This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
DraftKings' main contest Sunday is slightly smaller across the board in terms of entry fee, entries and prizes, with $40,000 on the line for a $15 entry. We still have a $10,000 first-place prize but only three additional four-figure numbers to be cashed.
The player pricing is somewhat laughable. Purdue's Zach Edey, as usual, sits at $11,000, but the next-closest player is Tennessee's Dalton Knecht at $8,300. We know what Edey offers; his 46.0 DKP against Gonzaga was his lowest output since February 22. But look at how much depth you can have in your lineup with $2,700 in savings. Multi-entry lineups obviously are going to have some shares. If you're just throwing in one lineup, you've got a very difficult decision to make.
Game totals sit at 143 and 148, so we're pretty tightly packed, and I personally have leans on the overs here so scoring should come from all four teams.
Top Players
Zakai Zeigler, G, Tennessee ($7,500)
I personally think building a lineup with both Knecht and Zeigler is an ideal start, as Tennessee doesn't have a reliable third option (of course I also know stating this means someone will come from nowhere to score 15+). Zeigler never leaves the court, playing 40 in each of the last two and is averaging 37.3 minutes across his last four, where he's averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals. The assists are in line with his season norms, which helps keep us in a safe spot if someone else on Tennessee randomly rises. And Zeigler's lack of size isn't a concern here either as Purdue's backcourt isn't big.
Mohamed Diarra, F, North Carolina State ($7,400)
Diarra is crashing the boards with reckless abandon, averaging 13.7 over his last seven having never gotten fewer than 12. He's posted a double-double in five of those outings while never scoring fewer than eight points. Also included in this stretch is a massive 52.0 DKP outing against Duke. While that's unlikely, it's the ceiling potential we need to combat Edey-led lineups. That Diarra is observing Ramadan is a story, and it's especially worth nothing here as the game has an early tip time. Fatigue can be a factor, but it hasn't impacted his minutes yet so we'll back him to keep up his current form. The forward position is absolutely gross Sunday, with only six options priced above $4,900. You're forced tot ake one of the higher end options, or completely punt it.
Middle Tier
Jared McCain, G, Duke ($6,700)
For GPPs, we have to chase ceiling and the floor is largely irrelevant, and that's exactly what McCain offers. He erupted for 30 points against JMU, but had seven against Houston Friday and just eight against North Carolina State in the ACC Tournament. He's had five game of 39.0 DKP or better this season and 12 games under a 3x return. Percentages aren't in our favor, and the price point isn't ideal, but again, we have to chase ceiling and hope for a blow up. McCain is a 41.3 percent 3-point shooter, and North Carolina State is 0.3 percent better at defending it than the national average. The Wolfpack have limited him to 3-of-12 in two meetings, but we love that volume.
Lance Jones, G, Purdue ($5,500)
With Edey, we'll likely want one additional piece of Purdue's lineup, and without him in your builds, perhaps two of their backcourt options. I just lectured on chasing upside, and Fletcher Loyer is the definition of that, as he exploded for 41.0 DKP in the Maui Invitational against Tennessee. The problem is he's had just six 20+ DKP outings since January. Jones doesn't have a 40 fantasy point game to his resume, but he has six of 30+ and has gone for 20+ in three of his last five. And that can arguably be considered a ceiling play at this price. He's scored in double-digits just three times in his last eight games, yet averages 12.0 points on the year. Perhaps he's due?
Bargain Options
Mason Gillis, F, Purdue ($4,500)
Gillis is off 27 minutes against Gonzaga, and his two prior games were low totals simply due to the blowout nature of the games. Coming into the tournament, he averaged 26.1 minutes, posting 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists, shooting 48.4 percent from deep. I find his 6-foot-6 frame to be valuable for the Boilermakers in that he could possibly defend Knecht. That's not going to lead to fantasy points, and it could tire him or lead to foul trouble, but it can also lead to minutes with production to follow.
Tobe Awaka, F, Tennessee ($4,000)
Awaka has seen increased usage in three tournament games, up to a 22.6 percent rate, from 17.3 in the regular season. He's 6-foot-8 but 250 pounds, and is going to be a secondary piece to combat Edey. Further, Jonas Aidoo fouled out against Purdue in 13 minutes in Maui, and curiously played just 17 minutes Friday without foul issues. That all adds up to Awaka needing to play, and that may be all we need to return some value at this price.
