Fanduel College Football: Week 3 Picks

We have hit Week 3 of the college football season and have some handy tools at your disposal for the upcoming FanDuel slates. Included among those is our always handy lineup optimizer,weekly rankings by position and some tools to explore on your own like targets, team trends,odds and Defense vs. Position. With all of this information at your disposal, we aim to arm you as much as possible each week.

The lines this week:

GSOU @ Clemson -33 (47.0)
MTSU @ UGA -34.0 (54.0)
Boise @ OKST (-2) (64.5)
SMU @ Mich (-35.5) (53.5)
BYU @ WIS (-22) (46.5)
LSU @ AUB (-10.5) (44.5)
WVU @ NCST Canceled
HOU (-1.5) @ TTU (69.5)
SJST @ ORE (-41.5) (69)
ALA (-20.5) @ MISS (70.0)
MIZZ (-6.0) @ PUR (65.5)

Of Note: The main slate has been moved up to 12 PM ET due to rescheduling of GSOU-CLEM game.

Without further adieu, the following are some of the players I may target in the main slate this week.

Quarterback

Elite ($9,500 and up)

Justin Herbert, Oregon (vs San Jose St.), $9,800

Herbert and the Ducks own the highest implied total on the main slate, and for good reason. San Jose State has allowed 866 combined passing yards in its first two contests and Herbert has the weapons to take advantage. I don't anticipate him remaining in the entire contest in what should be a blowout, but he should rack up plenty of stats before the Ducks deploy the backups.

Mid-Tier ($8,600-$9,500)

Jordan Ta'amu, Ole Miss (vs. Alabama), $9,200

The middle tier Saturday doesn't have a ton of intriguing options, leaving Ta'amu as potentially the best of the bunch. Through two games this season, the Rebels' offense has racked up a massive 123 points. In part, that's due to the defense surrendering 68 points combined to Texas Tech and Southern Illinois. While the Crimson Tide defense will certainly have no part of that, Ole Miss should be forced to pass a lot in the contest as 20.5-point underdogs. With DeMarkus Lodge (concussion) expected to be available opposite star wideout A.J. Brown, he has the tools to be a tournament play signal-caller against the vaunted Bama defense.

Bargain Bin (<$8,600)

David Blough, Purdue (vs Missouri) $4,000

Blough could wind up being the ultimate bargain this week. Having split reps with Elijah Sindelar throughout the first two games and produced little against Eastern Michigan last week, his value has bottomed out at the minimum price. Purdue faced some horrid weather last week that prevented them from throwing the football much, which should balance out against Missouri. This pick directly relates to the health of Sindelar, who is suffering from an undisclosed issue ahead of the contest that leaves him questionable. If he can't play, Blough would presumably receive all of the reps under center against Missouri in what is expected to be a relatively close contest. It's a risky play with Purdue last on the slate and the potential for no news until late, but it could pay off in a big way and will allow for the insertion of more stars at other spots.

Running Back

Elite ($9,000 and up)

Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (vs. BYU) $10,100

It's relatively chalky to recommend the top of the board but there doesn't appear to be a player near Jonathan Taylor among the "elite" options this week. His game ranks among the lowest in expected scoring total, but Wisconsin remains a 22-point favorite for the contest and Taylor, who is coming off two massive performances in the first two weeks, should stay in unless the game gets way out of hand at some point. BYU has also surrendered 4.29 yards per carry (85th in FBS) through two games this season and certainly hasn't faced a back yet of Taylor's caliber. That bodes well for Taylor's chances of hitting value this week.

Mid-Tier ($7,500-$8,800)

Damien Harris, Alabama (vs. Ole Miss) $8,100

Despite being the starter for the Crimson Tide, Harris is listed $200 cheaper than Najee Harris this week. It's no surprise Alabama enters the contest as 20.5-point favorites after Ole Miss allowed 68 points combined to Texas Tech and Southern Illinois. The defensive front has also surrendered 4.82 yards per carry to its first two opponents, lending itself to massive damage Saturday. Alabama should have no problem surpassing the two previous point totals and should have a second-half lead that allows the running backs to salt away the game.

I also like Damarea Crockett, Missouri at the same price ($8,100)

Bargain Bin (<$7,500)

James Cook, Georgia (vs MTSU), $7,100

Cook sits third on the depth chart for a Georgia team that's a 34-point favorite against Middle Tennessee State. With the SEC schedule beginning in a week, the Bulldogs have little incentive to keep the starters in longer than necessary, so Cook and the other backups will likely receive plenty of run in the second half of this contest.

Wide Receiver

Elite ($9,000 and up)

Emanuel Hall, Missouri (@Purdue) $9,700

The favorite target of senior quarterback Drew Lock, Hall has shredded each of the first two defenses he's faced to the tune of 14 grabs for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Although Purdue's pass defense isn't as bad as Tennessee Martin's, it's not too far off. The Boilermakers surrendered 347 passing yards to Eastern Michigan last week despite rainy conditions that were much more conducive to running the football. He should have a field day with the Purdue secondary en route to a third productive outing in a row to begin the 2018 campaign in what's projected to be a close contest with Missouri favored by just six points.

Mid-Tier ($7,500-$9,000)

Courtney Lark, Houston (vs. Texas Tech) $8,700

Texas Tech's pass defense ranks 67th in FBS allowing just 208.0 passing yards per game, but that stat is skewed by a Week 2 FCS Lamar opponent that finished the day with just 80 passing yards despite attempting 32 passes. Houston likely trends a bit more toward the Ole Miss end of the spectrum with D'Eriq King at the helm, and his favorite target through two weeks has been Lark. During the first two contests, King has looked his way 18 times total, resulting in eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns combined. Plenty more targets should be headed his way in what figures to be a closer contest this week after a blowout win over Arizona in Week 2.

Bonus pick: DaMarkus Lodge, Mississippi ($7,800) vs. Alabama

Bargain Bin (<$7,500)

Irv Smith Jr., Alabama (vs. Ole Miss) $6,200

I'm hesitant to recommend a pass catcher below $7,500 this week, but if I'm putting my eggs in a basket, I'll roll with a player in the highest over/under on the slate. Smith has taken over as a starter in a position that's labeled tight end and he's paid dividends early for the Crimson Tide with six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown in the last two games. Four of those grabs and the score came last week against Arkansas State and he could be target in the red zone Saturday versus a porous Ole Miss secondary.