NCAAB

College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 11/12/19

Tre Jones and the Duke Blue Devils are in a phenomenal spot versus Central Arkansas. Which other players should you consider on Tuesday night?

College basketball season is upon us, and we have a six-game slate tonight.

March Madness is 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.

Which players should you be targeting, and why?

Guards

Payton Pritchard, Oregon ($8,600) - The Oregon Ducks' point guard became a household name in last year's surprising Sweet 16 run. Through two games this season, the senior is averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.5 steals. With a matchup against the fast-paced Memphis Tigers (13th in Ken Pom's adjusted tempo), Pritchard should have no problem stuffing the stat sheet for the third consecutive game.

Tre Jones, Duke ($8,000) - Jones is the undisputed leader of the Duke Blue Devils. The sophomore point guard is averaging 15.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.5 steals through two games this season. With a matchup against Central Arkansas on tap, Jones should easily post a huge stat line. The Bears play at a fast pace (21st in Ken Pom's adjusted tempo) and do not defend (286th in Ken Pom's adjusted defense).

Anthony Mathis, Oregon ($5,200) - Mathis led the New Mexico Lobos in scoring last year as he averaged 14.4 points per game. The senior is making an instant impact this season with his new team, the Oregon Ducks. Mathis dropped a career-high 30 points in 26 minutes of action in the Ducks' 106-75 dismantling of the Boise State Broncos.

Jordan Bowden, Tennessee ($4,600) - Bowden played a key role in the Tennessee Volunteers' Sweet 16 run a season ago. Bowden and fellow backcourt mate Lamonte Turner entered this season with high expectations. After posting a huge stat line in Tennessee's lone exhibition game (22 points, six rebounds, and five assists), Bowden had an uneven performance in the Volunteers' first regular season game. The senior scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, and recorded three assists in 32 minutes in Tennessee's 78-63 win over North Carolina-Asheville. He's underpriced for a player who has taken 23 shots and played 61 minutes in two games this season.

Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky ($6,100) - Maxey exploded in his college regular season debut as he scored 26 points, grabbed five rebounds, assisted on a basket, and recorded one steal in the Kentucky Wildcats' season-opening victory against the Michigan State Spartans. The freshman struggled in Big Blue's second game as he could muster only nine points, three rebounds, and three assists to go along with four turnovers. Look for the Wildcats' leading scorer to bounce back against the Evansville Purple Aces, a team that ranks 92nd in Ken Pom's adjusted tempo ranking (amongst the top third of college basketball teams in tempo).

Forwards

James Wiseman, Memphis ($8,800) - Widely regarded as a top five pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Wiseman has been dominant in the Memphis Tigers' first two games. The big man is averaging 22 points, 10 rebounds, .5 assists, four blocks, and 0.5 steals in only 23.5 minutes. The Tigers have blown out their first two opponents, so Wiseman's minutes should climb tonight against Oregon in what projects to be a close game. The freshman was recently ruled ineligible by the NCAA. However, a judge put the suspension on hold, and Wiseman is expected to play in two more games before his eligibility status is determined at the next court hearing.

Vernon Carey Jr., Duke ($5,700) - After struggling in the Blue Devils' opening two games this season, Carey Jr.'s price tag has fallen from $7,500 to $5,700. Foul trouble can be attributed to his slow start as the freshman has picked up eight fouls in two games. If the big man can stay out of foul trouble, the upside is there as he's averaging 1.06 fantasy points per minute (averages 20 minutes per game and 21.15 FanDuel points per game). Take advantage of his cheap price tag before he breaks out.

Precious Achiuwa, Memphis ($5,500) - Like James Wiseman, Achiuwa was a highly touted recruit for the Memphis Tigers. Through two games, the freshman has scored 24 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, recorded one assist, blocked two shots, and accumulated one steal in 39 minutes of action. Achiuwa is averaging 1.09 fantasy points per minute. At that rate, he'll need to play around only 20 minutes tonight to hit value (if we assume value is 4-times salary). After two blowouts to open the season, Achiuwa and the Tigers will likely play their first competitive game of the season tonight.

Nick Richards, Kentucky ($5,400) - Richards was inserted into the starting lineup to replace an injured E.J. Montgomery in Kentucky's latest game. The sophomore scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, had an assist, and blocked four shots in 31 minutes in Kentucky 91-49 win over Eastern Kentucky. With Montgomery expected to miss tonight's game, Richards will likely make his second straight start.

Matthew Hurt, Duke ($4,500) - The former McDonald's All American is known for his long range shooting ability. The freshman has hoisted up 20 shots in two games for the second-ranked Blue Devils (second most on the team). Hurt's price tag has declined from opening night because he's struggled with his shot in the Blue Devils' first two games (shooting 40% from the field). Tonight is a prime bounce-back spot for the sharpshooter as Duke's opponent, Central Arkansas, struggles on defense. As noted above, they rank 286th in Ken Pom's adjusted defense ranking.



Matthew Hiatt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Hiatt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username easternmh. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her 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.