Welcome back, college football fans! We’re now a week-plus into the season and Saturday gives another full day of games - thankfully with more Power 5 programs in action. While the upcoming CFB season will look vastly different than in years past with COVID affecting what, when and where teams and conferences will actually play the season - we have real games to break down and real DFS CFB slates to build lineups from.
This playbook will focus on the DraftKings early 7-game slate, which includes the matchups listed below. Stay tuned for a night slate playbook that will cover the Saturday evening games. Note that FanDuel’s contests combine the early and night games for one massive slate. But, again, this playbook focuses on the DK side of things for the early slate.
THE SLATE (betting odds via DK Sportsbook as of 9/11):
12 pm ET -- Eastern Kentucky @ West Virginia (-40.5) -- 55.5 o/u
12 pm ET -- Syracuse @ North Carolina (-23) -- 65.5 o/u
12 pm ET -- Louisiana @ Iowa State (-12) -- 57 o/u
12 pm ET -- Arkansas State @ Kansas State (-10.5) -- 54.5 o/u
1:30 pm ET -- Louisiana-Monroe @ Army (-19) -- 54.5 o/u
2:30 pm ET -- Duke @ Notre Dame (-21) -- 54.5 o/u
3:30 pm ET -- Georgia Tech @ Florida State (-13) -- 52.5 o/u
| Quarterbacks |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Sam Howell | UNC | SYR | 8900 | 25.5 | 10100 | 23.13 |
| The Tar Heels’ QB is the most expensive on the slate and he’ll likely be the most popular as well. As a true freshman starter last year, Howell put up impressive stats by throwing for 3,641 yards and 38 TDs with only seven interceptions. The UNC offense is expected to be one of the best in the ACC this season with Howell presumably improving in his sophomore campaign with all three of his top receivers returning - including a pair of 1,000-yard wideouts in Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome. UNC is a three-touchdown favorite in a game with the highest total on this slate - a perfect recipe for targeting the stud QB on the offense. Even at his high price tag, Howell should be safe in both cash games and GPP’s against a Syracuse offense that ranked 110th (out of 130 FBS teams) in passing yards allowed in 2019. |
| Ian Book | ND | DUKE | 8700 | 26 | 10500 | 25.92 |
| If you’re looking for a lower-owned option at the high-end pricing of QB, Ian Book is your guy as the main catalyst of the Notre Dame offense. Book was a bit inconsistent last season, but his DFS ceiling is high because of his dual-threat ability (he rushed for 546 yards and four TDs in 2019) and potential to throw for 3+ TD in any matchup - which he did in six of 13 games a year ago. Book’s high price tag is certainly warranted because of his upside, but there’s certainly some risk here as well. With Notre Dame as a big favorite, we could see the team lean on the run game in the second half to see what they have in their inexperienced RB group. |
| Jarret Doege | WVU | EKU | 8200 | 14.16 | 9800 | 13.40 |
| Who’s ready to take a leap of faith on a relatively unproven QB in arguably the best matchup of the slate? The Mountaineers are massive 40.5-point favorites for a reason this weekend - their FCS opponent (Eastern Kentucky) lost 59-0 to Marshall in Week 1 and the WVU offense is presumably better than that of the Thundering Herd. Doege won the starting QB job after he sat most of last season before starting the final four games when he had a 65.8 completion rate, 818 passing yards and a 7:3 TD:INT ratio. The Bowling Green transfer should have a very easy matchup against this porous EKU defense that allowed 345 passing yards and five passing scores to Marshall last week. The public will likely flock to Howell and Book as their QB1’s on this slate, which could make Doege a great GPP option. |
| Skylar Thompson | KSU | ARST | 6800 | 18.7 | 9000 | 18.67 |
| The great thing about college football DFS is that we get to roster two QB’s with the Super-Flex lineup spot. This puts Skylar Thompson as a great option for your S-Flex as this price point with his dual-threat ability in a game that should be one of the closest of the slate. Kansas State is just a 10.5-point favorite against an Arkansas State team that kept it fairly close vs. Memphis last week. Thompson didn’t do a ton of rushing every game of last season, but his 405 rushing yards are still notable for the QB position - and he led the team in rushing scores with an eye-popping 11. He could wind up running the ball even more this year with an uncertain Wildcats backfield following James Gilbert’s graduation. Thompson provides a pretty safe DFS floor for cash games because of his rushing production. |
| Chase Brice | DUKE | ND | 5300 | 4.88 | 7400 | 4.92 |
| On the very cheap end of the QB position, we have an interesting transfer from Clemson who finds himself as a big underdog to Notre Dame. That could play in his favor, though, because it means he’ll have to throw a ton with his team trailing for the majority of the game. Brice is the former backup to Trevor Lawrence and he now gets his shot at being a starting ACC QB after winning the Blue Devils’ job this offseason. There’s some potential here and we’ve seen a few flashes of his talent in the past. He’s a former 4-star recruit who compiled a 60.3 completion rate and 9:3 TD:INT ratio in his limited action of mop-up duty in Clemson blowouts. However, he did anchor a win in 2018 over Syracuse when in relief of an injured Lawrence. This is definitely a tough test vs. Notre Dame’s defense, but there isn’t much Brice has to do at this price tag to make him worth a Super-Flex spot. |
Also Consider:
Christian Anderson - Army ($8,100)
Brock Purdy - Iowa State ($7,300)
| Running Backs |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Breece Hall | ISU | ULL | 7000 | 17.49 | 9200 | 16.97 |
| There aren’t many proven workhorse backs on this slate, but Breece Hall is at the top of the list with a proven role in the Iowa State offense. Although it took Hall until Week 7 last season to take over lead back duties, he was mostly a DFS stud the rest of the way because of his bellcow volume. In eight games as the Cyclones’ top back, Hall averaged 21 carries and 101 rushing yards per outing while also adding 23 receptions for 252 receiving yards over that final stretch - and he did it all as just a true freshman. Now in his sophomore campaign, the backfield is all his and the offense will likely lean on him in this matchup with ISU only 12-point favorites. The Louisiana defense was notably worse against the run than the pass last year and it’s easy to see Hall picking up right where he left off a year ago with 20+ carries and 100+ yards. |
| Jashaun Corbin | FSU | GT | 6800 | 18.15 | 8800 | 15.15 |
| FSU has produced some stud workhorse RBs in recent years and Jashaun Corbin looks to be the next in line. The Texas A&M transfer is listed as a co-starter with JuCo transfer La’Damian Webb, but it’s Corbin who is the more talented back and will get first cracks at carries this week. At A&M, Corbin appeared in 14 games and amassed 1,025 all-purpose yards before suffering a season-ending injury early in 2019. He’s one of the best athletes in the country when healthy and his talent fits perfectly into Mike Norvell’s offense. At Memphis, Norvell produced some other DFS studs in recent years (Kenneth Gainwell, Patrick Taylor, Antonio Gibson, Darrell Henderson) - and Corbin is likely the next name on that list. |
| Sandon McCoy | ARMY | ULM | 6300 | 8.97 | 8700 | 23.00 |
| McCoy’s DK salary has notably increased from last week’s $4800 price tag following his three rushing scores as Army’s lead back in Week 1. The jump in pricing makes him more of a GPP play on this slate with some better options in the expensive range - but McCoy could certainly repeat his performance from a week ago. Louisiana-Monroe had the nation’s third-worst rushing defense in 2019 (allowing 252 rushing yards per game) - which does not bode well against Army’s run-heavy, triple-option offense that racked up 340 yards and five scores on the ground last week en route to a 42-0 victory over Middle Tennessee. While 10 different Army ball-carriers saw carries in that game, McCoy led the team in attempts (15) and touchdowns (3) as he was the go-to guy to start before it became a blowout. |
| Javonte Williams | UNC | SYR | 5600 | 13.15 | 7800 | 12.39 |
| Getting exposure to this high-powered UNC offense should be a priority and the RB duo is certainly a place of focus. Williams and Michael Carter ($6,500) are basically co-starters in this UNC backfield with very similar stats a year ago. Carter led the team in carries (177) and rushing yards (1,003), but Williams wasn’t far behind with his 166 rushes for 933 yards - and Williams actually led the team with five rushing TDs. Considering they split the workload pretty evenly, both are tough to project game-to-game - but they have shown they can both be productive in any given week. The price discount on Williams makes him slightly more attractive than Carter, though. Both could see plenty of production in a plus-matchup vs. a Syracuse rush defense that was among the worst in the country in 2019 - allowing over 200 rushing yards per game. |
| Tony Mathis Jr. | WVU | EKU | 4400 | 12 | 8000 | 10.50 |
| As mentioned above, West Virginia is the biggest favorite of this slate against a subpar FCS defense - and Tony Mathis could be a nice cheap way to get exposure to the Mountaineers’ offense. Mathis is technically third on the WVU RB depth chart (behind starter Leddie Brown and backup Alec Sinkfield) - but he should see more playing time than usual in a likely blowout win. Eastern Kentucky allowed 282 rushing yards and three rushing scores last week with a Marshall backup RB gaining 93 yards on 14 carries in the second half with the game in hand. We could see a similar stat line for Mathis as local reports have said West Virginia is looking to get him more involved this season after redshirting last year. Getting extended playing time at this cheap price makes him very attractive in all formats - but with some assumed risk because we just don’t know how many touches he’ll actually get. |
Also Consider:
Leddie Brown - West Virginia ($7,700)
Kyren Williams - Notre Dame ($6,600)
Michael Carter - North Carolina ($6,500)
Harry Trotter - Kansas State ($5,500)
La’Damian Webb - Florida State ($4,500)
Tyrell Robinson - Army ($3,400)
| Wide Receivers |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Tamorrion Terry | FSU | GT | 7800 | 18.59 | 8800 | 14.57 |
| If you’re feeling frisky at WR for GPP’s, Tamorrion Terry is the biggest boom-or-bust option on this slate. The Florida State lead receiver has the talent to match anyone in the country, but he’ll be catching passes from a volatile QB in James Blackmon - on a new offensive system too. Head coach Mike Norvell brings his offense over from Memphis where the RBs were the main focus, whether it was rushing or receiving. Norvell could use Terry in a variety of ways, but it’s definitely a risk without many proven WRs on this offense and defenses likely keying on stopping him. Still, it’s hard to ignore the upside after Terry racked up 1,188 yards and nine scores a year ago. |
| Dyami Brown | UNC | SYR | 6900 | 19.44 | 9300 | 16.88 |
| This UNC offense is definitely one to target on this slate (and overall for the 2020 season) - and the two stud receivers to pair with QB Sam Howell are Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown. Both are coming off 1,000-yard receiving seasons a year ago as the top two targets for Howell in the passing game. Newsome’s 72 receptions led the team in 2019 and thus he has the higher floor as more of the possession WR with higher volume. Brown, though, is the big-play threat whose 12 TDs and 1,034 yards last year were both slightly more than Newsome’s 10 TDs and 1,018 yards. It’s tough to pick-and-choose between the two and it may just come down to how much salary you have. Brown will likely be more popular than Newsome because of the cheaper price - but you can’t go wrong with either. |
| Dahu Green | ARST | KSU | 5500 | 13.6 | 6400 | 12.40 |
| You might not think to roster anyone from the Arkansas State offense on a slate with plenty of Power 5 programs, but there could be some value in their pass-catchers as the team plays catch-up to Kansas State. Last week vs. Memphis, Green led the team with 99 receiving yards on his five catches - which is decent production for this price. Interestingly, Ark St is only 10.5-point dogs to K-State here after they kept it close a week ago in a 13-point loss to Memphis. So if this one is as close as Vegas is predicting, Green could have a really solid statistical day - especially if his team is trailing. |
| T.J. Simmons | WVU | EKU | 5100 | 10.71 | 7500 | 8.70 |
| Admittedly, it’s tough to project which of the WVU receivers is the best DFS play on this slate until we see how the target share shakes out. Simmons, though, is one of the cheaper ways to get exposure to an offense projected to win big against Eastern Kentucky. The senior is the second-leading receiver returning from last year’s team (35 catches for 455 yards and 4 TD) and he should see enough targets in this air-raid Mountaineers offense to return his cheaper price tag. Comparatively, Sam James ($7,400) and Bryce Ford-Wheaton ($6,700) are a little too expensive right now when you consider them against other higher-priced RB and WR on this slate. |
| Avery Davis | ND | DUKE | 5000 | 0 | 6900 | 5.07 |
| If you’re playing Ian Book on this slate, a great cheaper pairing is Davis as one of his many pass-catching options. The senior has had an interesting career path after being a highly-recruited dual-threat QB in high school, a backup running back and cornerback at Notre Dame - and now a starting wideout on the offense despite plenty of talent in the position group. It remains to be seen how often Book looks Davis’ way in the passing game - but this WR corps is very unpredictable with the other starters being a grad transfer from Northwestern (Skowronek) and a guy who only had 11 catches a year ago (McKinley). The door is open for Davis to be a target hog for Book after Notre Dame’s top three receivers from 2019 are gone. |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Anthony Queeley | SYR | UNC | 4100 | 0 | 6500 | 0.00 |
| So we know that North Carolina is a team to target on this slate - but what about the other side of the ball? Some of these ‘Cuse pass-catchers could go overlooked considering the deep pool of receivers in action. The Orange are three-touchdown underdogs in this one, but that just means more passing targets for their WRs in catch-up mode. Queeley, a redshirt sophomore, was named a starter despite not catching a single collegiate pass in his career - but he’s going to be playing a ton in a ‘Cuse offense that plays up-tempo without much proven talent. Getting a starting WR at this price tag seems like a steal - and he doesn’t have to do much to return value while also allowing you to pay up for more studs. |
Also Consider:
Dazz Newsome - North Carolina ($7,900)
Javon McKinley - Notre Dame ($7,200)
Jonathan Adams Jr. - Arkansas State ($6,000)
Beau Corrales - North Carolina ($5,000)
Xavier Hutchinson - Iowa State ($4,900)
Charlie Kolar - Iowa State ($4,500)
Example Lineups
Please note these lineups are not meant for plug and play but examples of lineups that can be created using the playbook.
| DK Cash |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| QB | Sam Howell | UNC | SYR | 25.5 | $8,900 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Breece Hall | ISU | ULL | 17.49 | $7,000 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Jashaun Corbin | FSU | GT | 18.15 | $6,800 |
| Pivot | Javonte Williams | UNC | SYR | 13.15 | $5,600 |
| WR | Dyami Brown | UNC | SYR | 19.44 | $6,900 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | T.J. Simmons | WVU | EKU | 10.71 | $5,100 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Anthony Queeley | SYR | UNC | 0 | $4,100 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| FLEX | Tony Mathis Jr. | WVU | EKU | 12 | $4,400 |
| Pivot | Dahu Green | ARST | KSU | 13.6 | $5,500 |
| S-FLEX | Skylar Thompson | KSU | ARST | 18.7 | $6,800 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| DK GPP |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| QB | Ian Book | ND | DUKE | 26 | $8,700 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Breece Hall | ISU | ULL | 17.49 | $7,000 |
| Pivot | Michael Carter | UNC | SYR | 13.21 | $6,500 |
| RB | Sandon McCoy | ARMY | ULM | 8.97 | $6,300 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Tamorrion Terry | FSU | GT | 18.59 | $7,800 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Avery Davis | ND | DUKE | 0 | $5,000 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Xavier Hutchinson | ISU | ULL | 0 | $4,900 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| FLEX | Beau Corrales | UNC | SYR | 12.14 | $5,000 |
| Pivot | Harry Trotter | KSU | ARST | 4.08 | $5,500 |
| S-FLEX | Chase Brice | DUKE | ND | 4.88 | $5,300 |
| Pivot | | | | |
