RADIO
Our 2025 starts like 2024 ended: with some nice college basketball games. Vanilla scheduling isn't here yet, as we still have some good games in the middle of the week.
We begin in Pittsburgh with Cal taking on the Panthers. UConn is in Chicago to take on DePaul. Rice is in Oklahoma to face Tulsa. Stanford heads east to take on Clemson. North Carolina is in Louisville to face the Cardinals. We close this slate in Indianapolis with Villanova facing Butler.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy college basketball lineup picks on DraftKings on 1/1/25, starting at 2 p.m. EST. I’ll give multiple player suggestions at guard and forward, aiming to highlight one option at the salary scale's high, middle, and lower levels. Good luck, RotoBallers.
Today's DraftKings Guards - CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Jaland Lowe, Pittsburgh ($9.5K)
Pitt - Ram Pick-and-roll - Jaland Lowe
Screen-the-screener action vs. deep drop coverage — Lowe with a clever mix of patience + stop-start body control for the reverse finish
Lowe: 5.1 unassisted FGM per 40 mins, 3.5 FGA per 40 at the rim (67 FG%) pic.twitter.com/0P6S4jg1Xx
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) December 28, 2024
Lowe has at least 33 DraftKings points in every game since Thanksgiving. It hasn't all been against subpar competition, either. In that span, Pitt played Ohio State, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, and Seton Hall. Cal won't be able to hold him under that threshold, either.
Hassan Diarra, Connecticut ($7.3K)
Diarra has taken that next step this season. Even though his average assists per game sits at 6.2 on the season, he has at least seven in five straight games. Diarra's numbers are being devalued by some lopsided wins for UConn. His numbers improved as the schedule did (UConn played Baylor, Texas, Gonzaga, Xavier, and Butler in that stretch) because he's playing almost the entire game now.
Wooga Poplar, Villanova ($6.8K)
The Wildcats need Poplar to score. So do we. This is one of the rare instances where the best interests of the team and the interests of DFS players align. Poplar has at least 18 points in three of the last four games. The one that he missed was a total disaster, so there is risk involved.
CJ Gunn, DePaul ($4.2K)
Gunn is a volume shooter off the bench and can put up a lot of points in a hurry. If this game is a blowout, we should see Gunn get a few more minutes than usual. If his shot is on, you won't find a better value pick.
Also consider: Chucky Hepburn, Louisville ($8.3K); Trae Broadnax, Rice ($7.9K); J'Vonne Hadley, Louisville ($6.9K); Reyne Smith, Louisville ($5.6K); Tyshawn Archie, Tulsa ($5.1K); Denver Anglin, Rice ($3.6K)
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Today's DraftKings Forwards - CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Maxime Raynaud, Stanford ($9.9K)
Points Per Game Top 10
?? Maxime Raynaud (5th PPG in all of D1) also leads all Euro players in Rebounds Per Game (11.6, 3rd nationally)
Two former D2 players (?? Ante Brzović & ?? Paul Žilinskas) in the Top 4
HM: ?? Gabriel Pozzato (12th) leads all Euro freshmen with 15.4 PPG pic.twitter.com/YZ2pR7r3yW
— CBB Europe (@CBB_Europe) December 3, 2024
Raynaud has at least 38 DraftKings points against every opponent except Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. This is a tougher matchup, but when the floor is that high, Raynaud is matchup-proof.
Eric Dixon, Villanova ($8.9K)
We're going to have to dig for some value today since Dixon has been almost as consistent as Raynaud. Dixon has at least 33 DraftKings points in every game this season. Raynaud's ceiling is higher, but Dixon is just as much of a sure thing in a much better matchup. If you can only afford one, use Dixon.
Terrence Edwards Jr., Louisville ($6.9K)
Edwards has been on fire lately, scoring at least 19 points in each of the last five games. He is doing this with good rebound and assist numbers. He's a low-risk option in the mid-range right now with a higher ceiling thanks to his scoring consistently going six points above his season average.
Matt Reed, Tulsa ($4.5K)
Reed doesn't play a lot of minutes, but he's a high-motor guy when he's in the game. Reed has 34 points, 20 rebounds, and three assists in 48 minutes over the last three games. If for some reason Reed gets more minutes, he has enormous potential.
Also consider: Ian Schieffelin, Clemson ($8.7K); Liam McNeeley, Connecticut ($7.6K); Viktor Lakhin, Clemson ($7.4K); Zack Austin, Pittsburgh ($6.1K); Caden Powell, Rice ($5.3K); Drake Powell, North Carolina ($4.5K)
