Daily Fantasy College Basketball 2015: DraftKings Lineup Advice for Feb. 19

Thursday is not Saturday when it comes to the college basketball schedule, so DraftKings.com players have a smaller sample size to choose from when selecting their lineups.

That means it may be worth coughing up a high salary for a player or two because there are only so many sleepers and value picks to go around with a limited schedule. It is ultimately about maximizing those fantasy points, and mixing and matching value picks with an expensive one could be the way to go with a weeknight slate.

With that in mind, here is a look at some highly priced players and value picks to focus on as potential candidates for your lineup Thursday.

A salary of $7,000 was used as the dividing line between higher-priced players and potential bargains, and all stats are as of Wednesday evening.

Higher-Priced Players Worth the Cost

Shaq Goodwin, Forward, Memphis ($7,500)

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Sometimes a player stands out as a lineup candidate simply because he has the hot hand. Memphis’ Shaq Goodwin certainly fits that bill, although his Thursday game against Connecticut represents a favorable matchup as well.

In his last four games, Goodwin has scored in double figures three times and grabbed at least nine rebounds three times. The one time he didn’t crack double figures in the scoring department during that stretch was the game he turned in an astounding 23 rebounds against Temple. 

Connecticut is only 160th in the country in total rebounds per game. Look for Goodwin to continue his impressive play with a solid rebounding outing against a vulnerable Huskies squad that got out-rebounded by SMU in its last outing.

Melo Trimble, Guard, Maryland ($7,300)

It is rare that a player’s defense is a reason to target him in fantasy, but Maryland’s Melo Trimble should add to his team-leading steals numbers against a Nebraska offense that is among the worst in the country.

In fact, the Cornhuskers are an abysmal 299th in Ken Pomeroy’s pace-adjusted offensive efficiency rankings and 295th in points per game. Trimble should have his way with this terrible offense. 

The good news with Trimble is that you know his offense will be there as well. He is averaging 19.3 points per game on 56.67 percent shooting in his last three contests and appears to be hitting his stride as the season comes to a close. That is good news for DraftKings players with Trimble in their lineups.

Ryan Boatright, Guard, Connecticut ($9,700)

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Sticking with the hot hand theme, Connecticut’s Ryan Boatright should put up big numbers in that Memphis and Connecticut clash as well.

He carries this Connecticut squad at times, which is exactly what fantasy players relying on individual statistics want to hear, and he has scored at least 18 points in eight consecutive games. He topped the 20-point plateau in five of those eight contests, including a 31-point performance against Houston.

Few players in the country score as consistently as Boatright, but he also gives players valuable rebounding from the guard spot (six boards per game in the last five contests) and assists (a team-high 4.4 per game).

He is also motivated to close out the season strong, via Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant: "It's getting there. But it's not there yet. We need a sense of hunger, a sense of understanding that this is our last shot." 

A motivated and red-hot Boatright may command a significant chunk of your salary cap, but there are few surer bets in all of college basketball when it comes to putting up big individual numbers.

Potential Value Picks

Markus Kennedy, Forward, SMU ($6,500)

Pat Sullivan/Associated Press

When a player puts up 21 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting from the field in the first matchup against a specific team, he is worth targeting in the rematch.

That is the case for SMU’s Markus Kennedy, who torched Temple the first time around back in mid-January and will have another shot (this time at home) Thursday. Kennedy has 30 points and 14 rebounds in his last two games as well, so he appears ready to beat the Owls again. 

He is worth the gamble for your DraftKings lineup, especially at an affordable price.

A.J. Hammons, Forward, Purdue ($6,900)

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

Indiana is one of the worst defenses in the country among power conference teams, at least according to Pomeroy. In fact, it ranks 261st in the country in Pomeroy’s defensive rankings and has trouble stopping almost everyone it plays against.

That won’t change Thursday when A.J. Hammons brings his 7’0” frame to town. 

It is not just the fact that the Hoosiers cannot stop anyone that makes this an intriguing play. Ever since they lost Hanner Mosquera-Perea to injury, there is a lack of size down low to contend with big men like Hammons. That could be a problem considering the Purdue center is turning in a historically excellent Big Ten season, via Purdue’s associate SID, Chris Forman:

"

#BoilerNotes A.J. Hammons is on pace to become the 2nd player in #B1G history to lead league in FG Pct. & Blocks (Greg Oden in 2007).

— Chris Forman (@ChrisForman12) February 18, 2015"

You have the opportunity to snag a game-changing big man against a porous Indiana defense for a reasonable price. This is a favorable matchup to target during Thursday’s schedule.

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