RADIO
We are one step closer to March! Was it me, or was January really long this year? We roll into the shortest month of the year with a rather enticing six-game slate. More teams and conferences are electing to play on Thursdays and Fridays this year for TV exposure, and who can blame them? Teams play twice in three days during the NCAA tournament and on consecutive days in conference and holiday tournaments.
We start off in the AAC with SMU hosting Tulane. Wisconsin heads to The Vault to take on Nebraska. The rest of the slate belongs to the Pac-12 with Cal heading to Tucson, Stanford heading to Tempe, and both Oregon teams heading down to L.A. to close out the slate. The Ducks get USC and the Beavers get UCLA.
In this article, I will provide you with my daily fantasy college basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 2/1/24, starting at 7 p.m. EST. I’ll provide 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
Jaylon Tyson, California ($9,200)
Tyson is a big-time scorer and one of the best rebounding guards in the conference. That gives him a high floor, which is always at the back of my mind when paying up. Tyson hasn't been under 30 DraftKings points in conference play and he put up 40.5 DraftKings points in the conference opener against Arizona. Tyson only played 26 minutes in that blowout loss and still had that kind of production. I feel like Tyson is the sure thing on this slate and if this game stays close, he could break it.
Lazar Stefanovic, UCLA ($7,100)
The UCLA team took off when Stefanovic started hitting his shots four games ago. He became more assertive on offense and it has worked. Stefanovic has at least 15 points and at least six rebounds in each of the last four games. UCLA's only loss in that span was to Arizona in Tucson. This is a young team that is finding its footing in a tough Pac-12. Stefanovic is leading the charge with his newfound shooting chops.
Jared Bynum, Stanford ($5,300)
Bynum only played 16 minutes in his return to the court after missing three weeks with a lower-body injury, but he poured in eight points in those 16 minutes. Bynum was productive before the injury and the lengthy absence has driven his price down. Bynum will likely be on a minutes limit again, but 20 minutes of Bynum at this price could be a really good value.
Jamarques Lawrence, Nebraska ($4,800)
Shooting woes have plagued Lawrence all season long, but he has made better than 50% of his shots in two of the last three games. He's still playing big minutes for Nebraska and puts up solid assist and rebound totals. That provides a solid floor, which is about all I look for in a value play. Lawrence shot 40% from the floor and 37.3% from downtown as a freshman last year. If he can get his percentages anywhere near that, Lawrence will be a great value.
Also consider: Caleb Love, Arizona ($8,600); Jordan Pope, Oregon State ($7,400); Jaylen Forbes, Tulane ($7,000); Jose Perez, Arizona State ($6,200); Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin ($5,900); C.J. Wilcher, Nebraska ($5,200); Jalen Celestine, California ($5,000); Jalen Smith, SMU ($4,700); Will McClendon, UCLA ($4,200)
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Today's DraftKings Forwards - CBB DFS Lineup Picks
Kevin Cross, Tulane ($9,000)
North Texas is the only team to hold him in single-digit points in a competitive game all season long. Cross does a little bit of everything well, along with leading the team in scoring with 18 points per game. The production has slowed a little during conference play, but again, North Texas is the only team to hold him under 30 DraftKings points. SMU is not North Texas. Cross should have another strong game tonight.
N'Faly Dante, Oregon ($8,000)
Dante is one of the most efficient shooters in the country and he's a monster on the boards. Dante is also an elite rim protector and has improved his passing over last season. He's a well-rounded guy on the interior. USC has size, but they haven't defended all that well on the interior. Dante has at least 30 DraftKings points in every game since the Ducks put him back in the starting lineup on January 18. He might be my favorite per-dollar play on the entire slate.
Joshua Morgan, USC ($5,000)
Morgan might be the best shot blocker in the entire country, but that is the only polished part of his game. He's strong on the boards, but a wily veteran like Dante could give him some issues. Morgan put up 26.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Oregon, but both Dante and Nate Bittle were out for that game. Don't expect that big of a game from Morgan, but he's shown more touch on his shots lately, which adds a bit to his solid floor.
Grant Newell, California ($4,400)
Newell posted his first double-double of the season against hated Stanford over the weekend. Is that a sign of things to come? Newell's minutes have been inconsistent off the Cal bench and we can't always count on Fardaws Aimaq getting in foul trouble. This performance should give Newell a little more run. It is worth noting that Aimaq fouled out in the first game against Arizona. Just saying...
Also consider: Maxime Raynaud, Stanford ($8,700); Adem Bona, UCLA ($7,400); Oumar Ballo, Arizona ($7,200); Michael Rataj, Oregon State ($6,900); DJ Rodman, USC ($6,000); Shawn Phillips Jr., Arizona State ($4,100)
