College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 1/8/20

College basketball season is entering conference play, and we have a ten-game slate tonight.

March Madness is months away, but you can get in all the college hoops hype by playing daily contests at FanDuel today. If you've played NBA DFS before, it's quite simple: pick a total of eight players -- four guards, three forwards, and one utility spot you can use for either position. Stay within the $50,000 salary cap and field the team you think will score the most fantasy points.

Where scoring differs from NBA is in the blocks and steals categories, with each worth two FanDuel points apiece rather than the three you get in daily NBA contests.

Now that you're in the know, we can attack today's main slate, which locks at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Which players should you be targeting, and why?

Guards

Tre Jones, Duke ($7,300) - The Duke Blue Devils once again find themselves short-handed with Wendell Moore Jr. out for a significant amount of time. Already an elite defender, this will force Jones to be more aggressive on the offensive end. Jones is one of the safest plays on the board, as he's topped 27 FanDuel points in six out of the last seven games that he's played in. On tap is a solid matchup against the struggling Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (87th-ranked team in the country per Ken Pom).

Myles Powell, Seton Hall ($7,200) - Powell has a shot percentage of 40.6 to go along with his 35.8% usage rate. Both are amongst the top 10 in college basketball, according to Ken Pom. Powell is averaging 21 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.5 steals in two games since returning from an injury absence related to a concussion. He's one of the top plays on the slate.

Devin Vassell, Florida State ($6,400) - Vassell is the Florida State Seminoles second-leading scorer (11.9 points per game), but it's his ability to rack up the defensive stats that make him a valuable DFS commodity. The long and lanky sophomore guard is averaging 4.7 rebounds (second on the team), 1.6 steals (first on the team), and 1.1 blocks (first on the team) in 26.4 minutes. Additionally, his minutes have been extended as the Seminoles start ACC play. He's played 31 and 34 minutes in Florida State's first two ACC games.

Robert Woodard II, Mississippi State ($5,900) - The Mississippi State guard has recorded three double-doubles in the last five games. Up next is a massive pace up game for the Bulldogs, which should allow for more opportunities for Woodard II to stuff the stat sheet. The Bulldogs are 312th in Ken Pom's adjusted tempo ranking, while the Alabama Crimson Tide are 4th.

Alex Connell, Duke ($4,000) - This is a speculation play with Wendall Moore Jr. sidelined with a broken hand. Reportedly, Connell is an ideal replacement for Moore Jr. in the starting lineup. He'd allow the Blue Devils to continue to play two wings alongside Tre Jones. Connell is averaging .76 fantasy points per minute, which is good for a player that doesn't play a ton. He doesn't have to do much to pay off his current price tag.

Forwards

John Mooney, Notre Dame ($8,400) - Mooney has posted a mind-boggling eight straight double-doubles (11 total double-doubles this season). He was recently named the ACC player of the week after his 28-point, 14-rebound performance against Syracuse in Notre Dame's last game. His ceiling is as high as any player on this slate. He's clearly a great spend, despite his enormous price tag.

Reggie Perry, Mississippi State ($8,000) - Perry is the Bulldogs' leading scorer (15.8 points per game) and leading rebounder (10.0 rebounds per game). He's arguably their best defender as well. As noted above (in the Woodard II blurb), the matchup with Alabama is a huge tempo increase for Mississippi State. The sophomore center has recorded at least 32.8 FanDuel points in four straight games.

Garrison Brooks, North Carolina ($6,900) - Brooks has elevated his play with star guard Cole Anthony sidelined. He's coming off a career game in which he scored 35 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, assisted on two baskets, and recorded a steal in 36 minutes against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. That game marked his second straight double-double. He's a great play at his current price tag.

Armando Bacot, North Carolina ($5,300) - I can't quit on the five-star freshman (yet). He's arguably the most talented player on the Tar Heels roster outside of Cole Anthony. His upside is tantalizing despite his inconsistencies and the looming threat of his minutes being cut due to poor defense. However, you won't find another player in his current price range with 49 FanDuel points upside (recorded 49.4 FanDuel points against Oregon and 50.8 FanDuel points against Elon). Let me be clear, I wouldn't consider him in cash games, but he's viable in tournaments.

Manny Bates, North Carolina State ($4,700) - The consensus four-star recruit missed all of last season due to an injury. While he doesn't score a ton of points (6.0 points per game), he is an elite shot-blocker (3.2 blocks per game). Bates is averaging .92 fantasy points per minute. At his current production rate, he'll pay off his price tag in 20.4 minutes of action (assuming value is 4x of player's current price tag). The redshirt freshman has played at least 21 minutes in three straight games. He's one of the better value plays on this slate.

Matthew Hiatt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Hiatt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username easternmh. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.