NCAAB

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

Matt Hiatt Nov 19th, 2019
Filip Petrusev and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are in a great spot today. Which other players should you be targeting?

College basketball season is upon us, and we have an five-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

Skylar Mays, LSU ($8,000) - Mays entered this season with high expectations after being named to the All-SEC preseason first team. The senior guard is averaging 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.3 blocks, 2.3 steals, and 4.0 turnovers through three games. He’ll also be on the court for almost the entire game as he’s logged at least 36 minutes in each of LSU's opening three games. He’s worth the high price tag on this slate.

Aaron Wiggins, Maryland ($6,700) - Wiggins has made a giant leap from his freshman season to his sophomore season, according to Maryland Terrapins head coach Mark Turgeon. The sophomore is contributing on both ends of the floor so far this year. Through three games, Wiggins is averaging 10.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, one block, and three steals.

Anthony Cowan Jr., Maryland ($6,400) - The senior guard is a model of consistency for the Terrapins as he’s scored at least 24.3 FanDuel points in all three games this season. Cowan Jr. has scored at least 11 real-world points in five out the last six games, grabbed at least four rebounds in five out of the last six games, and recorded at least four assists in six consecutive games dating back to last season. The Terrapins’ guard was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team and ESPN’s top 25 players for the 2019-20 basketball season.

Kihei Clark, Virginia ($5,300) - The Virginia Cavaliers' point guard has played only 56 minutes in the Cavaliers’ last two games due to blowouts. However, his minutes should spike back up to the mid-30s with a competitive matchup on tap tonight with Vermont. Despite his minutes being down early in the season, Clark has accrued at least 18.6 FanDuel points in all three games.

Javonte Smart, LSU ($5,100) - Mays is paired with emerging sophomore JaVonte Smart in the Tigers’ backcourt. The tandem form one of the best backcourts in college basketball. Smart is primed for a bounce back after coming off his worst game of the season (shot 11 percent from the field, scored only three points, and turned the ball over seven times in 32 minutes against Nicholls State). Prior to the Nicholls State game (LSU’s third game of the season), Smart averaged 18 points, 5.5 rebounds, four assists, and 0.5 steals in the Tigers’ first two games.

Forwards

Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga ($7,900) - Petrusev’s 30.4% usage rate should continue with fellow big man Killian Tillie ruled out for another couple of weeks. The Gonzaga Bulldogs’ center is averaging a slate leading 1.40 fantasy points per minute. He’s recorded a double-double in back-to-back games. The sophomore should have his way with the less talented Texas-Arlington Mavericks (126th in Ken Pom’s adjusted defense ranking).

Jalen Smith, Maryland ($7,500) - The future lottery pick is averaging a stellar 1.13 fantasy points per minute. The sophomore more should have no problem recording his third double-double in four games with an outstanding matchup with on tap with Fairfield. Fairfield is 244th in Ken Pom’s adjusted defense ranking.

Emmitt Williams, LSU ($6,600) - Williams came to LSU as a consensus five-star recruit. After averaging seven points and 5.4 rebounds per game in his freshman season as a reserve, Williams is now a starter. Through three games, the big man is scoring 0.96 fantasy points per minute. Considering he’s averaging 30 minutes per game; Williams is a solid bet to return value on his middling price tag tonight (assuming value is 4x the price tag).

Braxton Key, Virginia, ($5,800) - Key was projected as a potential breakout player for the Cavaliers prior to the season. The senior forward is invaluable as he can play several different positions due to his size and athleticism. Key’s offense is needed this season as Virginia lost it’s three top offensive players from a year ago. Through three games, Key is averaging 10.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 27.7 minutes.

Silvio De Sousa, Kansas ($3,900) - After playing only 14 minutes combined in the Kansas Jayhawks' first two games, De Sousa drew his first start of the season against Monmouth. The sophomore forward scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds, and blocked a shot in 22 minutes of action. However, he’s not without risk as it’s no guarantee that he’ll start tonight, and he’s a foul machine. For the price tag and his skill set, though, De Sousa is worth the roll of the dice (especially if he draws the start).


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.