College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 1/28/19

College basketball season is back! And this year, with it comes the return of college basketball DFS.

March Madness is still two 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 and includes three games. Even on the road at Notre Dame, Duke's 84-point implied total leads the slate by a sizable margin.

Which players should you be targeting and why?

Guards

RJ Barrett, Duke ($8,900): On a slate with two Big 12 clashes, it's the ACC showdown between the Blue Devils and Fighting Irish that leads the way with a 154 over/under. Barrett and company are 14-point favorites on the road, giving them an implied total more than 10 points beyond the next-closest team. The Irish defense ranks 119th, according to KenPom.com, and has surrendered 80 or more points four times this season, which includes 82 at home against Virginia on Saturday. Barrett shouldn't have a problem taking advantage, as he's scored 21 or more in six straight, on his way to average 39.6 FanDuel points per game in that span (1.5 more than his season average). The projected lottery pick is well worth his cost any night, but that's especially the case in this spot.

Christian James, Oklahoma ($8,000): If you are paying all the way up for Barrett's even more touted teammate (more on him in a second) you might have to shift your exposure from Barrett to another lower-priced but still upper-tier guard. Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver -- a pro prospect himself -- will be popular, but his matchup will be slow-paced between two good defenses. Going with James is the preferred play at a $500 discount. Oklahoma/Baylor sports the night's second-highest total (140.5) with the Sooners favored by six at home. James has been good all year, but he's been more efficient and productive in Norman, where he's shot 43.4% from the floor compared to 39.4% on the road. The result has been 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 31.7 FanDuel points a game -- 2.7 above his overall average.

Jared Butler, Baylor ($5,500): Given the combination of a decent total and what should be a relatively close game, you are going to want at least some exposure to each side of this one. On the Baylor side, it would be wise to go cheap at guard, as Butler has been hot in recent games. Since scoring 14 with 23.8 FanDuel points against Kansas, he has tallied 22 or more FanDuel points in four of five, scoring in double figures in three and handing out four or more assists in four of them. The Sooners' defense sits in the top 15 by efficiency, but Baylor's still going to score enough to remain relevant for fantasy purposes.

Rashard Odomes, Oklahoma ($4,900): Odomes offers a similar floor at an even lower price on the OU side. The 6'6" senior has now made three straight starts, and dating back to January 16 he is averaging 21.8 FanDuel points with only one game below 23.8. His minutes have also been in the 20s, and he has gotten up six-plus shots in each. Baylor's outside the top 50 in defensive efficiency and have allowed 72.0 points per game through six Big 12 games. Stacking this game starts with these two guards as the top values on a slate where we really need it to pay up for the elite studs.

Forwards

Zion Williamson, Duke ($9,100): The consistency of Barrett is outrageous, but the same can be said for his teammate and fellow freshman phenom Zion Williamson. The human highlight is even a step better, standing as the only player on the slate averaging north of 40 FanDuel points (41.5) on the year. The crazy thing is that includes a 17-minute, 20.6-FanDuel-point game against Florida State. Since then, the big man has gone for 56.5, 42.3, 47.9 and 38.4 in consecutive games. He's had at least a block and a steal in each while grabbing no fewer than seven boards. He should absolutely feast against a Notre Dame team ranked outside the top 200 in total rebounding rate (49.8%).

John Mooney, Notre Dame ($8,600): On the opposing side, you could pivot from Williamson and/or Barrett to pay for Mooney, in the hopes this one stays relatively close. The 6'9" junior is averaging 31.8 FanDuel points for the year, but he's been much more impressive in conference play. In seven games against ACC foes, he's turned 34 minutes a game into a double-double and 40.0 FanDuel points. His usage is up to 25.0% in that span, and he even managed a double-double with 27 FanDuel points against the tough UVA defense. The Irish hold a 70-point implied total that's better than three other teams at our disposal, so it's not a complete stretch to think Notre Dame -- behind Mooney -- can put up the points and keep this one competitive for 30-plus minutes.

Tariq Owens, Texas Tech ($6,100): Fading TCU players seems like a smart strategy against a Red Raiders defense rated first in the nation. But for Tech itself, you could look to them for tournaments, but Owens is the only guy worth considering in both formats. The senior forward averages 24.1 minutes a game and has averages of 8.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 3.0 blocks-plus-steal (2.5 blocks) to show for it. He's been volatile and has gone through some rough stretches, but he's had 20-plus FanDuel points in five of seven. The blocking upside is appealing for tournaments; Owens gets a Horned Frogs squad that's been blocked 24 times in 4 Big 12 contests.

Jamuni McNeace, Oklahoma ($4,700): Don't forget about the forward spot. For OU, Kristian Doolittle injured his thigh on Saturday and might be held out if he's less than 100%. Check back for updates later, but if he's out it will be McNeace's opportunity to get more run. The senior center began the year as a starter and was fairly productive in that role, averaging 9.9 points and 7.0 rebounds a game in the first seven. He suffered an injury thereafter and opened the door for Doolittle, but he's still shown to be productive when given the opportunity. That opportunity might be there again tonight, and you should take advantage at this price tag.

Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BRO14THEKID. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his 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. Fa