College Football DFS: Friday Slate Week 2

This week, the Friday slates for DraftKings and FanDuel vary somewhat.  FanDuel has elected to eliminate the CS Sacramento – Arizona State game, but DraftKings has included it, making their slate a four-game offering.  At present, we only have Vegas odds* for two of the games available, but they should at least begin to help us navigate the slate.

Wake Forest (-19) at Rice – O/U: 58.5

Marshall at Boise State (-12) – O/U: 57.0

 *- provided by Caesar's Sportsbook (odds subject to change)

With such a slim slate, cash lineup construction will be fairly linear, and if we want to take a GPP or two we will have to polarize our range of options to include some lesser-owned targets.  I think there's no better place to deviate than the QB position.

QUARTERBACK

Isaiah Green, Marshall ($5,500 DK, $7,900 FD) @ Boise State

 I have no doubt that many eyes will fall to Hank Bachmeier after his stellar Week 1 debut, but I think Green is a name that was lost in the limelight on the opening weekend. Green hurled four touchdowns and rushed for 46 yards before taking a seat in a blowout against VMI. Boise State is much tougher opponent, and that will keep Green on the field for four quarters.  I like Green's pricing below the $6,250 median on DraftKings, and it should allow for some elite options at other key positions.

Jamie Newman, Wake Forest ($8,400 DK, $10,100 FD) @ Rice

 Although he's significantly higher-priced, you could certainly headline with Newman and counter with Green in the S-FLEX slot, provided you go cheap at another position.  Newman's 401-yard, three touchdown performance against an underrated Utah State team cemented the starting job under center. He also added a rushing touchdown to his stat line.  While the odds scream blowout, Rice's defense is no slouch. The Owls threatened Army's winning streak (currently the 2nd largest in CFB) and despite the loss, their defense looked especially strong.  Their problems lie primarily on the other side of the ball, but Rice should be able to make Newman a necessity for all four quarters. 

RUNNING BACK

I am extremely tempted to go a bit lower here with a guy like Rob Mahone, but Marshall's run defense was pretty solid last year, allowing a little over 100 yards per game on the ground.  For that reason, I think Mahone's attractive price will be a bit of a trap for most players on Friday.  I'm inclined to look elsewhere, but it's hard to deny his overall talent.

Nahshon Ellerbe, Rice ($6,600 DK, $8,700 FD) vs. Wake Forest

Wake had a hard time containing Jaylen Warren and Gerold Bright last week, and they will face an equally talented rusher in Ellerbe, who put up 103 yards and a touchdown versus Army.  Endorsing Ellerbe might be putting too much stock in Rice's chances in this game, but if the offense is going flow at all, it will likely come from the backfield. Wake's defense definitely needs to improve, and while they should get a bit of a confidence boost this week, I think Ellerbe will make some waves.

Wayne Taulapapa, Virginia  ($5,100 DK, $9,100 FD) vs. William & Mary

Taulapapa's salary on DK is especially appealing, but FanDuel wasn't caught sleeping on the talented sophomore.  He rushed 10 times for 83 yards and a score in a lopsided matchup against Pittsburgh, and I think we'll see a similar load from him on Friday. The Cavs won't have to do much to come away with a W here, and rather than attack from the air, I see Bryce Perkins handing it over to Taulapapa early and often. We risk a decrease in snaps in the event of a blowout, but William and Mary's rushing defense ranked in the top 100 last year.  Virginia may call on their #1 running back well into the second half.

WIDE RECEIVER

Sage Surratt, Wake Forest ($8,200 DK, $9,800 FD) @ Rice

Here is where I'll spend all that money I saved at quarterback.  Newman targeted Surratt an insane 11 times last week and connected on seven for 158 yards and a touchdown.  He's unquestionably the favorite target for Wake in the early going, and though Rice's defense may present a bit of a challenge, it'll only keep the talented wideout around longer.

Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State ($6,000 DK, N/A FD) vs. CS Sacramento

He's only a DK pick, but he's definitely worth mentioning as a deep threat.  He led the team in receptions last week and scampered for a 72-yard score against Kent State.  I think another weak opponent is just what the doctor ordered for freshman QB Jaylen Daniels, who needs a bit more seasoning before he enters Pac-12 play. Daniels didn't get Kyle Williams involved last week, so this synergy with Aiyuk might be a continuing trend.

While it isn't something I'll endorse every week, this is definitely a slate where you can load up on a QB in the S-FLEX and still have plenty of cash left over.  You shouldn't consider guys like Bachmeier or Eno Benjamin fades for me, as I think they are entirely appropriate for cash lineups.  However, those selections will result in sacrifices at the flex positions, and I'm high on a 2-QB setup for both formats.