This article is part of our College Football DFS: Night Slate series.
We've got some intriguing late games in the college football landscape on Saturday, as some of the nation's top teams take the field to rack up some fantasy points for your lineup builds. We don't get the top matchup of the night on this slate (the LSU/Alabama game), but we still have a lot to choose from in the evening games.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Georgia (-16.5) vs. Missouri O/U: 48
South Carolina (-6) vs. Appalachian State O/U: 51
Washington State (-8) @ California O/U: 52.5
Fresno State (-5.5) vs. Utah State O/U: 58.5 (DraftKings Only)
Kentucky (-2) vs. Tennessee O/U: 42 (FanDuel Only)
Clemson (-33.5) @ NC State O/U: 54
Notre Dame (-8) @ Duke O/U: 51
Oklahoma (-14.5) vs. Iowa State: O/U: 68
Odds provided via DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change)
The ISU/OU matchup jumps out at us with the highest Over/Under on the slate, which means that a certain former Alabama quarterback will be at the forefront of many of my builds. Also, despite the 33.5-point spread, the first-half performances of Clemson's potent offense have proven to be solid on their own -
We've got some intriguing late games in the college football landscape on Saturday, as some of the nation's top teams take the field to rack up some fantasy points for your lineup builds. We don't get the top matchup of the night on this slate (the LSU/Alabama game), but we still have a lot to choose from in the evening games.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Georgia (-16.5) vs. Missouri O/U: 48
South Carolina (-6) vs. Appalachian State O/U: 51
Washington State (-8) @ California O/U: 52.5
Fresno State (-5.5) vs. Utah State O/U: 58.5 (DraftKings Only)
Kentucky (-2) vs. Tennessee O/U: 42 (FanDuel Only)
Clemson (-33.5) @ NC State O/U: 54
Notre Dame (-8) @ Duke O/U: 51
Oklahoma (-14.5) vs. Iowa State: O/U: 68
Odds provided via DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change)
The ISU/OU matchup jumps out at us with the highest Over/Under on the slate, which means that a certain former Alabama quarterback will be at the forefront of many of my builds. Also, despite the 33.5-point spread, the first-half performances of Clemson's potent offense have proven to be solid on their own - and there's going to be some increased motivation from the Tigers this week after getting booted from the Top 4.
While you could probably find a couple of viable targets in the MIZZOU/UGA game, I'll be limiting my exposure there, and I'll do the same with the APPST/SCAR game as well. The sneaky places to find value will be with the UTST/FRES and WSU/CAL games, and I'll be identifying a few of them below.
QUARTERBACK
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma (DK $9,000, FD $12,000) vs. Iowa State.
Hurts come at a high premium, but it's well-warranted and I think worth the cost. He's not just a quarterback - he represents almost all of Oklahoma's offensive production by himself. His numbers are, in a word, insane. 21 scores through the air, 13 touchdowns with his feet, all while accumulating 3,921 total yards of offense. Iowa State ranks 54th in the nation against opposing quarterbacks, but Hurts is a singular, match-up proof kind of guy that outshines any other option on the slate.
Brock Purdy, Iowa State (DK $7,900, FD $9,700) at Oklahoma
Just because the Sooners are heavily favored doesn't mean that there isn't opportunity on the other side of the ball. The Cyclones have a potent passing attack led by Purdy, and they'll need to lean on that if they have any hope of staying competitive. Oklahoma hasn't exactly won their games by presenting a strong defensive front - they just usually score more than their opponent. They're pretty soft against the pass, and with the Cyclones coming off a bye, they'll be well-rested and ready to attack the Oklahoma secondary. Purdy can do damage with his feet as well, as he's run for 196 yards and six scores this season.
Jorge Reyna, Fresno State (DK $6,900) vs. Utah State
This is strictly a call for DraftKings, but Reyna is a decent budget pick despite some disappointing metrics at certain points this season. Utah State's passing defense numbers are a little deceiving in that aside from Joe Burrow, they haven't played many decent quarterbacks. Fresno State is one of those rare Mountain West teams that leans on the pass a bit more, and I think this could be a nice opportunity for the Bulldogs to take advantage of the struggling Aggies.
RUNNING BACKS
Travis Etienne, Clemson (DK $7,700, FD $9,600) @ NC State
The junior speedster will likely only be called upon for three quarters, but there's no denying the kind of impact he can make in short order. He's on a ridiculous four-game tear, with 640 yards and six touchdowns over that span. The Wolfpack are unraveling as the season comes to a close, and their defense will be pushed to the limit with an offense incapable of keeping them off the field.
Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State (DK $5,400) vs. Utah State.
Rivers is a one-man wrecking ball for the Bulldogs and a perfect budget play for your DraftKings lineups. Lately, he's been a touchdown machine, with two touchdowns in three straight games. I expect to see a third straight 100-plus-yard game from Rivers versus a forgiving Utah State defense.
Rico Dowdle, South Carolina (DK $5,200, FD $7,200) vs. Appalachian State
Tevan Feaster (groin) is ruled out for Saturday and the Gamecocks are expected to get their starting rusher back after he missed three weeks with a knee injury. Dowdle could sneak under the radar as a low-owned candidate against a porous Mountaineers rushing defense.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Brandon Arconado, Washington State (DK $6,700, FD $8,500) @ California
The top receivers on this slate are very cheap compared to their running back counterparts, so I'm going to buy two of them. I can see why some people are looking more at Easop Winston, but Acronado has seen more targets from Anthony Gordon lately. Gordon should have an easier time against Cal after a tough game against Oregon. Cal ranks 103rd in the country versus opposing quarterbacks.
CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma (DK $7,100, FD $9,600) vs. Iowa State
Since Lamb is Hurts' favorite target in the offense, I'm perfectly comfortable stacking the two in any lineup builds today. He's broken the century mark in four contests and has a total of 11 touchdowns so far this season. The Cyclones rank 154th in passing defense and should end up to be a favorable opponent for Lamb and Hurts to exploit.
Deshaunte Jones, Iowa State (DK $5,700, FD $7,700) at Oklahoma
There are actually a host of other Oklahoma receivers I could target, but instead, I'm going to look for value on the other side of this game and hit the Cyclones' highest priced receiver, who is a bargain on both sites. The only knock on Jones is that he's only found the end zone once this season. It's an odd stat when you consider he's caught 52 passes for 586 yards. While that could marginalize his numbers, he will stack up a higher total in the PPR department.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Here's a list of players that also merit consideration tonight, although they didn't get a full write-up.
QB Anthony Gordon (DK $8,500, FD $10,500), Washington State
RB Max Borghi (DK, $7,800, FD $9,500), Washington State
WR Justyn Ross (DK $5,700, FD $7,800), Clemson
WR Charleston Rambo (DK $5,200, FD $8,000), Oklahoma