NCAAB

FanDuel College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 2/1/22

Austan Kas  —  @AustanKas Feb 1st, 2022

March Madness is a ways away, but you can get into college hoops today by playing daily contests at FanDuel.

If you've played NBA DFS before, college basketball DFS is similar. You pick a total of eight players -- four guards, three forwards, and one utility spot. Stay within the $50,000 salary cap, and field the team you think will score the most fantasy points.

The scoring settings differ from NBA in the blocks and steals categories; each is worth two FanDuel points, rather than the three you get in NBA contests.

Now that you're in the know, let's attack today's main slate. All betting lines come from NCAAB odds.

Guards

JD Davison, Alabama ($7,300) - I'm not in love with the idea of using a lot of salary on a guard on this slate. So while you can make a case for Alabama's Jaden Shackelford ($8,100) in what should be the best DFS environment of the slate, I prefer to dip down in salary to Davison. Bama is battling Auburn in a game with a slate-best 155.5-point total and 7.0-point spread. Davison is playing well, scoring 29.3, 27.5 and 26.8 FanDuel points over his last three games. He's got an 18.7% usage rate for the year -- according to Sports-Reference -- and has logged at least 26 minutes in three straight.

Josiah-Jordan James, Tennessee ($5,400) - James' production has been all over the place of late, but that kind of works in our favor, as it gives us a chance to roster him at a modest salary. Over his last six full games, James has been held under 15.0 FanDuel points twice while also scoring at least 25.0 FanDuel points two times. What is reliable about James is his consistently high minutes. He's been out there for at least 27 minutes in seven of his last eight full games, including 33 and 38 minutes in the past two. Tennessee should have success tonight as an 11.5-point favorite over Texas A&M.

Jared Bynum, Providence ($5,100) - Providence is a great squad to look at for a low-salary option. The Friars have no one salaried above $6,400, and they're in a massive pace-up spot against St. John's. Providence sits 293rd in adjusted tempo, per KenPom, while the Red Storm are 4th. Bynum is second in usage rate (23.4%) among the Friars' regulars, and he's scored at least 15.2 FanDuel points in five straight games. He's my favorite piece on Providence.

Eli Brooks, Michigan ($5,100) - The slate's second-best implied total belongs to Michigan (79.50). The Wolverines are 14.5-point home favorites against Nebraska, a team that sits 14th in adjusted tempo and 161st in adjusted defense, making them a dope matchup for DFS. Brooks and Caleb Houstan ($5,000) are economical ways to get exposure to Michigan. Brooks averages 20.9 FanDuel points for the campaign on an 18.1% usage rate and has played at least 34 minutes in four consecutive outings. Houstan has scored at least 18.0 FanDuel points in four straight games and owns a 19.1% usage rate for the season.

Forwards

Armando Bacot, North Carolina ($8,500) - Forward has some juicy options at the top end, and Bacot is one of them. He's averaging 35.9 FanDuel points per game for the year and can thrive against Louisville in a clash with a 145.5-point total and 3.0-point spread. A walking double-double, Bacot is putting up 16.3 points and 12.1 rebounds per game on a 25.5% usage rate. He's generated 46.6, 33.6 and 39.5 FanDuel points over his last three.

Walker Kessler, Auburn ($8,400) - Kessler is part of the Auburn-Alabama matchup we talked about earlier (155.5-point total). He's scored at least 30.4 FanDuel points in five straight games, with a spike outing of 55.5 in that stretch. Alabama is 25th in adjusted tempo and only 71st in adjusted defense. Auburn's 81.25-point implied total is a slate-leading clip, and Kessler is a great way to get in on the fun.

Ike Obiago, Seton Hall ($6,000) - Seton Hall could fly under the radar a tad, but they're in a mouth-watering spot versus Georgetown. The Hoyas are an ideal team to pick on in DFS as they rank 35th in adjusted tempo and 250th in adjusted defense. Yes, please. The Pirates carry a 78.75-point implied total that is the third-highest mark on the slate. Obiago has at least 25.0 FanDuel points in four of his last five games, and he saw 33-plus minutes in two of those. Obiago checks a lot of boxes at an easy-to-like salary.

Gabe Brown, Michigan State ($4,900) - Brown has played at least 29 minutes in 11 consecutive games for Michigan State. That alone makes him appealing at this salary. His FanDuel production has been down recently, but prior to his last three games, he'd scored at least 20.1 FanDuel points in nine outings in a row. This looks like a good time to buy in as the Spartans hold a 71.25-point implied total as road favorites at Maryland. Marcus Bingham Jr. ($5,400) is another solid way to get access to Michigan State without breaking the bank.