We are down to 32 teams competing for the National Championship, with Round 2 of the NCAA Tournament tipping off early on Saturday.
The main slate consists of all eight matchups, meaning there are plenty of players and matchups to consider. We’ve whittled it down, highlighting some of our favorite DFS plays from Saturday’s action.
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.
The Lineup Builder on FantasyLabs allows you to hand-build custom lineups on the same screen as our player projections. You can hand-build your entire team or simply select a few players you like and let the optimizer take care of the rest.
Now, let’s get into the slate!
March Madness CBB Guard Picks
Top Play: Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($9,600)
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has played himself into an NBA contract the way his senior season is going. The UCLA Bruins swingman is having a banner year, and grabbing him as a guard on Saturday’s main slate is one of our top plays.
Nobody has had an answer for Jaquez Jr. this year. The California native scored double-digits in 11 straight, averaging 20.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game across the sample. Predictably, those game scores have resulted in elite fantasy production. Jaquez Jr. is averaging 35.5 fantasy points, surpassing the 30-point threshold on eight occasions and the 40-point mark three times.
Jaquez Jr’s versatility makes him a threat from anywhere on the court, and that will be nearly impossible for the Northwestern Huskies to defend. The senior comes into Saturday’s contest with lofty projections. Still, we wouldn’t be surprised if he eclipsed them.
Top Value: Jahmir Young ($7,800)
We’re making a value play on Maryland Terrapins’ starting guard Jahmir Young. The senior has been a stabilizing force in the Terrapins’ backcourt and will be ready.
On Thursday, Young had a down performance against the West Virginia Mountaineers, but that has been the exception and not the rule for the Maryland native. Young is the pacesetter in points and assists, pulling down an eye-popping 4.7 rebounds with his 6’1″ frame.
The Alabama Crimson Tide enter the contest as substantive favorites, but they’ve been unable to contain starting guards over much of the past few games. Nine opposing guards have scored 12 or more across Bama’s last five games, with Trevian Tennyson dropping 20 in the opening round.
This could be Young’s curtain call, and if that’s the case, he’ll be looking to go out with a bang against one of the top teams in the nation.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems on PrizePicks for the NCAA tourney.
March Madness CBB Forward Picks
Top Play: Jalen Wilson ($9,400)
It’s a pretty good look when your 20 points, seven rebounds, and 27.4 fantasy points look like an off night, but that’s the standard Jalen Wilson has set ahead of this year’s tourney.
The Kansas Jayhawks forward has been among the best in the country this year. Wilson is 26th in scoring and 69th in rebounding, averaging 20.1 and 8.4, respectively, per game. Still, he’s been a clutch performer, exceeding those benchmarks in three of his past five games.
More importantly, Wilson’s on-court performances have yielded some spectacular fantasy numbers. The junior had three double-doubles in the conference tourney, highlighting his ability to perform when the pressure is on.
His 34.0 fantasy points per game this season is impressive, and Wilson has soared past that in all but one of his last six games. We’re anticipating another show-stopping effort against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Top Value: Jaylin Williams ($6,300)
We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from Jaylin Williams, at times controlling the game for the Auburn Tigers. Although he was flat in the opening round, we like him to stand out against the top-seeded Houston Cougars as an undervalued contributor.
The Tigers have several players they could rely on to turn the tide, and Williams is a versatile asset. The big man can shoot from range, knocking down 36.1% of shots from range. Moreover, he’s reliable on the interior and charity stripe, with respective shooting percentages of 47.1% and 76.8%.
Houston’s defensive pedigree is not disputing, but they have been prone to big outings from forwards. Memphis Tigers big man dropped 16 points and 13 rebounds on them in the conference tourney, while East Carolina Pirates forward Ezra Ausar had an astounding 18 points and 19 boards a couple of games prior.
Williams could be the latest big to exploit the Cougars, and at $5,800, he could be the x-factor that pushes rosters across the finish line.
March Madness CBB Flag Plant
Jalen Slawson ($8,200)
If you’re charting Jalen Slawson’s fantasy metrics, you’d be right to assume that his ceiling knows no limits. The big man has increased his output in each of his previous five outings, culminating with a 38.0 fantasy point effort in the round of 64. Still, we like him to continue his trajectory against the San Diego State University Aztecs.
For starters, the Furman Paladins forward has been unstoppable in any competition. Slawson is averaging 16.7 points and 7.7 rebounds across his last nine contests, recording a double-double in three games. However, he rounds out his game with solid defending metrics, including 1.5 blocks and 1.6 steals on the season.
San Diego State doesn’t play with a lot of size, with three of their four starters standing below 6’4″. That should afford Slawson some space in the interior to do damage against the Aztecs.
Furman needs to play to its strengths to try and force another major upset. We expect Slawson to be up to the challenge and continue his upward fantasy climb.
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