Here we go with the College Hoops DFS slate for the evening slate on Thursday, March 17. It’s NCAA Tournament time, and we have eight games on FanDuel and DraftKings with lineups locking at 6:50 ET on both sites.
The following analysis will highlight several top plays, bargains, and other information you need to know in order to create a cash-inducing squad.
With that, let’s get to the daily fantasy analysis!
TOP PLAYS
KJ Williams - F - Murray State (FD: $8,200 / DK: $8,800)
Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky is the top overall pick of this slate, but his hefty salary will compromise the rest of your lineup. Because of that, we are looking for slightly cheaper “top plays” with an outside chance to replicate his upside. Williams could be that guy, as he’s playing in one of the highest-scoring games (and competitive) between Murray State and San Francisco. Williams didn’t do much in his last outing (22 FP), but he had three straight 40+ FP efforts prior to that. The Murray State forward has displayed legitimate 50+ FP upside numerous times this season, and you better believe we’ll see his best effort on the NCAA Tournament stage.
Jaylin Williams - F - Arkansas (FD: $7,800 / DK: $8,000)
Now we are looking at Jaylin Williams from Arkansas, and he has similar recent games to KJ Williams of Murray State. Jaylin also had a tough time in his last outing, only posting 18 fantasy points in 26 minutes. That’s an outlier because the Arkansas forward came through with 36+ fantasy points in six of eight games prior to that. Playing down in class against Vermont (72nd in adjusted defensive efficiency) should help Williams get back on track to the 35-40+ FP level.
Enrique Freeman - F - Akron (FD: $7,200 / DK: $6,000)
As you can see, Freeman is much cheaper on DraftKings, so I highly recommend giving him a look over there. The 6’7” sophomore has topped 31 fantasy points in nine of his last 12 games. That includes massive 48 and 54 fantasy point outbursts in MAC regular season play. Stepping up to face a solid UCLA team is tough, but it’s nice to know that Freeman has fantasy upside in his back pocket. He’s a legitimate 20 point and 10 rebound threat who is flat-out underpriced on DK.
Also Consider: Oscar Tshiebwe (GPP), Adama Sanogo
BARGAINS
Johnny Juzang - G - UCLA (FD: $6,000 / DK: $6,300)
Juzang and the Bruins are looking to make another deep tournament run, and they have a welcoming matchup to start things off. UCLA faces Akron on Thursday and the Zips rank 169th in adjusted defensive efficiency. For reference, that’s far and away the worst mark on this Thursday evening slate. Juzang is underpriced after dealing with injury issues, but he got back on track with 28 fantasy points (38 minutes) against a tough Arizona team last week. Juzang should be ready to resume his form of the last tournament.
Jules Bernard - G - UCLA (FD: $6,300 / DK: $6,300)
Like his teammate, Juzang, Bernard should benefit from this generous matchup against Akron. While he doesn’t have a ton of upside, Bernard represents a steady value play who is averaging 25 FPPG on the season. He has actually hit 28+ fantasy points in four straight games, and it’s conceivable to think he can get there again in this First Round matchup.
Au’diese Toney - G - Arkansas (FD: $6,300 / DK: $5,900)
Toney has a wide range of fantasy outcomes. You can use him through all formats, but he might be a better tournament play due to the risk. The Arkansas guard has posted 27+ fantasy points in back-to-back games, and he usually plays nearly the entire contest. However, Toney has posted some duds in recent memory as well, hitting just 9 FP against Kentucky and 12 FP against Alabama last month. Seeing nearly 40 minutes against Vermont should bring out his good side…at least that’s the hope.
Also Consider: Ali Ali, Arthur Kaluma, Patrick Tape
