RADIO
We begin March with a monster day of college basketball. There are 31 games across four slates today to maximize our college basketball enjoyment! I'll go over all of it with you.
The early slate is the largest, with 10 games. We have nine in the afternoon and the night slates with a three-game late-night slate added for the WCC teams. The WCC could get as many as four teams in the NCAA Tournament. This small-but-mighty late-night slate is worth looking into, but it is also part of the night slate, so it might just be another DK money grab.
Here are my picks across all CBB DFS slates on Saturday, March 1, with the main slate starting at noon Eastern on DraftKings. The afternoon slate starts at 3 p.m., with the late slate locking at 7 Eastern. The late-night offering locks at 10 p.m. Eastern. The times have changed a little bit for this slate.
Today's Main Slate DraftKings CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Best Matchups:
Villanova guards vs. Butler
North Carolina vs. Miami
Auburn frontcourt vs. Kentucky
Maryland frontcourt vs. Penn State
Core Pieces:
Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina ($9.7K)
Perhaps a bright spot in a dark USC men's basketball season: Collin Murray-Boyles is one of just two players nationally averaging at least 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He's also got the sixth-best qualifying FG% among players in major conferences.
— Kevin Miller (@kevinbmiller52) February 12, 2025
Turnovers were an issue early on, but CMB has shelved those issues. He has at least 30 DraftKings points in all but two games in the six weeks. He has topped 35 in nine of the last 11 and 13 of the 15 games since January 13. That's the kind of consistency I want in a core piece.
Tarris Reed Jr., Connecticut ($6.6K)
After the inexplicable loss to Seton Hall two weeks ago, Connecticut has shaken things up a bit. Part of that shakeup has meant more Reed and less Samson Johnson. Reed still comes off the bench, but he has played 75 minutes in the three games since, putting up 48 points, 25 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and a steal in that span.
D.J. Wagner, Arkansas ($6.1K)
Wagner has teamed with Johnell Davis to pick up the slack left by Boogie Fland's injury. Wagner has been just as productive as Davis because of the steals and assists. Wagner's price is also $800 lower. The floor on Wagner is a little less volatile. I like both in this matchup, but if you can only afford one, take the savings on Wagner.
Value Pieces:
Dillon Hunter, Clemson ($4.9K)
Hunter has started the last five games for Clemson, putting up at least 15 DraftKings points in each of them. He doesn't have a high ceiling, but I prefer my value plays with a floor that I can rely on. Hunter has that as long as he's in the starting lineup.
Denver Jones, Auburn ($4.7K)
Jones has averaged 20.4 DraftKings points per game since the start of February. The senior has become an important piece of the second unit for the Tigers. He's the best bench scorer that Auburn has, which gives him a reliable floor.
Divine Ugochukwu, Miami ($4.5K)
I like value plays that don't have to rely on scoring. Ugochukwu has only scored in double figures three times this season and just once since the first three games. His value lies in passing, defense, and rebounds. That makes him pretty easy to rely on. Jalil Bethea has a higher ceiling, but I'm going with the sure production.
Slate-Breaking Potential:
Johni Broome, Auburn ($10.8K)
Johni Broome has the best statistical output per possession according to @EvanMiya’s BPR Rankings…WITHOUT adjusting for strength of opponent.
Kenpom SOS:
Auburn: 1st
Duke: 58thWhen adjusted for opponent strength:
Johni Broome: 10.12
Braden Smith: 9.00
Cooper Flagg: 8.55 https://t.co/1O3iEFC31X pic.twitter.com/EUgDIwqcw7— Taylor Korn (@TaylorKornTNR) February 21, 2025
Broome has the highest ceiling on the slate, and his floor is still in the mid-30s. Given Kentucky's issues with big men, Broome could put up some massive numbers. He is averaging 44.8 DraftKings points per game this season. Don't be surprised if he clears 50 today with relative ease.
Jahmyl Telfort, Butler ($8K)
Telfort has struggled against some of Butler's larger opponents, but he posted a ceiling game against Villanova in the first meeting. He and Eric Dixon exchanged blows on both ends of the court. Telfort outscored him by nearly 15 points and costs more than $1000 less than Dixon. Telfort isn't the most consistent guy, but the ceiling is there.
Hassan Diarra, Connecticut ($6.7K)
There are few players more frustrating in DFS than Diarra. We've seen him score in the high 30s for fantasy points. We've also seen him log single digits, sometimes in the same week!
You have to pick your spots with Diarra, and this is a good one. Diarra put up 38.5 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Providence and has scored over 30 in the last two games. He's in a good spot to outperform his price again today.
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Today's Afternoon Slate DraftKings CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Best Matchups:
Oregon guards vs. USC
North Carolina State guards vs. Georgia Tech
Indiana frontcourt vs. Washington
Tennessee frontcourt vs. Alabama
Core Pieces:
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton ($10.6K)
4PT Stats: Creighton 7’1” senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner led the way in a 75-65 win, posting 25 points, 13 boards, and a block on 12-of-17 shooting.
Over 27 games this season, he’s averaging 18.9 points, 8.7 boards, 2.5 blocks, and 1.5 assists while shooting 66.2% from the… pic.twitter.com/CVscl8UtG7
— 4PT (@4PlayingTime) February 28, 2025
Kalkbrenner's price is getting to the point where if he scores in the 30s, we might be a little disappointed. The good news is that 30 seems to be the floor. Kalkbrenner hasn't been under 30 DK points since December 18. He put up 47.25 on Xavier the first time around. He should come close to that today.
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State ($9.4K)
Hubbard's swoon was in late January, but he has at least 30 DraftKings points in each of the last eight games. His ceiling is in the low 40s, but that's still a nice return in this price range. There are better GPP options, but Hubbard is the type of player you want in cash games.
KeShawn Murphy, Mississippi State (8.2K)
Murphy has at least 23 DraftKings points in nine straight games. He has cleared 30 in six of those and 35 in three of those. Like Hubbard, Murphy's ceiling isn't as high as others in this range, but the floor is perfect for a cash lineup.
Value Pieces:
Chris Manon, Vanderbilt ($4.9K)
Manon doesn't play a lot of minutes, but he is very active when he's in there. He has 59.75 DraftKings points over the last two games in just 34 minutes of court time. That's a great return for this price.
Franck Kepnang, Washington ($4.7K)
The Huskies eased Kepnang back into action, but he has played over 20 minutes in three of the last four games. He has averaged 28.3 DraftKings points in those three games. It won't be easy against the Indiana front, but Kepnang is too cheap if he plays over 20 minutes, no matter the opponent.
Josh Reed, Cincinnati ($4.5K)
Reed has started the last three games with moderate success. Still, I'm a sucker for value plays that get minutes. Reed is one of those guys. He played 33 minutes against Baylor this week in the upset win. Reed doesn't do much aside from scoring, and he's not a volume shooter. There's some risk, but 30 minutes at this price is enticing.
Slate-Breaking Potential:
Mark Sears, Alabama ($10K)
The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 16 of the season is Mark Sears. https://t.co/hKXyRT6LGT pic.twitter.com/MQEZhZUzUz
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) February 26, 2025
After an awful three-game stretch in mid-February, Sears finally appears to be out of his funk. He has scored at least 45 DraftKings points in three straight games. This won't be an easy matchup, but Sears is one of the few players who can get hot against any team. The ceiling is always there.
Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech ($9.3K)
We have seen a stretch from Ndongo that is almost making us forget how streaky he can be. Ndongo has four straight double-doubles and six in his last seven games. He hauled in 17 rebounds against Pitt. If he gets the scoring back up, he could easily score in the mid-50s with his recent across-the-board production.
Oumar Ballo, Indiana ($7.8K)
Ballo at this price is just nuts to me. After a poor and uninspired game against UCLA, Ballo came off the bench against Purdue. That was a wake-up call. He put up 47 DraftKings points against Penn State this week. This is another great matchup against Washington in what is a must-win game for the Hoosiers.
Today's Night Slate DraftKings CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Best Matchups:
Florida guards vs. Texas A&M
Utah guards vs. Arizona State
Duke wings vs. Florida State
Arizona State frontcourt vs. Utah
Core Pieces:
Micah Peavy, Georgetown ($10.8K)
Micah Peavy is averaging 16.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals. #Hoyas pic.twitter.com/sCtCN9eeqs
— Patrick Waring (@WaringPatrick) February 28, 2025
Peavy has at least 36 DraftKings points in seven straight games. In that span, he topped 40 once, 50 twice, and even hit 62.25 DK points against Providence. Peavy has played every minute of each of the last four games. He does all of this, along with playing great defense. He's one of the best defenders in college. Peavy is worth this price.
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State ($9.2K)
Jefferson is one of the more consistent players that you'll find in the college game. He hasn't been under 24 DraftKings points since Thanksgiving and has topped 30 in six of the last seven games in one of the toughest conferences. He should be in the 30s again tonight.
Tobe Awaka, Arizona ($7K)
Maybe Arizona is finally realizing what they have in Awaka. He has played 86 minutes over the last three games, putting up 102.5 DraftKings points in that span. He wrecked the Iowa State front in the first meeting with 36.5 DraftKings points in 29 minutes. He probably won't make every shot that he takes again, but he should still score around 30.
Value Pieces:
Amier Ali, Arizona State ($5.1K)
I'm going to break the rules here a bit since Ali is a little above my normal threshold. With the dismissal of BJ Freeman, Ali is starting for the Sun Devils. It has been an up-and-down ride, but his floor is still around 15 DK points, and we've seen him break 30 twice already.
Dallin Hall, BYU ($4.9K)
Hall is a high-motor guy off the bench. He's a good shooter and an even better distributor. Hall isn't a one-trick pony like many bench players tend to be. He'll fill out a few categories in his 22 minutes per game.
Nate Heise, Iowa State ($4.3K)
Heise played so well with Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert out that the Cyclones have kept finding minutes for him. Heise has averaged 21 DraftKings points per game over the last three games. Expect the Cylones to lean on him again, especially if Gilbert is still hobbled.
Slate-Breaking Potential:
Cooper Flagg, Duke ($10.2K)
Flagg has slowed down a little, but it's not his fault. Blame his teammates for destroying everything in their path. Duke hasn't won a game by less than 18 points since the loss to Clemson on February 8. This game likely won't be that competitive either, but on the off chance it is, Flagg is a walking 50.
Caleb Love, Arizona ($9K)
Love is a stalwart in this area. When he's hot, almost nothing can stop him. When he's not, the floor is single-digit DraftKings points. Love is running hot right now, with 83.75 DraftKings points in the last two games.
Love is the guy who broke the Cyclones. Iowa State was a top-five team until Love hit a half-court jumper to send the game into overtime and took over the overtime period. Iowa State is 4-4 since that game, including a loss at Hilton for the first time since 2023. Can Love ruin the Cyclones again?
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M ($7.9K)
Taylor is Caleb Love in a different uniform. Neither player has met a shot they wouldn't take, no matter how hot or cold they are. Taylor has cleared 30 DraftKings points in three of the last four games. Some of that is due to better shot selection, but most of it is his new point guard role. If Taylor gets hot, the assists make his ceiling that much higher.
