This article is part of our DraftKings College Basketball series.
Welcome to some Sweet Sixteen coverage of college basketball at DraftKings. Your total available salary is $50,000 to build your best squad of eight players, which includes three guards, three forwards and two FLEX. Points are awarded on DraftKings as follows:
Point = +1 point PT
Made 3pt. shot = +0.5 PTs
Rebound = +1.25 PTs
Assist = +1.5 PTs
Double-Double = +1.5 PTs
Triple-Double= +3 PTs
With that out of the way, here are some of the best available GPP contests for college basketball this Thursday/Friday (not all Friday contests are up as of the release of this article):
$100K Blue Chip [3 Round Survivor] ($20,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $300
$50K Thunderdome ($25,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $5,300
$25K Full Court Press ($3,500 first prize), Entry Fee: $27
$20K Buzzer Beater ($2,000 first prize), Entry Fee: $3
and many more…
Here's a look at the included games:
Thursday
Wichita State vs. Notre Dame
North Carolina vs. Wisconsin
West Virginia vs. Kentucky
Xavier vs. Arizona
Friday
UCLA vs. Gonzaga
NC State vs. Louisville
Utah vs. Duke
Michigan State vs. Oklahoma
The Sweet Sixteen presents an interesting array of games, with matchups between teams with little in common in terms of play style. The matchup that appears most evident to exploit will be North Carolina vs. Wisconsin in favor of the Badgers. The Badgers have the size to matchup with North Carolina, and could possibly even be at an advantage with recent press releases pointing towards starting paint presence Kennedy Meeks being sidelined with a sprained knee suffered in the Tar Heels second-round game with Arkansas. Worth mentioning the possible return of Traveon Jackson for the Badgers, as it could cut into some of Bronson Koenig's court time.
The rebounding ability of Gonzaga's Domantas Sabonis has become a difference maker, as he grabs nearly 20% of all available rebounds while he's on the court and his style will be highly effective against the fast tempo-d UCLA Bruins, in a game that figures to be one of the higher scoring affairs of the Sweet Sixteen matchups.
The key to Kentucky's expected supremacy over the West Virginia Mountaineers will be preventing their ability (namely Juwan Staten's ability) to drive to the lane (this instigates the rest of their offense) and of course breaking their infamous press. Tyler Ulis, the 6'6'' Harrison twins and the athletic seven footer Willie Cauley-Stein standing above anything the Mountaineers puts forth should be enough, one would think, to do a better job than the Maryland Terrapins were able to Sunday night. Ulis is the only Wildcat that presents much stability with regards to price, as he's the only sub-$5,000 player averaging over thirty minutes over his past two outings. Both teams are risky to use due to deliberation of playing time and foul trouble.
Duke's offense is extremely efficient, as the offensive thrashing they did on San Diego State can not be understated. However, I can't help but see the extremely slow tempo and formidable defense of Utah and be reluctant to shell out the high prices for the Duke players. A couple of the Utah players are, however, intriguing against a less than spectacular Duke defense.
Michigan State, even as a seven seed, looks to be the actual favorite over the three-seeded Oklahoma Sooners. I'm not sure if I comply with popular belief on the line, but Michigan State undoubtedly has a good fantasy matchup with the high paced Sooners, as their offense has been clicking extremely well as of late.
Guards:
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State ($8,600)
Those who bought into Valentine last time out, which was unadvisable against the defense and slowed pace of Virginia, were surely disappointed, as foul trouble dropped him to just twenty-one minutes of play. He normally sees himself on the court for thirty-five plus minutes, and his $8,600 price tag is the lowest its been in a long while. He's a senior, and will be a major factor in every single stat category as his side lines up with a high tempo Oklahoma Sooner side.
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky ($4,600)
When Kentucky gets a tough game, it is clear that Ulis is the go-to man to bring the ball down the court. With the press that West Virginia is going to put on them, it's safe to expect thirty-plus minutes out of Ulis. Though limited in shot opportunities, he typically shoots at a very high percentage and finds enough rebounds and assists to be well worth his price tag.
Norman Powell, UCLA ($7,700)
Many will be baited by teammate Bryce Alford's last two 30+ FPT outings, but being as hot from the three as he was against SMU, and then getting some late free throw attempts against UAB, points towards unsustainability. Tony Parker's game against UAB simply won't be replicated against the more talented interior Gonzaga puts forward. Norman Powell does his damage driving to the hoop, and he's very hard to stop from doing so. He's quick and is able to put up stats in every category. In decidedly secondary roles in the first two rounds, as his teammates were hot and deserved most of the looks, Powell still recorded respectable numbers – numbers that could very well be expounded upon Friday night.
Justin Jackson, North Carolina ($5700)
Though not the same type player, Jackson could be the true beneficiary of Meeks's absence. DraftKings lists Jackson as playing twenty-six minutes last time out against Arkansas, the number was actually thirty-seven as he filled in all of the time vacated by Meeks. It's easy to forget he's 6-8, as he's listed at the guard position, but he'll likely be UNC's answer to Sam Dekker.
Gary Bell Jr., Gonzaga ($4,800)
Bell certainly isn't one of the go to offensive threats for the Zags, but he's carved out a defensive role that earns him enough minutes and shot attempts to be relevant. As long as foul trouble doesn't plague Bell, he serves as a good value hedged bet.
Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin ($5,500)*
If Traveon Jackson plays, Koenig's value depletes and this recommendation becomes a discommendation; but with his status still very much in the air, Koenig will get a great matchup against the Tar Heels. He was going through a bought of sickness during the first weekend, and if we can attribute the recent downtrend in stat stacking to that, his two games prior to the NCAA tournament were very good.
Dakarai Tucker, Utah ($3,800)
Through two tournament games, Tucker is averaging over thirty minutes. At a price in the $3,000's that alone is nearly enough to make Tucker viable. Where his production comes from is always questionable, but with enough playing time, points and rebounds are bound to come his way.
Other guards of note: Fred VanVleet ($8,700); Tekele Cotton ($5,700); Wayne Blackshear ($5,700); Jordan Woodard ($5,300)
Forwards:
Nigel Hayes/Sam Dekker, Wisconsin ($7,300/$6,800)
I recommend using Wisconsin players, as the Badgers will score points on North Carolina. Even without Meeks, UNC has size and it's hard to recommend for anyone to spend a fifth of your salary on one player, even if it is Frank the Tank. Both Hayes and Dekker receive less attention than Kaminsky, while still having size to go with their respective scoring and rebounding abilities. Hayes rebounds better, while Dekker is clearly the more explosive offensive threat. There doesn't seem to be any correlation pointing towards one doing well at the other's expense, and could be paired; an especially good decision for those looking to stack the Wisconsin offense.
Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga ($5,500)
A common theme amongst big men, foul trouble is the biggest concern for Sabonis. UCLA gives big minutes to their big men, and it's hard to see any scenario that Sabonis doesn't receive considerable minutes to counter. His efficiency on the boards (as already spoken to), high field goal percentage, and his ability to get to the free throw line sum up to all systems being go. I name his ability to go to the free throw line specifically, as UCLA big man Tony Parker has a tendency to foul, making the latter a risky play (some will undoubtedly be drawn in by his performance against UAB, however).
Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga ($9,400)
The price is high, but Wiltjer's offensive game is simply spectacular. His back, which had been a concern the past couple weeks, gets better by the day and anybody capable of putting up 62 FPTs (as he did against Pacific in February) has the upside to make even the highest of price tags feasible to peruse. He put up 36.25 against a good Iowa defense in just twenty-five minutes of play, and he can be counted on to get back over thirty minutes Friday. It is possible that Sabonis and Wiltjer have some inverse correlation in playing time and production, so playing in tandem could be a risk.
Willie Cauley-Stein/ Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky ($5,900/$6,700)
This game won't be pretty, that's simply not how West Virginia plays. Kentucky has an advantage in the paint in every game. Calapari has been quoted in the past as wanting to run with the ball, and this appears as good a chance as any to act on that. There is little doubt that Cauley-Stein and Towns are the premier big men for Kentucky (don't anticipate Lyles to repeat the double-double put up against Cincinnati – through he doesn't need that big of a day to be worth his price). Towns is anything but a safe bet with his bouts of foul trouble, and shouldn't be used anywhere but GPP's, as he undoubtedly has tremendous upside being among the top two post players in the NCAA (the other being Okafor). He's capable of both putting up big numbers, and having the best per minute production of any of the available options. Cauley-Stein is the team's senior (though not actually a senior) leader. The SEC tournament showcased the numbers he's capable of, though I still don't see him as being a good use outside of GPP's because his floor has dropped out a few times.
Jakob Poeltl, Utah ($5,200)
More than anyone else in the Sweet Sixteen's contingent of players, Poeltl is a tremendous concern with fouls. Without foul trouble thirty minutes would be expected, but he commits lots of stupid fouls (see five fouls in twelve minutes against Arizona). He's one of the young post presences with a bright future in the NCAA, and when he stays on the court, he's capable of putting up very healthy stat lines. Okafor isn't a great defender, but his best defense against the production of Poeltl could very well be drawing fouls on the offensive end. Despite all of this, I like Poeltl and think he could provide tremendous value against Duke.
Justise Winslow, Duke ($8,500)
I don't fancy a lot of the Duke players, but Justise Winslow can do absolutely everything. He had 13 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and four steals against San Diego State. Anyone with the ability for such widespread production is a constant threat for big performances against pretty much any opponent.
Matt Costello, Michigan State ($3,900)
Costello's recent numbers could very easily be higher; he's had some trouble finishing around the rim (not usually the case). The senior wants his Michigan State career to end with a flurry, and at his lowest price in a month appears to be a viable target in a game that should provide enough pace to instigate some statistical production.
Stanley Johnson, Arizona ($7,500)
In what was pegged as a duel between two freshmen phenoms, Johnson and Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell struggled. However, Stanley Johnson managed double-digit rebounds for the first time in a month and had twelve field goal attempts (despite just one going in). His season-long field goal percentage is actually pretty good (45 percent), and when he gets his shots to drop, he's always a major contender for a big night (especially if he can keep his rebound numbers up).
Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizona ($4,700)
Tarczewski's collegiate career may not quite be up to the expectations he came in with, as his draft stock has certainly seen a steady drop. Through two tournament games, he's gotten respectable minutes and good production (yet inexplicably has seen his price drop). Against teams with a good center, something Xavier has in Matt Stainbrook, Tarczewski often sees more run and effectly seems a very good target at a low price.
Abdul-Malik Abu, NC State ($4,600)
Abu's confidence is on a high, and when his confidence is high he has proven that he can put up very good numbers. He had seven points, eight rebounds and an assist when these two ACC teams last met, and his shot volume has seen a considerable increase since that outing. I don't see this rejuvenated Abu and his renewed interior production going anywhere.
Other Forwards of note: Brice Johnson ($7,700); Zach Auguste ($6,600); Jalen Reynolds ($5,200); James Farr ($3,200)
