College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 2/5/19

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 consists of 10 games. #10 Marquette hosts St. John's in a Big East matchup with a fantasy-friendly combination of a 154 over/under and 6.5-point spread in the Golden Eagles' favor.

Which players should you be targeting and why?

Guards

Markus Howard, Marquette ($8,600): Given the number of teams and high-prole players in action tonight, Marquette star Markus Howard is only the sixth-most expensive player on the slate. That's despite averaging 34.7 FanDuel points per -- 1.7 more than Michigan State's Cassius Winston, who's priced immediately above him. That's a small mistake that could pay off big in a favorable head-to-head with St. John's. The Red Storm are 82nd in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com, and allow 73.9 points per game (242nd in the nation). They average 1.7 more possessions per game than do the Golden Eagles, thereby boosting their implied total to 80.25 ahead of tonight's game. A high-scoring game like this only serves to elevate Howard's already high floor and ceiling. The junior guard has tallied 30 or more FanDuel points in 17 games, six of which he posted no fewer than 41.2 FanDuel points.

Jordan Bone, Tennessee ($7,400): There are four teams expected to score over 80 points this evening, and Tennessee is just on the outside looking in. Possessing a 79.25 implied total, some might overlook the Vols as big favorites (-17.0) over the visiting Missouri Tigers. But Rick Barnes' team has been piling up the points all year, averaging 86.7 points a game and 88.2 in SEC play. Mizzou's defense is 64th in adjusted efficiency and has surrendered 75.3 points per game through eight SEC matchups. In other words, you want exposure to Tennessee's high total, starting with their lead guard. Using 21.0% of his team's offensive possessions, Bone is averaging 13.6 points, 6.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 26.7 FanDuel points over 32.5 minutes per contest, and he's managed 37 or more fantasy points in back-to-back games against SEC foes.

Tyler Herro, Kentucky ($6,700): Like the Vols, coach John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats are expected to have a high-scoring night as well. However, their 81-point total is nearly two points higher than their season, in large part thanks to South Carolina's 123rd-ranked defense and 35th-ranked adjusted tempo. The slate's second-worst defensive team by efficiency, the Gamecocks have given up 74.0 points per game and even more (79.4) against fellow SEC teams. You have a trio of 'Cats to choose from at guard, but you can't go wrong with Herro. The freshman averages 23.4 and has reached or exceeded his implied output (26.8 points at 4.0 per $1,000) eight times this season. He's coming off a 19-point, 28.2-FanDuel-point outing against Florida and has scored in double figures in 9 of the 10 games the Wildcats have totaled 80-plus on the scoreboard.

Lamonte Turner, Tennessee ($5,500): Returning to the Vols, Turner is the must-roster guy of the night. The junior guard has been on fire of late, averaging 32.2 FanDuel points over his last three while hitting 21-of-31 from the field and 9-of-17 from three. He's also handed out 15 assists with 7 steals over that same span. After getting inconsistent minutes to start the season, he's received 32 or more in four straight, and clearly Turner hasn't disappointed. Going up against a Mizzou team allowing 25.0 attempts and 8.1 makes from three in conference play is just icing on the cake for a guy as mis-priced as this.

Matt McQuaid, Michigan State ($5,500): If you haven't already heard, Michigan State Joshua Langford will be out for the remainder of the season after suffering an ankle injury in late December. McQuaid has been one to step up in his absence, logging 30-plus minutes in all but two games since Langford went down. Now, Tom Izzo and company have made it even more clear that his shooter needs to be more involved offensively. The senior guard has had seven or fewer shots in five of the nine games without Langford, and in the three he got up 10 or more he averaged 22.7 FanDuel points -- 4.13 points per $1,000 at this price. Look for him to take advantage on the road against Illinois, who oddsmakers have giving up 78.5 points to the favored Spartans.

Forwards

Dedric Lawson, Kansas ($8,800): Duke's Zion Williamson ($9,200) and Tennessee's Grant Williams ($9,000) are lock-and-load cash guys at the top of the forward pool, but Lawson could go lower-owned as Kansas meets in-state rival Kansas State. Most of the country is down on the Jayhawks, who haven't played their best since losing Udoka Azubuike to a season-ending injury. Accordingly, they are 2.5-point underdogs at K-State, a team 25 spots below them in adjusted efficiency margin. And the Wildcats' top-five defense is keeping KU's total down, but we've seen Lawson do damage against good defensive teams. The versatile junior just went for 25 points, 10 boards, 2 blocks and 41 FanDuel points against Texas Tech's third-ranked defense, so don't be afraid to target his 40-point upside in a not-so-obvious matchup.

Cam Reddish, Duke ($7,100): While you could certainly roll with Zion or RJ Barrett as your key Blue Devils, Reddish should benefit from the same great matchup with Boston. The Eagles are the worst defense on the board, according to adjusted efficiency, and have allowed 3.1 more points (76.0) through eight ACC games. Duke sits at an implied total of 90 as 23.5-point home favorites. In similar situations, Reddish has scored in double figures all but two times with three 20-point games to his name -- one in conference play. He's also hoisted 10 or more shot attempts in six straight while also accounting for 13 steals in that span. He could surprise as one of the best point-per-dollar plays of the night.

Marvin Clark II, St. John's ($6,600): While St. John's plays a high-paced, offensively-minded style, they are still a very respectable team, ranking 48th in adjusted efficiency margin and 35th in adjusted offensive efficiency. For that reason, they are just 6.5-point underdogs on the road, so we can't ignore them and their 73.75 total. They have a number of guards to choose from, but Clark is the guy down low, averaging 22.8 FanDuel points over 30.2 minutes a game. His minutes (32.8) are up in conference play, and he has double-digit points in three of his last four and four of six. Really, though, it's Marquette's okay defense and similarly high pace of play that should help Clark return four-times value (26.4) at this mid-tier price.

Garrison Brooks, North Carolina ($5,900): Closely behind their bitter rivals, the North Carolina Tar Heels check in with an 87.25 implied total and an 11-point spread in their favor at home. They host a North Carolina State team that they hung 90 on less than a month ago in a game that totaled 172 points at PNC Arena. In that one, Brooks turned 24 minutes into 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and a block, bringing his total to 28.9 FanDuel points, which is a nice return (4.9 points per $1,000) at this price tag. Sterling Manley's absence could only help to solidify his playing time tonight, leaving Brooks with some serious upside against the Wolfpack.

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.