into 30+ minutes. Texas Tech plays faster than Baylor and Vegas expects Baylor to score 70. Butler doesn’t have the same upside as Jones or Johnson, but he’s an excellent pivot from Johnson if you think Duke blows NC State out. Personally, Butler is 2nd for me in cash games behind Jones and 3rd in tournaments behind both Jones and Johnson.
Devon Daniels – NC State – FD $5,900 DK $7,000
Devon Daniels is an x-factor for the Wolfpack and he’s going to need another big game against Duke if they want to keep it close on the road. Daniels scored 25 points and 41 fantasy points against Duke last time and his effectiveness kept the Blue Devils from honing on on Markell Johnson. The versatile guard doesn’t show the same consistency as Johnson, but we know he’s going to play a huge role for NC State in this game and he could very well get hot from the field if the better defense is sent to Johnson. Daniels is a guy comfortable with in all formats as I don’t see him under 25 fantasy points in the matchup.
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Cassius Stanley – Duke – FD $5,000 DK $5,200
We only have two games on tonight’s slate, so you can throw the typical rules out about getting too much exposure to one team or one game. Duke is projected to score 81 points and I have no problem having four Blue Devils in your cash games or tournaments. Cassius Stanley is cheap on both sites and I have a sneaky suspicion he’s going to have a bigger role than he had last game. He played just 23 minutes against the Wolfpack and they missed his scoring punch. Stanley has played 35+ minutes plenty of times and seems to play more at home. You need value on this slate and Stanley is a great way to get there.
CBB DFS Picks: Forwards
Vernon Carey Jr. – Duke – FD $7,500 DK $8,100
Vernon Carey is going to be nearly impossible to stay away from on this slate. The Wolfpack struggle against big men and the Blue Devils are projected to score over 80 points here. Carey scored 27 points with 12 rebounds and ended up over 50 fantasy points against NC State just 12 days ago. That was a losing effort for Duke and it’s fair to expect Carey to have an even bigger game here. If you can only lock one player into your lineup, I would recommend it being Vernon Carey Jr. Forward is not only bleak, but he’s the only player on the slate who can realistically score 55+ fantasy points. Give me 100% Carey and take advantage over the field.
Freddie Gillespie – Baylor FD $6,800 DK $7,700
With forward being a lot weaker than guard on this short slate, it’s not a bad idea to pay up in as many spots as possible. Freddie Gillespie put up 19 points and 17 rebounds in the Bears losing effort to TCU. He’ll need to have another big game against Texas Tech in a game that Baylor is favored by just nine in. Gillespie has all the tools to put up 50 fantasy points, and he’ll be a lot lower-owned than Carey. Texas Tech plays fast and they have one of the weakest frontcourts in the conference. TJ Holyfield is athletic, but that’s about all he has working in his favor. I like fitting both Gillespie and Carey in all formats.
D.J. Funderburk – NC State – FD $5,600 DK $7,100
D.J. Funderburk is a bit inconsistent for the NC State Wolfpack, but he’s a phenomenal option when at his best. He’s been over 21 fantasy points in four of the last five games and has been over 35 in two of those. One of those games was against Duke, where Funderburk scored 21 points and nine rebounds. He’ll be needed to have another big game here and while I don’t expect 35+ fantasy points, his price is fair on both sites and easily one of the best values at forward. Funderburk will likely be extremely high-owned, but the forward position is weak and I’m willing to eat the chalk here.
Jericole Hellems – NC State – FD $4,500 DK $4,700
If you need to find some value on the short slate, Jericole Hellems is a solid option. Hellems played 27 minutes against Duke, but only put up 10 fantasy points. It at least shows that the NC State coaching staff thinks he matches up well with Duke and I would expect another 25 or so minutes. His price is extremely low on both sites and he’s been over 14 points in two of the last three games. I recommend doing your best to pay up at forward, but will have my fair share of Hellems when I fade Funderburk or Gillespie.
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