College Basketball Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 2/25/19

College basketball season is in full tilt.

March Madness is still roughly a month 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 only three games, featuring one ACC matchup, two Big 12 clashes, and four top-25 teams.

Which players should you be targeting and why?

Guards

Marial Shayok, Iowa State ($8,000): Of the six teams, the 19th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones are tied for the highest implied total of the night at 76.25. However, that's based on the current lines at FanDuel Sportsbook, whereas Sports Insights has the total up by a half point at some books while 60% of the public are still betting the over. That bodes well for a juicy high-scoring game, which is exactly what we got -- a 75-74 Iowa State win -- when these two teams met last in Norman, putting any and all viable Cyclones in play. That includes Shayok at the very top, leading the team with nearly 27.5 FanDuel points per game on a 28.6% usage rate. Don't read too much into his dud last game, as the senior picked up two early fouls that held him to 16 minutes for the entire game.

Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State ($7,100): If you aren't into paying top dollar for Shayok, you can opt to save a few shekels and roster Horton-Tucker, possibly as your top guard. After all, the freshman is putting up a cool 25.2 FanDuel points per game and has gone for 30-plus in eight games this season. His shooting is down in conference play, but he just hit 6 of 15 shots for 14 points and a total of 34.3 FanDuel points last time out. He only requires 28.4 to reach four-times value (4.0 points per $1,000) at his price tag tonight, so if you're choosing between one of the two top guys or rolling out a full Cyclones stack you can't go wrong here.

Lindell Wigginton, Iowa State ($5,800): Sure, Florida State's opponent -- Notre Dame -- is not as tough of a defensive team as Oklahoma. They are 118th in defense and 99 spots behind the Sooners, according to KenPom.com, but the Seminoles just aren't as desirable from a fantasy perspective. Minutes fluctuate in a big way, and even on good nights the scoring can be so spread out that the value isn't there. In Iowa State, we basically know how the rotation is going to go, and we see who the go-to scorers are. Off the bench, Wigginton -- when healthy -- has been one of them, averaging 13.1 points and 21.3 FanDuel points over 25.1 minutes a game. His 27.8% usage is second on the team but first (27.6%) in conference games alone. If Iowa State pulls away beyond the nine-point spread, he could be in for minutes in the mid-20s, which could equate to a big scoring night for the 6'2" sophomore.

Marcus Garrett, Kansas ($4,900): Kansas isn't in a no-brainer spot. The Kansas State Wildcats are seventh in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, and their slow pace (63.8 possessions per 100) of play keeps their opponents to 59.3 a night (fourth in the nation). But that being said, we are limited in options, and KU is on their home floor and looking to get back on track behind Garrett's return. Primarily a defensive specialist, the sophomore guard will be playing in his second game back after struggling in his return. But that was against arguably the nation's top defense, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, on the road. After logging 22 minutes, he should see an uptick tonight in the absence of Lagerald Vick. Even with Vick, Garrett was playing big minutes (28.5 a game) and had a run of three straight games with 28 or more FanDuel points. Don't overthink it.

Forwards

Dedric Lawson, Kansas ($8,500): On the totally opposite end of the pricing pool, Lawson carries the highest roster cost but also averages the highest fantasy points per game (36.0). His ownership should be lower still, due in large part to both the matchup and three straight lackluster performances -- 24.0, 22.8 and 21.5 FanDuel points -- for his high standards. His shots and production are both down, but he's back at home, where he's shot 8.8% higher from the floor, 5.8% better from deep en route to 2.1 additional points (19.2) per game. There's also the fact that he produced 34.3 FanDuel points last time out against K-State. The Fighting Irish's John Mooney might be a worthwhile pivot, though, because of his high usage (24.7%) on a bad team, and his individual success against some tougher defenses.

Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma ($6,900): While targeting Cyclones players will be popular, there is no reason to avoid Oklahoma altogether. The Cyclones are 38th in adjusted defensive efficiency and have allowed 70 or more points in 10 games this season. OU is implied at 67.25, giving them the nod over both Notre Dame and Kansas State. Plus, Doolittle is talented, and his minutes have been up consistently. He's played 30-plus in seven straight and averages 33.4 -- second on the team -- through 14 Big 12 matchups. He also leads the team with 19 putbacks, per Hoop-Math, which is a huge plus against an Iowa State team ranked 10th in the conference in offensive rebounding.

Mfiondu Kabengele, Florida State ($6,200): It's hard to know which of the Florida State big men will have the more productive night, let alone which will see the majority of the minutes. But Kabengele has proven to have the higher ceiling, having gone for 22.9 FanDuel points a game and six times exceeding 30. In fact, he's maxed out at 45 with a double-double against Duke last month. He's only reached the 20-minute threshold once in the last four, but the 6'10" sophomore has managed 31.2 FanDuel points per game in the 11 games he's played 20 or more minutes off the 'Noles' bench. And just to top it off, he's averaging 23.9 on his home floor, where he'll be at tonight against the slate's worst defensive team.

Cameron Lard, Iowa State ($4,700): Potentially rounding out a full four-player stack is sophomore forward Cameron Lard. The 6'9" big averages a mere 12.9 minutes a game due to the Cyclones' guard-heavy approach, yet he played 26.4 a game last year and produced 26.7 FanDuel points in doing so. And the reason he's even worth mentioning is because he's been much more active of late, turning 19.3 minutes into 17.2 FanDuel points over the last six. He had 17.5 at Oklahoma, and while he could reach his salary-implied output (18.8 points), it's not a big deal if he doesn't; he will allow you to pay up for a few guys and target your main guys heavily on this short slate.

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.