College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 3/6/19

College basketball season is in full tilt.

March Madness is basically upon us, 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 10 games, with DePaul and Georgetown set for a high-scoring affair in the Big East.

Which players should you be targeting and why?

Guards

Max Strus, DePaul ($8,200): Of the 10 games on this evening's slate, only two check in with an over/under of 150 or more, and one exceeds 155. At 157.5 points, DePaul/Georgetown is the go-to spot for fantasy potential. The Blue Demons are only 1.5-point favorites, but that's enough for them to carry Wednesday's highest implied total -- 79.5 points. That's 3.5 above their season average and 5.3 above their average for conference games only. It's also 6.5 more than they scored at Georgetown a week ago, so that puts any and all of their players at the forefront. Strus is chief among them though, averaging 18.5 points and 30.6 FanDuel points on a team-high 24.6% usage rate. He is fresh off a 43-point outburst and has three games of 31.7 or more FanDuel points in his last four.

Matisse Thybulle, Washington ($7,700): If you are looking to fade the chalk in tournaments, Thybulle is a high-ceiling guy to target at low ownership. His Washington Huskies own a rather low 69.25 total, though that's right around their season average -- a result of their slow pace of play (263rd in KenPom.com's adjusted tempo). On the plus side, though, Oregon State is 163rd in adjusted defensive efficiency and give up a healthy 72.2 points in Pac 12 matchups. At home in Seattle, where he's been much better, the versatile senior has averaged 30.9 FanDuel points (4.01 points per $1,000 at this price) with 34-plus in his last four games there. And with his ability to rack up stats on the defensive end, his ceiling is virtually limitless against a Beavers team giving up a combined nine blocks and steals per game in conference play.

Torin Dorn, NC State ($6,600): Outside of the Demons and Hoyas, the two others team boasting an implied total over 75 are the North Carolina State Wolfpack and Iowa State Cyclones. In the mid-range we are going to one of the Wolfpack's top dogs in Torin Dorn. Dorn, who's priced substantially lower than he was earlier this year, is $200 cheaper than teammate Markell Johnson despite averaging 30.4 minutes to Johnson's 26.4 in 16 ACC games. The senior's 24.4% usage rate is tops on the team, and his 13.6% rebound rate is off the charts for a guy listed at guard. That combination bodes well against a Georgia Tech team ranked 8th and 10th in the league in opponent points and rebounds per game, respectively.

Lindell Wigginton, Iowa State ($5,700): We get a nice chunk of value in the Cyclones' backcourt with Nick Weiler-Babb "iffy" due to an undisclosed injury. It's more likely than not that the usual starter sits, which would open up value for others like Wigginton. After a slow injury-plagued start, the sophomore is averaging 12.9 points and 21.2 FanDuel points per game in 25.0 minutes. Taken over 40 minutes, those numbers -- 20.6 and 33.9, respectively -- look much more attractive, and though that's a high expectation he could get much closer to that with West Virginia hosting Iowa State. The Mountaineers are no longer the "Press Virginia" team we knew, allowing 76.6 points on the season and 2.1 more against Big 12 foes.

Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State ($5,000): On the road, Iowa State owns the night's fourth-highest total at 77.25 points. Their offense is the eighth-most efficient unit in the nation, and whoever's plugged in gets automatic fantasy boosts. Haliburton is no exception, especially with the likelihood of more minutes. He already has 11 games of 20-plus fantasy points en route to 20.9 per game, but there's opportunity for more than four-times value. Weiler-Babb leaves a team-high 34.2 minutes and 7.6 field goal attempts up for grabs, so expect the freshman to tally at least 34 minutes this evening. That provides us a solid floor option on a rather limited slate for value.

Forwards

Jessie Govan, Georgetown ($8,300): It's not a bad idea to stack this game with players from different pricing tiers, but it could also pay off big for those wanting to get both teams' top guys. For Georgetown, that guy is Jessie Govan. The senior forward/center is second on the slate at 32.4 FanDuel points per game, all while using 25.9% of his team's possessions and grabbing 13.6% of available rebounds while on the floor. Both of those already-high rates are up in conference games, helping to push Govan's per-game output to 32.8 FanDuel points over 31.7 minutes. The big man had success against the Demons last time (36.7 FanDuel points), and his floor is as solid as anyone at our disposal tonight.

Derek Culver, West Virginia ($7,300): For as efficient as the Cyclones are on offense they are a bit susceptible on the defensive end of the floor. They're in the top 50, but they've been hit up for 69.4 points per game in conference play, including an average of 73.8 in their last four, two of which have been away from the Hilton Coliseum. Culver should be able to get his in a winning or losing effort, so long as he helps to keep it within 10 points, which oddsmakers expect him to do with the Mountaineers getting 6.5. Not only is the game script and total decent, but the guard-heavy Cyclones are outside the top 150 in total rebounding rate (50.7%) and surrender 11.6 offensive boards in Big 12 play. Averaging 9.6 rebounds and 3.5 on the offensive end, Culver should eat things up down low.

Femi Olujubi, DePaul ($6,300): There are a few candidates to consider in the DePaul frontcourt, but ultimately we're going with Olujubi over Paul Reed. After all, the 6'9" senior is coming off a double-double against St. John's, a game in which he totaled 35 FanDuel points, as he hit that mark for the third time this season (all in Big East play). He didn't have a good game against the Hoyas last time (7.2 FanDuel points), but his usage rate (25.4%) is up 3% in conference play, and he's turned that into 23.0 FanDuel points per game. He requires 25.2 for four-times value, and considering the uptempo nature of this one that number is well in play for Olujubi.

Freddie Gillespie, Baylor ($5,100): The Baylor Bears aren't in the least obvious spot, nor are they in a particularly bad one. They're pegged for 72.5 points as 8.5-point home favorites over the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who are eighth in the conference in opponent scoring and sit 127th in the nation in adjusted efficiency. Gillespie's production has been on a rollercoaster ride, with the freshman in and out of the lineup and playing inconsistent minutes. He should stick in the starting lineup now, but still, he followed up a 33.7 FanDuel point performance with a 18.7-point one last time out. The good news is that he's had nine-plus rebounds and eight or more points in the last three games he's logged 30 minutes. If the minutes are there, he could pay off big. Just know that there's inherent risk in this play.

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.