College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 12/4/2019

College basketball season is upon us, and we have an eight-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 7:15 p.m. EST.

Which players should you be targeting, and why?

Guards

Isaac Likekele, Oklahoma State ($7,200) - Likekele is a defensive force, and his ability to create steals is fantastic for FanDuel scoring. The emerging sophomore is averaging 13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3.2 blocks/steals in 30.9 minutes of action. The matchup with the Georgetown Hoyas should be a solid one for Likekele. Both teams love to push the pace, and Georgetown is missing their primary ball-handler (James Akinjo).

Chris Clarke, Texas Tech ($6,500) - Clarke has recorded at least 22.1 FanDuel points in five consecutive games. With star freshman Jahmi'us Ramsey sidelined against Creighton, Clarke was inserted into the starting lineup. The former Virginia Tech guard scored 17 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 9 assists, and recorded a steal in 39 minutes of action (game went to overtime). Clarke is a good play with Ramsey playing, but he's an even better play if Ramsey is ruled out (listed as day-to-day).

Jake Toolson, BYU ($6,300) - Toolson is the Brigham Young Cougars' leading scorer (15 points per game), and plays nearly the entire game (34.4 minutes per game). Combine that with a matchup against the Utah Utes' struggling defense (209th in Ken Pom's adjusted defense ranking), and Toolson finds himself in a great spot. He's one of the best mid-tier guards on this slate.

Mac McClung, Georgetown ($5,000) - With starting point guard James Akinjo electing to transfer, Mac McClung will need to step up for the suddenly depleted Georgetown Hoyas. The sophomore has struggled with his shot in the Hoyas' last two games, which has resulted in less playing time. However, the team has no choice but to play McClung as much as possible tonight. He's underpriced for the minutes he'll log as well as the expected increase in usage with Akinjo no longer around.

Terrance Shannon Jr., Texas Tech ($4,700) - Shannon Jr. is one of the new faces for the Texas Tech Red Raiders this season. The freshman is an outstanding athlete and a good defender. Shannon Jr. is averaging 9.6 points, 4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks/steals in 24 minutes of play. He's one of the better cheap guard values on this slate. If Ramsey is unable to play, Shannon Jr. becomes a great play.

Forwards

Yoeli Childs, BYU ($8,200) - The two-time West Coast Conference first-team selection is set to make his season debut after sitting out the first nine games due to suspension. Childs averaged 21.2 points and 9.7 rebounds a season ago. As noted above, this is an outstanding spot to return, as the Utah Utes have been dreadful defensively this season.

Lamar Stevens, Penn State ($8,000) - Stevens has recorded at least 32.9 FanDuel points in five straight games. The matchup with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons is a good one. The Demon Deacons have one of the worst defenses on the slate (103rd in Ken Pom's adjusted defense ranking). Stevens is one of the top plays tonight.

Yor Anei, Oklahoma State ($6,800) - The prolific shot blocker has topped 31.8 FanDuel points in three straight games. Yet, his price tag remains under $7,000. Due to his ability to rebound and rack up blocks, Anei is a fantasy point per minute monster. The sophomore is producing 1.26 fantasy points per minute. He'll surpass value in only 22 minutes of action (assuming value is 4x the player's price tag). He's played at least 24 minutes in three of the Oklahoma State Cowboys' last four games.

Jalen Smith, Maryland ($6,800) - The Maryland Terrapins star was limited to 22 minutes the last time out due to foul trouble and lopsided score (Maryland dominated). With the Terps' installed as nine-point favorites, Smith's minutes should rebound back to the nearly 28 minutes he's averaging this season. With the Maryland big man producing 1.09 fantasy points per minute, he'll easily pay off his current price tag.

Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State ($6,600) - The Buckeyes' big man is averaging 1.18 fantasy points per minute. Wesson hasn't logged more than 21 minutes in four straight games, with the Buckeyes' smashing their opponents. That should change in an expected competitive matchup with the North Carolina Tar Heels. The junior logged 35 minutes in Ohio State's only competitive game this season (Villanova). If he receives anywhere near 25 minutes, his production will crush his current price tag.

Aleem Ford, Wisconsin ($4,600) - The Wisconsin Badgers' starting forward is averaging 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and one block/steal in 26.9 minutes. His price remains low due to his shooting struggles in the last 2 games (made 2 of 12 field goal attempts). There's a good chance he'll break out of his shooting slump against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The Wolfpack struggle on defense (101st in Ken Pom's adjusted defense ranking) and play at a much faster pace than Wisconsin.

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.