RotoWire CBB Invitational Recap: Live to Fight Another Day

Entering this weekend, 16 of the original 27 fantasy experts got another crack at building our optimal lineups in hopes of finishing in the top half of the field, and ultimately advancing to the next round. Throughout the 16 experts there were 64 total entries left (some of us advanced more than others), and we needed to finish in the top 32 spots with any or all of our remaining entries to advance to next week. Following Saturday’s exciting hoops action, only nine of the remaining 16 participants advanced teams through into next week.

@Bronzesword (Varncass) secured the top 10 overall spots for the second consecutive week. @unky_warthog (unky_warthog) also advanced all 10 of his entries through for the second straight week, which means these two experts now hold 20 of the remaining 32 spots entering next week. Below are the updated standings after Saturday’s action, which includes all 16 experts that participated in this particular round. 

Below is my top lineup which happened to be on the outside looking in with just two games remaining, but thanks to a monster day from Jaron Blossomgame of Clemson, I was able to secure the final spot and ultimately advance into next week. Ja’Quan Newton, one of the best sixth men in the country, had one of his worst performances of the year despite playing in a fast-paced, high scoring affair. He did get hurt midway through the second half, which certainly didn’t help the cause . Jonathan Motley blew up for the second straight game, however, which helped make up for Newton’s lack of production on this particular day. Damion Lee provided excellent value with 38.8 points at a price tag of $7,600 which is just above average.

F: Issac Copeland ($6,000) – Georgetown – 26.5 Points

F: Tonye Jekiri ($6,800) – Miami – 15.0 Points

F: Taurean Waller-Prince ($7,300) – Baylor – 27.1 Points

F: Jonathan Motley ($6,300) – Baylor – 32.8 Points

F: Jaron Blossomgame ($9,100) – Clemson – 44.8 Points

G: Luke Kennard ($5,100) – Duke – 16.7 Points

G: Ja’Quan Newton ($5,400) – Miami – 2.7 Points

G: Marcus Paige ($6,400) – North Carolina – 13.4 Points

G: Damion Lee ($7,600) – Louisville – 38.8 Points

Top RotoWire Lineup

Although the RotoWire “optimal lineup” just narrowly missed the top 32 slots in the field of experts with a score of 201.80 points, it still fared well in the majority of FanDuel cash games which is the main purpose of the tool. If you’ve yet to check out our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool, be sure to do so when you’re making out your next lineup. Below is this week’s optimal lineup.

F: Brandon Taylor ($8,100) – Penn State – 35.3 Points

F: Zach LeDay ($7,400) – Virginia Tech – 21.6 Points

F: Luke Fischer ($6,700) – Marquette – 20.6 Points

F: Payton Banks ($4,800) – Penn State – 13.2 Points

F: Shannon Hale ($4,600) – Alabama – 25.0 Points

G: Michael Gbinije ($8,300) – Syracuse – 21.3 Points

G: Isaiah Taylor ($8,200) – Texas – 15.7 Points

G: Shep Garner ($6,700) – Penn State – 33.2 Points

G: Duane Wilson ($5,200) – Marquette – 15.9 Points

The best value out of the group came from Shannon Hale who provided the third most fantasy points on the team, despite being the cheapest option out of the nine players. Isaiah Taylor had a rough day against Baylor and the 1-3-1 zone, which certainly hurt the overall production of the team.

Next week we start all over with 32 entries amongst nine experts. The top 16 entries will advance to the next week, while those who fail to make the top 16 will be eliminated. I’ve got one entry left, and I’ll need to make it count if I want to live to fight another day. Below are a few tips for readers to consider when making out a DFS lineup.

Pace: Is the game expected to be high scoring based on the line and total?

• More possessions lead to more opportunities to generate production.

Trends: How has a player been playing over the last 3-5 games?

• If his minutes and production have seen a boost, then ride the wave.

Splits: Is the game at home or is it on the road? Is it a conference game, or a non-conference game?

• Some players perform better in hostile environments, while others are comfortable at home.

All of this can be useful information when determining which players can provide good value at an affordable cost. Be sure to look back at how a player performs within that environment, and take a look at past matchups against the same opponent.