The Conference of Champions appears to be much-improved in 2019-2020. While the Pac-12 got its fair share of criticism last year, in 2019-2020 the league boasts some elite individual talents that will be a blast to watch. Add in some late night Bill Walton plus a couple adult beverages and that is an equation for DFS heaven for our Bucketheads to sit back and enjoy.
The Pac-12 had three teams’ finish 257th or worse in defensive efficiency in 2018-2019. While that number is bound to improve, there are still lots of opportunities to load up on the Pac-12 matchups. Add in an influx of elite freshmen and experienced playmakers and the Pac-12 may have some of the highest priced players on a slate this year, and for good reason. After all, it is the Conference of Champions.
Pre-season All-PAC 12 DFS Team
Below we have a team by team breakdown through a DFS lens. Yes, we do have the teams listed in the order we think they will finish in the PAC 12.
New Additions Will Have Ducks Flying High Again
There was a point in time when the 2019-2020 Ducks looked like a hot mess. Fast forward to October and Dana Altman has the Ducks as a consensus top 20 team in the nation. Gone are Bol Bol, Louis King, Kenny Wooten, Paul White, etc. from a team that made a run to the Sweet 16, but between transfers, highly rated freshmen, and stud PG and 1st team All-Big 12 returnee Payton Pritchard, things are looking strong in Eugene. Anthony Mathis will join his former high school teammate Pritchard in the backcourt, bringing his sharp-shooting pedigree (14 ppg and school record 106 treys) from New Mexico. Another stud transfer, Shakur Juiston, will likely start from day 1 at PF after avg. almost a double-double for UNLV. Altman also brought in JUCO Player of the Year Chris Duarte, who is an elite shooter. 6’8 top 30 recruit CJ Walker is a hyper athletic multi-dimensional forward that should contribute right away. Will Richardson will provide scoring off the bench again this year, while freshmen 4-star Chandler Lawson (Dedric Lawson’s little brother) and 4-star Addison Patterson bring additional depth. Finally, Oregon will get 5-star, elite shot blocker N’Faly Dante in December after the NCAA didn’t complete his paperwork on time. Francis Okoro, who played high school ball in the hometown of 2 of your boys from @cbb_dfs, will start at the center for the Ducks until Dante is eligible. With Pritchard’s experience and the talented additions, this team will compete for a Pac-12 title in 2019-2020.
Our favorite Duck plays for 2019-2020
Payton Pritchard,
G, Sr.
Averaged 12 points, 4 boards, 4.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game last year. The 4-year starter, who has played in a Final 4 and Sweet 16, has plenty of firepower around him to make for a memorable senior campaign.
N’Faly Dante,
F, Fr.
Elite shot blocker and rebounder. Will need to continue to improve offensively and the December start date will impact his progression a bit, but should be an intriguing option for our Bucketheads once he becomes eligible.
C.J. Walker,
F, Fr.
6’8 elite level athlete with the versatility to play both forward spots, Walker has the hops to jump out of the gym and could become an elite defender/rebounder for the Ducks. If he can become a reliable scorer as well, his upside is through the roof.
Mannion is a True Breakout Candidate
After losing Brandon Williams to season ending surgery, the headline here is clearly Arizona’s two stud 5-star freshmen. Nico Mannion is a top 10 recruit and truly elite table setter who can score from all three levels of the court. He’s also an excellent free throw shooter and should play max minutes, so he’s fully on our DFS radars this season. The other 5-star is 6’6 SF Josh Green, who has a 6’11 wingspan, elite athleticism, and the ability to become a defensive stopper. UC Irvine Max Hazzard should get plenty of tick at SG. He was a 39% 3-point shooter, leading UCI to a NCAA tourney win over K-State last season. Down low Chase Jeter returns for his 300th season of college basketball after averaging 11 ppg/6.6 boards last year. Sean Miller has raved about 4-star PF Zeke Nnaji, stretch 4 all-Ivy league 1st teamer Stone Gettings, and Ira Lee provide lots of depth in the frontcourt.
Our favorite Arizona plays for 2019-2020
Chase Jeter,
F, Sr.
The former 5-star is on the Perry Ellis plan, as it feels like he’s been playing college basketball forever. He should have plenty of opportunity to improve on his stats last year, so price will be the key for how often we fire up old man Jeter in our lineups
Nico Mannion,
G, Fr.
Mannion averaged 30 points, 6 assists, and 6 boards per game in high school. The former McDonald’s AA was featured in SI as a 15-year old and has all the makings of a star from day one in Tucson.
Josh Green,
F, Fr.
Green will likely be a GPP option early as he adjusts to the speed of the college game. He’s missed time over the last two years with shoulder surgeries, but he’s got elite athleticism and defensive upside that should allow him to fill up the stats for our Bucketheads.
Young Pups Will Lead Huskies in 2019-2020
The Huskies will try to replace roughly 50 points in scoring from starters Crisp, Nowell, Thybulle, and Dickerson last season, including the defensive wizardry Thybulle provided. Hopkins will count on two top 10 recruits to carry the load in 2019-2020: Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniel. Stewart is a 6’9, 245 lb beast from NY with a 7’4 wingspan and rave reviews from Hopkins. Stewart is a high motor guy and one of the game-ready freshmen in the country, as shown by his 19.5 points/8.5 boards on their overseas trip this summer. The other is 6’9 PF Jaden McDaniel, who is commonly compared to Kevin Durant. Well, he’s not Durant, but he’s got massive upside as a perimeter oriented forward that can do a bit of everything. The length of these two should give fits within Hopkins 2-3 zone as well. Beyond the freshmen phenoms, Naz Carter (8 ppg, 3 boards last year) is a natural scorer that could have a breakout season. Hopkins has also raved about Jamal Bey, who averaged 11 points on their overseas trip and adds length to the top of the zone. PG is a huge question mark for the Huskies, but come December that will be former 5-star UK transfer Quade Green’s job (8 ppg at UK). There are doubts if he’s a true PG, but if he can excel the Huskies will be a load come March
Our favorite UW plays for 2019-2020
Quade Green,
G, So.
Hopkins said former 5-star UK transfer Green is a difference maker for this team and “Quade does it all,” but we’ll have to wait until December to plug him in. Elijah Hardy is a pass first point guard that could start in his absence.
Jaden McDaniels,
F, Fr.
It’s going to take a bit longer for McDaniels, but he has shooting upside and Hopkins has raved about his length on defense. He’ll be a lottery pick next year and offers elite upside if he can transition to the college game quickly.
Isaiah Stewart,
F, Fr.
Should be a double-double machine with defensive upside, so he’ll be an elite target from day 1 from a DFS perspective and worth the high price tag.
Buffs Hoping Experience Trumps Youth in Pac-12 Race
Colorado returns 94% of their minutes from last season. NINETY-FOUR PERCENT. Wowsers. 6’7 forward Tyler Bey leads the way after averaged 13.6 and 10 last year as a sophomore. He’s an elite rebounder and double-double machine. McKinley Wright IV was hampered a shoulder injury all year, but after an offseason surgery he’ll be 100% and look to build off his 13 point/5 assist/80% minutes played stats from last year. Wright should be a cash game staple. Shane Gatlin provides some outside shooting and is a decent GPP option if his price remains low. Schwartz and Battey round out the starters after averaging 9 and 8 ppg respectively last year, but this is a two-man usage show with Wright and Bey leading the way, which makes our life easier from a DFS perspective.
Our favorite Buff plays for 2019-2020
Tyler Bey,
F, Jr.
Bey is an @cbb_dfs favorite. Double-double machine with some blocking upside.
McKinley Wright,
G, Jr.
As mentioned above, Wright had a bum shoulder all year, but still had a 29.5% assist rate, played 80% of the minutes, and has no competition behind him. He’s a high floor player with some upside.
Shane Gatlin,
G, Sr.
Gatling is a price dependent GPP option, but can stretch the D and is effective against the zone. He scored over 20 twice in conference play last season.
Getting Away From Transition Through Transition
41 points and 17 rebounds per game, plus Jaylen Hands 6 assists per game. That’s what Cronin will need to replace in former starters Hands, Wilkes, and Brown. However, the cupboard is not bare here. Cronin inherits 6 players that averaged between 4 and 10 points last year, including 6’10 Jalen Hill, who the coaches have raved about this offseason. Prince Ali (9.6 ppg) is the leading returning scorer and @cbb_dfs favorite Jules Bernard (7.6 ppg) returns to the backcourt. Tygar Campbell is the only true PG on the roster and will have the keys to the car after recovering from a torn ACL. Shaq’s kid Shareef returns from injury along with a deep rotation. While this might be the best collective group of talent Cronin has coached, between the slow tempo, defensive focus, and deep rotation, it looks like a mess from a DFS perspective
Our favorite Bruin plays for 2019-2020
Jules Bernard,
PG, So.
This is a homer pick, but UCLA was a significantly better team with Bernard on the floor last year. He does a little bit of everything and provides some extra length in the backcourt. If he can cut down on his turnovers, he could have a big sophomore jump.
Tygar Campbell,
G, Fr.
The 5’11 PG is fully recovered from an ACL and is the only true PG on the roster. Cronin will need to be patient with the freshmen mistakes, but he can win 1 on 1 and has plenty of talent around him to succeed.
Jalen Hill,
F, So.
Rothstein singled Jalen Hill out as the standout in UCLA practices and the coaches have raved about his offseason. Showed high level rebounding upside and has 20+ minutes of extra PT available with Moses Brown gone.
Remy Martin Takes Over as Lead Devil
Dort and Cheatham are gone, along with their combined 28 points and 15 boards for game. Enter Remy Martin, who averaged 13 and 5 last year as #3 option. He should have massive usage and assist rates this year. Rob Edwards shot 38% from deep and averaged 11/game, so he’s a decent option depending on his price point. I expect Romello White to make a big leap this year. He’s started every game over the last 2 years and should improve on his 9 point/5 board stat line with elite rebounder Cheatham gone. This is an intriguing team with a true alpha in Martin and should be a solid team to target on any DFS slate they are part of.
Our favorite ASU plays for 2019-2020
Remy Martin,
G, Jr.
I’m expecting massive numbers from Martin this year. Martin took 23% of the shots and had a top 80 assist rate and those numbers are only going to improve this year. HUSK!!
Rob Edwards,
G, Sr.
Edwards had lingering back issues last year, but if he’s fully healthy and stays at the $5k price point, he’s a fine target from a DFS perspective.
Romello White,
F, Jr.
White had a top 250 offensive rebounding rates, top 330 block %, and scored double digits in 14 games last season. The talent is there, just needs to become more consistent.
Massive Front Line Leads Trojans
Rako is backo for USC after averaging 14.7 and 9.3 boards last year. Hoping his price drops a bit, as there are legit studs joining him in the frontcourt. Big O, Onyeka Okongwu is a 5-star center and top 25 recruit who dropped 15 and 10 on Nova in an exhibition game in late Oct. In addition, 5-star freshmen PF Isaiah Mobley joins the frontcourt. Enfield isn’t crazy enough to play 3 bigs, is he? He probably is crazy enough. Jonah Matthews avg. 12 ppg last year and can stretch the D from the perimeter while Elijah Weaver will get every chance to be the every day PG, although Ethan Anderson flashed in the exhibition vs. Nova. The Trojans will be another fun DFS option with their up-tempo, offensive minded approach and lack of defensive care
Our favorite Trojan plays for 2019-2020
Onyeka Okongwu,
F, Fr.
Big O is a monster. It’s that simple. We’ll see how he fits next to Rako, but he’s an elite rebounder, shot blocker, and likes to dunk. His price will be important since his usage won’t be massive, but he’s got a massive ceiling.
Nick Rakocevic,
F, Sr.
Rako was a double double machine with elite rebounding rates, a 55% effective FG%, and 114 offensive rating. These are what we call #goodthings
Isaiah Mobley,
F, Fr.
6’10 McDonald’s AA Mobley avg. 22 and 13 in high school and should play right away. With stud stretch 4 Bennie Boatwright’s 18 points and 7 boards per game gone, there is plenty of minutes and usage available to soak up
It’s Tres Day Every Day in Corvallis
The Beavers are easy to talk about because they have 3 core players and some ancillary pieces. It all starts with Preseason Pac-12 POY Tres Tinkle, who averaged 21 and 8 last year. Refer to the DFS nugget if you need more reason to love Tres. Big brother Stephen Thompson is gone after averaging 16 and 4 last year, but younger brother Ethan returns after dropping 13.7 and 5. Expect his usage to increase with big brother gone. Finally, Kylor Kelley isn’t an offensive standout (8 points, 5 boards last year, but he had the 2nd highest block % in the nation, resulting in 3.4 blocks per game. Tinkle said his offensive game is improving and if so, he could provide a nice ceiling at a lower price point. The x-factor here is BYU transfer Payton Dastrup, who is a stretch 4 that could really open up the offense for the Beavers
Our favorite Beaver plays for 2019-2020
Tres Tinkle,
F, Sr.
Scored 23 or more in 5 straight games to end the season, but he’s more than a scorer. He can fill up the stat sheet too. He’ll be one of the highest priced players on the slate, but he’s a complete stat monster too.
Ethan Thompson,
G, Jr.
Ethan had a 22% assist rate last year and should see a shot % closer to his brothers 27% last year. He’s the clear #2 option here and a nice pivot if you want to fade Tres.
Kylor Kelley,
F, Sr.
His defensive prowess provides an upside, especially against inferior opponents. Had 10 points, 9 boards, and 9 blocks in a game last season.
Out With the Old and in With the New for Utes
My cash game staple Sedrick Barefield is gone, along with 6 other players from the Utah roster last season. 4-star freshmen Rylan Jones will take over PG duties after averaging 21-8-8 and 3 steals in high school. In addition, there are still some nice pieces here for a team that will be on the opening slate on Nov. 5th. 6’6 Timmy Allen should be the premier option after averaging 12.2 ppg, 5 rpg, and 2.4 assists. Both Gach needs to get healthy, but showed glimpses last year after averaging 7-2-2. Stretch 4 Riley Battin can shoot the 3 and the Utes have massive options at center, including 7’4 Van Komen, 6’10 frosh Thioune, and 6’11 Branden Carlson, who has the most offensive upside of the group. I’m a bit worried about a deep, balanced attack this season, which is not ideal from a DFS perspective.
Our favorite Utah plays for 2019-2020
Timmy Allen,
F, So.
Averaged 12 points per game last year while only utilizing a 19% shot percentage, so he was extremely efficient. He should be the #1 scoring option this year and if he can improve his ancillary stats, he could become a strong option for our Bucketheads.
Both Gach,
G, So.
Gach is 6’7 and can play PG, so he’s a versatile player and someone that should take a huge sophomore leap. Made 69% of his 2 point shots and is an emerging weapon from deep.
Rylan Jones,
G, Fr.
Barefield played 80% of the minutes, took 29% of the shots, and had a 25% assist rate. Rylan Jones won’t have the same level of usage, but the opportunity is there to be a consistent option for the Utes.
Haase on the Hot Seat in 2019-2020
GPP stud KZ Okpala is off to the NBA, along with his 17 points and 6 boards per game. His usage should flow to Oscar Da Silva, who averaged 10 and 6 last season, making him a nice DFS option. He’ll have additional rebounding upside with Josh Sharma gone as well. Daejon Davis should take the rest of the usage after averaging 11 points, 4.4 assists, and 3 boards last year. Davis has the potential to be a slate breaking GPP option and offers steal upside too. The key will be 4-star PG Tyrell Terry, who Haase will lean on to play the majority of minutes at PG, allowing Davis to play off the ball. Stanford appears to be headed for another year towards the bottom of the Pac-12, so Jarod Haase fans may want to get their fix while they can because he may not be coaching here much longer.
Our favorite Cardinal plays for 2019-2020
Daejon Davis,
G, Jr.
Before getting banged up, Davis was consistently scoring in the mid-teens while dropping roughly 5 dimes a game. Nice looking GPP option this year.
Oscar Da Silva,
F, Jr.
With Okpala and Josh Sharma gone, there is a ton of usage and rebounding equity for Da Silva this season. He also has blocking upside, making him a high floor option in DFS.
Bryce Wills,
G, So.
The 6’6 guard had 7 double digit scoring efforts when the calendar hit 2019 last year and Cormac Ryan is gone, so Wills is someone to keep an eye on early this season.
It’s the CJ Show in Cougar land
With Franks gone, CJ Elleby becomes the whole f’ing show for the Cougars. Elleby averaged 14.7 and 7 boards last year, flirting with the NBA before coming back to Pullman. New coach Kyle Smith landed 6’5 combo guard Noah Williams as well, but Ali, Cannon, and Jeff Pollard will need to take massive steps under the MoneyBall analytical style of their new coach. Grad transfer Deion James will need to stay healthy as well, as he should be a factor down low. It’s a transition year at WSU, but Elleby will squarely be on our DFS radar.
Our favorite Wazzou plays for 2019-2020
C.J. Elleby,
F, So.
Elleby was considered a potential 1st
rounder, but came back to win our Bucketheads some money. Has a realistic shot at leading the conference in scoring and has shown excellent rebounding upside.
Marvin Cannon,
G, Jr.
Scored 9+ points 7 times in Feb. and March, including 25 against the Huskies. With Franks gone, there are plenty of shots to go around, so Cannon should improve on his 7 ppg last year.
Issac Bonton,
G, Jr.
The 6’3 PG is a JUCO transfer that averaged 21-5-5 at Casper College in Wyoming. He’s expected to be the opening day PG, so we’ll have to monitor his transition from JUCO to D1.
Cal Can’t be Worse Than Last Year, Right?
Three of Cal’s top 5 scorers are gone, including stud Justice Sueing, who transferred to Ohio St. Thankfully for Coach Fox, Paris Austin (11.6 ppg, 4.3 assists) and the Pac-12s top 3 point shooter Matt Bradley (10.8 ppg, 47% from 3) returned, giving Fox something to build off of. 6’8 Andre Kelly should improve after a freshmen season where he averaged 6.3 and 4 boards off the bench. Keep an eye on Joel Brown as well. The 6’2 freshmen was named the Canadian POY in 2018-2019, a year after RJ Barrett won the award. 6’11 freshmen Lars Thiemann averaged 19 and 13 for the German U19 team, so he could bring some scoring punch down low. Similar to Washington St, there are a lot of unknowns here, but your boys @cbb_dfs will monitor the rotation.
Our favorite Cal plays for 2019-2020
Paris Austin,
G, Sr.
Austin played 80% of the minutes, double digit scoring, and decent assist/steal rates. With the massive turnover on this squad, his usage should only increase.
Matt Bradley,
G, So.
Similar to Austin, he’s Bradley will be on the floor all game long and he can flat out shoot it. I’d expect a drastic increase on the 106 3 point attempts from last season.
Andre Kelly,
F, So.
Kelly started as a freshmen, but only played half the minutes. He was top 500 in defensive rebounding efficiency and block rate, so he’s shown potential.
