Daily Fantasy College Basketball 2015: DraftKings Lineup Advice for Feb. 26

There are a mere three days standing between college basketball and the madness of March, which means DraftKings players are running out of time to win some daily fantasy contests this season.

Thursday offers a small slate of games that only features four contests with ranked teams and a few additional games with unranked teams from power conferences. When the pool of available options is smaller than usual, it is important to discover a few overlooked players who will outperform their daily salaries.

With that in mind, here is a look at some value-pick candidates who will be worth more than DraftKings players will be asked to pay Thursday.

* The cutoff line for a value pick was a player with a salary of less than $7,000. All statistics and Ken Pomeroy rankings are accurate as of Wednesday evening.

Shannon Scott, Guard, Ohio State ($5,400)

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When fans and commentators discuss Ohio State, superstar guard D’Angelo Russell is the first name to come up, which is why he commands a tremendously high $10,300 salary for Thursday’s action.

However, he appears to have hit something of a freshman wall recently, shooting 34 percent with nine turnovers in the Buckeyes’ last three games, two of which were losses. Part of the reason could be that he is playing more than 33 minutes a night as a first-year collegian and is simply running on fumes at this point.

If the Buckeyes can take care of business early against a Nebraska team that has lost five in a row and seven of eight, coach Thad Matta could look to give his superstar some much-needed rest and take the ball out of his hands. Starting guard Shannon Scott would be the first in line to pick up those missing statistics, especially in the assists department.

He is actually leading the Buckeyes with 6.1 assists per night and would be the primary distributor with Russell resting, or at least not facilitating as much of the offense.

This is somewhat of a high-risk play because it is predicated on the Buckeyes handling a Nebraska squad that is in a tailspin, but Scott is worth the chance at $5,400. If nothing else, he is a lock to pick up solid assist numbers, and he is a defensive force, averaging 1.8 steals per night.

Armani Moore, Forward, Tennessee ($6,800)

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While Vanderbilt has played better of late with four wins in its last six outings, it is still 5-9 in SEC play and quite vulnerable against a solid opponent.

In fact, it is a mediocre 99th in the country in Pomeroy’s defensive rankings and allowed 13 points to Tennessee forward Armani Moore the first time these two rivals met. That was part of a stretch where Moore scored in double figures in six of eight games, and there is no reason to expect anything different in the rematch.

Moore will also come in ready to play if his recent comments are any indication, according to Steve Megargee of The Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports):

"

Nobody's coming in being lackadaisical. Everybody's coming in every day ready to work. We watch film before practice and guys are asking questions, figuring out ways to get better. I feel that's a sign we're not giving up. As long as we're not giving up, we should be a contender in every game we play. 

"

Moore is Tennessee’s leading rebounder at 6.9 per game and is playing against a Commodores team he already beat once this season. This is a solid value pick.

Riley LaChance, Guard, Vanderbilt ($6,100)

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Considering the suggestion to take Moore from Tennessee was partially based on Vanderbilt’s Pomeroy defensive ranking, it would be irresponsible to overlook the Volunteers’ Pomeroy ranking on the other side.

Tennessee is a disappointing 112th in the country in Pomeroy’s defensive ratings, so Vanderbilt should have its way on the offensive end even if it ultimately loses. If that is the case, look for Riley LaChance to seek redemption after struggling against the Volunteers the last time out.

That was the only time in the last seven contests that LaChance failed to reach double digits in the scoring department. He has also hit at least one three-pointer in his last seven games and is fresh off a nine-rebound performance, so he is contributing in other ways besides just points. 

The Volunteers are a porous bunch on the defensive side, and LaChance had been playing impressive basketball as of late. That will continue Thursday.

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

Doug McSchooler/Associated Press

Rutgers is 153rd in the country in points allowed per game, 170th in rebounds per game, 341st in points per game and 310th in Pomeroy’s offensive rankings. It has also lost a stunning 11 games in a row.

DraftKings players have the opportunity to land the best player on Purdue’s roster for under $7,000 against a terrible opponent like this, and should jump at the chance with A.J. Hammons. He will put up solid scoring, rebounding and block numbers and should fill the box score Thursday.

Hammons is also playing some of his best basketball as of late, via the Indianapolis Star:

Sometimes matchups are just too hard to pass up, and that is exactly the case in this battle between Hammons and the sinking ship that is Rutgers.

Malcolm Duvivier, Guard, Oregon State ($5,700)

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Stanford may be battling for an NCAA tournament spot, but it is a disappointing 97th in Pomeroy’s defensive rankings and is vulnerable on that side of the floor.

Oregon State’s Malcolm Duvivier leads the team in assists per game at 3.6 and will have the chance to set the table for the offense against a porous defense. He is poised to put up big assist numbers as a result, and has scored in double figures in six of the last eight games.

He stuffed the stat sheet in the Beavers’ last outing against Colorado with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block, and will look to put up similar numbers against the Cardinal. 

If he does, he will be more than worth the price Thursday.

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