Lovely weather on the northeast cut the slates a bit smaller then maybe what they could have been, but we still have plentiful games and players to choose from. Taking DFS out of the equation for a second there are some really good games on tap. Lots of close totals, with big name teams, with high totals. There are some projected blowouts sprinkled in, but If you live on the northeast like me, stay inside and enjoy the action. Typically by this time of the year, there are teams that have separated themselves from the pact as the "best" teams in the country, but I think arguments can be made for over 10 different teams as being the best. This has been a wacky year, and don't expect any different from these series of games on Saturday. Below are my favorite options to make value for the early slates.

High-Priced Plays

Ben Simmons - Forward, LSU. (FD Price $11,000, DK Price $11,000)

The more and more Simmons plays and doesn't hit value, the less and less people will play him. We all know his upside though, and I will not jump ship just yet. Simmons on the road off a few average games for his standards will drive people off of him. Alabama has absolutely no one that can match-up with Simmons and mismatches will be the norm for him all day tomorrow. Simmons has a 40+ point game looming and I'm not ready to miss out on it just yet. I see him being about 30% owned tomorrow due to somewhat tight pricing, so if he hits well, he could provide a huge edge to your lineup. I have no concerns about running Simmons out at these prices.

Gavin Ware - Forward, Mississippi State. (FD Price $8,000, DK Price N/A)

If Stefan Moody news comes out that he can't go before lineup lock, there will be serious value on the Ole Miss side, but regardless I'm targeting Ware on the other side here. With no Saiz, Ole Miss is a very small team. I really like Ware to dominate the paint throughout this one and I love the expected tempo. Also, coming off of a road dud, there is serious bounce back potential here.

Sam Shields - Forward, Nebraska. (FD Price $7,800, DK Price N/A)

Nebraska is average at best, but there are occasions where they will be favored in conference play and pending line movement this is one of them. Nebraska playing well really comes down to Shields, as he is the best player they have. I still cannot buy into Andrew White (priced higher than Shields) since he is almost purely a scorer, while Shields has nice peripherals along with the scoring. Nebraska needs Shields to play well in order to win and and he should have ample opportunities against Michigan.

Mid-Priced Plays

Sheldon McClellan - Guard, Miami. (FD Price $7,400, DK Price N/A)

Miami has a dream game tomorrow at home against Wake, and are projected one of the top scores on the slate at 83 points. McClellan will not be the only player mentioned in this article on Miami, but he is my favorite guard taking price into account. I can see playing Rodriguez for a discount, but cannot play Devon Reed. Miami players will rack up fantasy points against fantasy friendly Wake Forest, so avoiding this game is not advised.

Tony Jekiri - Forward, Miami. (FD Price $6,800, DK Price N/A)

Constantly in these articles, I mention players from the same team, as stacking teams is something I usually do. This is quite a bit chalky here, but wanted to mention Jekiri for a few reasons. There is not a lot of cheap value forwards in this slate and Jekiri is pretty safe at this price. Jekiri also will enjoy the pace of this game and should pile up rebounds and blocks along with some easy shots at the rim. If your plan is to only playone guy from Miami, then Jekiri should be your guy.

Malik Newman - Guard, Mississippi State. (FD Price $5,800, DK Price N/A)

As mentioned above, Mississippi State is in a great spot tomorrow. Newman's price has risen a bit over the last few weeks, but it has stayed in the high 5K range for the last few games. I certainly like Newman as his floor is typically 18-19 fantasy points with a ceiling in the high 20s. He is home, and the pace should play into his favor tomorrow to go for double digit points along with some decent peripherals.

Low-Priced Plays

Cody Martin - Forward North Carolina State. (FD Price $5,300, DK Price $4,900)

Duke @ NC State should be one of the better games of the early slate, and don't expect NC State to just lay down here. Cody Martin has averaged over 32.5 minutes in his last two and has had no less than 15 fantasy points in his last four. Martin is being trusted more and more each game and it's showing by his growth of minutes and usage. He's listed as a forward on Fanduel, but plays more like a guard with his good assist numbers. North Carolina State will enjoy a tempo boost tomorrow and Cody Martin's peripherals at his price provide a nice floor with a decent ceiling. He is one of the better cheap forward plays on the slate.

Cheick Diallo - Forward, Kansas. (FD Price $4,700, DK Price $4,200)

You enjoy tilting? If you play Diallo like me, we may both have our feelings hurt, but Self has said that Diallo is likely to start again here. We have seen his upside in limited minutes, and again pricing is a bit tight on Fanduel here. If he avoids Self's doghouse and plays 20 minutes, I really like his chance to bounce back at home. No one on Texas scares me one on one against Diallo, but the biggest issue for Diallo has been himself or Coach Self. Certainly risk here, but the low price does allow you to play higher priced guys as well.

Jalen Adams - Guard, Connecticut. (FD Price $4,500, DK Price $4,300)

Mentioned Adams last time in this article, and he barely showed up to the game. He is still in the starting lineup though and minimum price, so I'll forgive him for playing poorly. I like the bounce back spot for him against Georgetown especially if he sees 25+ minutes. I feel he was way too passive in his last game on the offensive end, as they funneled everything through Hamilton and Miller. I think he gets back on track and aims to score tomorrow often. Add in his ability to gather some assists and rebounds, and I really like his value chances at minimum price.


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