Welcome back college football fans! We’re back for another weekend of CFB DFS with a very interesting main slate that includes some of the best offenses in the country. Alabama, Clemson, Florida and Ohio State highlight a slate with tons of top plays and value options across the board. This playbook covers Saturday’s DraftKings early main slate kicking off at 12 pm ET. 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 11/20):
12 pm ET -- Indiana @ Ohio State (-20.5) -- 66.5 o/u
12 pm ET -- Clemson (-35.5) @ Florida State -- 63 o/u
12 pm ET -- Florida (-31.5) @ Vanderbilt -- 68 o/u
12 pm ET -- Illinois @ Nebraska (-14.5) -- 59 o/u
12 pm ET -- LSU (-2) @ Arkansas -- 62.5 o/u
12 pm ET -- Appalachian State @ Coastal Carolina (-4.5) -- 48 o/u
3:30 pm ET -- Cincinnati (-6) @ UCF -- 63.5 o/u
3:30 pm ET -- Wisconsin (-7.5) @ Northwestern -- 43.5 o/u
3:30 pm ET -- California (-3) @ Oregon State -- 49 o/u
3:30 pm ET -- Iowa (-2.5) @ Penn State -- 47 o/u
4 pm ET -- Kentucky @ Alabama (-30) -- 58 o/u
4 pm ET -- Kansas State @ Iowa State (-10.5) -- 46.5 o/u
4 pm ET -- Virginia Tech (-3) @ Pittsburgh -- 55 o/u
Highest Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)
Florida -- 49.75 points @ Vanderbilt
Clemson -- 49.25 points @ Florida State
Alabama -- 44 points vs. Kentucky
Ohio State -- 43.5 points vs. Indiana
Nebraska -- 36.75 points vs. Illinois
Cincinnati -- 34.75 points @ UCF
LSU -- 32.25 points @ Arkansas
Arkansas -- 30.25 points vs. LSU
Virginia Tech -- 29 points @ Pittsburgh
UCF -- 28.75 points vs. Cincinnati
Iowa State -- 28.5 points vs. Kansas State
QUARTERBACKS
| Quarterbacks |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Kyle Trask | UF | VAND | 9700 | 36.27 | | |
| Obviously the price tag is insanely high, but it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise given how consistently dominant Kyle Trask has been this season. Over six games, he owns a 28:3 TD:INT ratio with at least four TD passes in every contest and at least 300 passing yards and 30+ DK points in five of those six. Last week vs. Arkansas, he tossed six TDs and put up 42 DK points against a below-average defense and he could easily do the same in this week’s matchup. Vanderbilt’s defense is allowing 35.8 PPG (third-most in the SEC) and is even worse against the pass compared to Arkansas. You’ll have to shell out for him, but Trask has GPP-winning upside and even provides a solid floor if you want to lock that down to begin your lineups. |
| Desmond Ridder | CINCY | UCF | 9200 | 31.03 | | |
| If Cincinnati played in a Power 5 conference or in a bigger market, Desmond Ridder would be getting legit Heisman buzz - but instead he’s just been a DFS stud at the helm of one of the more dominating college teams. The season started out slow for Ridder but he’s been rolling out huge statistical performances recently which makes him very hard to look past on this slate. Over the last four weeks, he’s put up 38+ DK points in every contest (41.8 average) with nine rushing TDs and a 8:2 TD:INT ratio through the air. It’s encouraging that he’s been scoring and producing more on the ground lately - at Gerrid Doaks’ detriment - and his DFS floor should be very high as long as he keeps that up. Ridder will likely be rushing (and passing) a good amount in this high-scoring and potentially tight matchup with UCF - who are below-average at defending both the pass and run this season. Load him up in cash or GPP. |
| Justin Fields | OSU | IU | 9000 | 34.67 | | |
| Rounding out the expensive QB top-tier is Ohio State’s dual-threat who will likely be more popular in cash because of how much cheaper he is compared to Trask, Lawrence and Ridder. Fields has been near-perfect as a passer so far with an 86.7% completion rate and zero interceptions thrown through three games - and just as many TD passes as incompletions (11). The only reasons he’s priced down (after being $9500 last game) are likely because Ohio State has been off for a week and Fields now faces his toughest test vs. a solid Indiana defense. Still, we should expect Fields and the Buckeyes offense to score plenty in this game as they are projected to score 40+ points as sizable favorites vs. Indiana. He’s the best cash QB if you don’t want to pay for the three other expensive guys. |
| Kenny Pickett | PITT | VT | 7300 | 25.69 | | |
| Outside of Alabama’s Mac Jones, the mid-range of QBs is tough to trust this week and many will likely be looking down the list for their Super-Flex - especially if you’re paying up for one of the 9k QBs as your first choice. Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett looks like a great bargain as he faces a Virginia Tech defense that’s allowing a ton of points and yardage nearly every week. Pickett recently missed time with an ankle injury, but he returned last week vs. Florida State and anchored a dominating victory. The thing that makes him even more valuable for DFS is his rushing upside. Pickett has six rushing TDs through six games played and he’s scored four times on the ground over the last three contests. He may be needed to make more plays with his legs in this game where Virginia Tech is slightly favored - and the matchup is very favorable both through and on the ground. He’s a great cash or GPP option for Super-Flex. |
| Feleipe Franks | ARK | LSU | 6200 | 21.25 | | |
| We’ve been targeting against the LSU defense all year so why stop now - especially with such a cheap option in Feleipe Franks. Through five games, LSU’s defense is allowing 335 passing yards and nearly three pass TDs per game through five contests - making them a legit bottom-five pass D in the whole country. It’s been an up-and-down season for the Arkansas offense, but Franks himself has compiled an efficient 8:0 TD:INT ratio and 76% completion rate over the last three weeks while putting up 19+ DK points in each game. This Arkansas-LSU matchup will definitely be a high-scoring one - featuring two defenses who are subpar and both teams projected to score 30+ points - so getting cheap exposure like Franks is a great avenue. He’s a definite cash QB2 for your Super-Flex. |
| Ken Seals | VAND | UF | 4900 | 13.06 | | |
| Who’s ready to get risky with rostering the Vanderbilt QB in tournaments? It actually might not be a bad idea - especially at this extremely cheap price tag. Seals will be facing a Florida defense that’s actually below-average, giving up 30 PPG and allowing opposing QBs to put up decent numbers every week. A big reason for those stats is due to how high-scoring the Gators’ offense is - forcing opposing teams to throw more in catch-up mode in the second-half. Still, Seals has some upside here to put up good numbers at a very affordable price tag. He’s a good high-upside Super-Flex option for GPP’s. |
Also Consider:
Trevor Lawrence - Clemson ($9,400) - GPP
Mac Jones - Alabama ($8,500) - Cash/GPP
Luke McCaffrey - Nebraska ($6,900) - Cash/GPP
Michael Penix Jr. - Indiana ($6,600) - GPP
Will Howard - Kansas State ($5,300) - GPP
RUNNING BACKS
| Running Backs |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Breece Hall | ISU | KSU | 9900 | 33.03 | | |
| Welcome to the highest-priced player on the board for this main slate. It’s a season-high salary for Iowa State’s bellcow back - and can you really blame DK at this point? Hall has consistently been a DFS stud every game with 30+ DK points in each of the last six games, 100+ rushing yards in every outing and 14 total TDs through seven games overall. His floor is so high because of his guaranteed workload as the Cyclones’ top option on offense - and he’s pretty much locked in to give you 30 or more DK points. That’s why he’s so expensive because you’re paying for that production to anchor your lineup. Still, it’s really hard to fit Hall into cash lineups at this salary - despite the automatic production. He’s one of the best plays across the board as always if you can afford him. |
| Jermar Jefferson | ORST | CAL | 8900 | 33.2 | | |
| We’ve yet to see Oregon State on the main slate this year, but we finally get the chance to roster Jermar Jefferson. He’ll see some of the heaviest volume of any Power 5 RB this season as the bell-cow back in a Beavers’ offense that leans on him a ton. Over his first two games, Jefferson has had 20+ carries with 120+ rushing yards in both outings and has already found the end zone four times (with three in the opener). He was a workhorse back last year when healthy and it looks like much of the same this season - especially with a new QB under center for Oregon State. Jefferson should smash again this week against a Cal rush defense that’s been very bad so far - allowing 244 rush yards per game through two weeks. Load up Jefferson in cash as he’ll likely be more popular in that format than Breece Hall. |
| Travis Etienne | CLEM | FSU | 8600 | 28.81 | | |
| Who’s ready for the Clemson revenge game? The Tigers are finally back in action for the first time since losing a tough one to Notre Dame and will get Trevor Lawrence back in one of the easiest matchups on paper. Florida State’s defense is terrible on all fronts and Travis Etienne and this Clemson attack should have a field day. The ‘Noles are allowing nearly 200 rushing yards and three rush TDs per game this season and Etienne went off for 127 yards in this matchup a year ago. The only issue with Etienne this week - and most games this season - is that he isn’t the regular workhorse back we want to lock in for cash games since Lawrence’s return means more passing production from Clemson and possible TD vulturing from the QB. Still, Etienne’s DFS ceiling is as high as any RB because he can explode for 200+ rushing yards and multiple scores in any given game - plus it’s encouraging to see him be involved as a pass-catcher more this season. He’s an ideal GPP option on this slate. |
| Gerrid Doaks | CINCY | UCF | 6700 | 20.7 | | |
| We mentioned earlier how favorable this matchup is for the Cincinnati offense - and Gerrid Doaks could explode like he’s so capable of. His opponent, UCF, is allowing 189 rushing yards per game and he could be leaned on more than usual with Cincy only favored by one-score (as opposed to their usual blowout wins). Doaks has shown his DFS ceiling already this season - like when he put up 33 DK points and 184 rushing yards two weeks ago vs. Houston. The only worry about Doaks right now, though, is how QB Desmond Ridder is stealing TDs away from him when the offense gets near the goal line. When those red zone opportunities do go to Doaks, however, the sky’s the limit. At this price he’s a great mid-range GPP option. |
| Camerun Peoples | APPST | C-C | 5300 | 10.97 | | |
| Admittedly, the mid-range RBs on this slate get ugly fast with few trustworthy options for cash games. One spot we can target, though, is this Appalachian State backfield as an injury to starter Daetrich Harrington opens up more volume and playing time for both Camerun Peoples and Marcus Williams Jr. With Harrington out last week, Peoples saw a season-high 17 carries for 67 rushing yards and a score. Although both backs struggled overall, Peoples was more effective with his touches than Williams - who only gained 22 yards on 13 carries. This matchup vs. Coastal Carolina is by no means a good one, but we can likely bank on Peoples seeing a decent volume with App St QB Zac Thomas banged up and questionable to even start this one. Peoples is right on the fringe of cash viable at a solid price point, but he’s better for GPP because of the tough matchup (Coastal has an above-average rush defense). |
| Tyrion Davis-Price | LSU | ARK | 4800 | 9.3 | | |
| LSU’s backfield and offense overall has been a whirlwind experience this season - but there’s some major DFS upside with the Tigers’ RBs this week. Their opponent, Arkansas, is allowing 183 rushing yards per game and this matchup is projected to be a high-scoring, back-and-forth one with LSU as slight favorites. It comes down to John Emery Jr. ($5100) and Davis-Price in LSU’s backfield and the latter is a little more attractive because of the savings. Back in Week 8, we saw Davis-Price’s breakout with 135 rushing yards and 22.5 DK points on 22 carries - season-high marks in all categories for the young back. His dud performance vs. Auburn last time out is a little worrisome - but the whole offense was bad that day. This is a great bounce back spot for LSU overall and Davis-Price could be a GPP-winning RB this week. |
Also Consider:
Najee Harris - Alabama ($9,300) - GPP
Master Teague - Ohio State ($8,000) - GPP
Tyler Goodson - Iowa ($7,500) - GPP/Fringe Cash
Christopher Brown Jr. - California ($6,300) - GPP
Dameon Pierce - Florida ($5,300) - Cash
John Emery Jr. - LSU ($5,100) - GPP
WIDE RECEIVERS
| Wide Recievers |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| DeVonta Smith | BAMA | UK | 8800 | 32.52 | | |
| With Jaylen Waddle out for the season, DeVonta Smith is now the clear top receiving option for Alabama and he’ll likely put up monster numbers every game from here on out. In Bama's last game - the first full one since Waddle’s injury - we saw Smith explode for an insane stat line of 11 catches, 203 yards, four TDs and 58 DK points. The future first-round pick is the definite top target for QB Mac Jones and the duo could easily connect for multiple scores and GPP-winning DFS production. As the most expensive WR on the slate and on an offense that can spread the production around (including the running game), Smith is only a GPP option this week but we’ve already seen his ceiling can be 50+ DK points. |
| Chris Olave | OSU | IU | 7600 | 25.27 | | |
| With Ohio State back on the main slate, we need to have QB Justin Fields and his top two receivers in strong consideration as they have not disappointed so far. Garrett Wilson ($7900) and Chris Olave are both great GPP options this week but Olave is the better play overall because of the slight savings for similar production. Olave caught two TDs in both of the last two games and he already has a pair of 100-yard games under his belt through just three games the Buckeyes have played. He has great chemistry with Fields and the duo (along with Wilson) should put up big numbers every week with how efficient and high-scoring this offense is no matter the opponent. |
| Terrace Marshall Jr. | LSU | ARK | 7000 | 29 | | |
| Although the LSU QB situation has been in flux all year, Marshall has pretty much performed every game as the offense’s best weapon. In a high-scoring game vs. Arkansas, we should try to get at least some exposure to one of the offenses and Marshall is likely the best option from either side. Outside of his dud last time out (where the whole LSU offense was shut down by Auburn), Marshall had caught at least two TDs in every game to start the year as he’s been a favorite target for the Tiger QBs. This week it looks like TJ Finley will get the start again for LSU - which is good news for Marshall as the two connected for six catches, 88 yards and two TDs back in Week 8. |
| Treylon Burks | ARK | LSU | 6100 | 21.42 | | |
| Okay, so Treylon Burks is priced way down from what he’s capable of after he had a down game last week (just 8.2 DK points) at a $6700 price tag - but we should pounce on the discount. In his three games prior, Burks had stat lines of 5-95-1, 7-117-1 and 11-137-1 as he quickly became a DFS stud and saw his salary peak at $7400 just two weeks ago. Now we have Burks and this Arkansas offense benefiting from facing an LSU pass defense that’s literally one of the worst in all of college football - their 335 passing yards allowed per game is 4th-worst in the country. This is a bounce back spot for Burks and the Razorbacks’ passing game and we can safely fire him up in cash. |
| Wan'Dale Robinson | NEB | OSU | 5200 | 10.07 | | |
| This might be my favorite play on the whole slate and he’s still a little bit of a wild-card. We heard reports ahead of last week that Nebraska’s coaching staff wanted to get Wan’Dale Robinson more involved as both a receiver and rusher - and that ended up being very true. He had 16 carries for 60 rushing yards as he was used more often as a traditional RB than as a WR - and he added in five receptions as well. Rushing production isn’t anything new for Robinson, who had 340 rushing yards last season with three games where he got double-digit carries. Although he did benefit from Dedrick Mills getting hurt last week, Robinson should remain a big part of Nebraska’s game plan as probably the best athlete on offense. He’s a great value in cash or GPP as he’s bound to find the end zone for the first time this year in a favorable matchup vs. a very bad Illinois defense. |
| Player | Team | Opp. | DK $ | DK FPPG | FD $ | FD FPPG |
| Trevon Grimes | UF | VAND | 5100 | 13.72 | | |
| Before we dive into Grimes, it’s worth noting that Kadarius Toney ($7400) is the GPP-winning option among Florida’s pass-catchers and is even a cash play if you have the salary. On the cheaper end, though, Grimes is a fantastic play as he’s become a bigger part of the Gators’ offense and his price tag has not caught up yet. Last week, Grimes had his best game of the season with six catches for 109 yards and two TDs as he benefited from Kyle Pitts being out. He should continue to play a key role as one of QB Kyle Trask’s top pass-catchers and red zone targets with Pitts still out this week. Lock Grimes into cash games at a huge discount. |
| Pat Freiermuth | PSU | IOWA | 4800 | 15.75 | | |
| Although Penn State’s been very disappointing this season, the offense still has some solid DFS options and Freiermuth is the best per-dollar play on the Nittany Lions right now. The tight end’s 23 receptions are tied with Jahan Dotson for the team lead so far and his 310 receiving yards aren’t far behind Dotson’s 388. And yet, Freiermuth sits $2000 behind his teammate because he’s only found the end zone once compared to Dotson’s five TDs. Still, Freiermuth is a very affordable PPR target as he’s being targeted heavily in an offense that’s been trailing every game so far. Last week was a breakout for him as he racked up seven grabs, 113 yards and 21.3 DK points - all of which came without scoring. He’s great for cash and/or GPP. |
| Kyric McGowan | NW | WISC | 4100 | 10.52 | | |
| So first of all, this Wisconsin-Northwestern game is one we mostly want to stay away from as it features the lowest total on the slate in an expected defensive battle. Still, McGowan could be a nice salary-saver with his surprisingly higher volume of touches for someone priced this low. After totaling only 13 catches and 102 yards all of last season, McGowan already has 15 grabs and 133 yards through four games with five receptions in two of the last three weeks. Plus, he’s added in 14 rushes for 88 yards as Northwestern clearly makes an effort to get the ball in his hands as one of the offense’s top playmakers. The rushing is nothing new for a guy who saw 28 carries for 177 rushing yards last season - including a whopping 17 carries for 146 yards in the season finale. There may not be much scoring in this game overall, but McGowan can still get his stats and save you much-needed salary on a slate with so many top-tier options. |
| Chris Pierce Jr. | VAND | UF | 3500 | 10.88 | | |
| We mentioned earlier how Vanderbilt QB Ken Seals is a very interesting GPP salary-saver in a game where the Commodores will have to pass a lot to keep up with Florida. The same can be said about the Vandy receivers as all of them are very affordable and should see plenty of targets in a high-scoring game for both teams. Chris Pierce Jr. is the cheapest viable option for the ‘Dores and he’s got legit upside with a receiving TD in each of the last three games. In fact, he’s averaged 4.3 receptions, 58.3 yards and a score over the last three weeks as he’s started to click more with Seals. Other options in Vandy’s cheap receiving corps are Cam Johnson ($4300), Ben Bresnahan ($3800) and Ami Abdur-Rahman ($3700). All are options for cash and GPP if you want to save some salary and get cheap exposure to a high-scoring matchup. |
Also Consider:
Kadarius Toney - Florida ($7,400) - GPP
Amari Rodgers - Clemson ($7,300) - GPP
John Metchie - Alabama ($5,900) - GPP
Mike Woods - Arkansas ($5,000) - GPP
Whop Philyor - Indiana ($5,000) - Cash
Charlie Kolar - Iowa State ($4,900) - Cash
Jordan Addison - Pittsburgh ($4,900) - Cash/GPP
Josh Whyle - Cincinnati ($4,600) - GPP
Cam Johnson - Vanderbilt ($4,300) - Cash/GPP
Ben Bresnahan - Vanderbilt ($3,800) - Cash/GPP
EXAMPLE LINEUPS
Please note these lineups are not meant for plug and play but to be used as a guide for creating your own lineups when using the playbook information above.
| DK Cash |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| QB | Justin Fields | OSU | IU | 34.7 | $9,000 |
| Pivot | Desmond Ridder | CINCY | UCF | 31 | $9,200 |
| RB | Jermar Jefferson | ORST | CAL | 33.2 | $8,900 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Camerun Peoples | APPST | C-C | 11 | $5,300 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Treylon Burks | ARK | LSU | 21.4 | $6,100 |
| Pivot | Terrace Marshall Jr. | LSU | ARK | 29 | $7,000 |
| WR | Wan'Dale Robinson | NEB | IL | 10.1 | $5,200 |
| Pivot | Pat Freiermuth | PSU | IOWA | 15.8 | $4,800 |
| WR | Trevon Grimes | UF | VAND | 13.7 | $5,100 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| FLEX | Kyric McGowan | NW | WISC | 10.5 | $4,100 |
| Pivot | Chris Pierce Jr. | VAND | UF | 10.9 | $3,500 |
| S-FLEX | Feleipe Franks | ARK | LSU | 21.2 | $6,200 |
| Pivot | | | | |
| DK GPP |
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opp | FPPG | Salary |
| QB | Kyle Trask | UF | VAND | 36.3 | $9,700 |
| Pivot | Mac Jones | BAMA | UK | 27.8 | $8,500 |
| RB | Gerrid Doaks | CINCY | UCF | 20.7 | $6,700 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| RB | Tyrion Davis-Price | LSU | ARK | 9.3 | $4,800 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Treylon Burks | ARK | LSU | 21.4 | $6,100 |
| Pivot | DeVonta Smith | BAMA | UK | 32.5 | $8,800 |
| WR | Jordan Addison | PITT | VT | 16.4 | $4,900 |
| Pivot | | | | | |
| WR | Cam Johnson | VAND | UF | 14.6 | $4,300 |
| Pivot | Ben Bresnahan | VAND | UF | 10.1 | $3,800 |
| FLEX | Travis Etienne | CLEM | FSU | 28.8 | $8,600 |
| Pivot | Trevon Grimes | UF | VAND | 13.7 | $5,100 |
| S-FLEX | Ken Seals | VAND | UF | 13.1 | $4,900 |
| Pivot | Kenny Pickett | PITT | VT | 25.70 | $7,300 |
