Similar to Saturday, the DraftKings college basketball main contest has $40,000 up for grabs and $10,000 to the winner of roughly 2,300 entrants. The big difference is we tip early Sunday, 2:15 p.m. EDT. DFS college basketball is absolutely a niche gaming experience, but there are always casual folks throwing things together strictly on optimization. Perhaps we can catch some napping. Check out the multitude of contests available and see if they are failing to fill -- the early tip may help you find even more of an advantage.
College Basketball DFS: DraftKings Picks & Preview for Sunday, March 29
I admittedly struggled to find a rhythm or angle with Saturday's picks, and I'm writing the bulk of this before we see how that plays out. But at least at a first glimpse/prewriting mindset, I'm in the same situation here. The spreads in both of Sunday's action aren't super narrow; there are clear favorites. The total is higher in Michigan - Tennessee, but I'd also argue the rotations there are a bit deeper, making it more difficult to lock in on preferred plays.
Unlike Saturday, we do have Cameron Boozer ($10,500) as a five-figure option to consider. No other option sits above $8,800, and no other option is as much of a guarantee. It's even a slight discount on Boozer. I absolutely advocate starting your build with him and figuring out where you have to spend from there (as well as where you don't).
College Basketball DFS Top Players
Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Michigan ($8,800)
He's the second-highest priced option, so this isn't heavy hitting analysis. But if you're not going to put Boozer in your lineup, you're either choosing between Lendeborg and Tarris Reed ($8,300), or you're building a guard-heavy lineup and almost punting the frontcourt. Lendeborg erupted Friday but had been pedestrian in four of his prior five games. I assume he draws Nate Ament at least some before switches, and I'll lean on the senior to better the freshman in one-on-one situations.
Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut ($7,200)
I'm willing to completely ignore the matchup here and confidently back Karaban. There's arguably no player left with more NCAA Tournament experience, and it's showing. Karaban has posted 34.75, 37.75 and 35.25 fantasy points in three games after an inconsistent regular season. Duke is elite defensively, and long. But Karaban has been finding cutting lanes for layups and moving away from the play for good 3-point looks (25 in three). He will be at the center of whatever success the Huskies may have.
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Middle Tier
Isaiah Evans, G, Duke ($6,600)
My biggest concern on Duke was a lack of a secondary scorer beyond Boozer, but Evans has eased those worries. It's not an terrific price for a guy that's a volume scorer, sporadic rebounder and does minimal else, but perhaps a necessary evil on this reduced slate. Evans is averaging 19.3 points and 5.8 rebounds over his six, posting a 26.9 percent usage rate. The question to me is do you consider a Boozer/Evans stack, or is it more of a Reed/Caraban/Evans comeback? I'm just here to lay out scenarios and thoughts!
Braylon Mullins, G, Connecticut ($5,600)
This column, somewhat unfortunately, is writing itself. General rule, players $7,000 or greater are top options, $4,900 and under are values...and the mid-tier is then easily defined. Unless you trust Elliot Cadeau ($6,700), the first game does not have a middle-tier option. So we need another choice in the second game. I have no interest in Cayden Boozer ($6,000) with Caleb Foster ($4,700) back. It's down to Maliq Brown ($5,300) or Mullins, and I actually like them both. I am a touch more attracted to Mullins simply based on minutes. Brown is an energy guy that makes effort plays, but has no real path to a floor. Mullins can be an unsung hero, averaging 10.2 shots and 6.4 3-point efforts. If he can get hot and pair it with some rebounds, we're cooking.
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College Basketball DFS Value Plays
Felix Okpara, G, Tennessee ($4,900)
It seems as though the Vols' best path, if not their only path, to victory is defense/muddying this game up. As such, I'll fade their top options, which can be risky if they're competitive in a surprisingly higher-scoring game. It also seems like Jaylen Carey ($3,700) could be popular after a sterling Friday, but he's been mostly inconsistent all season. Okpara has been the more steady producer; he has eight or more rebounds in six of his last nine and a low of five. Points can vary and fouls are a touch of a concern, but he's averaged 30.4 minutes in this span. His size is going to be required to combat that of Michigan's.
Bishop Boswell, G, Tennessee ($4,500)
It's incredibly rare we'd want to target two bargain options from one team, but this looks like the spot for it. Tennessee doesn't have a mid-tier option; it's two top options and a bunch of lower-priced guys. Boswell's usage is incredibly low; bottoming at 9.3 percent in the Sweet 16 and under 20 percent in nine straight, so we're reaching a bit for peripheral numbers. He's dished out 17 assists over the last two, but Michigan doesn't allow a ton of dimes at just 47.5 percent of opponent makes. But consider that Tennessee, as the heavy underdog, has the same implied total as Duke in the other matchup, a heavy favorite. There should be enough opportunities given the expected heavy minutes.
Check out RotoWire's college basketball starting lineup data to view recent stats, usage trends and identify potential DFS value plays.
