College Basketball DFS Playbook December 28: Top DraftKings & FanDuel CBB DFS Picks
I hope you are all enjoying your holiday week and after a brief layoff college basketball action is back and we are diving into the top CBB DFS picks for Thursday night. One Top-25 team is in action as No. 12 Oklahoma hosts Central Arkansas plus, we get to see the Pac-12 as USC travels to Oregon and UCLA plays Oregon State. It's a 5-game slate on DraftKings so let's dive into all the top CBB DFS picks and value plays at the guard and forward positions tonight. All college basketball odds below are via DraftKings Sportsbook when publishing. Good luck with your college basketball DFS lineups for Thursday December 28th...
College Basketball DFS Slate December 28, 2023
7p ET Coppin State @ Maryland (-30.5) 131.0 O/U
7p ET Central Arkansas @ Oklahoma (-31.0) 148.5 O/U
8p ET Sam Houston @ Texas Tech (-17.0) 141.0 O/U
9p ET USC @ Oregon (-2.5) 148.5 O/U
10p ET UCLA (-6.5) @ Oregon State 128.5 O/U
CBB DFS Top Guards
Boogie Ellis- USC @ Oregon ($8.1K DK)
Quietly, Boogie Ellis has become one of the best marksmen in the country, scoring at a clip of 19.5 points per game and shooting 44% from 3-point range. The super-senior can catch-and-shoot 3-pointers plus pull-ups pick-and-rolls into step-backs and is the safest play on the board tonight. This is the game with the highest total on the slate and a tight spread, so Ellis provides a solid floor and ceiling. With a 24.1% usage/29.4% shot rate to go along with a 20.5% assist rate take the discount on Boogie Ellis for a cheap $8.1K DK.
Note: Ellis suffered a hip contusion in USC’s latest game against Alabama State – check discord for any updates.
Pop Isaacs- Texas Tech vs. Sam Houston State ($6.9K DK)
Pop Isaacs has gone from being primarily a shooter as a freshman to one heck of an all-around player as a sophomore at Texas Tech. His ball distribution and court vision and IQ have been major ways that he is impacting Red Raider basketball than just his shooting. With a 28.4% usage and 30.2% shot rate a sub-$7K player that leads his team in offense is a near must play especially with Texas Tech coming in with a 79.00 implied point total at home against Sam Houston.
Javian McCollum- Oklahoma vs. Central Arkansas ($7.0K DK)
If you have watched Javian McCollum play you have to agree that he reminds you of a certain NBA legend- Allen Iverson. With the yo-yoing crossover, step-back jumper and driving floater he has been making even good defenses look bad. He even has a little Hollis Price in him as the Siena transfer has been a vital addition to the Sooners. He is the team’s second leading scorer at 14.3 points per game (only behind Otega Oweha’s 15.6 ppg) and has helped the Sooners get off to their best start since the program’s last Final Four run in 2016. With a 27.0% shot and 27.9% assist rate McCollum and sophomore Milos Uzan have provided Oklahoma with a formidable backcourt duo and arguably the two best point guards in the nation. As one of my favorite DFS players this college season I will have Javian McCollum in most of my lineups.
Other Top CBB DFS Guards
- Jahmir Young, Maryland ($8.7K DK)- If it wasn’t for the blowout factor Young would be the top overall play of the slate as he is averaging 50 DK over his last two games.
- Otega Oweh, Oklahoma ($7.1K DK)
- Sebastian Mack, UCLA ($7.5K DK)
- Joe Toussaint, Texas Tech ($7.5K DK)
- Dexter Akanno, Oregon State ($6.2K DK)
- Dylan Andrews, UCLA ($6.3K DK)
Top CBB DFS Value Guard
Rivaldo Soares, Oklahoma vs. Central Arkansas ($4.8K DK)
Oklahoma coach Porter Moser often talks about having eight starters and the last few games it is very apparent why. Rivaldo Soares has had a huge impact off the bench and is starting to play big time minutes for the Sooners. Over his last three games he is averaging 21+ DK points and at least 25 minutes on the floor and in the season, Soares has an impressive combined rebound rate of 26.7%. At $4.8K on a slate starved for value we can easily take the 4-5X value and run with Rivaldo Soares as a main lineup cash value.
Other Top CBB DFS Value Guards
- Elias Cato G/F, Central Arkansas ($5.7K DK)
- Chance McMillan, Texas Tech ($5.5K DK)
- Brennan Rigsby, Oregon ($4.5K DK)
- Jahari Long, Maryland ($4.1K DK)- Highly volatile but Long is capable of 5-6X value.
- Ryan Archey, Coppin State ($3.8K DK)- Archey is averaging 30 minutes and 17.6 DK over his last three games. May end up a main team play due to no slam dunk value.
Top CBB DFS Forwards
Julian Reese- Maryland @ Coppin State ($8.3K DK)
Julian Reese is coming off a horrendous game against UCLA. He fouled out and was held to just one point in his first start without a field goal during his collegiate career. That will not happen again tonight as the Terps have leaned on him and Jahmir Young heavily throughout this season — Young and Reese make up 45.7 percent of the Terps’ scoring. Maryland is also one of just two teams in the Big Ten to have a pair of players with a usage rate of 24% or more, with Young and Reese recording marks of 29% and 24.6% respectively. With a 23.5% defensive rebound rate (95th) and 11.8% offensive board rate (159th) Reese is facing a Coppin State frontcourt that just cannot rebound- 25.5% offensive (290th) and a horrible 38.7% defensive (359th!). Julian Reese will eat tonight even in a blowout game.
Kwame Evans Jr- Oregon vs. USC ($7.5K DK)
Freshman Kwame Evans Jr. seems to have put his early season struggles behind him and is now showing why he is a projected first round pick in the 2024 NBA draft. He has mobility for his size, and his finishing ability at the rim is helping Evans Jr. put it all together as he has now played 30+ minutes in each of his last two games. He has also put up 34+ DK points in three of his last four and had arguably his best game of his collegiate career last week against Syracuse with 17 points and eight rebounds (39.5 DK). Tonight, we could see a ceiling game against a USC front court that struggles a bit rebounding on the defensive end of the court (31%- 229th) and another 4-5X value.
Adem Bona- UCLA @ Oregon State ($6.6K DK)
UCLSA has produced some of college and pro basketball’s greatest post players. Sophomore Adem Bona has a long way to go but at 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds the reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year has the physical presence and talent to make a mark before his Bruin career is over. It has been an up and down season for Bona (21.5 DK over his last five games), but he still carries a 27% usage rate with a 30.5% combined rebound rate. Tonight, there is no reason not to expect him to own the boards against an Oregon State frontcourt that is ranked 228th in offensive rebounding (27.8%) and 215th on the defensive end (30.8%). Bona is also at a season low $6.6K on DraftKings, down $2.2K from the $8.8K that we paid for him in the Marquette game in November. Fouls are certainly a concern (5.9 FC/40) as he has fouled out in three of his last five games, but I am willing to bite the bullet and take a shot at a just too cheap Adem Bona.
Other Top CBB DFS Forwards
- Warren Washington, Texas Tech ($7.3K DK)
- Tucker Anderson, Central Arkansas ($7.2K DK)
- Justin Winston, Coppin State ($7.0K DK)
- Donta Scott, Maryland ($6.4K DK)
- Top CBB DFS Value Forward:
Top CBB DFS Value Forward
Michael Rataj- Oregon State vs. UCLA ($5.4K DK)
Michael Rataj is a promising sophomore small forward from Germany and is projected to be one of the better point per dollar plays at forward tonight against UCLA. He has started the last four straight games and has jumped from 10-15 minutes per game to over 30 minutes now as a starter. Rataj is also now more productive with 34+ DK points in two of those four games and had two straight double-doubles. It is certainly not a lock, but Michael Rataj is going to be popular tonight on a value starved slate.
Other Top CBB DFS Forward Values
- Elias Cato G/F, Central Arkansas ($5.7K DK)
- Jordan Geronimo, Maryland ($5.3K DK)
- John Hugley IV, Oklahoma ($5.9K DK)
- Vincent Iwuchukwu, USC ($4.8K DK)
- Kian Scroggins, Sam Houston ($3.9K DK)
DRAFTKINGS CORE
- Pop Isaacs- Texas Tech
- Boogie Ellis- USC
- Rivaldo Soares- Oregon (Value)
Michael Rataj- Oregon State (Value)
Player News
Luis Robert Jr. went 1-for-3 and belted his ninth home run of the season as the White Sox dropped the first game of Friday’s doubleheader against the Guardians.
Robert got the White Sox on the board and evened the score at two runs apiece with a 378-foot two-run blast off of Logan Allen in the second inning. That would be the extent of their scoring in the contest. To say that it has been a rough first half for the 27-year-old outfielder would be a massive understatement. He’s hitting a cringe-inducing .187/.272/.323 with nine homers, 34 RBI and 22 stolen bases in his first 294 plate appearances.
Kasparas Jakučionis had 24 points (7-of-12 FGs), four rebounds, four assists, two steals and five three-pointers in the Heat’s 105-98 loss to the Hawks on Friday.
While Jakučionis struggled in his first three Summer League games, the 19-year-old rookie broke out in a big way against the Hawks Friday. Jakučionis, who fell to the Heat at No. 20 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, led the team with 24 points and five three-pointers. It was an impressive showing after he shot 1-of-15 and had just 12 points in his first three Summer League games.
Shane Smith pitched just three innings in a no-decision against the Guardians on Friday night, giving up two runs on two hits — both of them solo home runs.
The 25-year-old All-Star right-hander punched out five batters on the afternoon and didn’t walk a batter. The White Sox pulled him after just 46 pitches in an effort to limit his workload heading into the All-Star Game. He finishes the first half with a 4.26 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and an 81/37 K/BB ratio over 86 2/3 innings through his first 18 starts.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi reports Kenny Pickett “developed a strong on-field rapport” with Jerry Jeudy after training with the team’s top receiver this offseason.
At 27 years old, Pickett is the middle-aged member of the Browns’ four-person quarterback competition. Although he is perhaps the least discussed member of the bunch, Oyefusi notes, Pickett respectably went “14-10 as a starter in two seasons with the Steelers.” Developing rapport with the team’s top option could give Pickett an edge in training camp and the preseason, though Pickett is unlikely to produce even high-end QB2 results were he to win the starting job.
Joey Loperfido was scratched from the Blue Jays’ starting lineup on Friday evening due to illness.
The 26-year-old outfielder attempted to give it a go, but felt ill once again on Friday evening so the Jays made the wise decision to pull him from the lineup. Myles Straw will start in his place in left field and will bat ninth for the Blue Jays against Luis Severino and the Athletics on Friday evening in West Sacramento.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is expected to return to the scheme he ran early in his Cleveland tenure “with more under-center formations that utilize play-action.”
The Browns employed a 24.9 percent play-action pass play rate last season, ranking 17th among NFL teams. In his first season at the helm in 2020, Stefanski ran play action at a sixth-ranked 28.7 percent rate. Increasing the fantasy-friendly play’s usage would be a boon to Browns pass catchers. They can use all of the schematic advantages they can get, given their team’s unsettled quarterback situation.