By virtue of their respective wins Thursday night, four teams have punched their tickets to the Elite Eight.
On Friday, eight more teams will be vying for the coveted four remaining spots, looking to maintain their National Championship aspirations. We’re breaking things down from a DFS perspective, evaluating which top and value plays are worth rostering on tonight’s slate.
Be sure to check out some of our features, like our Lineup Optimizer allows you to create 300 lineups in seconds. You can also create an abundance of lineup-building rules to suit your playing style for the slates you’re playing.
Got your own CBB projections? No problem. You can even upload your own projections to use with our optimizer. Not only that, but you can create a custom set of blended projections in our models.
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Now, let’s get into the slate!
March Madness CBB Guard Picks
Top Play: Colby Jones ($8,600)
Souley Boum has stolen our hearts early in the NCAA Tournament, but our sights are set on a different Xavier Musketeers guard on Friday’s docket. Colby Jones comes in under Boum’s salary and could end the night as the top performer for the Musketeers.
Jones was possessed on Sunday night, coming up three assists shy of a triple-double against the Pittsburgh Panthers. His 10 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and one block contributed to his outstanding 38.3 fantasy points. Jones will have a chance to build off that performance against a Texas Longhorns squad that struggled to contain an inferior Penn State Nittany Lions team last time out.
In the Round of 32, Penn State had five players hit double-digits in scoring. Moreover, Jalen Pickett, who plays a similar game to Colby Jones, logged a double-double while adding an assist, steal, and block.
We’re anticipating another strong showing from Jones as he exploits the Longhorns’ defensive shortcomings.
Jones should end the night as the top-performing fantasy option.
Top Value: Marcus Sasser ($8,000)
The Houston Cougars floor general should exceed expectations with another dominant effort against the Miami Hurricanes.
The senior was a revelation against the Auburn Tigers in Round 2. Sasser shot 7-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-9 from downtown, leading the Cougars with 22 points. That was the second time in four games the Texas native had at least 22 after Sasser dropped 30 in the AAC conference tourney.
The Hurricanes are among the worst defending teams in the NCAA ranks this year. Miami (FL) ranks 212th in opponent shooting percentage, including 33.4% against three-pointers.
Houston plays a complete game, making them a tough out in any round. The Hurricanes don’t possess the defensive wherewithal to hang with the Cougars, and that should mean another solid outing from Sasser, as he lives up to his elite rating in our projections.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems on PrizePicks for the NCAA tourney.
March Madness CBB Forward Picks
Top Play: Tosan Evbuomwan ($8,400)
It’s been easy to dismiss the Princeton Tigers’ chances through the opening two rounds. The Ivy League champs entered the tourney as a #15 seed and weren’t expected to compete against many higher-ranked schools. Yet, here they are in the Sweet Sixteen. If you haven’t already, it’s time to take notice of Tosan Evbuomwan.
The Tigers forward has been a primary contributor all season, but even more so in the big dance. Evbuomwan led the team in scoring in their opening-round triumph over the second-ranked Arizona Wildcats. He followed that up with another respectable outing in Round 2, falling 1.5 points behind his season-long fantasy average of 28.3 points.
An even better effort is expected Friday against the Creighton Bluejays. In the last round, Creighton allowed the Baylor Bears to score on 46.0% of shots en route to 76 points. That was the fourth time in five outings opponents scored at least 70, with an average of 73.0 points against.
Princeton doesn’t usually bring a ton of offense, but virtually all of it runs through Evbuomwan. Factor in a few key complementary stats, including 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists, and it becomes clear why we’re making a play on the senior.
Top Value: Timmy Allen ($6,400)
Longhorns’ forward Timmy Allen is coming off a series of disappointing efforts. The fifth-year senior has fallen below nine points in four straight outings. Still, he’s salvaged his efforts with respectable defensive showings. As his scoring creeps up toward career norms, we could see Allen emerge as a deciding factor in DFS tournament play.
Allen has run cold from the field, scoring on just 40.9% of shots over his last four games. His volume and usage have remained constant, and most of his attempts come from high-probability areas. As such, we’re anticipating more of Allen’s shots to start dropping.
There’s a good chance Allen’s shooting percentage improves against Xaviers’ penetrable defense. The Musketeers sit 171st in opponent shooting percentage and have the fourth-worst adjusted defensive rating among teams left in the tournament, per KenPom.
Texas needs Allen at his best, and considering the discrepancy between production and output, we’re highlighting the big man as a progression candidate and value play against the Musketeers.
March Madness CBB Flag Plant
Trey Alexander ($7,000)
The Bluejays do a little bit of everything right. They play with a good tempo, ranking 22nd in the nation in adjusted offensive rating without sacrificing their defensive integrity. Trey Alexander exemplifies that distinct two-way play and is our flag plant player for Friday’s slate.
Alexander has been an integral part of Creighton’s success. The sophomore sits second on the team in scoring, ranking fourth in rebounds and second in assists. He’s also been a key defender and is tied for the team lead in steals.
Complete play is a hallmark of our signature plays, and Alexander has that characteristic in spades. The ball handler is coming off a 33.1 fantasy-point showing, his third 30-point effort over his last six games. Alexander had a robust 17/8/5 split in the Round of 32 and has the advantage of playing against the lowest-seeded team remaining.
Irrespective of format or platform, we’re recommending including Alexander on any roster as the Bluejays look to make the Elite Eight for the first time since 1941.
