Daily Fantasy College Basketball 2015: DraftKings Bargain Picks for Feb. 21

Different strategies can be used to be successful in daily fantasy college basketball, but in all likelihood you will need some value near the bottom of the list in each contest.

Most people like to utilize at least one superstar like Frank Kaminsky or Jahlil Okafor on their rosters, which is a safe way to rack up points. However, when you do this you have to balance it out with cheaper options who can still get on the board.

These men will provide more value for fantasy players attempting to win any of the three Saturday contests on DraftKings.

Early Afternoon Contests

Myles Turner, Texas ($6,700)

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Usually the bargain picks are limited to players that cost less than $6,000 but an exception will have to be made because Myles Turner is still a bargain at $6,700.

Over the past two games, the highly-touted freshman has totaled 42 points, 22 rebounds and nine blocks. Although the last category doesn't count on DraftKings, it shows how dominant he has been, as ESPN's John Gasaway noted:

There will be a lot of chances to rack up stats against the fast-paced Iowa State, especially on a team with no one in the rotation bigger than 6'9". The 6'11" Turner should be able to put up a huge fantasy day for a middling price.

DeAndre Mathieu, Minnesota ($4,800)

After picking Turner and likely some other top players, you will need a real bargain to balance the cost. This is where DeAndre Mathieu comes in, despite some poor shooting lately.

The Minnesota point guard has incredibly missed his last 17 shots from behind the arc, which is usually a red flag to avoid him. However, the senior was a 48.9 shooter last year and has shown the ability to hit shots this season, so this will turn around. Against Wisconsin, which ranks 223rd in the nation against the three, according to KenPom.com, this could be a good chance to end the slump.

Even if he shoots poorly, he has been aggressive lately while taking over 10 shots in each of the last three games while also racking up assists and rebounds. For this price, you won't find too many safer options with such good upside. 

Player	Team	Price*
Bronson Koenig	Wisconsin	$5,600
JayVaughn Pinkston	Villanova	$5,100
Charles Mitchell	Georgia Tech	$4,600
Alex Murphy	Florida	$3,800
Stephane Manga	Seton Hall	$3,600

Late Afternoon Contests

Gavin Ware, Mississippi State ($5,500)

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

There are only five games available in the midday contests, but they feature some of the more high-scoring teams in the nation between Duke, Notre Dame and Arkansas. You're going to want to grab as many players from these squads as possible.

The problem is this leaves few options when it comes to cheap players. One way to solve this is getting a consistent player who doesn't need to score to contribute, like Mississippi State's Gavin Ware.

Not only does Ware lead the Bulldogs in scoring, but he is averaging 8.5 rebounds in SEC play. This includes a 16-point, nine-rebound performance the last time he faced Arkansas. Considering someone will need to score for Mississippi State, Ware has a chance to have a strong game in what will likely be a bad loss to the Razorbacks.

Caleb Martin, North Carolina State ($3,800)

Virginia Tech is one of the worst rebounding teams in the nation, ranking 323rd in defensive rebounding percentage and 345th on the offensive end, according to TeamRankings.com. North Carolina State should be able to take advantage of this, although the question is who will really stand out.

The entire Wolfpack frontcourt has seen inconsistent playing time lately, but freshman Caleb Martin has played extremely well, as noted by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports:

Not only has the 6'7" forward been great on the glass, but he can also step outside and shoot from the outside when needed. As he continues to get more minutes, he could be a steal at this price with more upside than Kyle Washington, Beejay Anya or Abdul-Malik Abu.

Player	Team	Price*
Demetrius Jackson	Notre Dame	$6,200
Kelly Oubre	Kansas	$5,800
Adam Smith	Virginia Tech	$5,700
Matt Jones	Duke	$4,600
Dennis Clifford	Boston College	$3,700

Evening Contests

Brandon Ashley, Arizona ($5,800)

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

After Arizona State's Savon Goodman destroyed UCLA inside to the tune of 20 points and 12 rebounds in an upset win earlier in the week, Brandon Ashley will have a chance to do the same Saturday.

Although Arizona is a team that likes to share the ball, Brandon Ashley ranks second on the squad with 11.6 points per game and has been relatively consistent lately with double-digit points in each of the last six contests. He has a chance to use his athleticism inside the way Goodman did or expose the Bruins' poor perimeter defense with some outside shooting.

The Wildcats have really turned it on offensively lately and Ashley will continue to be a big part of the success.

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky ($5,500)

Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 8.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season and is coming off one of his worst games with Kentucky where he was in foul trouble all day. Despite this fact, he costs $6,900 Saturday on DraftKings.

Willie Cauley-Stein is much cheaper despite averaging more points (9.3) and rebounds (6.4) while having much more success in recent games. The big man is averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in his last four games.

Kentucky is going to pick apart Auburn inside no matter who is on the floor, meaning both these men will likely have strong games. You might as well save your money on the more consistent option for the Wildcats.

Player	Team	Price*
Octavius Ellis	Cincinnati	$5,800
Ladarius White	Ole Miss	$5,000
Mikael Hopkins	Georgetown	$4,700
Gabe York	Arizona	$4,300
Dakari Johnson	Kentucky	$3,900

Questions? Suggestions? Looking for advice? Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter to discuss anything college basketball or daily fantasy.