We've finally made it to the big dance, and today the NCAA tournament officially kicks off. On a lesser note, the NIT is also getting into full swing tonight, and that's where we find the majority of the games on the slate tonight. I love tourney time in college basketball, and what better way to celebrate then with some DFS to go along with it. Here are the guys I like the most from tonight's massive 10 game slate.
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Pascal Siakam
FD - 10300 DK - 10200
He’s the highest priced guy on the slate, but he’s also the guy most likely to put up a 40 spot, so we’ll kick things off with Pascal Siakam out of New Mexico State. For those of you who have never heard of him (and let’s be honest, 95% of you probably haven’t), this guy has been an absolute stud this year, averaging over 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. Those are insane numbers for college basketball, and the kid is only a sophomore. Now let’s talk about the matchup. Saint Mary’s is a good team for sure, but they don’t have the strongest rebounding frontcourt, which means Siakam could have a field day on the glass. As long as the Aggies can keep this one close, I like Siakam to have the highest output of this slate.
Dorian Finney-Smith
FD - 9100 DK - 8200
I’ve written him up in his last two games, and he’s produced some pretty solid numbers against strong SEC competition. No disrespect to North Florida, but if this guy can hurt teams like Kentucky and Texas A&M, watch out. Keep in mind he did all of this with John Egbunu playing (although it was reported he was doubtful, but somehow he still managed to get out there), and now it’s being reported that Egbunu might not even travel with the team for their first round NIT matchup. This should free up even more shots, rebounds, and minutes for Finney-Smith. This game also has a massive O/U, so I’m expecting Finney-Smith to have a big-time double-double in this one.
Dallas Moore
FD - 9300 DK - 8700
I just mentioned the massive O/U, and that’s a big reason why I’m giving you Moore here as one of my favorite high-priced guys. This guy has been sensational this year, averaging 20 ppg and 6 apg for the North Florida Ospreys (some kind of ostrich I think, maybe?), and has been even better in home games. Over his last 6 home games, Moore has not produced a fantasy output of less than 28 points, and has gone over 30 in 5 of those 6 games. I don’t love the matchup against some of Florida’s athletic guards, but I do think Moore produces another big game at home in what figures to be a high-scoring affair.
Darian Anderson
FD - 8400 DK - 7400
A slightly cheaper, high-priced guy that I like tonight as a tourney play is Darian Anderson from Farleigh Dickinson. Anderson is the primary scorer and ball-handler for this team, and leads the team in scoring, shot attempts and assists. He’s been on fire scoring the basketball lately, going for over 20 points in 2 of his last 3 games. I really like the matchup with Florida Gulf Coast, because this team likes to push the pace, which is always nice to see from a DFS perspective. Not the safest play in my opinion, but if Anderson remains hot I’m not going to be surprised if he’s got one of the higher totals of the night.
Marc Loving
FD - 7200 DK - 6600
One of my favorite mid-priced guys for tonight is Marc Loving out of Ohio State. Loving is Ohio State’s primary offensive weapon, and he leads the team in scoring, shots, and usage % on the season. But his true value comes from how he performs at home vs. how he performs on the road. Over his last 5 home games, he’s scored over 21 FD points in each game, while averaging just over 19 ppg. And what do you know, he's got a home game tonight. Those are elite numbers that I previously mentioned, and in a game with Akron that should be closer than many people expect, I’m looking for Loving to get a whole lot of scoring opportunities for the Buckeyes.
Fred Van Vleet
FD - 7500 DK - 7700
When tournament time rolls around, it’s always important for teams to have seniors that they can rely on, and Fred Van Vleet is that for the Wichita State Shockers. He’s the guy who has the ball in his hands the most, and he’s one of the top assisting point guards in the NCAA tourney. None of his numbers (except maybe his assists) are necessarily going to blow you away, but he’s a guy who has a history of playing well in big games for Wichita State. I understand that Vanderbilt is a good team, but this just has the makings of a signature senior game for Van Vleet, and I think he’s going to have a solid outing against the Commodores.
Devin Robinson
FD - 5700 DK - 5000
I’m going to keep this one kind of short because it’s simple. If Egbunu from Florida does not play, Robinson should see a huge bump in minutes and usage. He’s priced very low and the O/U for this game is absolutely insane, so this has the makings of a x5 or x6 value game for Robinson. If Egbunu sits (and perhaps even if he doesn’t) I’m putting Robinson in all of my lineups.
James Milliken
FD - 5900 DK - 5400
A guy who’s price has not even come close to catching up to his production lately is James Milliken, the guard from Creighton University. Milliken has been on an absolute tear as of late, averaging over 21 ppg while seeing over 36 minutes per game in his last 4 contests. Those numbers for these prices represent the perfect opportunity to buy low on a guy who’s really stepping up down the stretch of the season. Alabama has a miserable scoring defense, so this is a terrific matchup for Milliken who could very well have another strong scoring performance.
Dakarai Allen
FD - 5000 DK - 4800
Recommending low priced guys is especially tough in CBB because the minutes fluctuate so much from game to game, and unless there’s an injury, lower priced guys don’t normally see the floor a whole lot. With that being said, there are two guys who stand out to me today, and Dakarai Allen out of San Diego State is one of them. He’s seemed to find favor with his coach as of late, as his minutes have increased dramatically over the last two weeks or so (and thus his production, has increased). He’s gone over x3 value in his last 6 games, and has even managed to go over x4 twice on FD. If he’s getting 30-33 minutes, you really need to consider getting him into your lineup if you want to spend up elsewhere.
Riley Norris
FD - 5100 DK - 4700
Now I don’t like Norris nearly as much as I like Allen, but the guy gets too many consistent minutes to not get a mention. He’s not exactly a gifted scorer by any stretch of the imagination, but he does have the ability to rebound the ball at a high rate at times (he had 16 rebounds against LSU this year). Creighton doesn’t really have any guys who rebound at a high rate, so if Norris decides to be aggressive, he could have a big game on the glass in this one. By no means a safe pick, and probably best suited for tournaments as a differentiator pick that allows you to spend up on some other guys.
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