The Final Four tips off on Saturday night in Indianapolis, Indiana. The first matchup sees UConn take on Illinois. The second matchup of the night is a battle of heavyweight 1-seeds as Michigan takes on Arizona.
DraftKings has a CBB $60K Shootaround contest, with $20,000 going to first place. You can enter the contest for just $20.
Below, I break down my favorite stud and value play among the forwards and the guards. I also list a solid, reliable player from each group to target if you don’t want to pay up for the stud.
Guards
Stud: Brayden Burries, Arizona ($7,400)
Arizona’s freshman guard Brayden Burries has been one of the best players in the country all season. He leads the Wildcats with 16.1 points per game and performs on both ends of the floor. Burries has particularly stepped up down the stretch. He scored a season-high 31 points in the regular season finale against Colorado, scored 21 points against Houston in the Big 12 title game and has averaged 17.8 points per game in the tournament. This game against Michigan is going to be fast-paced, and both teams are going to push the ball up and down the floor. That means Burries is going to have the ball in his hands, creating offense early and often. He should fill up the stat sheet in this titanic matchup, making him the top stud choice at the guard position for the Final Four.
Solid: Elliot Cadeau, Michigan ($7,000)
This Michigan team is such a well-balanced group. On any given night, one of several guys could step up and be the standout performer for the Wolverines. However, Elliot Cadeau has done a masterful job running this offense in the NCAA Tournament. Just like Brayden Burries, Cadeau will have the ball in his hands in transition regularly in this game. Cadeau can create his own shot, but he is at his best creating for others.
Cadeau averaged 5.8 assists per game in the regular season, but that number has skyrocketed to 8.3 assists per game in March Madness. He always seems to play his best in big games. Cadeau had a double-double in the Big Ten title game against Purdue, dished out 10 assists in the Elite Eight against Tennessee and had 17 points, seven assists and five boards against Alabama in the Sweet 16. He should be in for another great game against Arizona.
Value: Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois ($5,900)
Andrej Stojackovic has performed brilliantly in this tournament so far. Stojackovic is averaging 17 points per game over his past three games and has shot the ball very efficiently. He is a tough guard for anyone, and while UConn focuses on slowing down Keaton Wagner, Stojackovic should get some advantageous matchups. After how great they have been in the tournament, the Illinois Fighting Illini lead the nation in offensive rating. They are incredibly efficient on that end of the floor, and Stojackovic plays a huge role in that. It is worth a shot on Stojackovic at this price, as someone who can get hot and fill up the box score.
Forwards
Stud: Tarris Reed Jr., UConn ($8,900)
Tarris Reed Jr. is my favorite pick for this slate. He is the most expensive player in this contest, but for good reason. Reed has been great all season, leading UConn in scoring and rebounding. However, his game has been on another planet in the tournament. Tarris Reed Jr. started March Madness with one of the great performances in NCAA Tournament history, going for 31 points and 27 boards against Furman. He became just the third player in NCAA Tournament history to score at least 30 points and grab at least 25 rebounds in the same game.
Reed showed that it wasn’t a fluky dominant performance against a weak opponent, as he scored 20 points against Michigan State and went for 26 points and nine boards against Duke. Reed was not healthy in the regular-season matchup against Illinois and will want to play his part in the matchup this time around.
Solid: Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan ($8,600)
Yaxel Lendeborg is the favorite to win the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Of course, that would require Michigan to go on to win the national title, but if they do, it will be because of Lendeborg. Lenderborg has been sensational all season, averaging 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, resulting in a First-Team All-American honor. However, he has gone to another level in the tournament. Lendeborg was allowed to take a rest in the opening round against Furman, but has dominated in the three following rounds.
Across those three games against Tennessee, Alabama and Saint Louis, Yaxel Lendeborg is averaging 25 points, 4.3 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game. He always seems to step up in the biggest games, scoring 27 points and 26 points in the two games against Michigan State, 20 points against Purdue in the Big Ten title game, 21 points against Duke and most recently, in these big March Madness games. Lendeborg should rise to the occasion once again in the Final Four and fill up the stat sheet against Arizona.
Value: Alex Karaban, UConn ($6,900)
Alex Karaban is not only the most experienced player in this tournament, but one of the most experienced March Madness players ever. Karaban has 16 NCAA Tournament wins, the most in UConn’s illustrious men’s basketball history. If UConn goes on to win the national title, Karaban will become the first player to win three college basketball national titles in a career since a couple of members of the 1973 UCLA team did it. He will by no means be afraid of the moment, and when he gets hot from beyond the arc, he can be incredibly dangerous. Karaban is averaging 17.8 points per game in the tournament and has all the experience one could ever hope for. So, at this price, he is a fantastic value play for the Final Four slate.
