DFS College Basketball: Sunday Preview

DFS College Basketball: Sunday Preview

This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.

Sunday's slate is capped off with a high-scoring Big Ten affair where fantasy players will again have to decide whether or not to pay up for Wooden Award frontrunner Luka Garza ($9,500 DK, $9,200 FD). Once that call is made, seeking value is next up on a slate in which DraftKings is offering a $2,000 top prize in the Pull Up Jumper, while FanDuel counters with a $1,000 top prize in the All-American. 

Targets

1.E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State ($8,400 DK, $7,600 DK)

A no-brainer on FanDuel that requires a few more dollars on DraftKings, Liddell is the best and highest-used player on a team with the highest implied total of the day. He put up 33.3 DK points last time the Buckeyes faced Iowa, and is averaging 20.8 points and 6.8 rebounds over his last four contests. Of course, center Kyle Young (concussion) will be a game-time call, so this play does require a bit of a leap of faith, as this Big Ten clash is the last game on the Sunday slate. Nonetheless, Liddell is a perfect secondary pay-up option after Luka Garza ($9,500 DK, $9,200 FD). Also, if you're playing FanDuel, make sure to get a piece of Duane Washington at $5,800, as the red-hot guard somehow $1,500 cheaper than DraftKings.

2. Cam Hayes, G, NC State ($5,800 DK)

This is a bit of a math play, as Hayes has hit 5x in two of his last three games at this price (and 4x in the one he didn't quite get there in). As you'll see below, Pittsburgh has lost two high-impact guards to the transfer portal this week, so I'm not expecting much from the defense. Hayes starts and is the backcourt usage leaders among the starting five, but Shakeel Moore ($4,800 DK) might be worth a look as well for similar reasoning, as he's hit 4x in three of his last four games, plus has a ceiling in the 30s.

3. Ithiel Horton, G, Pittsburgh ($5,100 DK)

Something is going on behind the scenes with the Pittsburgh program, as both Xavier Johnson and Au'Diese Toney hit the transfer portal last week. That's opened the door for more usage for Horton, who was already a double-digit fantasy producer. Furthermore, Nike Sibande ($4,300 DK) made his first start of the year Feb. 20 against FSU, putting up a season-high 23.8 DK points on a season-high 36 minutes in a tough matchup. It may not be pretty, but the shots have to go somewhere, making the Pitt backcourt a prime spot for value Sunday.

Fades

1. Chuck Harris, G, Butler ($6,900 DK, $5,800 FD)

Harris has benefitted from back-to-back starts and a team-high usage rate, but a lot of that production has been due to injuries in the supporting cast. Bryce Nze is back from a groin injury, and Bo Hodges (calf) and Aaron Thompson (shoulder) could easily be next up (Edit: Hodges has since been confirmed to be available, while Thompson was since ruled out). Even if those players are out or limited again, Butler has the lowest implied total of the day by a full six points, as it goes up against a Villanova team that plays at a dreadfully slow pace. Not to mention, a full-strength Butler team only put up 66 points in the first go-around.

2. DeAndre Williams, F, Memphis ($7,500 DK)

The highest-priced Memphis player with only the third-highest usage rate in the last 10 games, Williams is on a four-game streak of failing to hit 4x at this salary. Cincinnati no longer plays at the grueling slow pace fantasy players may remember from the Mick Cronin days, but it still sports the third-best defensive efficiency rating in the AAC, per KenPom. 

3. Rocket Watts, G, Michigan State, ($5,000 DK, $4,300 FD)

I'm going to go a bit against the grain on this one, as the recent news that Foster Loyer would miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury has thrusted Watts back into a starting point guard role. Minutes don't necessarily equate to fantasy points in college basketball the way they do in the NBA, however, as Watts had just 7.8 DK points in 23 minutes Thursday against the Buckeyes. Maryland plays at a slower tempo and has a much higher defensive efficiency rating than OSU, according to KenPom. Plus, Watts is always at risk of losing time to backup A.J. Hoggard, who does have the higher assist rate.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jake Letarski plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: rotojakeski, DraftKings: RotoJakeSki.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jake Letarski
RotoWire Editor for College Basketball and MMA. Frequent podcaster, plus radio and video guest. Follow Jake on Twitter at @RotoJake.
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