This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
DraftKings is upping the ante for their main contest Saturday with $20,000 in total prizes and $5,000 to the winner of their Pull Up Jumper contest which tips at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Unlike the last few days, we've got a mix of mid-majors and power conferences in the player pool.
And we've got only one player in five-figures (Auburn's Johni Broome at $10,600) with just six from the $9,000 tier, so we should be able to build a more balanced lineup. Florida-Alabama is the obvious spot to build from with a 174.5 point total and only two other matchups sit around 150, giving us a wide range of lower numbers across the remaining five.
Top Players
PJ Haggerty, G, Memphis ($9,600)
Riding the hot hand in tournament settings can usually pay off, and no one was more impressive than Haggerty on Friday as he dropped 42 points on Wichita State. Over his last 11 games, he's scored at least 18 points 10 times while averaging 22.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals with a 28.6 percent usage rate. Haggerty's a lock for double-digit shot attempts and is more than just a scorer by bringing a solid floor with elite upside, the ideal profile for a pay up option that seemingly won't fail on investment.
Zakai Zeigler, G, Tennessee ($8,400)
Zeigler isn't a player I usually trust in DFS circles as I rarely trust his size to allow for enough scoring to create stability, but that's been proven wrong throughout his career. And on a slate like this, I prefer more higher-end can't-miss options over risk/reward. Zeigler gave managers a nice 32.5 DKP in season against Auburn in a game that finished 53-51, so there's room for far more should the pace pick up. The Tigers don't allow many assists ranking seventh in assists to field goals made defensively, but they are somewhat turnover prone at 167th, per KenPom. Look for a typically diverse line from Zeigler with as many minutes as possible.
Alex Condon, F, Florida ($8,400)
As the intro suggests, this is the game to target Saturday by a significant margin. These two sides produced a 99-94 result during the regular season, and another up-and-down matchup is expected Saturday. There's truly no terrible option on either side, and Condon lands here mostly as this tier needs a forward while we need to start focusing on this matchup. His minutes aren't massive, so he'll need to be efficient - which he has been averaging 17.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks in 26.3 minutes over three games since returning to the starting lineup.
Getting ready for March Madness? For the latest in the projected field of 68 for 2025 NCAA Tournament, head to the RotoWire Bracketology page.
Middle Tier
Jalen Haynes, F, George Mason ($6,400)
Haynes is a load at 6-foot-8, 265 pounds that few A-10 teams can match. St. Joseph's offers the size against him, but didn't succeed during the season by allowing him to go for 22 points and eight rebounds while amassing a huge 40.4 percent usage rate. While Haynes doesn't collect much defensively, he's only been below a 4x return at this salary three times from his last 12 while posting 15.5 points and 7.2 boards with a 31.7 percent usage mark. High volume creates a nice floor at a fair value.
Labaron Philon, G, Alabama ($6,400)
A cheaper, second piece to get in on the marquee offensive matchup. Philon has started the last seven for the Tide while averaging a diverse 14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals. He's been even better in his last four, including a nice 19-5-4-1 line against Florida. It's simply not a spot to overthink things. Philon is in terrific form in a game we need shares of while entering with a reasonable salary.
Asher Woods, G, Tulane ($5,700)
Woods is shooting at an unsustainably hot rate over his last three (66.7 percent), resulting in 20.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. It's not an ideal matchup against a Memphis defense he went 2-for-9 against in season and one that ranks 40th in defensive efficiency, yet Woods appears to do enough peripherally to provide a fair return on this modest salary even if he isn't scoring at least 20.
See how these players stack up among other power conference talent in RotoWire's fantasy college basketball rankings.
Bargain Options
Mouhamed Dioubate, F, Alabama ($4,900)
Dioubate hasn't gone below a 2x return at this valuation since a Jan. 14 meeting with Mississippi. So while that's a low bar, it does suggest some stability at sub-5k. And in 10 of the last 15 games, Dioubate has gone for at least a 4x return and peaking with a massive 21-point, 10-rebound effort against Vandy for 41.5 DKP, so there's plenty of potential. It gives us a third selection in this tilt that's seemingly more than a throwaway cheap option.
Moulaye Sissoko, F, North Texas ($4,700)
Sissoko is arguably Dioubate-light, minus the game script as this one comes with a low 135.5 point total with neither side guaranteed to reach 70. But he's only been under 10 DKP twice all season while offering a 4x return during 10 of his last 16 with a 41.75 DKP ceiling. Sissoko hasn't scored in double-figures across his last six and we're not chasing that type of blowup, yet he should get a few points and grab more than a few rebounds to flirt with 20 fantasy points. He posted a double-double in one of two meetings with UAB this season and the Blazers rank 283rd in defensive efficiency and 178th in offensive rebound percentage allowed, suggesting we could get a stick back or two.
Anthony Finkley, F, St. Joseph's ($3,700)
Let's continue the trend of low-end forwards in solid form. Finkley has started the Hawks' last 11 outings and has averaged 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals across 30.1 minutes despite a paltry 15.7 percent usage rate. Finding that kind of run for this salary is rare and his low spot during this run was 17.0 DKP, which still represents a terrific 4.5x return. The sum is greater than the individual parts with Finkley going for 19.25 DKP against Mason in season with a 6-5-2-1 line.
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