We have a nice-sized Sunday slate as many teams are heading into the holiday break. A seven-game Sunday is a good Sunday on the college basketball circuit. As usual with the non-conference slates, we have a nice mix of major and mid-major programs. The mid-majors have done some damage in the early going this year. Can they keep it up?
We start off with Oregon and Syracuse meeting halfway for a game in Sioux Falls. USC heads to Auburn to take on the Tigers. We have Nebraska heading to the Octagon of Doom in an old Big 12 battle. North Texas takes on Mississippi State in Tupelo. We have Seton Hall and Missouri from Kansas City. Washington plays Seattle in a battle for the key to the city. We close out on the islands with Nevada taking on Hawaii.
In this article, I will provide you with my daily fantasy college basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/17/23, starting at 1 PM Eastern. I’ll provide multiple player suggestions at guard and forward, aiming to highlight one option at the high, middle, and lower end of the salary scale. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings CBB DFS Guards
Judah Mintz, Syracuse ($8,700)
Mintz has at least 40 DraftKings points in three of the last four games. The bad news is the one that wasn't was a single-digit disaster against Virginia. We can forgive that against a strong Virginia defense. Mintz is averaging 24 points per game against teams not named Virginia and Chaminade. The Orange are going to need him against Duck U. I expect another strong outing from Mintz here.
Sahvir Wheeler, Washington ($7,900)
The Kentucky transfers have turned Washington into an early favorite in the Pac-12. Wheeler is one of the best passers in the college game, but he has upped his scoring in Seattle. Wheeler is averaging a shade over 16 points per game for the Huskies. He's the type of guy who does everything well, which makes Wheeler a favorite target of mine in DFS. He has a very safe floor. The scoring uptick gives him the upside we like as well.
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon ($6,100)
The freshman continues to come up big in place of the injured Jesse Zarzuela. Shelstad scored a career-high 17 against Cal-Bakersfield for his fourth straight game in double figures. He also dished out a career-best eight assists. Don't expect another game with all of the ancillary stats against Syracuse, but Shelstad has proven he can score against Michigan and Alabama. His floor is still solid and Shelstad is getting better by the game.
Bronny James, USC ($5,000)
Bronny needs no introduction. USC played him sparingly in his collegiate debut, but he still put up 17.25 DraftKings points in 17 minutes. Only four of those points were from scoring. He was a great presence on the floor on both ends of the court, which should only increase his minutes going forward. It's unlikely that he plays more than 20-22 minutes tonight, but he can still do a lot of damage in that little time.
Also consider: Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall ($8,800); Tylor Perry, Kansas State ($7,500); Noel Coleman, Hawaii ($7,100); J.J. Starling, Syracuse ($5,900); Aden Holloway, Auburn ($5,400); Denver Jones, Auburn ($4,800); Daniel Foster, Nevada ($4,100)
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DraftKings CBB DFS Forwards
Arthur Kaluma, Kansas State ($8,000)
The Creighton transfer has been a force up front for the Wildcats this year. He has scored at least a dozen points in every game since the opener and has at least seven rebounds in every game. That's a 22 DraftKings point floor, also a mark he hasn't been under since the opener. Kaluma provides consistently good production and still has the upside to clear 40.
Jaden Bediako, Seton Hall ($6,800)
Bediako is an elite rim protector and a constant double-double threat. He won't give you monster double-doubles, but even a token one with the bonus gets us near value for his price. Bediako also has at least one block in all but the Albany game. He's another consistent producer that has suitable upside for use in all formats.
Franck Kepnang, Washington ($6,000)
Kepnang was huge in Washington's upset of Gonzaga last weekend. He has 30 points and 18 rebounds over 49 minutes in the last two games. He has been starting for the Huskies since the middle of November, but he is finally starting to become the player that the coaching staff envisioned when putting him in the starting five. Kepnang's effectiveness is in its infancy, but a strong stat line against Gonzaga makes me a believer. I'll buy in for this price.
Vincent Iwuchukwu, USC ($4,500)
Iwuchukwu got his first start of the season last Sunday and flashed 15 points (on 7-of-8 shooting) with six rebounds in 25 minutes. Iwuchukwu likely would have played even more minutes if not for a bout with foul trouble. He should continue to start over Joshua Morgan as long as he is effective.
Also consider: Johni Broome, Auburn ($8,300); Juwan Gary, Nebraska ($7,700); Justin McKoy, Hawaii ($7,000); Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State ($6,600); Bernardo da Silva, Hawaii ($5,900); Maliq Brown, Syracuse ($5,700); Will McNair Jr., Kansas State ($5,100); Aidan Shaw, Missouri ($4,700)