Foul trouble can really turn what could be a very profitable night into an awful one. Only five fouls gives you the boot in CBB vs. six fouls in the NBA, and this can cause some serious tilt if your watching your players a nightly basis. Avoiding foul trouble on a nightly basis is probably the most luck involved in CBB DFS, as two first half fouls and your guy will be getting comfortable with a folding chair the rest of the first half. If he picks up a quick third foul to begin the second half, chances are he'll be reunited with this same folding chair again. There are some coaches, that don't religiously follow this early two foul auto-sit rule, but I would say it's well over 95% of D1 coaches. Don't get down on yourself if you've had a bad run of foul trouble costing you money, as over the coarse of a season this will be close to even with your competitors. DFS Player's hot and cold streaks in CBB can be attested at least partially towards avoiding player foul trouble and finding it. Regardless of foul trouble issues, don't let this sway you away from players that have burned you in the past. You know what's worked for you and don't let a cold streak turn you into a different player. There is a large slate tomorrow, and below are my favorite plays of the entire slate.
High-Priced Plays
Devin Thomas - Forward, Wake Forest. (FD Price $9,600, DK Price $9,200)
Syracuse has had some serious problems stopping talented big men this season, and Thomas is one of the best in the country. He had his way with Virginia Tech on the road and now comes back home to another juicy mach-up. Thomas's price had been climbing, but he is still a good price for what he's been doing this year. He has hit value at this number in his last three games, and barring foul trouble, he should be able to have his typically 20 + 10 line with a few assists and blocks.
Brandon Ingram - Forward, Duke. (FD Price $9,400, DK Price $9,100)
I know I say this a lot, but players off of poor road games traveling back home to a nice match-up, always have a good shot to bounce back. Ingram played 34 minutes while battling foul trouble and found it tough to get in a rhythm. The foul trouble also limited Ingram's effectiveness with gathering steals and blocks, as he was playing a bit cautious defensively especially in the second half. No one on Notre Dame is long enough or skilled enough to stop Ingram, so I love his chances to take this game over. His price has also dipped down a bit as well, so I'll gladly take the discount.
Mid-Priced Plays
Charles Mitchell - Forward, Georgia Tech. (FD Price $7,400, DK Price $7,700)
Virginia Tech has had a lot of trouble stopping anyone inside recently and I think this is a great spot for Mitchell to have a great showing. As little as a few weeks ago Mitchell was priced in the mid 8K range and now we're getting him at a discount due to recent play. His last four have been against Notre Dame, Virginia, Pittsburgh, and North Carolina, so it doesn't bother me in the least that he hasn't played well. Mitchell has some of the best numbers on a per minute basis in the paint, and he should have himself a game in this one.
Marcus Hunt - Guard, Georgia Tech. (FD Price $6,600, DK Price $6,400)
Having two Georgia Tech players doesn't scare me in the least, as their prices are so affordable. As mentioned above, this is one of the better match-ups GT has had in weeks. Marcus Hunt is GT's best overall player and consistently sees over 30 minutes. His only dud in his last five came against Virginia, and there is nothing wrong with having a dud vs. the Cavaliers. His scoring has been up recently and his usage is always solid. In a game where GT is projected to outscore their season average, I like Mitchell and Hunt to come through at their price tags.
Craig Sword - Guard, Mississippi State. (FD Price $6,500, DK Price $6,700)
Mississippi State is home against Tennessee who are very friendly to opponent's box scores. I have no problem with any starter actually, but these type of fast paced games are the ones where Sword plays very well. Transition jumpers and easy layups, could result in his third straight 20+ point game. Sword also has decent peripherals and has a high floor, so don't be concerned about rolling him out there. You can also take Malik Newman for a price cut, but Newman has virtually no steal/block upside which is why I favor Sword over him for only the extra 600 in cap space.
Nate Mason - Guard, Minnesota. (FD Price $6,200, DK Price $5,900)
Nate Mason had a real poor showing at Nebraska and was hindered by foul trouble ending with a whopping 4 fantasy points. This will scare people off of him, but not me. His price is down to $6,200 which may be the lowest it's been all year, so I'll be on the Mason bandwagon here. Minnesota is supposed to exceed their season average of points tomorrow despite being projected to lose by 10, and Mason should enjoy the tempo boost. He is a high floor type of player due to his usage on Minnesota and should have ample opportunity tomorrow to score and assist.
Low-Priced Plays
Derryck Thornton - Guard, Duke. (FD Price $5,300, DK Price $4,900)
Thornton has been a frustrating player to own recently as if his shot is falling at a bit higher rate he would have made value in his last three game at this price. He is actually shooting below 33% in his last thee games and his price has declined because of it. He has still taken no less than 9 shots in these games, and is contributing on the glass and with assists. This price is just too low for a Duke starter averaging 26+ minutes in what's expected to be a very fast moving game. This may actually be as low as his price gets until Jefferson comes back.
I.J. Ready - Forward, Mississippi State. (FD Price $5,000, DK Price $5,500)
At a whopping 5 foot 11 inches, Fanduel list I.J. Ready as a forward. If your someone who hate being able to only roster 4 guards on Fanduel, here is your answer to that. Nothing I.J. does is mind blowing or game changing, but he sees around 30 minutes of court time and averages about 7-8 shots per game. He's also the leading assist guy for a team projected to outscore their season average by 8 points. Ready does rebound a bit, and has a decent steal rate as well, so I love this price for him with the projected temp against Tennessee.
Sandy Cohen III - Forward, Marquette. (FD Price $4500, DK Price $5,000)
JuJuan Johnson didn't play Wednesday, and Cohen saw 36 minutes on the court. Recently though foul trouble is the only reason Cohen has been coming off the court has Marquette doesn't run a deep bench at all. Whether Johnson plays or doesn't I don't believe this impacts Cohen's minutes at all as Cheathem would see the extra run from it. Your getting Cohen at a discount here, as just two games ago he was in the mid 5K range. For minimum price, Cohen provides good all around peripherals with scoring around 10 actual points per game. The match-up is not ideal, but at minimum price and at home, Cohen is hard to look away from.
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