RADIO
It's the last weekend of the regular season. Many teams are either jockeying for position or just trying to make the conference tournaments. One byproduct of the mega-conferences is that you have to play just to get into the conference tournament. This is the insanity we live in.
The early slate only has nine games today, but we're starting right with a bunch of SEC games and Farmageddon from the Octagon of Doom. They have some creativity in the Midwest. The nine-game afternoon slate has plenty of Big Ten (18) and ACC flair. We end with the six-game night slate that features the Red River Shootout and some left-coasters.
Here are my picks across all CBB DFS slates on Saturday, March 8, with the main slate starting at noon Eastern on DraftKings. The afternoon slate starts at 3 p.m., with the late slate locking at 8 Eastern.
Today's Main Slate DraftKings CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Best Matchups:
Auburn vs. Alabama
Arkansas guards vs. Mississippi State
Tennessee guards vs. South Carolina
Missouri frontcourt vs. Kentucky
Wisconsin frontcourt vs. Penn State
Core Pieces:
Kadary Richmond, St. John's ($9.8K)
There is a role for Kadary Richmond at the next level despite his shaky shot. Kadary is a great defender and can finish around the rim. With his size, maybe a role like Draymond Green, PJ Tucker or even Josh Hart. A coach will need to get creative to maximize his skills. #SJUBB
— malikrosefanclub (@malikrosefan) March 5, 2025
That post highlights why we use Richmond in DFS. He has at least 35 DraftKings points in five straight and has topped 30 DK points in 11 straight. Most of that isn't because of his scoring. Richmond is a capable scorer, but he relies on great defense, good passing, and his work on the boards. He has a high floor.
Silas Demary Jr., Georgia ($8.1K)
Demary has at least 32 DraftKings points in four straight games and has been over 25 in every game since the Alabama game on February 1. The Bulldogs have played their way onto the NCAA Tournament bubble with the steady hand of Demary guiding them. Expect another strong game out of him against Vanderbilt.
D.J. Wagner, Arkansas ($6.3K)
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 $900 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:
Trevon Brazile, Arkansas ($5.2K)
I'm going to break the rules a little bit, but Brazile has started three games with Adou Thiero out. He fouled out in 26 minutes in the South Carolina game, which was a disaster for every Arkansas player. In the other two, he has played 76 of 80 possible minutes and put up 74 DraftKings points. Thiero is out again. You know what to do.
Nate Heise, Iowa State ($4.5K)
Heise played so well with Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert out that the Cyclones have kept finding minutes for him. Heise has averaged 20.8 DraftKings points per game over the last five games. Expect Heise to continue his strong play off the bench. There's not much of a ceiling here, but the floor is everything you could ask for in a value play.
D'Marco Dunn, Penn State ($3.9K)
Dunn's minutes are all over the place, but his production has been pretty steady. He has scored in double figures in DraftKings points in every game since January 20, breaking 20 in four of those games. He even hit 30 once! Dunn is a solid value piece with a surprisingly high ceiling.
Slate-Breaking Potential:
Johni Broome, Auburn ($10.8K)
No concerns with Johni Broome’s shoulder as No. 1 Auburn closes out the regular season against No. 7 Alabama.
“It’s alright. It was in a little bit of pain but, you know, that’s part of the game.”https://t.co/bdxPdzlk9C
— Bryan Matthews (@BMattAU) March 7, 2025
It seems that Broome's shoulder has been an issue for the last couple of games, it seems. Two lackluster performances have resulted in Cooper Flagg's surge for Player of the Year and Auburn losing a game to a sliding A&M team. Broome smashed Alabama for 53 DraftKings points in the first meeting.
However, given the fact that Auburn is still chasing a No. 1 seed regardless of the outcome of this game, we could see Auburn take it easy with their star. Then again, this is a rivalry game that may mean more than the SEC Tournament. The ceiling is still there.
Caleb Grill, Missouri ($8.4K)
Grill has at least 20 DraftKings points in seven straight games. That's solid but not spectacular for the price. What is spectacular is him hitting 40 and 50 DK points once each in that stretch. When Grill is on, we just sit back and watch the show. When he's not, he's still a solid play, but the floor is harder to swallow in this price range.
Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State ($6.6K)
The Cyclones have changed a bit since the first Farmageddon five weeks ago. Considering they lost that game at home by 19 points, that may not be a bad thing. Gilbert missed two weeks with a strained muscle at the end of February. He was inefficient before that injury and didn't look great in his return against Arizona.
His shot still wasn't falling against BYU this week, but we saw Gilbert's defense make up for it. Gilbert averages 13.8 points per game on the season but has only topped that mark once since February 1. His price decline reflects that, but it also gives us a good chance to get him at a discount. The defensive intensity is back. The shot shouldn't be far behind.
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Today's Afternoon Slate DraftKings CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Best Matchups:
LSU guards vs. Texas A&M
Duke wings vs. North Carolina
Texas A&M guards vs. LSU
TCU frontcourt vs. Colorado
Core Pieces:
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton ($10.6K)
Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner with a late 'Block of the Year' submission pic.twitter.com/tM6dotaQpa
— Ryan Cassidy (@ryancassidycbb) February 23, 2025
Cooper Flagg is going to be involved in another blowout, albeit with a rival. Kalkbrenner is playing his final home game at the Birdcage. It will be an emotional day in Omaha, which could result in a huge game for Kalkbrenner. He hasn't been under 30 DraftKings points since December 18 and put up 56.25 on Butler in Indianapolis the first time around. We could see something special today.
Kon Knueppel, Duke ($7.7K)
Yes, Flagg has a supporting cast! It's easy for Knueppel -- another freshman -- to get lost on this team, but he has at least 25 DraftKings points in five straight games. He broke 30 in four of those. He doesn't have a high ceiling, but he is often still on the court when Flagg is not when Duke gets up big.
Finley Bizjack, Butler ($6K)
Bizjack has been the most consistent piece for Butler since the end of January. He has at least 20 DraftKings points in nine straight games but has only crept over 30 once. That's exactly what we're looking for in cash games.
Value Pieces:
Selton Miguel, Maryland ($5.4K)
We'll forget the foul-plagued disaster against Michigan State, where he had more actual points than DraftKings points. Aside from that game, Miguel has at least 25 DraftKings points in five of the last six games. The veteran is surging at the right time to get Maryland into the NCAA Tournament.
Andre Screen, Butler ($4.7K)
Screen has at least 15 DraftKings points in every game since December 14. He has a couple of games over 30 in that span, but don't expect anything like that against Creighton. Just expect another workmanlike performance with a concrete floor.
K.J. Windham, Northwestern ($4.5K)
Windham has at least 20 DraftKings points in five of the six games with Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach out. He doesn't have the ceiling of Ty Berry, but Windham offers more punch for the dollar in almost every game.
Slate-Breaking Potential:
Cooper Flagg, Duke ($11K)
I know this isn’t a perfect measure by any means but the fact this is what the Cooper Flagg freshman profile looks like when he should still be a senior in high school rn is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/h92vM9ZcLv
— Tęrräñøvå (Overly Positive Pal) (@TerranovaNoah) March 7, 2025
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 is unlikely to be close either, but Flagg put up 51.5 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Carolina and is fresh off nuking Wake for 59.5 on Monday. The ceiling is as good as it gets.
Steven Ashworth, Creighton ($9.1K)
Ashworth is also playing his final home game, but he hasn't been in Omaha all five years like Kalkbrenner has. Still, Ashworth played all 40 minutes against Butler the first time around and scored 52.5 DraftKings points. Both he and Kalkbrenner have the potential for ceiling games in their final game at the Birdcage. It already happened once this year.
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M ($7.6K)
If Taylor doesn't go off in this matchup, he may never do it again. The streaky guard has struggled for much of the last six weeks, with a solid game here and there, but we all know the ceiling is still 50. This is the best matchup he'll have for the rest of the season. It's now-or-never for you riverboat gambler types.
Today's Night Slate DraftKings CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Best Matchups:
Virginia guards vs. Syracuse
UCLA guards vs. USC
BYU frontcourt vs. Utah
Texas Tech vs. Arizona State
Core Pieces:
Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma ($9.2K)
Strong finish to the season so far for Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears #NBADraft
Last 5 Games:
— 22.2 PTS | 5.4 REB | 6.0 AST
— 47.2 FG% | 33.3 3P% | 85.7 FT%Still one of my favorite prospects ahead of the 2025 Draft. Tons of talent, won't turn 19 until October. pic.twitter.com/vH2rDqKjGo
— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) March 6, 2025
Fears is almost single-handedly keeping Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament chase. The freshman has at least 30 DraftKings points in five straight games. He also topped 30 in the first meeting with Texas. I expect him to have another solid game in yet another "do or die" game for the Sooners.
V.J. Edgecombe, Baylor ($8.8K)
Normally, you couldn't pay me to run someone against the Houston defense, especially at a price like this. Edgecombe may be the exception. He is so active all over the court that he doesn't need to score to have value.
Edgecombe has at least 25 DraftKings points in every game since November 27. He has scored in single digits in three of those games and still did enough on the court to hit the mark. He had a solid 27.5 DK points in the first meeting with Houston. He should be around that mark tonight.
Chibuzo Agbo, USC ($6.8K)
USC's other transfer guard has kept the Trojans afloat lately. Since returning to the starting lineup three games ago, Agbo has 102.25 DraftKings points and has played all but seven total minutes of the three games. We can trust him if USC is going to keep running him this hard.
Joson Sanon, Arizona State ($5.9K)
What Sanon has done since Freeman's dismissal can't be ignored. He has played all but three minutes in Arizona State's last three games. He has 99/75 DraftKings points in that span. If Adam Miller returns, it could alter the lineup a little, but not enough to ignore Sanon at this price.
Value Pieces:
Amier Ali, Arizona State ($5K)
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. One of those was in the first meeting with Texas Tech.
Jyare Davis, Syracuse ($4.9K)
Davis took over for Donnie Freeman after he broke his foot in January. The upside isn't high, but Davis has at least 12 DraftKings points in every game. His minutes are constantly high enough that he's a threat for 20 in every game.
Jaquan Carlos, Syracuse ($4.3K)
Carlos has started each of the last five games for Syracuse. He has 110.75 DraftKings points in those five games. That's right around 22 DraftKings points per game. We can be happy with that output for the price.
Slate-Breaking Potential:
JT Toppin, Texas Tech ($10K)
Texas Tech’s JT Toppin is another prospect rising quickly up draft boards.
At 6’9” with a 7’2” wingspan, Toppin has the traits and production that intrigues scouts.
Toppin is averaging 24.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.3 stocks over the past eight games. pic.twitter.com/7ynC80W2EL
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) March 7, 2025
Add those ridiculous numbers to a juicy matchup, and you could see close to a ceiling game from Toppin. We likely won't see him clear 70 DraftKings points as he did in the first game against Arizona State, but I'm not rushing to rule it out either.
Desmond Claude, USC ($8.5K)
Claude followed up his worst game as a Trojan with his best. His one-point performance against Oregon (4.25 DraftKings points) gave way to a 25-point outburst against Washington in which he scored 49.25 DraftKings points. We've seen both ends of the spectrum in a week, but he proved the upside is there.
Alston Mason, Arizona State ($7.7K)
The Sun Devils strongly resemble a M*A*S*H* unit right now. Jayden Quaintance is still battling a knee injury. BJ Freeman was dismissed from the team. Adam Miller suffered a hip injury on Tuesday. Someone has had to fill the void. On Tuesday, it was Mason.
Mason racked up 51 DraftKings points in an entertaining battle against in-state rival Arizona. Quaintance may return for this game. If he does, you can back off of Mason. If not, he showed how high the ceiling is.
