Daily Fantasy College Basketball 2015: DraftKings Lineup Advice for Feb. 5

Thursday is a fairly light day on the college basketball schedule with only two different games featuring a team ranked in the Associated Press poll. That means DraftKings.com fantasy players will have to choose their lineups carefully since there just isn’t as much star power to go around.

Fortunately, there are players who outperform their projected value on a nightly basis, and Thursday will be no different. 

Here is a look at five players in particular who will outperform their value for DraftKings players during Thursday’s games.

*Stats are as of Wednesday evening.

Guard Zak Irvin, Michigan ($6,800)

Duane Burleson/Getty Images

It has been a year to forget for Michigan in the injury department, and Derrick Walton Jr. and Caris LeVert (who is out for the season) will both miss Thursday’s home clash against Iowa.

Injuries mean opportunity in the fantasy sports world, though, and Zak Irvin has that opportunity to put up big numbers for the Wolverines. Irvin has scored in double figures in four consecutive games and seven of the past eight, and he even recorded a double-double against Nebraska two games ago with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The opposing Hawkeyes are reeling as well with three straight losses. This is a team that isn’t known for its defense, either (139th in the country in points allowed per game), so look for Irvin to stretch that double figures streak to an impressive five games with LeVert and Walton missing.

Guard Tim Quarterman, LSU ($6,700)

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

LSU is a heavy 11.5-point favorite over Auburn, according to Odds Shark (as of Thursday morning at 3 a.m. ET), in Thursday’s only SEC game.

That means the Tigers should roll to an easy victory and get everyone involved, including critical sixth man Tim Quarterman. Although Quarterman comes off the bench, he has played 25 or more minutes in every game except one all year and is averaging a starter’s-like 32.7 minutes a night.

He talked about his role as an instant source of offense, via Glenn Guilbeau of The Town Talk: "I just come in and try to provide a big spark for my team. I try to get momentum up. I try to get everybody enthusiastic about the next play and try to make a big play—no matter if it's on offense or defense. I just try to make a big play to get our players excited."

Quarterman, who is averaging 11.9 points per game on the season, has value Thursday because he will be on the court so much in what should be a straightforward victory. However, he also brings rebounding to the table (5.3 a game), which is not something that can be said about every guard. 

Fantasy players need those unexpected boosts in different categories to win on a nightly basis, and Quarterman provides just that.

Guard Byron Wesley, Gonzaga ($5,500)

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

Gonzaga’s game against Santa Clara simply isn’t going to be pretty.

The Bulldogs are No. 2 in the country and should steamroll the 11-12 Broncos behind impressive nights from a number of players, including Byron Wesley, who represents excellent value at $5,500.

In fact, Santa Clara is an abysmal 291st in Ken Pomeroy’s pace-adjusted defensive efficiency rankings, which is music to the ears of all of Gonzaga’s offensive weapons. 

Like Quarterman, Wesley provides much-needed rebounding from the guard spot, and he dropped 11 points the last time Gonzaga played Santa Clara. This pick is all about value because it’s not every day you can grab someone averaging 10.5 points and five rebounds a game on the season going up against such a vulnerable matchup.

Forward Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga ($6,300)

Young Kwak/Associated Press

Wesley isn’t the only relatively cheap option for Gonzaga who will benefit by going against the 291st-best defensive team in the nation. 

Przemek Karnowski is averaging 11 points and 6.1 rebounds per game behind a blistering 61.6 percent shooting clip from the field. He also had his way with Santa Clara in the last matchup this year, as can be seen below.

Points	Rebounds	Field Goals	Blocks	Assists	Minutes
18	9	8-of-10	2	2	30

Karnowski checks in at 7’1”, while Santa Clara’s tallest player is only 6’9” on the blocks. It is just an unfair matchup, and Karnowski will respond accordingly with another monster game against the Broncos.

Forward Stefan Nastic, Stanford ($6,800)

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

As long as the focus is on ideal matchups, it is worth noting that Stanford is the No. 11 team in the country in Pomeroy’s offensive rankings, while its opponent on Thursday—UCLA—is a decidedly mediocre 79th in Pomeroy’s defensive rankings.

That means multiple players on the Cardinal should turn in a productive stat line, including forward Stefan Nastic.

All Nastic has done of late is score in double figures in 11 consecutive games after a disappointing nine-point showing against Texas. In fact, that Texas game in December is still the only contest all season that Nastic has failed to crack double figures in scoring, and he has four double-doubles for good measure as well.

Consistency is a magic word for those DraftKings players looking for value in their picks, and Nastic is a virtual guarantee to put up solid scoring and rebounding numbers. That will especially be the case against a porous UCLA defense Thursday.

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