The college basketball slate for Thursday, Feb. 24, features a slew of high-profile teams in action, including Gonzaga, USC and Illinois, that have some great players available for CBB DFS picks. As always, this article will be breaking down all of the best CBB picks for DraftKings and FanDuel fantasy college basketball lineups tonight and going over some of the best plays from each pricing range. If you are looking to take your game to the next level, be sure to check out our daily CBB DFS projections over at the Awesemo College Basketball page.
CBB DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Basketball
Stud CBB Picks Today
Chet Holmgren ($9,200) — Always on the slate but never in a competitive game environment, Gonzaga finally finds a worthy opponent in San Francisco here. Still, Gonzaga is a 9.5-point favorite over San Francisco in a game with a 156.5-point total. The Gonzaga starters seldom play a full complement of minutes, but that projects to be the case here. Leading the group is freshman Chet Holmgren, who has already played 31, 31 and 35 minutes in each of Gonzaga’s last three games. Extremely involved, Holmgren has a 16% shot rate and 34.5% rebound rate in that span. Improving matters further, San Francisco’s primary defensive weakness occurs in the interior. Even at an elevated price tag, Holmgren is the premier stud play on tonight’s slate. Drew Timme is also solid play, along with the other three Gonzaga starters.
When running the CBB DFS projections through the Awesemo lineup optimizer, Holmgren was popping as one of the top CBB picks on the Thursday slate. For more of our free college basketball picks today, check out the DraftKings CBB DFS Cheat Sheet and FanDuel CBB DFS Cheat Sheet.
Javon Freeman-Liberty ($8,800) — Still underpriced from his multi-game absence earlier this year, Javon Freeman-Liberty draws an excellent matchup against Georgetown on tonight’s slate. Overall, DePaul is a 2.5-point favorite over Georgetown in a game with a solid 146.5-point total. Georgetown ranks 298th in defensive efficiency and Freeman-Liberty already has an absurd 24% usage rate this year. More importantly, Freeman-Liberty looks healthy for the first time this year. In DePaul’s last three games, he played 38, 29 and 30 minutes, while contributing a 28.7% shot rate, 21.9% rebound rate and 28.6% assist rate. Also slightly cheaper than some of the other studs on this slate, Freeman-Liberty is an excellent target here.
K.J. Williams ($8,300) — Another awesome game environment on a sneaky Thursday DFS slate, Murray State takes on Belmont as a 3.5-point favorite in a game with a 145-point total. One of the most involved players on the entire slate, K.J. Williams has now played 36, 23 and 32 minutes in Murray State’s last three games. His 23-minute game occurred in a 35-point victory, squashing any playing time concerns here. Williams has a 20.5% usage rate on the year and has now provided a 24.6% shot rate and 26.7% rebound rate in Murray State’s last three games. Cheaper than most other studs as well, Williams slides easily into lineups. A few other GPP considerations not mentioned in this piece included Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kofi Cockburn, Drew Peterson, and E.J. Liddell. All of them project slightly behind the studs mentioned here.
Mid-Range CBB Picks Today
Yauhen Massalski ($6,500) — On the other side of the Gonzaga game, San Francisco has a solid 73.5-point implied team total even as 9.5-point underdogs. While Jamaree Bouyea is San Francisco’s alpha, he has seen reduced usage of late. One primary beneficiary has been Yauhen Massalski. While Massalski only played 16 minutes in San Francisco’s most recent 33-point win, he played 35 and 31 minutes in the two games prior. He accounted for a 12% shot rate, 24.3% rebound rate and 14.3% assist rate in that span. While he draws a tougher matchup inside, he also brings the most double-double equity on this team. For those looking in the same price range, Khalil Shabazz offers a more consistent projection at a similar price.
Will Richard ($6,000) — On the other side of the Murray State game, Belmont still has a 70.75-point implied team total as a 3.5-point underdog. Belmont plays a deeper rotation than Murray State, but Will Richard stands out for his consistency. Richard has now played 31, 21 and 32 minutes over Belmont’s last three games. In that span, he has played excellent basketball, providing an 18.9% shot rate, 18.1% rebound rate and 14.6% assist rate. This will be one of Belmont’s tougher matchups this year, but Richard’s involvement across statistical categories gives him an excellent floor in this spot.
Rasir Bolton ($5,800) — For those looking at a cheaper attachment to Gonzaga, Rasir Bolton enters the slate at an affordable $5,800 price tag. While less involved than the other studs, Bolton has still played 31, 26 and 34 minutes in each of Gonzaga’s last three games. Bolton has a 14.8% usage rate, a 12% shot rate and a 13.7% assist rate. Depressed by repeated blowouts, Bolton’s rate should rise in this contest. Also playing behind Gonzaga’s elite 83-point team total, Bolton offers a solid floor/ceiling blend at an affordable price tag.
CBB Value Picks Today
Nique Clifford ($4,700) — Consistently underrated in the betting markets, Colorado enters tonight’s slate as a 5.5-point favorite over Arizona State in a game with a 133-point total. While this game environment leaves much to be desired, Colorado recently condensed their rotation with Eli Parquet still injured. One beneficiary was Nique Clifford, who has now played 34, 29 and 25 minutes in three straight games. He also has a 15.7% shot rate, 18.9% rebound rate and 12.8% assist rate in this span. His overall consistency makes him one of the better value plays on the board.
Gabe Stefanini ($4,700) — For those looking at potential punt plays within the Gonzaga vs. San Francisco game, Gabe Stefanini looks like a potential target. Stefanini has now played 25, 30 and 28 minutes over San Francisco’s last three games, which includes a 33-point blowout win. In this span, Stefanini has a 17.7% shot rate, 5.8% rebound rate and 14.3% assist rate. His 14% usage rate lags behind some of the more involved players on this team, but he still provides a solid floor for his price tag.
Hysier Miller ($4,600) — A potential injury-based value play, Hysier Miller has played a pivotal role for Temple during a period of turmoil. Temple enters this game as an 11.5-point underdog to Memphis in a game with a 138-point total. Memphis ranks 47th in defensive efficiency overall, but Miller has played 35, 34 and 39 minutes in three straight games for Temple. This includes Temple’s most recent game where Damian Dunn returned from injury. Miller has also contributed a 13.3% shot rate, 10.4% rebound rate and 37.5% assist rate in Temple’s last three, giving him a solid floor here as a value piece. Just monitor the injury new to make sure that Jeremiah Williams and Jake Forrester do not play.
Keeshawn Barthelemy ($4,100) — Another potential value option for Colorado tonight is Keeshawn Barthelemy. Barthelemy does not have the same consistency as Clifford of late, but he has still played 28, 25 and 24 minutes in three straight games for Colorado. On the year, Barthelemy has a 17.4% usage rate, a 16.1% shot rate and 18.9% assist rate. While the minutes have not been as consistent, Barthelemy’s miniscule price makes up the difference here.
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