College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 1/29/19

College basketball season is back! And this year, with it comes the return of college basketball DFS.

March Madness is still two months away, but you can get in all the college hoops hype by playing daily contests at FanDuel today. If you've played NBA DFS before, it's quite simple: pick a total of eight players -- four guards, three forwards and one utility spot you can use for either position. Stay within the $50,000 salary cap and field the team you think will score the most fantasy points.

Where scoring differs from NBA is in the blocks and steals categories, with each worth two FanDuel points apiece rather than the three you get in daily NBA contests.

Now that you're in the know, we can attack today's main slate, which locks at 7:00 p.m. EST and includes 10 games. It's highlighted by a top 25 matchup between the slow-it-down Virginia Cavaliers and uptempo North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Which players should you be targeting and why?

Guards

Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State ($7,900): The guard pool doesn't contain anyone priced above $8,200, and there are a group of four guys in a range of $500. For my money, Weatherspoon is the guy tonight as his Mississippi State Bulldogs travel to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. The over/under for this game is 146.5 points and the Bulldogs are 2.5-point underdogs against a 'Bama squad averaging 1.2 more possessions per game, according to KenPom.com's adjusted tempo. The senior is averaging 33.1 minutes a game and has shown the ability to go off on any given night, meeting or surpassing tonight's salary-implied output (31.6 at 4.0 points per $1,000) seven times on the year and twice in the past three games alone. He's averaging more minutes (34.8) and points (17.5) through six SEC contests, so look for Weatherspoon to step up again against the Tide.

De'Andre Hunter, Virginia ($7,400): Tonight in Raleigh we get a true matchup of polar opposites. While third-ranked Virginia enters play with the nation's second-best offensive and defenses by efficiency, they are also just 353rd in adjusted tempo, averaging 60.2 possessions to this point. NC State checks in 23rd in offense, 69th in defense and 17th in pace, averaging 73.7 possessions -- a whole 13.4 more than the Hoos. According to the oddsmakers, that puts UVA in a spot where they're expected to score 73.25 points, more than they've scored in 10 of their games to date. Hunter averages 14.7 points this year and 15.0 in conference play, all on a usage of 23.9%. He has scored 18 or more in three of the last four with a usage rate north of 25% in the same three games. He could enjoy a big night, especially if NC State's style of play wins out on their home floor.

Kenny Williams, North Carolina ($6,200): Williams has been quite streaky in his fantasy production this season. Following a three-game stretch during which he put up 21.6 or more FanDuel points at the turn of the new year, he has had four games at or below 16.2. He's also managed two with 29 or more, so streaky and inconsistent is more like it. But a matchup with Georgia Tech should bring out the best in the North Carolina guard. His Tar Heels own the highest team total (80.5 points) on the board despite the Jackets' 12th-ranked defense, per Ken Pom. However, their 49.7% rebound rate is 219th in the nation, which should provide a big boost for the senior guard, who has grabbed 3.2 rebounds per game with four or more rebounds in nine games this season.

Thomas Allen, Nebraska ($5,600): Sandwiched by a pair of more tournament-worthy plays, Allen enters play with a nice cash game floor. That's not to say that his minutes don't give him a bit of upside for tourneys, but he has slipped below 18 FanDuel points just once in his last six games. He has 21.8 or more in two, and he's frequently hit the 20-point mark this year. The matchup with Wisconsin -- ninth in Ken Pom's adjusted defensive efficiency -- isn't all the great, yet Allen is at home, where he's shot a much better 45.0% from the floor and 35.1% from three for 18.9 FanDuel points a game.

William Jackson II, Georgia ($4,400): Arkansas and Georgia top tonight's slate with a 152.5 total, but with how many players getting minutes on each side it's hard to trust the higher-priced options. Way down here, though, Jackson makes for a great punt play in tournaments. He's averaging just 9.5 FanDuel points in 20.4 minutes a game, but teammate Jordan Harris is doubtful with a concussion. That opens up 13.7 minutes and 3.8 field goal attempts a game, and Jackson's already seen his minutes trend up of late. He has played 25-plus minutes in four of the last six, producing 14.2, 25.7, 6.5 and 16.0 in those games. All he requires is 17.6 FanDuel points to reach four-times value at this low price.

Forwards

Dedric Lawson, Kansas ($8,900): Losers in two of their last three, Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks are looking to get back on track tonight on the road in Austin. But the sportsbooks have Texas as a slight one-point favorite over a somewhat struggling KU squad. That is no fault of Lawson's, however, as the junior transfer has three straight double-doubles with back-to-back games of 44 or more FanDuel points. He has knocked down four of six from three in this three-game skid, all the while playing 37 minutes a night and totaling 41 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. Ranked 31st in efficiency, Texas is okay defensively, but a 49.9% rebound rate falls outside the top 200, and that's where Lawson can easily exploit them down low.

PJ Washington, Kentucky ($7,600): Washington is finally getting big minutes, and he's turned the opportunity into some nice numbers. Dating back to the UNC game, the sophomore has tallied 28 or more FanDuel points in four games, including three of 34.2 or higher. Two have come in the last two games alone, most notably 43.1 on Saturday against Kansas. Kentucky is starting to mesh as a team, and it's showing up in Washington's scoring. He has totaled 64 points on 24 of 46 shooting and 5 of 12 from three over the last four games. Vanderbilt is the second-worst defensive team on the slate, which leaves the Wildcats with a very appealing 74.75 team total.

Jaxson Hayes, Texas ($6,400): Hayes had a tough go of it last time against Kansas, as the freshman got into foul trouble and played only 17 minutes as a result. He scored an efficient eight points, but it just wasn't enough for a solid fantasy game. He'll once again deal with Lawson, but there's no Udoka Azubuike, and he's back on his home floor. Hayes has only fouled out of one home contest this year, and he's played 22 and 30 minutes in his last two games there. The young big man has scored in double figures in each of his last three games, which have seen him account for 32.2, 26.2 and 25.6 FanDuel points. He's blocked 12 shots in that span, and he'll have the opportunity to do so here against a KU team that will want to get it out and push the pace a bit more than the 'Horns are accustomed to.

Abdoulaye Gueye, Georgia Tech ($5,500): On the opposite side of the favored Tar Heels, Georgia Tech's Abdoulaye Gueye is in a prime spot as a value play. He's coming off strong back-to-back games, in which he tallied 30.6 and 21.6 FanDuel points, and has seen an uptick in playing time over his last four. During that time, he's averaged 21.3 FanDuel points in 29.0 minutes, maxing out at 30.6 points in 37 minutes against Notre Dame. As 10-point underdogs, Tech will need someone to step up and keep this close on the scoreboard. Gueye could easily get into double figures, and that's only a plus when you consider his rebounding numbers -- 9.4 per 40 minutes on a 13.6% rebounding rate.

Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BRO14THEKID. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. Fa