FanDuel College Basketball: Saturday Preview

TOP PLAYERS

Grant Williams, F, Tennessee ($9,300): Williams is the most expensive player on the slate because no matter what happens in this game, he's guaranteed to be near 40 fantasy points. He does it all for Tennessee, averaging 19.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Memphis love to run and that's not a recipe for success against the Volunteers because they can play any type of game. The Tigers foul a ton and have terrible three-point defense, and it might be too easy for Williams to reach his average. He costs the most, but he's easy to own in cash lineups.

Dedric Lawson, F, Kansas ($9,100): Lawson isn't much behind Williams, but the difference is matchup. Villanova has a better defense and has played surprisingly slow with an adjusted tempo number near that of Wisconsin and Virginia. That means fewer possessions for Lawson, who doesn't have an easy matchup since Eric Paschall and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree have the size and athleticism to deal with him. Still, if this is a close game, Lawson could be headed for another 35-plus minutes, which has led to a few 47-point outings.

Jessie Govan, C, Georgetown ($8,700): Govan isn't as well known as others in this category, but he's put up huge outings this season, most recently with 45 fantasy points against Syracuse. He's unpredictable and that's why he's cheaper, but there's no reason he can't repeat those stats in what should be a competitive contest. The only question is how this game will be played because while Georgetown likes to run, SMU is down there with Villanova in terms of adjusted tempo. That hurts, but SMU also doesn't have good defensive numbers, so another 20-point, 10-board performance is more than possible for Govan.

Carsen Edwards, G, Purdue ($8,600): Edwards has a 40-point game in his repertoire, but he costs too much for a guy who isn't guaranteed 30 fantasy points. Both of these teams have slowed things down this season with less talent, and Notre Dame's perimeter defense that includes Rex Pflueger and TJ Gibbs could give Edwards some trouble. Sure, Edwards always gets his points, rebounds and assists, but if this game ends up similar to the last few for the Boilers, he'll struggle to surpass 30 fantasy points. At this price, you're hoping for another 40-point outing, and that's not a good strategy.

Ahmad Caver, G, Old Dominion ($8,500): I only put Caver here because of his price and because of how good he's been, averaging 40 fantasy points the last three games. The problem is he isn't a great shooter (31 percent 3PT) and that's not how to beat Syracuse's zone. ODU likely will struggle to score and may not reach 60 points since it's thrived off its defense in the early season. Caver's numbers could be similar to the VCU game a couple weeks ago when he had 26 fantasy points.

CJ Massinburg, G, Buffalo ($7,900): It's always worth mentioning Massinburg because he has the potential to go off like in the 43-point, 14-rebound performance against West Virginia. He's a great player, but the numbers haven't been there as he's rarely surpassing 30 fantasy points and that's why he's fairly cheap. He's more of an upside play with an unpredictable floor.

GAMES/TEAM TO TARGET

Tennessee (-9) at Memphis o/u 153, 12 p.m. EST

The Vols might control this game, but Memphis wants to win by running and that should lead to plenty of nice fantasy performances on both sides. The problem for the Tigers is that no one stands out with only two players averaging more than 27 minutes per game. I feel better about their backcourt since going against Grant Williams is never easy in the paint. That leads me to Jeremiah Martin ($7,300) and my favorite play, the 5-foot-9 Tyler Harris ($6,400). Harris has hit 22 fantasy points in his last four starts and is a better shooter than Martin. As for Tennessee, Admiral Schofield ($8,100) isn't as consistent as Williams, whereas Jordan Bone ($6,900) can put up similar fantasy numbers for cheaper.

SMU at Georgetown (-4.5), o/u 151.5, 12 p.m. EST

This game is a little harder to project since the Hoyas like to run and the Mustangs are much slower. Yet, the over/under suggests more points and this could be a better game to focus on than the one everyone will look at between Kansas and Villanova. While Govan may be a bit expensive, most of Georgetown's other players are viable. Josh LeBlanc ($6,200) is consistent for 20 fantasy points every game, yet doesn't have much upside. Trey Mourning ($5,500) is more intriguing after he was held in check against Syracuse. He's had some big outings and rebounds usually help him keep a decent floor. Most of SMU's top players are too expensive, but Isiaha Mike ($6,600) is a worthy cash play since he's guaranteeing 20-25 fantasy points every game. If you need someone cheap, Jarrey Foster ($4,900) is back in the squad and does a little bit of everything.

GAMES/TEAMS TO AVOID

Rutgers at Seton Hall (-6), o/u 134, 2 p.m. EST

Rutgers is all about dirtying up the game, and that's what its goal will be on a three-game losing streak. Both teams are near the bottom of the charts in terms of average defensive possession length, which doesn't help an inefficient Rutgers offense. Eugene Omoruyi ($7,800) and Geo Baker ($7,200) will accrue stats because of how much they're involved, but there's little chance either player goes off. The same goes for Myles Powell ($8,300), who costs a little too much for a low-scoring game. I'd probably consider Quincy McKnight ($6,400) over anyone due to a decent price and his versatility, reaching at least 27 fantasy points in three of the last four games.

Old Dominion at Syracuse (-10.5), o/u 125.5, 12 p.m. EST

This game is going to be ugly, which is nothing new for these teams. Syracuse, per usual, has one of the more efficient defenses in the country, but Old Dominion also lives off its defense. For this matchup, it doesn't help that the Monarchs aren't a good shooting team with a 47.5 effective field goal percentage, one of the lowest rates in the country. That's not going to work against the zone, but they also have the second-best defense in terms of two-point percentage, limiting what some of the Orange can do. B.J. Stith ($8,000) may be the only player on ODU worth using because of rebounds (and he's a 40 percent 3-point shooter), while Oshae Brissett's ($8,200) team may win, yet he may not produce as much.

INJURIES

Lamonte Turner, G, Tennessee: Turner has played only three games this year because of an ongoing shoulder injury, yet his absence hasn't changed much in the offense. If anything, it helps Bone and Jordan Bowden ($5,500) see a few more minutes, but even then it's not a huge difference. There is no timetable on Turner, only that he will play when he thinks he can play, and that was the update this week.

Armon Fletcher, G, Southern Illinois: Fletcher has missed the last two games for violating team rules and it's unknown if he'll be available against Buffalo. If he remains suspended, Eric McGill ($6,300) and Sean Lloyd Jr. ($5,800) could be even bigger steals with McGill a good bet to reach 25 fantasy points after 19 points and 10 boards last game.

Udoka Azubuike, G, Kansas: The big man remains out for Kansas and if you really want to punt at a position, Mitch Lightfoot ($4,500) had seven points and six rebounds in 18 minutes last game.