With Wednesday’s exit of the top-seeded Carmen’s Crew following a 76-68 ousting by a lethal team House Of ‘Paign, the Overseas Elite become the clear-cut overall favorite to win The Basketball Tournament, but are not without contention.
Thursday serves us another late morning/early afternoon two-game slate as 8-seeded The Money Team takes on first-round upset Herd That, a 23-seed who stunned 10-seeded Peoria All-Stars, 80-65.
We also get a challenger facing a steep task in 15-seeded team Armored Athlete, squaring off with Joe Johnson and Overseas Elite, a remaining goliath of sorts when it comes to comprised talent.
Just a day away from the start to more weekend basketball and there is plenty opportunity to thicken the bankroll. Let’s get to it.
High/Mid
Joe Johnson, Overseas Elite
Forward (DK)/Guard (FD) ($8,500 DK/$24 FD)
The premier name touted in The Basketball Tournament when it comes to body-of-work, Joe Johnson comes into TBT just over a year removed from a 16-year career in the NBA. And if you’re a basketball fan who’s been watching for more than the past couple of years, you’re most likely familiar with Joe Johnson as well.
His best years were with the Atlanta Hawks, where he averaged 25-points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds in his best season of his career (06-07). Yes, I am aware it’s been a while, but the 39-year old NBA journeyman (key phrase: NBA) was a talent who was relied upon for his veteran grit late in his career, and on playoff teams at that.
I’m willing to bet that Johnson is still able to hit the three-ball (.371 3P% career) as well as facilitate his younger teammates with poise down the stretch. He’s likely to be chalk, but going to provide a stable baseline for fantasy production.
John Roberson, Armored Athlete
Guard ($7,500 DK/$21 FD)
The four-year Texas Tech guard went into the opening round blazing, as John Roberson slashed Power of the Paw for 26 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds while heaping on 38.09 FanDuel Fantasy Points for Daily Fantasy owners (and 40.3 DraftKings Fantasy Points).
In his tenure as a Red Raider, Roberson averaged 13.7 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game, while also averaging one steal and a 21.7% usage rate. If Armored Athlete is to hold weight with Overseas Elite’s deep talent, John Roberson and Scott Machado will have to be a factor.
Kyle Wiltjer, The Money Team
Forward/Center ($6,700 DK/$19 FD)
Averaging 20.4 points and 6.3 rebounds his senior year, Kyle Wiltjer was a beast for Gonzaga and earned a large sum of awards during his time spent at both Gonzaga and former Kentucky.
Especially consistent statistically through college was his usage rate, averaging 26% for his career and 28.4% his senior year, as he managed to command the ball and produce on the offensive as well as the boards.
Coming in at a mid-high priced option on both sites, Kyle Wiltjer may be a slight spend-up option who sheds ownership with his slightly higher tag on FanDuel. I will be pairing Wiltjer with guard Tony Wroten in my TMT exposure.
Mid/Low
Jacorey Williams, Herd That
Forward ($6,000 DK/$18 FD)
As he spent three years being cast to the shadows at Arkansas averaging just over 11 minutes, 3.8 points, and 0.7 assists, it was in his senior year that he rose like a phoenix of lore by transferring to Middle Tennessee and flipping his stat line upside down (in a good way of course).
In his final year in college as a Blue Raider transfer, Jacorey Williams averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and a whopping 30.2% usage rate. And it appears that switch has stayed flipped, if the opening round of TBT was any evidence.
Putting up 30.29 FanDuel Fantasy Points (32.8 DKFP) in the Herd That route of Peoria All-Stars, Williams hoisted a near-double-double with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 assist impressively. Should team Herd That bring the heat to The Money Team, it’s likely that Jacorey Williams will have a stake in the flame.
Bargain
Tremmell Darden, The Money Team
Forward ($3,900 DK/$8 FD)
It may be a matter of minute allowance when it comes to international talent Tremmell Darden and Head Coach Dan Britten, because his collegiate and post-NCAA resumes are spoken for.
Darden has spanned the EuroLeague, as well as in leagues from Spain to Greece, and most recently in the 2019-20 season of German Basketball, he averaged 15 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 28.5 minutes per game with Mitteldeutscher BC. His 24.5% usage rate through college evidently carried over to his professional career to a majority extent.
For a bottom-barrel price tag on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Tremmell Darden fits into any roster with ease and we only hope that he sees relevant court time, because he should pay off his salary with speed given his consistent involvement on offense throughout his career.
Bobby Brown, Overseas Elite
Guard ($5,200 DK/$7 FD)
I have Bobby Brown listed in the Bargain section due to his insanely cheap FanDuel price tag, but given his accomplishments in college and what he brings in depth to Overseas Elite could be a value flyer to fantasy rosters.
Averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds, Bobby Brown was a threat at Cal State Fullerton and was Big West Top Ten in field goal percentage. Bobby Brown’s salary cost on DraftKings being above $5,000 will likely distance himself from the field ownership, where on FanDuel he fits into essentially any roster with extreme flexibility and will garner ownership as such.
