College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 2/12/20

College basketball season is in the middle of conference play, and we have a ten-game slate tonight.

March Madness is a month 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?

Relevant Injury Situations: Danjel Purifoy (Auburn), Aamir Simms (Clemson), and Ryan Murphy (Pittsburgh) are all questionable. Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State), Herb Jones (Alabama), and Mustapha Heron are out.

Guards

Markus Howard, Marquette ($8,500) - Howard owns a monster 37.9% usage rate (second-best in the country) -- he's taking an eye-popping 41.9% (leads the country) of the Marquette Golden Eagles' shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom. He's averaging 27.4 points per game, which leads the nation. Up next is a matchup with Villanova. The Wildcats defense is nothing to fear as they are 72nd in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings.

Collin Gillespie, Villanova ($6,800) - Gillespie is averaging .82 FanDuel points per minute. At that production clip, he is expected to pay off his price tag in 33.2 minutes of action. He's played 36-plus minutes in 9 out of the last 10 games. His floor is rock-solid; he eclipsed 24 FanDuel points in all 10 of those games. John Petty ($6,900) and LJ Figueroa ($6,600) are worth a look in Gillespie's price range.

Alpha Diallo, Providence ($6,200) - It's time to take advantage of the Providence star's cheap price tag. Diallo has logged 77 out of 80 possible minutes in the last two games. In those two games, Diallo has averaged 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.5 steals, and 5.5 turnovers. Throw in a major pace-up game as the Friars travel to St. John's, and Diallo appears to be one of the best values on the slate. Providence is 189th in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings while St. John's is 24th. Backcourt mate David Duke ($5,700) is also a solid play at a slightly less expensive price tag.

Rasir Bolton, Iowa State ($5,600) - Bolton is expected to take over point guard duties with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the rest of the season. Bolton already owns a usage rate of 25.9%, and he's taking 25.3% of the team's shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom. Both of those team-leading numbers figure to increase as Haliburton was the Cyclones' second-leading scorer (15.2 points per game). The bottom line is that Bolton is underpriced for the situation he's about to encounter. Prentiss Nixon ($4,800) should also see added run with Haliburton out and is worth a look at his cheap price tag.

J'Von McCormick, Auburn ($5,400) - The Auburn Tigers' floor general has been outstanding in their last two games. Over the last two contests, McCormick is averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and only 2.5 turnovers. His fantastic play should continue as the Tigers host Alabama. The Crimson Tide aren't a good defensive team (75th in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings), and they play extremely fast (3rd in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings). McCormick should have plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet.

Other guards to consider (below $5,000): Ochai Agbaji, CJ Walker, Jamal Bieniemy, John Newman III, David Johnson, Justin Moore, Maliek White, Clyde Trapp, Duane Washington Jr., Miles McBride, Nick Rutherford, Greg Williams Jr., and Terrence Lewis.

Forwards

Jordan Nwora, Louisville ($7,400) - Nwora leads the Louisville Cardinals in minutes (33.3 per game) and points (19.5 per game). He's averaging 7.4 rebounds, which is second-best on the team. The junior owns a 26.7% usage rate, and he's taking 30.1% of the team's shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom. Both of those numbers also lead the Cardinals. On tap is a pace-up game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Louisville is 258th in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings, while Georgia Tech is 126th. The extra pace bump should provide Nwora with additional scoring opportunities.

Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma ($6,800) - Doolittle is an intriguing target on this slate due to his excellent floor, massive upside, and opponent. The senior forward has recorded at least 20 FanDuel points in 16 consecutive games. He topped 30 FanDuel points in 7 of those 16 games. He's recorded two 45-plus FanDuel point games this season. Doolittle is my favorite play on the slate as he squares off with the defensive-deficient and fast-paced (23rd in KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings) Iowa State Cyclones. Iowa State has fallen to 123rd in KenPom's adjusted defense ratings. Teammates Brady Manek ($6,500) and Austin Reaves ($5,900) also deserve consideration. Kaleb Wesson ($7,100) is a viable alternative who falls in between Doolittle and Nwora's price ranges.

Saddiq Bey, Villanova ($6,400) - Bey is an interesting target due to his ability to affect the game in all phases. The sophomore is averaging 15.9 points (leads team), 5.1 rebounds (second on the team), 2.3 assists (second on the team), and 1.2 blocks/steals in 33.9 minutes (leads team). On tap is a major pace-up game as the Wildcats host Marquette. Villanova is 277th KenPom's adjusted tempo ratings while Marquette is 50th. Bey should have plenty of opportunities to make plays tonight. Frontcourt mates James Earl-Robinson ($6,500) and Jermaine Samuels ($5,700) are also viable at different price points.

Isaac Okoro, Auburn ($5,500) - The freshman is averaging .73 FanDuel points per minute. At that production clip, he is expected to pay off his price tag in 30.1 minutes of action. Okoro has logged 30-plus minutes in eight straight games. Throw in an intriguing matchup with Alabama (as mentioned in the McCormick blurb), and Okoro is one of the better forward values on the slate.

Solomon Young, Iowa State ($5,000) - Young has a usage rate of 21.9% -- he's taking 23.5% of the Cyclones shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom. With Haliburton and his 21.2% usage rate unavailable, Young seems like the most logical candidate to pick up Haliburton's scoring void. The junior has topped 36 FanDuel points in two out of the last six games, and that was with Haliburton in the lineup.

Other forwards to consider (below $5,000): Akok Akok, Malik Williams, Marcellus Earlington, Ryan Young, Alex Reese, Andre Wesson, John Carlton, Steven Enoch, Michael Jacobson, and Anfernee McLemore.

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.