This article is part of our FanDuel College Basketball series.
With four games on the slate and the college basketball DFS season winding down, I wanted to mix up the format for this column a bit. Instead of offering a list of picks, I'll offer two lineups that could be used on FanDuel: one for cash games, and another for tournaments. Then, I'll defend some of my picks in the section below. Any feedback is welcome in the comments section.
If you like a lineup, but disagree with a player or two, head to our DFS Lineup Optimizer, where you can lock-in and exclude players to give a lineup your own personal touch.
Included Games
Miami v. Villanova
Texas A&M v. Oklahoma
Maryland v. Kansas
Duke v. Oregon
Analysis:
Chris Boucher ($7,600)/Jordan Bell ($5,100), F, ORGN v. DUKE: These two are staples in the vast majority of my FanDuel lineups for Thursday. Boucher is cheaper than both Elgin Cook ($8,700) and Dillon Brooks ($8,100), yet offers the biggest rebounding and block upside against a Duke team that has struggled immensely to rebound following the injury to Amile Jefferson early in the season. In a cash game, I certainly have no problem using four Oregon players. Duke is the worst team defensively on the slate, and the game has the highest projected over/under (157). Boucher has collected nine double-digit rebounding games on the year, and has five games with five or more blocks. Bell, on the other hand, tallied 14 FanDuel points in his last game despite not making a single basket. He's played 26 or more minutes in three of the last four games, yet his price remains unchanged at $5,100. In summary, every Oregon player is in play here, especially the post options.
Grayson Allen ($9,700)/Matt Jones ($4,900), G, DUKE v. ORGN: Again, I'm targeting the highest over/under on the slate. Allen is near a lock to score 30 FanDuel points, as he's done so in his last six games. Jones is mostly for salary relief. His price took a slight dip after scoring 2.2 fantasy points against Yale, but he was plagued by foul trouble in that contest. It's tough to tell from looking at his game log, but the junior guard has 25-30 point upside. He can hit the three-pointer, as well as provide modest rebounds, assists and steals totals. Jones is really the only attractive guard option under 5K, and allows fantasy owners a chance to get both Allen and Buddy Hield in a lineup.
Diamond Stone, F, MD v. KU ($6,800): In a cash game, it might be worth considering Jake Layman or Robert Carter at the same price, but I like Stone's tournament upside. He hasn't had the greatest start to the NCAA Tournament (failed to reach 20 FanDuel points in two games), but does have the ability to put up 35 fantasy points, as he's done twice in the last 10 games. Kansas is the best defensive team on the slate, but they have proven susceptible to allowing major performances to opposing big men, and the 6-11 Stone should have a size advantage in the post.
Wayne Selden Jr., G, KU v. MD ($6,400): All four of my guards in my cash game lineup fall within the $6,300-$6,800 range, as I'd rather select multiple options with 20-point floors than pair up one of the studs with a player who is a risk for single digits. Despite a recent price increase, Selden is one of my favorite options here. As the stakes have gotten higher, Bill Self and the Jayhawks have counted on the junior guard for increased production. He's gotten off double-digit field goal attempts in three straight games, including an 8-for-15 performance against Connecticut. A near-lock for at least 10 shots and 30 minutes on the court, look for Selden to be the X-factor on both sides of the floor Thursday.
Tonye Jekiri, F, MIA v. VU ($5,200): Both Jekiri and Khadeem Lattin are the "darts" I'm trying to throw to distinguish myself in a tournament. In his last 10 games, Jekiri has a low of 4.6 FanDuel points and a high of 28.3. That type of variance is perfect for GPPs. Lattin has a game log with even more drastic variance, posting a low of 4.4 and a high of 40.6 over his last 10. Rolling the dice on both options avoiding foul trouble is a little too risky for my taste in cash games, but if both lower-priced options hit, the lineup could be poised for a top GPP finish.
Jalen Brunson, G, VU v. MIA ($5,200): The 6-3 freshman is off to an excellent start to the tournament, playing 25 or more minutes in both games and reaching totals of 16.1 and 22.6 fantasy points. The concern is that before that, he scored a combined 4.2 fantasy points in his previous two contests. As a starter with the potential for double-digit field goal attempts, he makes a perfect salary-relief option.
Honorable Mention Guards: Melo Trimble, MD v. KU ($8,000); Angel Rodriguez, MIA v. VU ($7,800); Josh Hart VU v. MIA ($7,600); Frank Mason, KU v. MD ($6,800); Isaiah Cousins, OU v. TA&M ($6,800); Luke Kennard, DUKE v. ORGN ($6,000); Ja'Quan Newton, MIA v. VU ($5,000); Adam Gilder, TA&M v. OU ($5,000); Casey Benson, ORGN v. DUKE ($4,500)
Honorable Mention Forwards: Brandon Ingram, DUKE v. ORGN ($9,000); Elgin Cook, ORGN v. DUKE ($8,700); Kris Jenkins, VU v. MIA ($7,500); Jalen Jones, TA&M v. OU ($6,900); Jake Layman, MD v. KU ($6,800); Landen Lucas, KU v. MD ($5,900); Kamari Murphy, MIA v. VU ($5,300); Tonny Trocha-Morelos, TA&M vs. OU ($4,900); Dwayne Benjamin, ORGN v. DUKE ($4,800)
