Daily fantasy college basketball is a quicker and alternative way to play fantasy NCAAB. Rather than a season-long slog, you just pick at least two players from a minimum of two teams, then make a “More” or “Less” stat projection.
For example, you could predict that a player will get more than 22.5 points in the game or make less than 2.5 3-pointers. What DFS apps offer these types of contests for NCAA basketball? There are more than you might think, and I’ve handpicked the top five for you: Sleeper, Betr, Dabble, Underdog, and PrizePicks.
3 best daily fantasy college basketball apps
College basketball DFS: An overview
Unlike the season-long league format, daily fantasy college football and basketball contests most commonly come in the form of pick’em contests. These work on a one-game-day basis and usually focus on player states.
Here’s a quick point-by-point breakdown to explain how it works:
- Pick at least 2 players from 2 different teams (e.g., Brandan Smith and Cameron Boozer )
- Make a “More” or “Less” stat projection for all your picks (e.g., Braden Smith “More” than 18.5 points)
- Select your entry fee (e.g $5)
- Submit your lineup
- Get all or most of your picks correct to win
What stat projections can you make?
On most DFS apps, these are the types of NCAAB stat projections that you can make:
- Points
- Assists
- Rebounds
- Combos (Pts+Rebs+Asts)
- Steals
- Turnovers
- 3-pointers Made
Entry options for your NCAAB DFS picks today
As with pro DFS contests like daily fantasy hockey, most apps will offer two entry types for college basketball:
| Entry type | Description |
|---|---|
| All-in/ Standard: | All your picks must be correct for your lineup to win |
| Flex / Insurance: | One or two picks can be incorrect, and you can still win a reduced multiplier. |
How NCAAB daily fantasy wins are paid
You will most likely encounter one of these two prize types:
- Multipliers: You get amount of your entry fee as a prize if your picks are correct (e.g, 100x for a $5 entry = $500).
- Peer-to-peer: Your lineup competes against a “Squad” or group, and the top places win a fixed prize. For example, first place might win $500, second place $250, etc.
NCAAB Fantasy – Pros and cons
If you’re new to NCAA basketball DFS, you might want to weigh up the pros and cons. Here’s my summary of how it compares to standard season-long fantasy and NBA DFS:
- Quicker and easier than NCAAB draft fantasy leagues
- More players and teams than NBA DFS
- Adds interest to otherwise small or boring games
- Available on most DFS apps
- Fewer stats to research than NBA fantasy
- Prohibited or restricted in some states
The 5 best apps to make your daily fantasy college basketball plays today
As I did for daily fantasy football, here are my top five picks for NCAA basketball DFS players right now. I’ve rated these sites based on their welcome offers, unique features, maximum win multipliers, and other key factors.
Let’s take a look:
| NCAAB DFS app | Welcome offer | Best feature | Max. win multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sleeper | 100% deposit match | Research tools | 1,000x |
| 2. Betr | 100% up to $200 | In-play picks | 1,000x |
| 3. Dabble | $25 Free Play | Community interaction | 5,000x |
| 4. Underdog | Play $5 get $100 in Bonus Funds | Team picks | 1,000x |
| 5. PrizePicks | Play $5 Get $50 Instantly | Simple pick process | 2,000x |
Sleeper – Best college basketball fantasy research tools
- Mock drafts available
- Many free entry contests
- Dedicated mobile app
- Not available in many US states
As I touched up earlier, one of the biggest issues that you’ll face in fantasy college basketball is studying the players’ stats. There are a lot more college players than there are pros, and none of them have been around that long. As a result, finding accurate stats and detailed information can be hard.
That’s one of the main reasons why I’m a fan of Sleeper. They provide some great stat packs alongside helpful guides in their blog to help you make well-informed picks. While they fall short of providing a full NCAAB DFS cheat sheet, these tools are still super-helpful.
Betr – Make the best NCAAB DFS projections live
- $10 Betr Bucks welcome bonus
- DFS and social sportsbook play
- Legit brand with transparent ownership
- Killer mobile app
- Lots of gameplay modes
- Not available on computer – app only
Most people have heard of Betr for at least one reason: Jake Paul. However, this fantasy sports app definitely backs up its social media hype in my experience. My favorite thing about it is the ability to make live picks. In other words, you can choose your lineups while the NCCAB games are happening in play.
Besides that, the app is innovative and very user-friendly. The quick, streamlined picking process works well with the live play option, as it means you can get the stats projections you want before they change.
Dabble – The most social NCAAB DFS app
- $25 no-deposit bonus
- Rocket boosts
- Copy cash program
- Limited payment methods
Daily collegiate fantasy basketball is a fun way to make the games more interesting while giving yourself the chance to win money. However, it also provides opportunities to socialize and interact with other fans, and that’s exactly what Dabble facilitates with its community tools.
If you’re a newbie, you can follow other more experienced players and copy their picks. On the other hand, if you’re more experienced, you can lead the way. Otherwise, you can just trash-talk and banter with other players in the chat. The possibilities are endless!
Underdog – NCAAB team picks
- Sizeable welcome
- Live chat support
- Fully mobile optimized
- Popular sports to make picks
- No VIP program
When it comes to making your NCAAB fantasy picks, Underdog has a variety of contest options, including Pick’ems, drafts, streaks, and more. However, all of these are commonly available on many other DFS apps. What’s unique to this one is the team picks.
Rather than making stat projections for individual college athletes like Cameron Boozer, you could instead pick his whole team, Duke, in this case. The stat projections that you can make involve points totals, the spread, or simply picking the team to win. It’s fresh, unique, and can be a ton of fun.
PrizePicks – The beginner-friendly option
- $5 for $50 welcome bonus for new members
- Expansive range of sports and markets
- Two unique ways to play
- Fantastic coverage across the USA
- Excellent responsible gameplay tools
- App only – no browser-based version
If you’re new to NCAAB DFS or you just want to keep things simple, PrizePicks is the app for you. The college pick’em contests are super simple and involve picking between 2 – 6 players, so the lineups are small and don’t take much time.
On top of that, you have plenty of step-by-step guides and other research tools, including college basketball blog articles and more. If you don’t want to risk any money, there are regular Free2Play contests where your predictions could still potentially win you a share of the jackpot prize.
My top 5 NCAAB DFS strategy tips
Now that I’ve suggested some great apps for you, here are my top five pieces of NCAAB DFS advice to help you make informed picks and projections:
Pay attention to player minutes:
Player minutes can vary massively in college basketball, so make sure that your athletes’ stat projections correlate with their average minutes. Hotly-tipped future stars tend to play entire games, while squad players often play little over 15 minutes.
Look for up-tempo match-ups:
The pace of NCAAB games varies and is often slower compared to the NBA, which can give players less opportunity to pack their stats. Look for games involving teams like Alabama Crimson Tide or Bryant Bulldogs, as they tend to push pace, possession, and offense.
Use injury insurance:
College basketball injury news tends to come out very late, as coaches look to play their cards close to their chest. Injury insurance entry options, like the one offered at Betr, can be a useful safeguard to mitigate risk.
Study advanced stats:
While you might be picking your lineups based on rudimentary stats like points, rebounds, and assists, advanced stats can help you find picks that others might be sleeping on. Stats like True Shooting Percentage could help you to highlight an underperforming athlete whose underlying data indicates game-to-game improvement.
Correlate your picks:
Last but not least, check your lineup and make sure your picks correlate. For example, if you’ve picked “More” stat projections for a couple of players from one team, make sure you have “Less” projections on the same stats for opposition players if you include them.
Daily fantasy college basketball is worth a try
At the end of the day, college daily fantasy basketball can be a lot of fun, especially as there are more athletes and teams. On the flipside, the data is hard to come by, and the games are played at varying paces compared to the NBA.
As long as you are aware of the ups and downs, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. So what’s next? Click one of the banners on this page to register on one of my top-recommended basketball DFS apps.
Daily fantasy college basketball FAQs
Is there such a thing as college fantasy basketball?
Yes, there is such a thing, and most of the top US DFS apps now offer it. Just make sure that college fantasy sports are legal in your state, as there are some restrictions.
What is the best app for NCAA basketball DFS?
Sleeper, Betr, Dabble, Underdog, and PrizePicks are all good options for NCAAB DFS. Moreover, they also have good contests for daily fantasy soccer, football, hockey, and more.
What’s the best strategy for college daily fantasy basketball?
When it comes to DFS NCAAB, the weather isn’t important. Your focus should be on the athletes and overall team performances. Pay attention to player minutes, game pace, and other factors.
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