College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 11/20/19 Main Slate
College basketball season is upon us, and we have a four-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
Anthony Edwards, Georgia ($7,600) - The future NBA lottery pick is off to a blazing start as a freshman for the Georgia Bulldogs. The lightning-quick point guard is averaging 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 assists in 28.3 minutes through three games. Participating in one of the few competitive games on this slate, Edwards should play as many minutes as he can handle. He's worth the price tag on this slate.
Markquis Nowell, Arkansas Little-Rock ($7,500) - Nowell has been sensational for the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans so far this season. The diminutive guard rarely leaves the court (has played 159 out of a 160 minutes this season) and has scored at least 20 points in three straight games. He's averaging 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.5 steals through four games. While a matchup with Memphis is an obvious step up in competition, that's mitigated by the Memphis Tigers' blazing pace (8th in Ken Pom's adjusted tempo ranking).
Lester Quinones, Memphis ($6,200) - The four-star recruit is one of several promising freshmen for the Memphis Tigers. In the Tigers' first game sans James Wiseman (potential top pick in next year's NBA Draft is out due to eligibility issues), Quinones scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and recorded 2 assists in only 25 minutes of action. With Wiseman out, a ton of usage has opened up. It appears that Quinones is one of the biggest beneficiaries. Play him while he's still relatively cheap.
Savion Flagg, Texas A&M ($5,700) - After dropping 22 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, recording 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals in the season opener, it looked like Flagg was going to be a force to be reckoned with this season. However, the junior has come crashing back down to earth in the last two games. In the last two games, the versatile guard has recorded 10 points (made only 5 of 16 field goals) to go with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and 8 turnovers. This is prime bounce-back spot for Flagg as the Texas A&M Aggies face off with the defensive deficient and fast-paced Troy Trojans. The Trojans rank 318th in Ken Pom's adjusted defense ranking and 71st in Ken Pom's adjusted tempo ranking.
Wendell Mitchell, Texas A&M ($3,800) - Mitchell was the Aggies' best player in their 79-49 loss to Gonzaga in their third game of the season. The starting guard scored 14 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, assisted on two baskets, and recorded two steals in 32 minutes. He's certainly not without risk, but the heavy minutes (averages 27 minutes per game), matchup, and price tag help mitigate that risk. Mitchell is one of the better values plays on this slate.
Forwards
James Banks, Georgia Tech ($7,900) - The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets' big man has been a monster on both ends of the floor to start the season. Through two games, the senior is averaging 15.5 points, 10 rebounds, 1.5 assists, .5 steal, and 5.5 blocks. With the Yellow Jackets playing the fast-paced Georgia Bulldogs (50th in Ken Pom’s adjusted tempo ranking), Banks is my top forward on this slate.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana ($7,400) - The freshman forward has carved out a large role early in the season for the Indiana Hoosiers. Jackson-Davis has topped 31 FanDuel points in three straight games while averaging 25 minutes of action. He should have no problem making an imprint on the stat sheet tonight against the Troy Trojans. The Trojans play fast (73rd in Ken Pom’s adjusted tempo ranking) and own one of the worst defenses in the country (319th in Ken Pom’s adjusted defense ranking).
D.J. Jeffries, Memphis ($6,200) - Jeffries led the Tigers in scoring during its 2019 Foreign tour. In four games over the summer, he averaged 18.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. The freshman’s versatility is vital for a Memphis team missing its best player (James Wiseman). In one game without Wiseman, Jeffries scored 15 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, had 3 assists, and recorded 3 steals.
Precious Achiuwa, Memphis ($5,900) - The former McDonald’s All American is a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches. In four games this season, the freshman is averaging 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, .8 assists, and 1.3 blocks/steals in 21.5 minutes of court time. Like most of the Memphis players on tonight’s slate, Achiuwa is underpriced for his role sans James Wiseman.
Lance Thomas, Memphis ($3,800) - Thomas moved into the starting lineup in the Tigers' last game with James Wiseman sidelined. In only 11 minutes of action against Alcorn State, the forward scored 11 points, grabbed three rebounds, and blocked two shots. As the competition increases, Thomas's minutes figure to increase due to his size and defensive prowess. That should start tonight as the matchup with Arkansas-Little Rock should be more competitive. Thomas is underpriced for his starting role.
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.
