For all the hype and hooplah surrounding Saturday's intriguing matchups, the Final Four left us with a dud as neither game was overly competitive or in doubt. We're left with a heavily-favored Michigan side against a Connecticut team seeking a remarkable third title in four seasons. DraftKings is sending us out with a bang, as the main tournament comes with a $25,000 first-place prize and $125,000 total prize pool.
CBB DFS Picks & Preview: Best Plays for Monday's NCAA Tournament National Championship
We haven't broken down showdowns throughout the season, so a quick refresher first. You'll need one captain, who will both earn 1.5 fantasy points over base scoring, but also cost you 1.5x more. Round out your lineup with five utility options, so positions don't matter. The easiest way to be different will be to not use your full allotment of salary cap.
Showdown slates force us to think a little differently and not roll with the chalk. I have a very hard time believing the winning lineup won't feature both Tarris Reed ($15,600/$10,400) and Yaxel Lendeborg ($15,000/$10,000). Using just one, despite the heavy costs, will make you different immediately. I'll omit them from the below opinions; they're elite, you want them in your lineup, end of story. Perhaps not paying the premium, captaining someone else and just slotting them in at utility is different enough to stand out. Or maybe Lendeborg's knee and ankle injuries scare some off from using him as a multiplier. It's a non-issue for me unless something dramatically changes before tipoff.
Neither side is going deep into their bench at this stage, so we're essentially looking at 12 rotational options to fill six spots on our roster, and we've just touched on the two aces. Not a lot of meat left on the bone for the rest of this article.
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CBB DFS Captain
Elliot Cadeau, G, Michigan ($12,900/$8,600)
As a North Carolina fan, I have a pretty large distain for Cadeau, but it's hard to argue his current form. He's had at least seven assists in six straight, has scored in double-digits in six of eight and is averaging 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals in the NCAA Tournament. That diversity is a fantasy goldmine. I personally don't trust him as a shooter, and it seems as opposing coaches feel similarly. He took 17 shots Saturday (making just five) and is averaging 10.6 over the last five, 3.0 attempts more than the regular season. Teams are daring him to make shots, but for fantasy purposes, all we can ask for is the opportunity.
Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut ($11,100/$7,400)
Karaban averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists on a 54.5 percent shooting percentage through the Sweet 16. He's followed that with 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a pathetic 16.7 percent shooting rate over the last two. The point is he's shown capable of a 50-fantasy point performance when right, which will blow this price out of the water and put you in the money without a doubt. But the floor has been non-existent. He's a captain or off lineups entirely for me. Karaban has experience in these settings, but hasn't performed. It's his last game as a Husky; do with that as you will.
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CBB DFS Utility Options
Morez Johnson, F, Michigan ($11,400/$7,600)
The one thing I can say with great confidence is that picking the right second piece of Michigan's offense will decide this slate. Aday Mara ($13,800/$9,200) had his day Saturday while Johnson has only flashed three times over his last 11 outings. This looks like a massive mismatch; Mara is 7-foot-3, Johnson 6-foot-9, and Lendeborg 6-foot-8. Outside of Reed and Karaban, UConn won't have anyone over 6-foot-6 to defend one of those three options. Mara is likely to be the more popular play, Johnson doesn't have quite the ceiling but can be a differentiating piece.
Silas Demary, G, Connecticut ($9,300/$6,200)
Demary offers a similarly diverse fantasy point path to Cadeau but with less shooting volume. That keeps him off captaincy radars, but probably makes him a necessary evil as a lineup mainstay we can't fade. He's now four games removed from a one-game ankle absence and is off his best showing; seven points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals. If he doesn't return 3x, UConn is in big trouble.
Braylon Mullins, G, Connecticut ($8,100/$5,400)
Mullins can't be considered for a captaincy because he's not an all-around contributor. But he's easily the safest bet to be the Huskies second-leading scorer if not the top option. He's averaging 11.6 shot attempts over the last nine games. If the game shoots out, great, Mullins scores. If the Huskies are trailing big early, great, Mullins is hoisting. He seems to have the clearest pathway to a potential 20 point scoring night and anything peripherally boosts his appeal.
Jayden Ross, F, Connecticut ($5,400/$3,600) or Malachi Smith, G, Connecticut ($4,800/$3,200)
Day of, or hour of decision as tipoff approaches. I have to assume Solo Ball ($6,600/$4,400) plays, but he was in a walking boot Sunday and didn't practice. He hasn't been effective of late regardless, and UConn need multiple secondary options to step up. The price point for all three names mentioned here means they'll be popular. Assuming Ball plays, Ross becomes my favorite punt option simply because of minutes. If Ball doesn't play, Smith will probably flirt with 90+ percent roster percentages. He won't score, but has proven to be a capable distributor. Heck, Bal is probably in play too given the ambiguity of health. It's an 8:00 p.m. EDT decision, but one of this trio is your paydown play.
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