College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 1/14/21

College basketball season is entering conference play, and we have a five-game slate today.

March Madness is a ways off at this point, 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 NBA contests.

Now that you're in the know, we can attack today's slate, which locks at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Which players should you be targeting, and why?

Three out of the five games on this slate have been cancelled, so don't roster the players in those games (Southern Methodist Mustangs at Memphis Tigers, Michigan State Spartans at Iowa Hawkeyes, and Houston Cougars at South Florida Bulls).

Guards

Quade Green, Washington ($6,400) - Green has a 29.0% usage rate, and he's also taking 31.4% of the Washington Huskies' shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom. He also logs a ton of minutes as he leads the Huskies with 31.1 minutes per game. The matchup with USC isn't ideal (the Trojans are 12th in KenPom's defensive rankings), but the combination of Green's massive usage rate and playing time is unmatched by any other rosterable guard on this slate.

Drew Peterson, Southern California ($6,000) - Peterson is averaging 0.78 FanDuel points per minute. At that production level, he should pay off his salary in 30.8 minutes of action (assuming value is four-times a player's salary). The Trojans' guard has played at least 32 minutes in each of the last four games.

Tahj Eaddy, Southern California ($5,600) - Eaddy has been the primary point guard with Ethan Anderson sidelined. The senior has a 20.6% usage rate and a 17.1% assist rate, per KenPom. He also rarely leaves the floor as he's logged 32-plus minutes in five straight games. The matchup with Washington is intriguing. The Huskies' defense is a good spot to target as they rank 109th in KenPom's defensive rankings.

Isaiah White, Southern California ($4,800) - White has a starting role, is involved on both ends of the court, and provides salary relief. Additionally, the sophomore is averaging 19.4 FanDuel points over the last four games, which is more than acceptable at his current salary. Throw in a pace-up game with the defensive-deficient Huskies, and White looks like a good play. Washington is 102nd in KenPom's tempo rankings while USC is 236th.

Jamal Bey, Washington ($4,500) - Bey has seen a significant increase in playing time over the last two games. The junior is averaging 35.0 minutes per game over the last two, which is up significantly from his seasonal average of 26.7 minutes per game. In the past two, Bey has averaged 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks/steals.

Erik Stevenson, Washington ($4,200) - Stevenson was inserted into the starting lineup in the Huskies' last game. The junior exploded for 27 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 36 minutes. While Washington's rotations tend to be erratic, Stevenson will likely make his second consecutive start after that stellar performance.

Forwards

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana ($8,300) - There is plenty of value at the guard position, which allows us to spend up at the forward spot. Conversely, the salary relief options at forward aren't appealing, and the guard spot does not feature any high-end plays. Jackson-Davis offers an incredibly high floor with monstrous upside. The Indiana Hoosiers' forward has tallied at least 29.2 FanDuel points in 10 straight games. He's cleared 40 FanDuel points in five of those.

Evan Mobley, Southern California ($8,300) - Mobley is a future lottery pick in the NBA. The Trojans' big man is a force on both ends of the court. He also rarely leaves the floor as he's averaging 34.2 minutes per game. The seven footer has recorded at least 19 real-life points and 11 rebounds in three straight games. Add in a matchup with the struggling Huskies, and he should have a field day. Washington does not have any players on its rosters who can match up with Mobley.

Trevion Williams, Purdue ($7,900) - Williams is posting an eye-popping 34.8% usage rate, and he's also taking 35.0% of the Purdue Boilermakers' shots when he's on the floor, per KenPom (both rank inside the top 15 nationally). He's an excellent rebounder, too, as he ranks inside the nation's top 20 in both offensive rebounding percentage and defensive rebounding percentage. If that's not enough, Williams also owns a 25.5% assist rate and a 3.9% block rate.

Isaiah Mobley, Southern California ($6,900) - Like his brother Evan, Isaiah is a force on both ends of the court. Mobley's 21.6% usage rate ranks second amongst the Trojans, per KenPom. The sophomore leads USC with a 12.7% offensive rebounding rate and 18.0 defensive rebounding rate. Additionally, he's posting a 4.2% block rate, which ranks second on the Trojans. He won't be nearly as popular as the three forwards mentioned above, but Isaiah is an excellent play.

Other players to consider for salary relief ($5,000 or less): Aaron Wheeler and Jerome Hunter

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.