College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 2/11/19

College basketball season is in full tilt.

March Madness is still roughly a month 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 consists of only three games. But among the six squads, we get three ranked teams, including a head-to-head between the third-ranked Virginia Cavaliers and eighth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels.

Which players should you be targeting and why?

Guards

Desmond Bane, TCU ($7,500): Tonight's Big 12 tilt between Kansas and TCU checks in with the slate's highest over/under at 148 points. That total is 5.5 clear of the next-closest game and gives the Horned Frogs a slate-leading 75.5 implied total. At the top, you can choose from guards Alex Robinson and Desmond Bane, but Bane is $200 cheaper and has been the hotter of the two. The junior has enjoyed better numbers in Big 12 play, taking an increased usage rate (22.1%) for a team-high 16.4 points and 27.3 FanDuel points per game. But he has also tallied 30-plus in back-to-back games and four of his last six, with three of those coming at home, where Bane is averaging 18.6 points on shooting 53.2% from the floor and 42.1% from three in 12 games this season. And while the Jayhawks boast the nation's 16th-best defense, according to KenPom.com, they have allowed 70 or more points in five of their last six in large part due to injuries.

Devon Dotson, Kansas ($6,300): In addition to Udoka Azubuike's continued absence, Kansas has been without Marcus Garrett for three games, and he doesn't appear ready to return tonight. Guard Lagerald Vick has also taken a leave of absence recently, which leaves KU without the senior's 33.4 minutes, 10.8 field goal attempts and 14.1 points per game. vs. TCU. Producing, absent of others. Vick missed his first game Saturday, a game that saw Dotson step up to play 37 minutes -- he averages 32.4 for the year -- and account for 33 FanDuel points on 10 shot attempts and 5 more from the free throw line. That makes it three straight games with 30 or more FanDuel points for the freshman, and he should get all the opportunity to replicate that against TCU.

Ochai Agbaji, Kansas ($5,800): TCU's defense is respectable, ranking 47th in adjusted defensive efficiency and allowing just 68.7 points a game on the year. However, they have surrendered 75.2 through 10 conference games, so targeting multiple Jayhawks seems like a no-brainer, particularly in this price range. Agbaji has benefited from a thin backcourt, having logged 33-plus minutes in four straight, averaging 26.7 FanDuel points per game despite a 10.8-point dud two games ago. He went for 23 points on 12 shots and an 18.7% usage last time out, marking his second 20-point outing in four contests. Requiring just 23.2 for four-times value (4.0 points per $1,000), Agbaji is as close to a lock as you can get on such a short slate.

Devonte Bandoo, Baylor ($4,700): Elsewhere in the Big 12, Baylor hosts Oklahoma in Waco, and this game isn't quite the fantasy haven that KU/TCU is. The over/under is a mere 137.5 points, and with the Bears listed as four-point favorites they are the only team worth considering here. Their implied total (70.75) is tied with UNC as a result of the Sooners averaging 5.5 additional possessions per game, but it's injuries that open up opportunities for value this evening. Both Makai Mason and King McClure are game-time decisions after not playing in Saturday's loss, a game in which Bandoo started and played 36 minutes. On a 23.9% usage rate, he got up 13 shots, grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. If one or both guards are out, the freshman could see substantial minutes once again.

Forwards

Dedric Lawson, Kansas ($8,900): In building around this game, we can't ignore Lawson because of his high roster cost. After all, the versatile forward has surpassed today's salary-implied output (35.6 FanDuel points) in four of his last six games and in 6 of 11 Big 12 games to date. Five of those saw the junior go for at least 40 FanDuel points as he continues to lead active Jayhawks in minutes (33.0 per game). He's eclipsed 34 minutes in conference play, and he's now played 40 and 39 minutes in his last two games. His usage rates were 26.4% and 26.6%, so you know what you're getting: big minutes and massive usage. And in the two teams' last matchup, he just happened to go for 50.8 FanDuel points, which speaks to how much higher his upside is in relation to his already-high price tag.

Luke Maye, North Carolina ($8,400): For the most intriguing matchup of the night, we look to the ACC, where North Carolina travels to take on the Cavaliers in a top 10 matchup. The 142.5 over/under isn't one to fade either, in spite of Virginia's slow and steady pace (353rd in adjusted tempo). Maye is an especially good tournament target due to likely lower ownership than a guy like Lawson, or even teammate Coby White ($8,000), who is priced similarly at the guard spot. The 6'8" forward boasts a higher usage rate (26.2%) in ACC games, and he's shot a much higher percentage (46.1%) at home, while also averaging 15.5 points and 9.7 rebounds a game. On a per-minute basis, he has averaged 1.19 FanDuel points over the last three contests, which makes him quite the hot hand to chase this evening.

Braxton Key, Virginia ($5,400): Key is going to wow anyone with his 7.0 points a game, but for what he lacks in scoring he makes up in peripheral numbers. En route to 19.1 FanDuel points per, the junior transfer has averaged 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 blocks-plus steals in 22.3 minutes. However, Key's minutes have been off of the bench of late, which has helped to boost his numbers in the last three games. In logging 31, 27 and 27 minutes, he has yielded 19.1, 26.6 and 26.0 FanDuel points. He has a pair of blocks and steals in back-to-back games, and he might just see more minutes on Monday. Starter Mamadi Diakite collided with a teammate and did not return Saturday. His status is unclear at this time, likely the product of the concussion protocol that comes with a head injury, but whether he plays or not Key is a great value in an up-paced matchup with the Tar Heels.

Freddie Gillespie, Baylor ($4,000): Gillespie is another guy that would benefit is Mason and McClure missed a second straight game. Against Kansas State, he finished with 29.8 FanDuel points behind 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal. He stuffed the stat sheet in his 31 minutes as a starter. His starting spot probably hinges on the availability of McClure more the Mason, so keep an eye out for updates as game time approaches.

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.