Welcome back college football fans! We’re back for another weekend of CFB DFS with Saturday’s 11-game DraftKings main slate kicking off at 12 pm ET. Note that the Cincinnati-Tulsa and LSU-Florida games have been cancelled due to COVID concerns - so obviously DON’T roster anyone from those matchups. 

 

Also note that this playbook focuses on the early main slate of DK. As of this writing, FanDuel does not have a slate posted. Once that slate posts, hit me up in the FA CFB chat for any lineup Q’s specific to that site. As always, I’ll be in the chat early Saturday morning to provide last-minute injury updates and answer any lineup questions for either site! Good luck! 

 

THE SLATE (betting odds via DK Sportsbook as of 10/16): 

12 pm ET -- Clemson (-27) @ Georgia Tech -- 64 o/u

12 pm ET -- Pittsburgh @ Miami FL (-13) -- 47.5 o/u

12 pm ET -- Auburn (-3.5) @ South Carolina -- 51.5 o/u

12 pm ET -- Kentucky @ Tennessee (-6) -- 45.5 o/u

12 pm ET -- Kansas @ West Virginia (-23) -- 51.5 o/u

2:30 pm ET -- Louisville @ Notre Dame (-17) -- 62.5 o/u

3:30 pm ET -- Duke @ NC State (-4.5) -- 59.5 o/u

3:30 pm ET -- UCF (-3.5) @ Memphis -- 73.5 o/u

3:30 pm ET -- Ole Miss (-1.5) @ Arkansas -- 76 o/u

4 pm ET -- Virginia (-2.5) @ Wake Forest -- 59 o/u

4 pm ET -- Texas A&M (-5) @ Mississippi State -- 54.5 o/u

 

Highest Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)

Clemson -- 45.5 points @ Georgia Tech

Notre Dame -- 39.75 points vs. Louisville

Ole Miss -- 38.75 points @ Arkansas

UCF -- 38.5 points @ Memphis

West Virginia -- 37.25 points vs. Kansas

Arkansas -- 37.25 points vs. Ole Miss

Memphis -- 35 points vs. UCF

NC State -- 32 Points vs. Duke

 

QUARTERBACKS

 

Quarterbacks
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Trevor LawrenceCLEMGT900029.11  
Lawrence continues to be a safe QB1 for your lineups any time Clemson is in action as he headlines an offense that’s projected to be this week’s highest-scoring, per Vegas. In the past two games against ACC opponents, he’s thrown for three TDs and 290+ yards with 30+ rushing yards in both outings. Clemson are massive favorites vs. Georgia Tech, but Lawrence has shown he’ll put up top-tier stats even in easy wins when he comes out of the game early. His rushing upside is especially valuable from the QB position in DFS as Lawrence has already ran for four scores through four games - to go along with his perfect 10:0 TD:INT ratio. The price tag is hefty, but Lawrence is safe for cash and should have no problem putting up elite numbers against a below-average Georgia Tech defense.
Dillon GabrielUCFMEM850031.37  
If we can be sure about one thing this week, it’s that this UCF-Memphis matchup will be an offensive shootout with tons of DFS production from both sides. As for the UCF offense, it begins and ends with Gabriel under center in a pass-heavy attack that will likely be throwing a ton in this back-and-forth matchup. Gabriel and Co. will benefit from facing a Memphis pass defense that’s statistically one of the worst in the country right now - allowing an FBS-high 386 passing yards per game through two outings. In Memphis’ last game, SMU QB Shane Buechele tossed 400+ yards and three TDs and we could easily see Gabriel have that type of stat line. Gabriel has at least 330 passing yards in each of the first three games and he’s thrown for four passing TDs apiece in two of those - with 35+ DK points in those games. There’s a good chance Gabriel scores better than Lawrence this week in a game where Memphis will likely keep pace with UCF on the scoreboard - making him cash safe with a high GPP ceiling too.
Kellen MondTA&MMSST730019.99  
Mond is coming off an impressive performance a week ago as he played a large part in upsetting Florida. He tossed three TDs and 338 yards as he looked the part of someone who received preseason hype of being one of the best college QBs this year. Mond has the talent to be a top QB drafted next spring and last week’s performance could start him on a roll of consecutive dominant games - continuing this week against an up-and-down Mississippi State team. The Bulldogs have a good run defense, which will force Mond to the air more often. Plus, the Texas A&M offense has to keep pace with Miss St’s Air Raid offense that can score quickly once it gets going. At this price, Mond is a solid GPP option as a Super-Flex who can go off for 30-40 DK points if he shows up like last week.
Feleipe FranksARKMISS720014.29  
If you watched any of the Ole Miss-Alabama game from last week, you know that defense looks pretty optional for the Rebels. Yes, the Tide are legit - but Mississippi’s D in all facets has been terrible this season and we should continue to target opposing QBs against them. In fact, Ole Miss is allowing 338 passing yards per game (4th-worst in the country) with eight passing TDs given up through three games. As for Feleipe Franks, he showed us last week that the passing efficiency is there after he went 22-for-30 for 318 yards and four TDs in a near-upset at Auburn. Franks can easily take advantage of a soft matchup and he should provide plenty of DFS value in a game that Vegas is projecting to have 75+ points with one score between the teams. Back-and-forth offensive shootouts are what we love for DFS QBs and Franks is significantly cheaper than his counterpart Matt Corral ($8800). Franks is a great SuperFlex in cash games with tons of GPP upside in a high-scoring matchup vs. a weak pass defense.
Jeff SimsGTCLEM510022.96  

Obviously a matchup vs. Clemson’s tough defense is daunting, but Sims is way too cheap for how good he’s been this season. Opposing QB’s facing Clemson normally see a discounted price tag because of expected regression and potential turnovers, but $5100 for a dual-threat like Sims might be too good to pass up - even in cash games. Georgia Tech’s freshman signal-caller is averaging 23 DK points over the first four games and he’s totaled three rushing scores and 187 rushing yards over the last three. Sims may have trouble throwing the ball in this matchup, but there’s plenty of opportunity for him to return value because of his rushing upside. In the second-half with his team trailing, Sims will likely be running it a lot to get his team back in it. He’s basically a poor man’s D’Eriq King and even though King wasn’t great last week vs. Clemson - he also wasn’t $5100. It might be tough to fully trust him in cash games, but his GPP value is there as a Super-Flex.

 

Also Consider: 

Matt Corral - Ole Miss ($8,800) - GPP

D’Eriq King - Miami FL ($8,100) - Cash/GPP

Brady White - Memphis ($8,000) - Cash

Ian Book - Notre Dame ($7,900) - GPP

K.J. Costello - Mississippi State ($6,800) - GPP

Terry Wilson - Kentucky ($6,700) - GPP/Fringe Cash

RUNNING BACKS

Running Backs
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Travis EtienneCLEMGT860024.83  
Clemson’s lead back will likely be a weekly staple in these playbooks until further notice as he owns one of the highest weekly DFS ceilings of any college player. Etienne’s rushing production is already well-documented to this point, but we’re seeing the Tigers use their bellcow in the passing game more often this season and that raises his value even more for both cash and GPP. In last week’s win over Miami, Etienne had an outstanding rushing performance (149 yards and two TD) - but his eight catches for 73 receiving yards in the same game made him a stud on DraftKings with PPR value. This was the second straight week where he’s been used heavily as a receiver out of the backfield - he had five grabs for 114 yards and a TD vs. Virginia. Clemson is clearly making a dedicated effort to get the ball in Etienne’s hands as much as possible as he and Lawrence are the two best playmakers for the offense. This week, the matchup is a favorable one as Georgia Tech’s rush defense is allowing 189 rush yards per game this year and was even worse in 2019 - giving up 215 rush yards per outing. Last year vs. GT, Etienne had 205 yards and three TDs and it’s very possible we see a repeat performance. Load him up in cash and GPP despite the high price tag.
Leddie BrownWVUKU820026.83  
If you’re not paying up for Etienne in cash or GPP this week, Brown is a great pivot with a favorable matchup of his own. The Kansas defense is one of the worst in the country right now and they’re giving up 227 rushing yards per game with seven rushing TDs allowed through three games. This is a game that West Virginia should win easily and Brown should see plenty of touches with his team playing from ahead against a soft run D - the situation doesn’t get much better for lead backs in college DFS. In Kansas’ last game, opposing RB Chuba Hubbard ran for 145 yards and two scores in Oklahoma State’s easy win. Brown can definitely put up numbers close to that as he’s run for 93+ yards in all three outings so far (with two 100-yard efforts) and has seen 28 and 31 touches, respectively, in the last two games vs. conference opponents. He’ll get the volume and his 5.1 yards-per-rush average suggests he’ll be productive with those touches in this tasty matchup. He’s a great cash play with GPP upside for a big game as well.
Kyren WilliamsNDUL720023.35  
Although he’s slightly cheaper than both Etienne and Brown, Notre Dame’s lead back deserves to be mentioned in the same top-tier for this slate. Williams is coming off a massive performance when he ran for 185 yards and two TDs on a healthy 21 total touches vs. Florida State last week. The matchup was a favorable one a week ago and he gets another tasty one vs. Louisville this time around. The Cardinals’ run defense was terrible in 2019 and they aren’t much better this season with eight rushing TDs allowed over four games and 157 rush yards allowed per outing. In this matchup, Notre Dame should have the lead early and will lean on Williams to carry the offense to the finish line - something that’s been evident in the Irish’s two ACC games this season already. He’s a great discount in either format without many trustworthy top-tier backs on this slate and makes for a solid RB2 cash pairing with either Etienne or Bown.
Kylin HillMSSTTA&M680018.45  
A year ago, Hill was the SEC’s leading rusher as the workhorse back in Mississippi State’s offense. This season, though, his DFS production is coming mostly as a receiver in a new Air Raid offense under Mike Leach. Ironically, Hill has turned into one of the best pass-catching backs in the country despite being a rushing stud not too long ago. Leach’s pass-happy offenses at Washington State loved using RB’s as pass-catchers out of the backfield - and that’s carried over to Miss St with Hill being a top check-down option. In his two healthy games this season, Hill has totaled 23 receptions and 237 receiving yards - including his 15-catch outing last week. That high usage in the passing game is valuable in DK’s PPR format and he makes for a great GPP option at this semi-high price tag.
Rakeem BoydARKMISS57004.85  
Boyd missed Arkansas’ last game with an undisclosed injury but all signs are pointing to him playing this weekend. Not only has he been back practicing this week (with reports of him expected to play), but Boyd himself tweeted on Thursday that he’s back. His return couldn’t come at a better time as Arkansas faces literally the worst run defense in the country - Ole Miss has allowed 303 rushing yards per game with 13 total rush TDs through three weeks. It’s tough to get a good read on what Boyd’s workload will be, but we should expect him to return to a lead back role in the Razorbacks offense. As ugly as his game log looks this season, remember that Boyd was a 1,000-yard rusher a year ago and his one fully healthy game came against an elite Georgia defense. At this price tag, he’s just way too cheap for what his upside can be in a very favorable matchup. With Boyd out last week, backup RB Trelon Smith ($6100) impressed with his 159 total yards vs. Auburn and he would be a solid play in this matchup too if Boyd ends up sitting. There’s a chance both have productive games if we see a split workload in a high-scoring, back-and-forth game with Ole Miss. Boyd is right on the fringe of being cash-viable because of his affordable price tag and both him and Smith are interesting GPP plays.
Rodrigues ClarkMEMUCF560017.15  
If you love offense, this Memphis-UCF matchup is definitely one to watch with tons of DFS plays on both sides - much like the Memphis-SMU game from a couple weeks ago. And just as we suggested in that outing, Rodrigues Clark is a great mid-range RB play this week as the lead back in a high-scoring offense in a game with a ton of points and yardage incoming. Plus, this matchup is very favorable for him as the UCF defense is allowing 212 rushing yards per outing through three games. The Memphis offense is pretty balanced, but the unit runs enough plays with enough possessions to get Clark as big of a workload as any bellcow on this slate. Although the Tigers have played just two games thus far, Clark has gotten 20 touches and 100+ total yards in both outings. He’s only found the end zone once, but his DFS ceiling is a lot higher if he reaches paydirt multiple times. He’s a safe cash game RB in this price range with tons of upside in GPP.

Also Consider: 

Javian Hawkins - Louisville ($6,200) - GPP

Tank Bigsby - Auburn ($5,900) - GPP

Zonovan Knight - NC State ($5,800) - GPP/Cash

Jahmyr Gibbs - Georgia Tech ($5,400) - GPP/Fringe Cash

Wayne Taulapapa - Virginia ($4,900) - Fringe Cash/GPP

Greg McCrae - UCF ($4,500) - GPP/Cash

WIDE RECEIVERS

Wide Recievers
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Elijah MooreMISSARK800030.45  
Although he doesn’t receive the same national recognition as other top receivers in the country, there’s no denying Elijah Moore is one of the best WR’s and his DFS floor is as high as anyone’s - especially on this slate without a ton of top-tier talent. Moore has double-digit receptions in all three games thus far and he’s coming off an impressive performance vs. Alabama last week - 11 catches for 143 yards. He’s clearly a top target for QB Matt Corral and his high reception volume should continue this week (and beyond) with Ole Miss’ defense being so bad. The offense will have to keep scoring a ton just to make up for their defense’s poor play - and Moore has proven production in every game this season. The price tag is hefty, but he owns one of the highest floor/ceiling combos of any player on this slate. If you can fit him in, he’s an elite GPP or cash play this week.
Billy Kemp IVUVWAKE650016.8  
Although he’s listed at RB on DraftKings, Billy Kemps is definitely a WR and thus we’ll identify him as such in this playbook in order to compare him to other receivers in his price range. Virginia is using Kemp in the “Joe Reed role” as a playmaker who they’re going to involve as much as possible. Through three games, Kemp has a team-leading 27 catches and 248 receiving yards and he’s now posted back-to-back games of 10 receptions. That receiving volume should continue this week and moving forward no matter who’s under center for the Cavaliers (starting QB Brennan Armstrong is in concussion protocol and questionable for Saturday). The Wake Forest pass defense has been below-average this year and Kemp should see plenty of targets in a higher-scoring game. He’s safe for cash games and one of the more trustworthy players on this slate because of his high reception volume.
Jaylon RobinsonUCFMEM640025.2  
Marlon Williams ($7600) is the unquestioned #1 WR for UCF, but Robinson has emerged as a solid No. 2 receiver in the offense. He’s posted 100+ receiving yards in each of the first three games and has seen an increase in receiving involvement with Tre Nixon missing the last two outings. Nixon looks doubtful to play this week again, so Robinson should continue to be a top passing target for QB Dillon Gabriel in this pass-heavy, high-scoring UCF offense. Williams is a great cash play as well, but Robinson is slightly cheaper and makes for a more affordable pairing with Gabriel in all formats. His 30 targets through three games is encouraging that Gabriel is looking his way plenty even with Williams having stellar performances of his own. There’s enough receiving production to go around for both of UCF’s top receivers to be studs this week in a high-scoring matchup with Memphis.
Damonte CoxieMEMUCF610019.25  
Talk about a price overreaction from DraftKings. Memphis tight end Sean Dykes ($7300) has begun the season with two impressive stat lines - but there’s no reason for Coxie to be this much cheaper than his pass-catching teammate. Coxie is still the top receiver in a high-scoring Memphis offense and he’s notched eight receptions in both of the first two games. Although he trails Dykes in total receiving yards and TDs so far, Coxie has the same number of receptions as Dykes and he could just as easily explode for a multi-TD game and 100+ yards this week. This matchup with UCF will surely be a high-scoring one, and Coxie is a great cash game play at this discount. He’s still one of the best WRs in the country and was just $8300 last week - but apparently his eight catches for 85 yards wasn’t good enough to keep him among the top-tier priced WRs on this slate. Lock him into cash lineups with plenty of upside in GPP’s as well.
Anthony SchwartzAUBSCAR550010.15  
We rightly suggested Schwartz last week when he was mispriced at $4100 - and he responded with a slate-breaking performance of 10 receptions, 100 yards and a score. Much of that production came because Auburn had two other WRs banged up (Seth Williams and Eli Stove) - but Schwartz is still one of the fastest receivers in the country and he’s certainly capable of a dominant game this week. He now has 18 receptions over the last two games and he’ll likely be targeted heavily once again by QB Bo Nix this weekend. He’s still too cheap for what his DFS ceiling is and is a great value in tournaments. He got a glimpse of that explosion last week and we’ll take that type of game any time he’s under 6k.
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Brevin JordanMIAPITT500019.07  
While DraftKings has mostly been better with its pricing this week, one egregious error is having Brevin Jordan at 5k on the dot. Miami’s stud tight end is the top pass-catcher for QB D’Eriq King and he averaged 19 DK points and a receiving TD per game going into last week’s matchup with Clemson. In that game, though, Jordan had a subpar three catches for 31 yards before leaving early in the third quarter with a sprained right shoulder. Maybe that’s why Jordan gets this ridiculous discount? Still, he’s expected to play this week and is way too cheap for what his role is in this Miami offense with a high floor and ceiling. King and the passing attack will likely be busy vs. Pitt and their stellar run defense, and we can expect Jordan to be targeted often if he’s out there. Make sure to check in before this 12 pm ET kickoff to ensure he’s warming up before locking him into cash lineups.
Treylon BurksARKMISS470013.75  
We’ve mentioned a couple times already in this playbook about how bad Ole Miss’ defense is - and why not pair QB Feleipe Franks with one of his receivers? Burks exploded for seven receptions, 102 yards and a TD in Arkansas’ opener vs. Georgia’s tough defense but a knee injury sidelined him last week after he left early the game before. He’s expected to return this weekend after warming up (and ultimately being ruled out) before last game. Burks could easily put up another 100+ yards and return value on this cheap price tag as one of the top receivers for Arkansas. Franks seems to love his slot receivers with Burks’ big game as evidence and his replacement (De’Vion Warren) having good performances in his absence the last two weeks. Both Warren ($6000) and Mike Woods ($5100) are solid options as well, but Burks is too cheap for what his receiving volume could be in a high-scoring matchup vs. a soft Mississippi pass defense.
Jalen WydermyerTA&MMSST450010.05  
We told you about Wydermyer and his cheap price tag last week - and the situation still hasn’t changed with Texas A&M’s tight end still below 5k. The Aggies came into the year without many proven pass-catchers, and Wydermyer is still the safe blanket underneath for QB Kellen Mond. Although A&M has a couple WRs emerging recently, Mond will surely keep his sure-handed tight end involved moving forward - especially since WR Caleb Chapman is now out for the season. Over the last two games, Wydermyer has totaled 13 catches for 135 yards and it’s only a matter of time until he finds the end zone (with zero TDs on the year so far). Last year, he led the team in receiving TDs so we can expect some positive regression in that area to go along with his high floor of receptions. He’s a great cash game play at this price tag with a safe floor of receiving volume.
Malik HeathMSSTTA&M38004.4  
Picking and choosing the right Mississippi State WR’s continues to be a weekly guessing game. However, it’ll be tempting every slate to get one of the cheaper receivers into your GPP lineups because of the savings and potential for high volume of catches. However, all of the Bulldog wideouts are still GPP-only plays until we see some consistency in the offense - plus the shaky play of QB K.J. Costello certainly hurts the Miss St receivers’ floor too. Malik Heath, though, is interesting at his cheap price tag. In last week’s debacle of a loss to Kentucky, Heath finished with the most receptions (6) and receiving yards (52) of any wide receiver and he now has 11 catches over the last two games despite a slow start in the opener. The reception volume is nice, but most of the yardage is not big for these Bulldog WR’s - which hurts their ceiling. Taking a shot on a cheap Heath, though, could really pay off if he finds the end zone. JaVonta Payton ($5400) and Austin Williams ($4400) are also worth a shot in GPP as affordable pieces to this offense.

Also Consider: 

Marlon Williams - UCF ($7,600) - Cash/GPP

Sean Dykes - Memphis ($7,300) - GPP

Tutu Atwell - Louisville ($6,700) - GPP

Kenny Yeboah - Ole Miss ($6,300) - GPP

Jordan Addison - Pittsburgh ($5,500) - Cash

Mike Woods - Arkansas ($5,100) - Cash

Winston Wright Jr. - West Virginia ($5,000) - Cash

Kwamie Lassiter - Kansas ($4,500) - Cash/GPP

Braden Galloway - Clemson ($4,400) - GPP

Austin Williams - Mississippi State ($4,400) - GPP

 

Example Lineups

Please note these lineups are not meant for plug and play but an example of lineups created using the playbook above.

 

DK Cash
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBDillon GabrielUCFMEM31.4$8,500
Pivot     
RBLeddie BrownWVUKU26.8$8,200
PivotTravis EtienneCLEMGT24.8$8,600
RBRakeem BoydARKMISS4.9$5,700
PivotRodrigues ClarkMEMUCF17.2$5,600
WRDamonte CoxieMEMUCF19.3$6,100
Pivot     
WRTreylon BurksARKMISS13.8$4,700
PivotBrevin JordanMIAPITT19.1$5,000
WRJalen WydermyerTA&MMSST10.1$4,500
Pivot     
FLEXKyren WilliamsNDUL23.4$7,200
PivotBilly Kemp IVUVWAKE16.8$6,500
S-FLEXJeff SimsGTCLEM23$5,100

 

DK GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBTrevor LawrenceCLEMGT29.1$9,000
Pivot     
RBTravis EtienneCLEMGT24.8$8,600
PivotTank BigsbyAUBSCAR9.2$5,900
RBKylin HillMSSTTA&M18.5$6,800
Pivot     
WRAnthony SchwartzAUBSCAR10.2$5,500
PivotElijah MooreMISSARK30.5$8,000
WRBraden GallowayCLEMGT7.4$4,400
Pivot     
WRMalik HeathMSSTTA&M4.4$3,800
Pivot     
FLEXGreg McCraeUCFMEM9.4$4,500
PivotWayne TaulapapaUVWAKE16.8$4,900
S-FLEXKellen MondTA&MMSST20$7,300
PivotFeleipe FranksARKMISS14.30$7,200