This article is part of our DraftKings College Basketball series.
A five-game main slate awaits Saturday afternoon at DraftKings, with an interesting blend of teams, as there are just three Power 5 teams included. The point totals are relatively consistent across the slate, hovering from 132.5 to 142.5, not huge totals overall, so finding the right pieces and/or ignoring some of the low-end games will be paramount.
Top Targets
Jaime Jaquez Jr., G/F, UCLA ($8,600 DK, $8,500 FD)
This slate doesn't scream needing to pay up as there are plenty of values to build a well-rounded lineup. But Jaquez probably profiles as the safest option on the board. The Bruins come with the highest implied total, and Jaquez is the Bruins' most well-rounded option, averaging 16.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.5 apg and 1.7 spg, giving him a leg up on Johnny Juzang ($8,300 DK, $6,700 FD), who is more scoring dependent.
Kyle Lofton, G, St. Bonaventure ($7,800)
The Bonnies' are the slate's largest favorite, play at the slowest tempo (314th per KenPom.com,) and are 33rd in defensive efficiency. That tells us we can immediately ignore Northern Illinois pieces, and don't have to target anyone from Bona either. But what's appealing to this lineup is its lack of depth, which results in the starters seeing oodles of minutes. Lofton leads that charge, playing 97.0 percent of his available time to date. That gives him a stable floor for production, albeit without an enormous ceiling.
Middle Tier
Dereon Seabron, G/F, North Carolina State ($6,900)
One would have to think Seabron is as close to a must-use as there is Saturday. Simply, he's priced under 7k, is in a game with the second-highest expected total (140), playing for the favorite. He offers position flexibility. And there's also the production. Seabron is one rebound shy of five double-doubles to open the year, putting up a season-low of 39.5 DKP. That's a cool 5.7x return. Only incredibly high usage and the urge to differentiate in tournaments would keep me away.
Kane Williams, G, Georgia State ($5,900)
There's a little volatility here as we don't know the full health of the Panthers' lineup, but that seems priced in for Williams. Leading scorer Corey Allen ($6,000) hasn't played in their last two games due to a concussion, which has led to increased usage and production from Williams. But even with Allen, Williams averaged 23.8 DKP, which remains a 4x return. And without Allen, Williams has erupted for 95 DKP in his last two. The ceiling isn't that high in a difficult matchup against a Rams side that plays slow (242nd in tempo), but there's still plenty to like in Williams.
Values
Makhel Mitchell, F, Rhode Island ($4,700)
The Rams are flirting with the highest implied total Saturday, so that seems to make Mitchell almost too obvious. His scoring is inconsistent, but that's something we can live with given this reduced number. He's gone for 31.75 DKP in four of his five outings, playing at least 29 minutes. And he and his teammates should see a minor boost against Georgia State, which ranks a decent 85th in adjusted tempo. No one in this contest is priced north of $6,300, so if we're buying what Vegas is telling us, it's a spot to use multiple pieces.
Jordan Goldwire, G, Oklahoma ($4,600)
This Oklahoma-Central Florida contest is a challenging one for DFS. Both teams are top-70 defensively, resulting in Saturday's low 134.5 total, but it's also essentially a pick 'em so both sides seem likely to provide some return across their stars. That said, I'm more inclined to look elsewhere for bigger production while falling back on Goldwire as a value with a stable floor. He starts, averages 27.2 minutes and is scoring at the highest rate of his career (9.3 ppg). Mix in a handful of peripherals and we've got a minimum of 4x with ease.
