This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.
ALERT: I decided to make a change to this lineup. I initially posted a lineup featuring SMU QB Grant Krstich, USC RB Javorius Allen and UCLA WR Jordan Payton, but I needed to retract it. I've replaced Krstich with Gunner Kiel, Allen with Paul Perkins, and Payton with KD Cannon. I'm extremely sorry if this caused any confusion -- please feel free to ask any questions in the comment box.
To be clear: the lineup you see below -- Barrett/Kiel/Perkins/Yeldon/Cannon/Joseph/Doctson/McManus/Elliott -- is the lineup I will use this week.
This week's early Saturday slate on DraftKings figures to be a high-scoring one. The games SMU vs. Cincinnati, Ohio State vs. Rutgers, California vs. UCLA and West Virginia vs. Baylor average an over/under of 69.75, and each of those teams but Rutgers has a quarterback providing a disproportionate amount of its offensive production.
Make sure to click here to see the wide variety of contests to choose from on DraftKings this Saturday.
QUARTERBACK
J.T. Barrett - Ohio State vs. Rutgers ($7,700)
Barrett has done it more as a passer, but his overall numbers lately are probably as good or better than what Braxton Miller used to provide. Barrett is averaging 39.65 points per game on DraftKings in his last three games, and this week he has a home game against a Rutgers defense that managed to give up passing yardage to even the Navy offense (Sept. 20), and showed vulnerability to rushing quarterbacks by allowing 40 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to Devin Gardner (Oct. 4). The over/under (63.5) projects Ohio State (-21.5) to score 42 points, and Barrett has accounted for 19 of Ohio State's 29 touchdowns. That would seem to put the over/under for Barrett's touchdown total at 3.5.
Gunner Kiel - Cincinnati at SMU ($7,500)
I initially went with SMU QB Grant Krstich here and still think he should do fine, but I decided it was too much of a gamble for a non-tournament lineup. Kiel should have a high floor worth the additional cost. Krstich's offensive line is garbage and Cincinnati might be able to harass him into poor play.
QB Alternatives: Brett Hundley - UCLA at California ($8,900), Kenny Hill - Texas A&M at Alabama ($7,200)
RUNNING BACK
Paul Perkins - UCLA at California ($6,500)
Perkins has been a beast of a runner for UCLA, and he's a strong pass-catching back, too. UCLA's receivers aren't very good aside from Jordan Payton and maybe Eldridge Massington, so I'm optimistic of Perkins' chances of latching on to some of Brett Hundley's passing production.
T.J. Yeldon - Alabama vs. Texas A&M ($4,400)
Yeldon burned me once already this year against Florida, but he'll make it up to me this week. He's very cheap at just $4,400, particularly as the clear lead runner for a team projected to score roughly 38 points. He's gone 70 carries without a touchdown, and for that streak to extend beyond Saturday is almost unfathomable given that he had 28 touchdowns over his previous 405 carries. That's once every 14.5 carries, and Yeldon has 54 carries over his last three games.
RB Alternatives: Devon Johnson - Marshall at Florida International ($7,400), Shock Linwood - Baylor at West Virginia ($6,400), Ezekiel Elliott - Ohio State vs. Rutgers ($5,200), Akeem Hunt - Purdue at Minnesota ($4,900), William Stanback - UCF vs. Tulane ($4,800), Nick Chubb at Arkansas ($4,600)
WIDE RECEIVER
KD Cannon - Baylor at West Virginia ($7,000)
Cannon might technically be Baylor's third wideout behind Antwan Goodley and Corey Coleman, but he's still been heavily targeted even after Goodley and Coleman returned from injury. He's a supremely talented player and I like his chances of getting in on what should be a scoring bonanza.
Darius Joseph - SMU vs. Cincinnati ($4,200)
Joseph's two blank box scores against North Texas and Texas A&M are terrifying, but he seems to have reestablished himself as the team's go-to receiver in the last two weeks by catching 18 passes over that span, including 13 catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns against East Carolina a week ago. He should go as Krstic does.
Josh Doctson - TCU vs. Oklahoma State ($3,600)
The Oklahoma State passing defense looks good enough at a glance, but they allowed an average of 382 yards and three touchdowns per game to Florida State and Texas Tech while padding their stats against Southwest Missouri State, UTSA, Iowa State and Kansas in the other four games. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin is hot this year, and Doctson is his most reliable target with a team-leading 24 catches, including 22 in the last four games.
WR Alternatives: Jordan Payton - UCLA at California ($6,400), Mekale McKay - Cincinnati at SMU ($4,300), Der'rikk Thompson - SMU vs. Cincinnati ($3,900), Amari Cooper - Alabama vs. Texas A&M ($8,300), Tyler Lockett - Kansas State at Oklahoma ($5,900), Eldridge Massington - UCLA at California ($3,000)
TIGHT END
Deon-Tay McManus - Marshall at Florida International ($3,500)
McManus wasn't a part of the Marshall game plan for the first month of the year, but the talented former four-star recruit got his foot into the door over the last two games, catching seven passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. With Davonte Allen and Angelo Jean-Louis questionable with injuries, Marshall might need to lean on McManus a third straight week, especially against an FIU team playing respectable defense.
TE Alternatives: Jonnu Smith - Florida International vs. Marshall ($4,400), Cam Serigne - Wake Forest vs. Syracuse ($3,700), Maxx Williams - Minnesota vs. Purdue ($3,200)
FLEX
Ezekiel Elliott - Ohio State vs. Rutgers ($5,200)
Elliott figures to lose a few carries now that Curtis Samuel is back from injury, but considering Elliott totaled 52 carries over the last two games, he can share a few and still stay at or near a 20-carry pace. Elliott has been a rocket in his last three games, bolting for 386 yards and a touchdown on just 59 carries (6.5 YPC) while adding 10 catches for 109 yards. Rutgers has allowed 804 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground in its last five games.
