This article is part of our College Football DFS: Night Slate series.
The eight-game Saturday night slate is identical for both sites, which is a DFS miracle and a rarity. We also see some firsts with some record-setting game totals for the season.
SLATE OVERVIEW
North Carolina State (-3) @ Boston College O/U: 52
Stanford (-1) vs. Washington State O/U: 52.5
Iowa State (-6.5) @ Kansas State O/U: 51
Wisconsin (14) vs. Army O/U: 38
Washington (-1.5) vs. UCLA O/U: 55
Iowa State (-6.5) @ Kansas State O/U: 51
Ole Miss (-2.5) @ Tennessee O/U: 82
Alabama (-17) @ Mississippi State O/U: 57.5
Oklahoma (-13.5) vs. TCU O/U: 63
WEATHER
NCST/BC : Rain expected: 11 MPH winds, 69 degrees
A game that could be an outright fade is the Army/Wisconsin game, which has an almost absurdly low O/U (38). I wouldn't be surprised if the Under hit, either. A highlight game would have to be Ole Miss/Tennessee, where Lane Kiffin will return to Knoxville for the first time since dumping the Vols job for USC (and summarily being fired from the Trojans on an airport tarmac sometime later). The 82 O/U is simply massive and one of the highest we've seen all season. Unlike this week's Friday slate, the S-FLEX will almost certainly result in a QB pick, but there is merit to adding a third running back as well if you budget your receivers accordingly.
QUARTERBACK
Matt Corral, Mississippi (DK $10,000, FD $12,000) @ Tennessee
No big surprise here. Corral leads the SEC's best offense, and his lofty salary is well-warranted. He's thrown for almost 1,500 yards to go along with 12 touchdowns and ZERO picks. He also leads the SEC in rushing touchdowns (8), if you can believe that. There's nothing not to like about this selection unless you are firing 150 entries in a GPP and praying for a contrarian QB to hit. The Vols have also been unable to stop elite passers and even some mediocre ones. The stars align for Corral along with the massive projected game total. Fade him at your own risk.
Hendon Hooker, Tennessee (DK $8,800, FD $11,000) vs. Ole Miss
I may sound like a broken record, but this game has all you want, from Lane Kiffin drama, a hostile Neyland stadium crowd, two high-powered offenses, and two elite quarterbacks. Hooker has been spectacular this season, with numbers that rival Corral's. With 13 touchdowns and only one interception, Hooker is exceptionally accurate and has a better passer rating than his opponent. This time around, Ole Miss is the better team, but the Vols have a historical edge over the Rebels, making for a hotly-contested rivalry chock-full of intangibles.
OKLAHOMA SITUATION
A way to glean some sneaky value is to make a last-minute call for the Sooners. Although it's not announced yet, it looks like Caleb Williams (DK $8,300, FD $10,500) will start over Spencer Rattler, and although the sharps may be all over this, a lot of people will pivot to someone stable like Bryce Young (who I don't mind) to avoid a mid-game QB switch. It's a wonderful problem for Oklahoma, but Williams is a five-star, blue-chip recruit who is hard to sit. It's unfortunate for those who have counted on Rattler in their fantasy leagues.
Also consider: Brock Purdy, Iowa State (DK $7,600, FD $8,800)
RUNNING BACK
I'm going to focus on second-tier guys behind Brian Robinson and Breece Hall. You know who they are and what they can do.
Complicating a cut-and-dry RB slate is the status of Tennessee's Tiyon Evans (DK $7,700, FD $8,300) and TCU's Zach Evans (DK $7,500, FD $9,500). Their questionable tags will knock down their readership percentage a good 15 percent or more right off the bat, which is why I single them out as potentially slate-breaking options. It's also worth noting that while Tiyon Evans was listed as questionable last week, he ran for over 100 yards against the Gamecocks anyway. Similarly, Zach Evans has enjoyed four consecutive 100-yard rushing performances, and we're not getting any concrete reason for his current injury tag. Of course, you'd need to monitor the situation closely, but both backs present an opportunity to grab an elite back who could be uncharacteristically less popular.
Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma (DK $6,800, FD $8,400) vs. TCU
If you don't want to exert much deep thought into your lineup construction, Brooks is a no-brainer pick that's right up your alley. It's evident that Brooks has graduated to the top option for the offense instead of Eric Gray, and after his 217-yard day against Texas last week, he'll probably see even more production against the Horned Frogs. TCU has routinely allowed more than 200 yards rushing to opponents, and although the focus will be on the current QB race in Norman, the Sooners' best chance to win Saturday will be on the ground with Brooks.
Zach Charbonnet, UCLA (DK $6,500, FD $8,200) @ Washington
I've already gone to my preferred sportsbook and placed a wager on what I think is a ridiculous line for this UCLA game. Vegas is giving the Huskies entirely too much credit. Have they forgotten how abysmal Washington has been against the run? They've given up close to 200 rushing yards in almost every game they've played. There's no team favoritism or bias here because I'm not too fond of UCLA, but I confess a bit of a DFS soft spot for Charbonnet, who has almost single-handedly raised the Bruins from an afterthought in the PAC-12 to a legit contender. Bad losses to Fresno State and Arizona State may have torpedoed a path to the conference championship, but there's still time to play the spoiler. The one thing concerning me about Charbonnet is his current TD drought, but that could change against Washington this week.
Zonovan Knight, North Carolina State (DK $5,500, $6,800 FD) @ Boston College
Although the Wolfpack's backfield has devolved into a committee approach with Ricky Person, it's allowed Knight's salary to float below his counterpart. The weather conditions will favor the run, and as we saw previously against Clemson and Mizzou, the Eagles have had problems bottling up opposing rushers. Let's also keep in mind that despite their record, the Wolfpack defeated a tough Clemson defense, while Boston College could not. If Knight and Person can run over the Tigers, they should have a much easier time in Boston.
Also consider: Nathaniel Peat, Stanford (DK $4,200, FD $6,400)
WIDE RECEIVER
Dontario Drummond (DK $7,200, FD $9,500) and Braylon Sanders (DK $6,500, FD $7,500), Mississippi @ Tennessee
Corral spread the output seamlessly against Arkansas, and it's hard to measure how he'll divide the passes in this matchup. Still, the loss of Jonathan Mingo earlier in the season left Drummond and Sanders as focal points of the passing attack. This is especially true for Sanders, who shifted from a lesser role into a much more prominent position with the offense. His price is especially attractive on FanDuel, which makes him a better stack with Corral on that site. The price differential on DraftKings between the two receivers is nominal, so you can pretty much mix-and-match these two elite selections when playing multiple lineups.
Velus Jones, Tennessee (DK $6,600, FD $8,200) vs. Mississippi
As you might expect, we're going right back to this game and looking for a Hendon Hooker stack. Jones has 13 receptions over the past two games, which dwarfs any other receiver on the roster. While there's merit to looking down the list to a guy like Jalin Hyatt, Jones is practically guaranteed a good day, based on his weekly improvement over the past month. This is a game where the starters will play all four quarters. Getting cute with wide receivers in this game is probably not the best strategy.
John Metchie, Alabama (DK $5,900, FD $7,600) @ Mississippi State
I understand that Metchie is no longer the top option for Bryce Young, but how can you place him at this salary level, especially on DraftKings? He's a steal over there, and you can bet Young will find him often enough to beat value at this price. A lack of red-zone looks and some down games have caused his salary to slip, but the Crimson Tide faces a Bulldog squad that has been stout against the run. The Bama wideouts should have increased opportunity in this game.
Also consider: Travell Harris, Washington State (DK $6,300, FD $8,300), Makai Polk, Mississippi State (DK $6,900, FD $8,500)