College Basketball CBB DFS Playbook March 26 Elite Eight: Top DraftKings & FanDuel CBB DFS Picks
The 2023 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight wraps up on Sunday with two more regional final matchups in the March Madness bracket. We have Creighton vs. San Diego State and then Miami (FL) vs. Texas with a pair of Final Four berths on the line. Let's dive into some CBB DFS picks for both DraftKings and FanDuel as the first game gets started early at 2:20 pm ET. If you're looking to play college basketball DFS, get full access to our CBB DFS Playbooks and Core Plays with a Fantasy Alarm All-Pro Subscription. If you have any questions about CBB daily fantasy lineup strategy, ask away in the Fantasy Alarm Discord chat. Now, let's jump into the CBB DFS picks and top plays for Thursday, March 23rd.
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight College Basketball Betting Odds March 26
(per DraftKings Sportsbook)
- 2:20 pm ET – Creighton (-2) vs. San Diego State – 135 O/U
- 5:05 pm ET – Miami FL vs. Texas (-4) – 149.5 O/U
CBB Projected Team Totals
(per KenPom.com)
- Texas – 79
- Miami FL – 74
- Creighton – 68
- San Diego State – 67
College Basketball CBB DFS Picks 3/26
CBB DFS Top Plays
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | CRE | SDSU | 8100 | 30.36 | 8800 | 29.15 |
| Kalkbrenner has been a top DFS play for us all season and he’s continued the stellar play in the NCAA Tournament. The Creighton big man went off for 31 points with 48 DK vs NC State in the first round and then had 22 points with 32 DK vs Princeton last game. The matchup vs San Diego State is a slight worry, but Kalkbrenner is still the top forward stud to lock into cash lineups with how well he and Creighton are playing offensively right now. | ||||||
| Marcus Carr | UT | MIA | 7500 | 29.45 | 7400 | 27.45 |
| The Texas point guard should be a popular play on this slate in a pace-boost matchup vs Miami. We know Carr is going to be heavily involved in the Longhorns’ offense with his high-usage PG role, and that should result in a safe cash DFS performance today. Carr just had 18 points, six assist, and 32 DK in a similar uptempo matchup vs Xaver in the Sweet 16. We should see something similar from him today, especially if Dylan Disu is sidelined for Texas. | ||||||
| Isaiah Wong | MIA | UT | 7300 | 30.13 | 7600 | 28.02 |
| Miami’s strength has been in its guard play all season and Wong is a big reason why the Canes are still alive. The ACC Player of the Year has scored 27 and 20 points in the past two games with 40 and 32 DK, respectively. If he can stay aggressive and efficient scoring-wise vs Texas here, then he’ll be one of the slate’s top plays for a third straight game. This matchup sets up to be a higher-scoring one and Wong will play a role in Miami pushing the pace. | ||||||
| Trey Alexander | CRE | SDSU | 7200 | 26.27 | 6500 | 24.34 |
| Alexander has come up big for Creighton in the past two games with 17 and 19 points scored and 35 and 31 DK, respectively. Even though Kalkbrenner, Scheierman, and Nembhard tend to be bigger parts of the offense, Alexander’s scoring is a big reason why the Jays are in the Elite Eight. He’s priced really cheap for his recent production and makes for an ideal GPP target on this slate. The matchup vs San Diego State is definitely a tough one, but Alexander has the upside to be one of the top DFS performers today. | ||||||
| Timmy Allen | UT | MIA | 6900 | 24.5 | 6600 | 23.09 |
| Texas is definitely a team to target overall today on the short slate with the best matchup on paper in a pace boost against Miami’s inconsistent defense. Timmy Allen has stepped up with 29 and 27 DK in the past two games with stat production across the board while playing big minutes. He’s even more important to Texas if Dylan Disu is out today. The price tags on both sites put him in GPP range, but the upside/ceiling is there in a favorable spot and with Allen playing much better than he had been recently. | ||||||
Also Consider:
- Baylor Scheierman – Creighton (GPP)
- Norchad Omier – Miami FL (Cash)
- Ryan Nembhard – Creighton (Cash/GPP)
- Nijel Pack – Miami FL (GPP)
CBB DFS Value Plays
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Tyrese Hunter | UT | MIA | 5900 | 19.69 | 4900 | 17.92 |
| Hunter sometimes gets forgotten about in the Texas lineup because other guys have stepped up big time late in the season and overshadowed him. Still, this is a premier talented guard who can play with the best on both ends and led Iowa State to a deep Tournament run just a year ago. With Dylan Disu sidelined last game, Hunter reminded everyone of his ceiling with 19 points and 29 DK. With Disu likely out or at least limited, Hunter should take on a bigger offensive role once again and he’s a top value in all formats on this slate. | ||||||
| Micah Parrish | SDSU | CRE | 5000 | 15.71 | 5100 | 14.26 |
| San Diego State has a few cheap guys worth considering today. Lamont Butler, Darrion Trammell, Nathan Mensah, and Jaedon LeDee honestly all have the upside to smash their value price tags at their best. We’ve seen ceiling games from a few of them in this NCAA Tournament too. One solid cash value from SDSU, though, is Parrish. The backup wing tends to do enough across the board to generate enough DFS production and return value as a bargain. SDSU will need his versatility and length on the floor vs Creighton’s slew of offensive weapons. | ||||||
| Christian Bishop | UT | MIA | 4500 | 14.75 | 4700 | 14.04 |
| If Dylan Disu is out tonight, then Bishop should be a great value like he was last game. The backup big man stepped up for 18 points, nine rebounds, and 28 DK in the Sweet 16 after Disu went out early. Bishop is a likely candidate to start if his teammate is indeed sidelined. There’s a chance we get plenty of minutes for Bishop anyway with Disu probably limited if he does suit up. He’s had GPP upside at times this season but the bigger role gives him a much stronger cash floor now. | ||||||
Also Consider:
- Darrion Trammell – San Diego State (GPP)
- Jaedon LeDee – San Diego State (GPP)
- Brock Cunningham – Texas (GPP/Cash)
CBB DFS Core Plays
DraftKings Core:
- Marcus Carr – Texas
- Ryan Kalkbrenner – Creighton
- Christian Bishop – Texas
FanDuel Core:
- Marcus Carr – Texas
- Isaiah Wong – Miami FL
- Tyrese Hunter – Texas
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Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.