In the article below I will highlight a few of my top plays from todays slate, and analysis as to why I am targeting them for my FanDuel and DraftKings lineups.
Guards
Benny Mathurin (Arizona): Dk 7.8k
Wright State is going to try and run with Arizona today and it is going to go rather badly for them. Arizona has an 89 team implied total, the highest by a good margin. I will be looking to get at least two pieces from the Wildcats in my main lineup, if not more. Mathurin has been phenomenal this year. He has a 26% shot rate and is shooting 37% from 3pt range. Wright State allow teams to shoot 35% from three. Mathurin thrives in these up tempo style games.
Malachi Smith (Chattanooga): Dk 6k
Smith has phenomenal rates across the board, and rarely do we see guys with as good of rates as him priced at this range. I expect him to carry pretty heavy ownership, and for good reason. Illinois is stout on the defensive end of the court, so they could make things slightly difficult for Smith, however, Smith is going to shoot the ball a ton in this game and has flashed double/double upside this year. Very strong play at 6k, and is going to be a core play for me today.
Tanner Holden (Wright State): Dk 5.8k
Holden is coming off of a massive game vs. Bryant, and will look to keep his stellar play going. He comes in to this matchup with very strong rates across the board, including a 28% usage rate. He also will play nearly every minute available. Arizona is, statistically, one of the best defensive teams in the country, however, the pace of this game is going to be crazy fast. Wright State is still projected to score 70 points. Holden is priced too low, and needs to be considered in all formats today. Even in this tough matchup, I think he has double/double upside.
Forwards
Azoulus Tubelis (Arizona): Dk 7.1k
Tubelis is just a total misprice today, and is going to be a lock for me in all formats. He leads this Arizona team with a 28% usage rate and a 27% shot rate. He is a very efficient scorer, shooting 57% from the field. Tubelis comes with double/double upside as well. Again, with Arizona’s 89 point total, you need multiple pieces from this team and Tubelis tops my list of Wildcats tonight, followed closely by Mathurin and Koloko.
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois): Dk 9.1k
Kofi is going to absolutely smash this Chattanooga front court. I see now way possible that De Sousa keeps Kofi in check today. He leads Illinois with a 30% usage rate, 31% shot rate and one of the top rebounding rates in the country. I think Kofi has 20+ rebound upside, and should EASILY cruise to a double/double. He is one of my favorite spend ups on this slate. Chattanooga’s 2pt defense is AWFUL, and their giving up a good chunk of offensive rebounds to opposing teams. This should allow Kofi plenty of opportunities for some easy put backs. I get the Kessler play for slightly less, and think these guys are projecting very similar, I just really like Kofi’s spot today!
Paul Atkinson (Notre Dame): Dk 6.4k / FD 5.1k
Play bigs vs. Alabama. I have been doing this all year long, and will not stop today. Bama is one of the worst rebounding teams in the country, and really struggle defending 2pt shots. Atkinson has decent usage and shot rates, but a very strong rebounding rate. He comes in priced in the mid-6k range, and I don’t think he will garner the ownership he deserves. Mike Brey has started to shorten his rotation as of late, giving guys like Atkinson more consistent run. I think he crushes this Bama team down low, in what will be an up tempo game. I still think Bama gets the win here, but Atkinson and Laszewski will get theirs down low today.
