Best College Basketball DFS Picks & Player Props Today
Especially when there are big weekends in basketball, Daily Fantasy Sports have become one of the most popular ways to get in on the action. Regardless of which DFS app you use, college basketball is volatile by nature. Rotations can change game to game, foul trouble can wipe out a great play in eight minutes, and blowouts can kill fourth-quarter minutes, so prioritizing role, minutes, and multi-category production is key. Additionally, DFS promotions can help with that volatility.
That's why balance is so important in lineups. You have to pay up for players who can create their own fantasy production through points and assists or points and rebounds, then you’re using value spots that have real paths to minutes and peripherals. On a college slate like today, that combination is how you avoid landmines while still keeping a ceiling that can actually win.
Today’s Best DFS Lineup
Values via DraftKings
G: Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas): $8,700
Acuff is producing like a true slate anchor, averaging 17.4 points and 5.4 assists per game, which is exactly what you want from a high-salary guard in DK scoring. He’s also already shown he can spike in big spots, including games where he’s piled up points and assists together, which is how you get a real ceiling outcome.
G: Bryce Hopkins (St. John’s): $7,000
Hopkins brings a strong combo of scoring and peripherals, putting up 15.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 50%. That stat profile gives him multiple paths to value, because he can pay off even if the scoring is merely solid instead of nuclear.
G: Jadon Jones (Oklahoma): $4,400
Jones is the kind of value guard you can live with because he’s been playing real minutes lately and his production has included rebounds, free throws and occasional defensive stats, not just empty points. Even at 7.6 points per game on the season, he doesn’t need much to pay off $4.4K if he gets you a handful of boards, a steal and a couple of buckets.
F: Trevon Brazile (Arkansas): $8,000
Brazile gives you legit forward upside because he’s averaging 12.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 50%, which is a clean fantasy foundation. He’s also the type of big who can rack up “bonus” DFS production in competitive games, which makes him a strong ceiling play on this roster.
F: Rueben Chinyelu (Florida): $7,000
Chinyelu is a monster rebounding play, averaging 11.2 rebounds per game in 24.6 minutes, and that kind of board rate is DFS gold. Add in 10.0 points per game on 57.6% shooting, and you’re getting a big man who can hit value without needing plays drawn up for him.
F: Ben Gold (Marquette): $6,100
Gold is steady mid-tier glue, averaging 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while logging 28.0 minutes per game, which matters a ton in college DFS. That minute load plus rebounding gives him a stable floor, and if the shot is falling, he has enough usage to push past value.
UTIL: Karter Knox (Arkansas): $5,200
Knox is a strong utility piece because he’s contributing across the box score with 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. On a slate like this, that “do-a-little-bit-of-everything” profile is exactly what you want from a mid-range salary, especially in a game you’re already targeting.
UTIL: Omer Mayer (Purdue): $3,400
Mayer is the salary relief that keeps the rest of the build intact, and he’s producing enough to justify it at 6.7 points and 1.6 assists per game. At $3.4K, you’re really just looking for minutes, a couple shots and a few assists, and he has a realistic path to all of that without needing a crazy performance.
As always with college DFS, the last step is news and context. Confirm starters, scan for any beat notes on rotation changes and keep an eye on blowout risk, because one unexpected minute dip can flip a slate. If everything looks normal before lock, this build has a clean cash-game foundation with enough ceiling to stay live in tournaments.
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All Pricing as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Dec. 13