College Football DFS: FanDuel Saturday Night Slate, Week 3

College Football DFS Picks: FanDuel Saturday Night Slate, Week 3

FanDuel is posting an 11-game slate for Saturday evening. Let's begin with an overview of the slate and then move forward with our selections for the week.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Ohio State (-31.5) @ Toledo O/U: 62.5

North Carolina State (-10) vs. Texas Tech O/U: 56

Florida (-23.5) vs. South Florida O/U: 58.5

Washington (-3.5) vs. Michigan State O/U: 56.5

Pittsburgh (-10.5) @ Western Michigan O/U: 47.5

Maryland (-2.5) vs. SMU O/U: 72.5

Texas (-12.5) vs. UTSA O/U: 57.5

Texas A&M (-6) vs. Miami O.U: 44.5 

Iowa (-23) vs. Nevada O/U: 39.5

Central Florida (-7.5) @ Florida Atlantic O/U: 62

Clemson (-33) vs. Louisiana Tech O/U: 53.5

The UTSA-Texas matchup looms large as a potential trap for Texas and an excellent source of fantasy production. While Maryland and SMU post the highest Over-Under, player selection for those two teams is difficult to the offensive distribution. I believe the N.C. State-Texas Tech game is coming in at a O/U that's too low, and we should give a little more focus there. Unsurprisingly, Iowa-Nevada and Texas A&M - Miami should be avoided.

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WEATHER REPORT

USF/UF - 66 percent chance of rain

NEV/IOWA - 43 percent chance of rain

UCF/FAU - 17 m.p.h. Winds, 84 percent chance of rain

QUARTERBACKS

C.J. Stroud ($11,000) Ohio State vs. Toledo is a no-brainer play for the Buckeyes, but we'll need to be less cute with our running back selections. There are some great picks a bit further down in the player pool that can save plenty of coin.

Devin Leary, N.C. State ($8,700) vs. Texas Tech

The order at these positions is based on order of preference, and I'm surprised at how far one has to scroll to get to Leary's name, especially when you consider the possible production spike between two unbeaten teams. The Red Raiders are one of the best teams in the nation against the run, so it will be up to Leary to press the secondary with his strong and accurate arm. Through two games, he's thrown for 449 yards and five touchdowns, and while his completion rate is only 57 percent at the moment, the number should correct itself in the positive direction after more games.

Frank Harris, UTSA ($9,300) @ Texas

I love Harris' salary on DraftKings, but FanDuel has raised his number, and rightfully so. They'll face a Texas team that is suddenly beatable after the loss of their starting quarterback, and it could result in a gassed defense that ends up losing the possession battle. The Roadrunners almost knocked off a ranked Houston team behind Harris, who has some of the best numbers in the nation after two games. Against Army and Houston, Harris compiled 696 yards passing, six touchdowns and only one interception. He also added almost 100 yards on the ground and another touchdown to his scoring totals. It's a close call between Harris and Leary as my top play.

Finally, keep an eye on news from Pitt about Kedon Slovis' ($7,700) status leading to Saturday's game against Western Michigan. Slovis is at a great discount if he plays, and backup Nick Patti ($7,700) will probably be more comfortable and prepared if he starts. I back either play as a contrarian game-time call.

LATE CALL: Max Johnson ($,.500) was named starting quarterback for Texas A&M Friday, a move that probably comes as no surprise. Haynes King couldn't get it done to begin the season, and Johnson should have had the job after a decent run of games last season. His reduced salary due to the question mark when players were registered makes him a good bargain against Miami.

RUNNING BACKS

Bijan Robinson, Texas ($10,800) vs. UTSA

With Hudson Card now under center for Oklahoma, the Roadrunners could simply key on Robinson, which may be one reason why DraftKings lowered his salary. I still think it's far too cheap for the best running back in the country. For the Longhorns to be effective, they'll need to establish their running game and lean on it, because Card's production is unpredictable at this juncture. I like Robinson a bit more than presumptive DFS machine TreVeyon Henderson because the Buckeyes will eventually give way to the bench if their game gets out of hand.

Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh ($8,400) @ Western Michigan

Western Michigan currently ranks 191st in the nation against the run, and Abanikanda has turned out two straight 100-plus-yard performances to begin the season. The Panthers' offense could also be a bit more run-focused if Kedon Slovis doesn't play, which only means more touches for Pitt's talented back.

Trevor Etienne, Florida (FD $6,400) vs. South Florida

The snap count between Etienne and Montrell Johnson swung Etienne's way last week, with Travis Etienne's younger brother getting nine carries to Johnson's seven. It's anyone's guess if the trend will continue, but the Gators will almost assuredly lean on the run in this lopsided matchup. Etienne would carry some variance, but if you decide to spend up with Stroud or Henderson alongside our other endorsements, Etienne's salary could help get you there.

Will Shipley, Clemson ($8,700) vs. Louisiana Tech

It's blowout alert in Death Valley, and the Tigers will once again lean on their running back in this uneven game. The Tigers should have blown out Furman, yet they did end up yielding to Kobe Pace earlier than expected. I think Tech will provide a bit more fight, which should persuade Brandon Streeter to keep Shipley in the scheme more frequently. Even though D.J. Uiagelelei looks a bit better this year, there's no question who provides the heartbeat of this offense.

WIDE RECEIVERS

I usually go 'budget' at this position weekly, and Week 4 is no exception. By and large, quarterbacks and running backs guarantee more production, and FanDuel's 0.5 PPR makes wideouts less of a priority than DraftKings, which awards one point per reception.

Jerand Bradley, Texas Tech ($6,700) @ N,C. State

It's hard to find a stack for Frank Harris because he spreads the ball out to a wide array of targets, but a deep dive into the numbers shows that Sanders might be the most consistent participant despite not scoring a touchdown. Adding six points to a player's average, especially this early, can paint a deceiving picture, and that's the case with Tech's wideouts. Bradley has caught six balls in two straight games, and it's only a matter of time before he finds paydirt.

Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech ($5,400) @ Clemson

The Bulldogs' best chance to gain ground against the Tigers is to throw the ball, Parker McNeil is only making his second start, but all three of his touchdown passes last week went to Harris. I would not go max exposure on him, but there is some merit to the pick because Clemson's second string in the secondary is inexperienced, and this could be where McNeil takes some shots down the field in desperation.

Devin Maddox, Toledo ($5,400) @ Ohio State

Similar to Harris, Maddox is a top wideout for a big underdog. Dequan Finn is no slouch as Toledo's signal caller, It's been a slow recovery for Maddox after a hamstring injury, but he snared a TD pass against UMass last week and now that he's healthy, I project a steep increase in targets. Ohio State's defense is good but you can score on them, and they can definitely allow for some medium-length passes.