Colorado State @ Utah State (-24) - 70

Ohio State (-17) @ Nebraska - 66

NC State @ FSU (-6.5) - 61

Kansas State @ Oklahoma State (-4) - 60

Stanford (-4.5) @ Oregon State - 57

Kentucky @ South Carolina (-3) - 51

Mississippi State @ Auburn (-10.5)  - 46

Quarterback

Jordan Love - Utah State - FD $8,700 DK $6,800

This bout between Colorado State and Utah State is one I have a lot of interest in on this late slate. With a 70 total and UTST being a 24 point favorite, Jordan Love is my favorite QB on the board. That’s an implied total close to 50, so expecting seven or eight touchdowns out of this offense is not crazy. Colorado State has been deplorable on defense, giving up 55 points to Arkansas and over 500 yards of offense. Jordan Love is a quality quarterback that has already proven his ability to throw for 400+ yards efficiently (68% completion rate).

This is the worst defense Utah State has faced, ranking second to last in all of the FBS against the pass. They’ll also be missing two starters that are already replaceable. It’s typically safe to pay all the way up in college football for your quarterback, but I don’t see it this week. I love the expensive running backs and need this savings Jordan Love gives me. There’s also not a doubt in my mind that he has as much upside as anyone at the position. If you find a lineup of mine without Jordan Love at QB, something very wrong has happened. 

Justin Fields - Ohio State - FD $10,700 DK $8,600

If your mind is set on paying up at QB, Justin Fields is still an elite option. I’m simply staying away because I have better spots to spend my salary and I don’t think on the road in Nebraska is a spot where Fields will have one of his ceiling games. However, in cash games, there’s no way Fields finishes under 25 fantasy points. We’re still looking at a > 60 total and Ohio State is favored by almost 20 points. His dual-threat ability gives him a high floor and if Ohio State is struggling to move the ball, we’ll see him start running more. If not, it means he’s moving the ball just fine through the air. Either way, I think Fields ends with a stat line similar to that in week 2 and 3. 25-35 fantasy points. 

Patrick O’Brien - Colorado State - FD $8,300 DK $5,600

I was all over Patrick O’Brien last week, and it paid off in a huge way with 405 yards and a score through the air. Marvin Kinsey Jr. stole a couple of touchdowns, or it would have been a huge day for O’Brien. This week is a bit interesting, though. The Utah State defense isn’t great, but they’re better than the Toledo defense that CSU struggled at times against last week. He’s also missing Warren Jackson, who has seen the third-most targets in all of college football (60). O’Brien peppered Jackson with 23 targets last week, and those will have to go elsewhere. We’ll get to that at receiver. Back to O’Brien. If you pair him with Love and stack this game, you’re able to pay up at running back. His price is way too low on both sites and I have a hard time seeing O’Brien under 300 yards if they’re playing catch-up all game long. 

Running Back

Chuba Hubbard - Oklahoma State - FD $10,500 DK $8,400

It should be borderline illegal what Oklahoma State is doing to Chuba Hubbard. He’s seen 71 touches over the last two games, and it doesn’t sound like that’s going to slow anytime soon. The Cowboys are just four-point favorites over Kansas State and will need every bit of Hubbard to pull out the win. Kansas State also has a bit of a funnel defense, forcing teams to run with a strong secondary. That’s not a very good strategy to slow down OK State. Look for them to stack the box more than we typically see, but it won’t be enough. Hubbard will run for another 125+ yards and it’s just a matter of whether he finds the end zone once or three times. 

Cam Akers - Florida State - FD $10,200 DK $8,200

Cam Akers was my top play for you guys last week, and he ended up running for 112 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries and added three catches. He, like Hubbard, is a volume hog and a guy you want to target when he’s a home favorite. That’s exactly what we’re looking at this week, with FSU hosting NC State and being a seven-point favorite with a 61 over/under. That sets FSU up for an implied total well over 30 points. Nc State has been a bottom-third team against the run and I don’t think that changes on the road against a huge offensive line. Akers is right on par with Hubbard and I will do my best to fit them both in my cash games. 

Jaylen Warren - Utah State - FD $9,200 DK $7,000

With Utah State having the highest implied total on this slate by far, we can’t shy away from getting exposure to this offense. Even if you’re playing Jordan Love and this passing game, there is enough to go around in this offense. If Jordan Love throws for four touchdowns and Warren runs for two, that’s 42 points and still less than their implied total. It’s very reasonable to expect both Warren and Love to hit value. Warren also gets involved in the passing game, so I could see them hook up for a score as well. Utah State is favored by 24 points, so they should be running the ball plenty in the second half. At least in theory. Gerold Bright will take a few carries as well, but Warren is getting the majority of them and he’s been the better back. I’ll do my best to pay up for Akers and Hubbard, but I don’t think settling for Warren is the end of the world.

JaTarvious Whitlow - Auburn - FD $8,800 DK $6,500

Another cash game option is JaTarvious “Boobie” Whitlow. He’s an every-down back for Auburn and they’re 10 point favorites at home over Mississippi State. If there’s a checklist for a college running back in DFS to succeed, I’d say the three most important factors are him being a bell cow, the team being favorites, and playing at home, in that order. Whitlow checks every column this week and 100 yards and a score seems to be a floor. He’s found the end zone in every game so far and I don’t see how that changes in one of his best match-ups yet. Again, I’m paying up for Hubbard and Akers in an ideal world, but on FanDuel, it’s not all that easy.

Others to Consider - Gary Brightwell (ARIZ), J.K. Dobbins (OSU), Marcus McElroy (CSU)

Wide Receiver

Siaosi Mariner - Utah State - FD $8,800 DK $5,400

Mariner is the number one option on this Utah State team and I’d be crazy not to love him with how heavy I am on Jordan Love. Through just three games, Mariner has caught 20 balls for 265 yards and two scores. He’s clearly the favorite of Jordan Love and he’s a solid red-zone target at 6-foot-2. Colorado State legitimately has one of the worst pass defenses in the entire nation and it would be no surprise to see 400 yards through the air. With his price ridiculously low (on DK), Siaosi Mariner will be in every lineup of mine. I just don’t see a way he has a floor and lower than six or seven catches for 80 yards. Again, that’s an absolute floor. The ceiling looks something like 12 catches for 180 yards and two scores. 

Nate Craig-Myers - Colorado State - FD $6,400 DK $4,400

Warren Jackson was thrown to 23 times last week, and he’s looking doubtful to play in this one. That’s going to push a ton of targets toward Nate Craig-Myers and Dante Wright. Craig-Myers is the taller of the two and is more likely to take over the Warren Jackson role. Wright already has a role, and it’s that of a playmaking speedster out of the slot. Both of these guys should see a ton of volume in a game with a 70 total. While CSU is a big underdog, Vegas is still expecting close to 30 points out of them. Both Nate Craig-Myers and Dante Wright are elite value options that let you pay up elsewhere.

Lynn Bowden Jr. - Kentucky - FD $8,500 DK $6,700

If you haven’t paid attention to Kentucky football, Lynn Bowden Jr. has been beyond impressive to start the season. In all of college football, Bowden Jr. ranks second in targets with 48. Volume is huge in CFB and the Kentucky offense is running through Lynn Bowden Jr. South Carolina has an average to below-average defense and they’re far worse against the pass. South Carolina has a few solid man-to-man defenders, but they won’t be shadowing Bowden Jr. and he works in the flex a lot anyways. I don’t think much attention will be paid to this game and Bowden Jr. should be a safe bet to catch six or seven balls for 80+ yards.

Emeka Emezie - NC State - FD $8,400 DK $6,100

We’ll stay on the target train and look at Emeka Emezie, who’s just a few targets behind Bowden Jr. and ranks fifth in college football with 43 targets. Matthew McKay hones in on Emezie when it matters and this game should be one where they are playing from a touchdown or two behind. The FSU pass defense is terrible and I could easily see 10+ catches and 100 yards out of Emezie. He’s a target hog on an offense that’s going to throw the ball at least 40 times on Saturday. His price isn’t high enough on either site. 

Others to Consider - K.J. Hill (OSU), Tamorrion Terry (FSU), Cedric Byrd (HAW), Jaylen Dixon (UTAH), Demetric Felton (UCLA), WanDale Robinson (NEB)

Example Lineups

FanDuel

Cash

GPP

DraftKings

Cash

GPP