What’s up, college football fans?! Who’s ready for some mid-week #MACtion? We get a rare Wednesday DFS CFB slate as the MAC conference begins its season with a 6-game Hump Day special. Note that this playbook covers the DraftKings slate while FanDuel also has a slate of their own. Hit me up in the FA chat with any lineup Q’s! Good luck!
THE SLATE (betting odds via DK Sportsbook as of 11/3):
6 pm ET -- Western Michigan (-18) @ Akron -- 54.5 o/u
6 pm ET -- Eastern Michigan @ Kent State (-6) -- 62.5 o/u
7 pm ET -- Buffalo (-13) @ Northern Illinois -- 51.5 o/u
7 pm ET -- Ohio (-3) @ Central Michigan -- 58 o/u
7 pm ET -- Ball State @ Miami OH (-2) -- 55 o/u
8 pm ET -- Bowling Green @ Toledo (-22) -- 62.5 o/u
Highest Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)
Toledo -- 42.25 points vs. Bowling Green
Western Michigan -- 36.25 points @ Akron
Kent State -- 34.25 points vs. Eastern Michigan
Buffalo -- 32.25 points @ Northern Illinois
Ohio -- 30.5 points @ Central Michigan
QUARTERBACKS
| Quarterbacks |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Dustin Crum | KENT | EMU | 9200 | 0 | | |
| Crum is the most expensive QB on this slate and he’s deserving of it because of his unmatched dual-threat abilities. Last year in Kent State’s high-scoring offense, Crum ran for 707 yards and six scores to go along with his 2,622 passing yards and impressive 20:2 TD:INT ratio. No other QB on this slate offers the proven rushing value that Crum does after he led Kent State in rushing last season. He provides a high DFS floor with his passing-rushing combination and he should be plenty valuable on this slate as a heavily involved QB playing in a high-scoring matchup with Eastern Michigan. Kent State runs an uptempo offense and Crum should have plenty of production whether it’s throwing or passing - and that high floor is even more valuable on a slate with a ton of uncertain QB situations. |
| Drew Plitt | BALL | MIAOH | 8100 | 0 | | |
| To be honest, the QB position on this slate is a guessing game outside of a few guys. Plitt is one of those that we have some proven success from last year and he’s a lot safer than most others. In 2019, Plitt finished second in the conference in passing yards (2,918) and was tied for first in passing TDs (24) with EMU’s Mike Glass. Statistically, he’s the best returning QB in the MAC and should provide a solid floor in this matchup. Last season vs. Miami (OH), Plitt put up 317 passing yards and three TDs while adding 62 rushing yards. Vegas is projecting this year’s game to be a tight one (with Miami as slight home favorites) and Plitt should benefit from the back-and-forth contest. |
| Preston Hutchinson | EMU | KENT | 6100 | 0 | | |
| Eastern Michigan’s former QB Mike Glass led the conference in passing last year but he’s now gone. That leaves Preston Hutchinson to step in as the starter for an offense that led the MAC in pass attempts per game in 2019 and still has plenty of WR talent. Maybe we shouldn’t expect Glass-type numbers, but Hutchinson should be among the passing leaders in the conference this season for an offense that loves to throw the ball and has an uncertain RB situation heading into the opener. When Hutchinson started one game in Glass’ place last year, he was pretty impressive - going 31-for-36 with 357 yards, three passing scores and a rushing TD added in. For the price, this seems like the best value at QB on the slate and Hutchinson is a solid Super-Flex play. |
Also Consider:
Kaleb Eleby - Western Michigan ($7,000) - GPP
Brett Gabbert - Miami (OH) ($6,600) - Cash
Daniel Richardson - Central Michigan ($6,000) - GPP
RUNNING BACKS
| Running Backs |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Jaret Patterson | BUFF | NIU | 9800 | 0 | | |
| The extremely expensive price tag might give it away, but Patterson is a beast and was a fantasy stud nearly every week a year ago. He’s the MAC’s reigning rushing champ with 1,799 rushing yards and 19 rushing scores in 2019 - averaging 138 yards and 24 carries per game in Buffalo’s run heavy offense. There’s no question he’ll see a heavy volume of touches all season and the DFS floor is high because of that usage. Buffalo’s offense should lean on its two-headed backfield of Patterson and Kevin Marks with an uncertain QB situation that includes co-starters for the opener. Unfortunately, the price tag is way too high to play in cash with plenty of other solid RBs to choose from. Still, the ceiling is definitely there for GPP’s - as evidenced by his six-touchdown game back in November last year. |
| Bryant Koback | TOL | BGSU | 8200 | 0 | | |
| There are a ton of talented RBs in the MAC and Koback should be one of the conference’s best all season. He’s coming off a 2019 season where he ran for 1,000+ yards with 12 rushing TDs while averaging 6.1 ypc and nearly 100 yards per game. It’s notable that Toledo are the biggest favorites on this slate in a game that’s projected to be one of the highest-scoring. That makes Kobeck really attractive as the lead back for an offense that should have the lead in the second half and looking to run out the clock. Plus, Kobeck should be a big part of the offensive game plan for this opener as Toledo has not yet named a starting QB. He’s a great cash game RB and a cheaper option than Patterson. |
| Kobe Lewis | CMU | OHIO | 7200 | 0 | | |
| Last year, Central Michigan deployed a two-headed backfield with both Kobe Lewis and Jonathan Ward rushing for 1,000+ yards and double-digit TDs. Ward is now gone and it leaves Lewis as the de facto #1 back in the offense. While we should expect another Chippewas RB to split carries with Lewis, none of them are as proven and accomplished as the incumbent. Lewis should see plenty of touches as the lead back with Ward gone, and even more so with CMU having a murky QB situation heading into this opener. This matchup with Ohio is projected to be a high-scoring one and Lewis will likely be leaned on in the run game to keep it close. He’s one of the best options for CMU if you want exposure to their offense. He’s a fringe cash game play and a high-upside GPP option. |
| Kevin Marks Jr. | BUFF | NIU | 4500 | 0 | | |
| This is a notable mispricing by DK and Marks will be a popular play because of the value he presents. While Jaret Patterson is the headliner in Buffalo’s backfield, Marks Jr. is the 1B in a two-headed, run-heavy offense that saw both RBs eclipse 1,000 rush yards. In fact, Marks’ 1,035 rushing yards was seventh-most in the conference in 2019 as he produced stats better than some teams’ #1 back. He frankly should not be this cheap based on last year’s performance and considering the fact that Buffalo will still be utilizing both Marks and Patterson a lot with an uncertain QB situation. He’s a near cash lock on this slate and should be a strong GPP option as well. |
| Marquez Cooper | KENT | EMU | 3000 | 0 | | |
| Although only a freshman, Cooper is listed as a co-starter on Kent State’s RB depth chart alongside Xavier Williams. That simple fact means his minimum price tag is very appealing in all formats considering he won a share of the starting job and see enough involvement to return value. Last year as a high school senior, Cooper ran for 2,000+ yards and 37 rushing TDs over 13 games. He’s a small, shifty back who should benefit from defenses focused on stopping dual-threat QB Dustin Crum. There’s definitely some risk because he is a freshman and we haven’t seen how the touches will be distributed between Cooper and Williams - but you can do a lot worse for the min price. Plus, this matchup with Eastern Michigan is one of the highest-scoring on the slate and Cooper provides a very cheap way to get exposure. |
Also Consider:
Andrew Clair - Bowling Green ($6,900) - GPP
Caleb Huntley - Ball State ($6,700) - Cash
Sean Tyler - Western Michigan ($5,800) - Cash/GPP
De’Montre Tuggle - Ohio ($5,300) - GPP
Davion Johnson - Miami (OH) ($5,200) - Cash
WIDE RECEIVERS
| Wide Recievers |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Isaiah McKoy | KENT | EMU | 8000 | 0 | | |
| Admittedly, it’s tough to navigate the WR position on this slate with so many uncertain QB situations but McKoy is one of the sure things - hence the expensive price tag. In 2019, he racked up 57 receptions, 870 receiving yards, eight TDs and 79.1 yards per game - all marks that either led the conference or were top three. Unlike most other WRs in the conference, McKoy has a clear rapport with returning QB Dustin Crum and there’s a reason the pair are the most expensive at their respective positions. It’ll cost you a lot, but you know what you’re getting from McKoy and he’s a high-upside GPP play who could go off in a high-scoring matchup with Eastern Michigan. |
| Kalil Pimpleton | CMU | OHIO | 6500 | 0 | | |
| Although Pimpleton is priced notably less than Isaiah McKoy, it’s the Central Michigan wideout who led the conference in receptions (82), receiving yards (894) and receptions per game (5.9) last year. That fact alone makes Pimpleton a better cash play than McKoy for the salary savings at similar production. The only worry about Pimpleton and the CMU receivers is their uncertain QB situation. Expected starter David Moore may or may not be suspended stemming from an incident last season and as of this writing, we don’t know whether or not he’ll play. If he’s out, backup Daniel Richardson will start and that’s a bit detrimental to Pimpleton’s value. |
| Skyy Moore | WMU | AKR | 6300 | 0 | | |
| As just a freshman last year, Moore earned all-MAC honors with his 51 catches, 802 receiving yards and three TDs. He owns game-breaking speed and had some massive single-game performances last year as a PPR monster. Moore is the clear-cut #1 pass-catcher returning from last year’s team that lost two notable receivers in TE Giovanni Ricci and WR Keith Mixon Jr - the only other WMU players to have 50+ receptions. It’s the Moore show in an offense that also lost stud RB LeVante Bellamy and QB Jon Wassink this offseason. With so much uncertainty in the offense, we should count on Moore seeing a ton of volume with new QB Kaleb Eleby looking his way often. He’s a great cash play at this price as the #1 offensive weapon on a team favored by three scores. |
| Antonio Nunn | BUFF | NIU | 5800 | 0 | | |
| Although the Buffalo offense is run-heavy, there’s no question who the #1 receiver is when they do throw it. Nunn’s 687 receiving yards were sixth-best in the MAC last season and notably higher than the next-highest Buffalo pass-catcher (284). The same goes for his 49 catches and six TDs being miles higher than any other Bulls receiver. Again, this offense is built on running the ball first and foremost - but Nunn showed last year that he can still be valuable for DFS with how uptempo and high-scoring the Buffalo attack runs. He’s in a tier by himself among the Buffalo receivers and could easily return value. The only worries are the low total projected in this game and the possibility Nunn puts up a dud while the Buffalo RBs score the TDs. For those reasons, he’s only a GPP option at this salary. |
| JaCorey Sullivan | CMU | OHIO | 5100 | 0 | | |
| While Kalil Pimpleton posted better overall numbers last season, Sullivan wasn’t too far behind in this Central Michigan offense. In 2019, the latter had 57 receptions, 808 yards and 62.2 yards per game - all top three marks in the conference. He wasn’t the PPR monster like Pimpleton - but he was still one of the MAC’s best statistical WRs a year ago and he’s frankly not priced like it on this slate. The risk (like with Pimpleton) is the uncertain CMU QB situation. Still, this matchup with Ohio is one of the higher-scoring games and this is a very affordable way to get exposure in all formats. |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Dylan Drummond | EMU | KENT | 4800 | 0 | | |
| We mentioned earlier Preston Hutchinson is taking over as EMU’s new starting QB with Mike Glass gone - and this makes the receiving corps a little tough to predict with a new passer. Still, there’s some value on Eastern Michigan’s offense and Drummond looks like the right play. In Hutchinson’s one start last season, Drummond led the team in receptions (8) and finished with 69 receiving yards and a TD. We can’t expect that every week, obviously, but getting a starting WR at this price is pretty valuable. You can also look at Quian Williams ($6000) and Hassan Beydoun ($3600) being options in EMU’s WR corps. |
Also Consider:
Justin Hall - Ball State ($7,100) - Cash
Quian Williams - Eastern Michigan ($6,000) - GPP
Isiah Cox - Ohio ($4,900) - Cash/GPP
Hassan Beydoun - Eastern Michigan ($3,600) - Cash/GPP
Example Lineups
| DK Cash |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| QB | Dustin Crum | KENT | EMU | - | $9,200 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Bryant Koback | TOL | BGSU | - | $8,200 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Kevin Marks Jr. | BUFF | NIU | - | $4,500 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Skyy Moore | WMU | AKR | - | $6,300 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | JaCorey Sullivan | CMU | OHIO | - | $5,100 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Dylan Drummond | EMU | KENT | - | $4,800 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| FLEX | Sean Tyler | WMU | AKR | - | $5,800 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| S-FLEX | Preston Hutchinson | EMU | KENT | - | $6,100 |
| Pivot | | | | |
| DK GPP |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| QB | Drew Plitt | BALL | MIAOH | - | $8,100 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Jaret Patterson | BUFF | NIU | - | $9,800 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Kobe Lewis | CMU | OHIO | - | $7,200 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Kalil Pimpleton | CMU | OHIO | - | $6,500 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Hassan Beydoun | EMU | KENT | - | $3,600 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Antonio Nunn | BUFF | NIU | - | $5,800 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| FLEX | Marquez Cooper | KENT | EMU | - | $3,000 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| S-FLEX | Daniel Richardson | CMU | OHIO | - | $6,000 |
| Pivot | | | | |
