NCAAB

College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 1/6/20

Matt Hiatt Jan 6th, 2020
Oscar Tshiebwe is coming off a monster performance against Kansas. Can he repeat on Monday night? Who else should we be targeting?

College basketball season is entering conference play, and we have a single-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.

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.

For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, there is an "MVP" roster slot, "STAR" roster spot, and "PRO" roster spot. The MVP receives 2 times his total fantasy points, the STAR receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, and the PRO receives 1.2 times his total fantasy points, making these spots crucial.

Now that you're in the know, we can attack today's single-game slate, which locks at 9:00 p.m. EST.

Which players should you be targeting, and why?

MVP/STAR/PRO Consideration

Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia ($13,000) - In West Virginia's last game at Kansas, the highly touted freshman scored 17 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, and a recorded a steal in 35 minutes of action. He's averaging 1.17 fantasy points per minute, which leads the slate. If Tshiebwe can avoid foul trouble (per Ken Pom, he commits 5.0 fouls per 40 minutes), he'll likely finish the night with the top fantasy points total.

Isaac Likekele, Oklahoma State ($12,500) - The Oklahoma State Cowboys point guard has played in two games since returning from a four-game illness absence. Prior to the illness, Likekele topped 22.3 FanDuel points in seven consecutive games. After logging 28 minutes in the Cowboys' last outing, it appears that he's back to playing his normal allotment of minutes. Likekele is averaging 11.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.5 blocks/steals in 29.3 minutes.

Derek Culver, West Virginia ($12,000) - The preseason All-Big 12 selection leads the Mountaineers with a 26.1 usage rate. He's also a fantastic rebounder, as he's grabbed at least 10 rebounds in five out of the last seven games. The matchup with Oklahoma State should be advantageous to Culver. Per Ken Pom, Oklahoma State is 144th in offensive rebounding and 168th in defensive rebounding.

Yor Anei, Oklahoma State ($11,000) - Known primarily as a rim protector and rebounder, Anei's offensive game remains a work in progress. He's a boom or bust play due to his tendency to commit fouls. Despite that, the elite shot-blocker is averaging 1.08 fantasy points per minute, which puts him into MVP consideration.

Other to consider: Cameron McGriff.

Value Plays

Lindy Waters III, Oklahoma State ($10,000) - Waters III is the Cowboys' leading scorer (12.9 points per game). However, it's his ability to contribute in every other statistical category that boasts his DFS value. In addition to his 12.9 points per game, the senior guard also averages 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in 29.3 minutes. His minutes figure to increase as the Cowboys enter conference play. Waters III averaged 33.8 minutes per game a season ago. While I wouldn't roster him in the MVP or Star slot (ceiling is lowered with Likekele back), he makes for a solid play in one of the utility spots.

Miles McBride, West Virginia ($9,500) - West Virginia has a deep rotation, as ten players average at least 12.5 minutes played per game. McBride is one of the few players that routinely plays at least 20 minutes. The freshman seems to be finding his way, as he's scored at least 10 real-life points in each of the last four games. He's also not afraid to shoot as he's averaging 10.25 field goal attempts over the last four games.

Emmitt Matthews Jr., West Virginia ($8,000) - Matthews Jr. leads the Mountaineers in minutes played (26.7 per game) and field goal attempts (8.15 per game). In games decided by 10 points or less (six total games), the sophomore has played at least 28 minutes. With West Virginia installed as a one-point favorite, there's a good chance Matthews Jr. plays a ton of minutes in the contest. At $8,000, he's one of the best value plays.

Gabe Osabuohien, West Virginia ($7,500) - On a single-game slate, we're forced to roll the dice on players that we wouldn't normally consider. After transferring from Arkansas, Osabuohien is now a big part of the West Virginia Mountaineers rotation. The junior has played at least 19 minutes in four out of the last five games. He's one of the few extremely cheap guys that is guaranteed a sizable role on Monday night.

Others to consider: Jermaine Haley, Thomas Dziagwa, and Avery Anderson III.

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.