We'll call this the calm before the conference storm. Saturday at DraftKings again has three different slates, but the main slate includes just six games, a $1,000 first-place prize and $3,000 in total winnings. And it's a pretty mixed bag of games with the CBS Sports Classic giving us two marquee matchups, while the others are far less appealing from an eye and betting stand point, but will still provide fantasy points. The main slate tips at noon EST.
Louisville is a curious case Saturday with a near 100-point expectancy but depth in production and an injury to Mikel Brown to navigate. Michigan State is the only other team with a point expectancy north of 80.
College Basketball DFS Picks for Saturday, December 20
College Basketball DFS Top Players
Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina ($10,400)
Let me be clear; I loathe paying for the slate's highest-priced option, but there are a few reasons I'm inclined to do so Saturday. It's easy to take Henri Veesaar ($8,600) at a massive discount, especially coming off of a massive game. But that seems lazy. I have to assume Christoph Tilly matches up with Veesaar, so I'm then not sure how the Buckeyes combat Wilson. His floor has been a 3.3x return at this elevated number, but he's also topped 40 DKP six times in 11 outings. He's seemingly a set it and forget it option and gives your frontcourt an elite anchor.
Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. Johns ($9,400)
If you want to build around Wilson and Bruce Thornton ($9,700), I certainly wouldn't fault you. But the forward options outside of your aces is pretty brutal, so I'm double-tapping at the pay up frontcourt guys. Ejiofor has scored 15 points total in his last two games; but he's still posted at least 30.75 DKP in those thanks to rebounding and blocks. While St. John's rotates plenty of other guys, Ejiofor only leaves the court if fouls are a concern. This will be the Red Storm's fourth game against an SEC team, and his floor has been 36.0 DKP and the ceiling has been 51.0. Both work for me.
Middle Tier
Bryce Hopkins, G/F, St. John's ($6,000)
Hopkins is in a bit of a funk, returning 4x this declining number just once in his last four, but that's partly been a product of not being needed. With this narrow spread, I'd expect St. John's to tighten its rotation a bit and feature Hopkins more offensively, and the reduced price, especially when paired with the dual-position eligibility, I like his potential Saturday. Scoring has been a touch inconsistent, but solid overall, but it's Hopkins lack of rebounding compared to prior years that's been his fantasy downfall. But he's got five boards in five of his last six after a slow start, and if the minutes do indeed stay steady, he can at least flirt with 15 points and five boards and a few additional peripherals.
Adrian Wooley, G, Louisville ($5,000)
The caveat here is Wooley is only an option if Brown sits, but with this game not expected to be close, why risk it? Assuming that manifests, Wooley gives us a surging player on a team with a massive scoring total for a fair price. He's averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists over his last two, playing 29.5 minutes. He's been a consistent rebounder all season, and there are multiple paths to another positive scoring outing for Wooley.
College Basketball DFS Value Plays
Michael Houge, F, Oakland ($4,700)
There are some intriguing players on the slate's underdogs (Money Williams, $6,500 seems fun), but when they're expected to get blown out, I'd rather take my shots on the lower end. Oakland ranks 28th in tempo, per KenPom, and if we give Michigan State its 87-point expectancy, perhaps the Golden Grizzlies get near the 70-point mark. Houge has scored in double-figures in six of seven after starting the year hurt, but none have come against anywhere near this level of competition. It's a dart thrown on him embracing the opponent, and we can stomach a 2x floor in this tier.
Jaland Lowe, G, Kentucky ($4,600)
At first glance, I thought this play would be a free square that everyone would use and we differentiate elsewhere, but I'm honestly not as sure it's the slam dunk I thought it would be after looking a little further. Still, I think Lowe deserves heavy consideration; he was a top prize in the transfer portal, and he has previously been priced as high as $7,300. The Wildcats leaned on Lowe heavily in the second half against Indiana last time out, and you'd expect his minutes to continue to rise with each passing game back from injury. But he was also completely uninvolved in his first two games prior to mid-week. It's a game we want to invest in as it will be competitive, and we know the upside Lowe possessed in two seasons at Pitt. It's minimal risk, but I'm not sure whose minutes Lowe can take to really boost his ceiling.
