This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
Great games abound in Week 7, with four on the schedule featuring a pair of ranked teams clashing. Heading the class in the expected over-under department is, to nobody's surprise, Oklahoma and Texas (or Texas and Oklahoma, depending on who you ask). Clemson leads the implied totals mark at 43.3 points versus Florida State, with Oklahoma right behind them at 43.0. Only two squads are expected to top the 40-point mark on this slate, while Louisville-Wake Forest and Alabama-Texas A&M close out the games with over-unders at or above 60 total points.
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Week 6 Review
QB
Joe Burrow, LSU ($10,800): 43.0
Sean Clifford, Penn State ($10,600): 30.9
Hendon Hooker, Virginia Tech ($4,000): 33.0
RB
Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State ($10,600): 34.2
DeeJay Dallas, Miami ($8,100): 15.3
John Lovett, Baylor ($7,100): 19.4
WR
Ja'Marr Chase, LSU ($9,900): 12.9
KJ Hamler, Penn State ($9,000): 10.7
Taysir Mack, Pittsburgh ($7,500): 19.0
Stephen Sullivan, LSU ($5,500): 1.3
Racey McMath, LSU ($5,000): 1.4
DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Stats
- Odds
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
- DFS Main Slate Primer
Matchup Info
Link to view spreadsheet
Note: RotoWire expected scores are based on a mathematical equation that doesn't include Special Teams or Points off Turnovers.
Week 7 Plays
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma ($11,500) vs. Texas
Hurts hasn't dropped below 36.32 FanDuel points in a game this season and there's no reason to believe that tune will change Saturday. As good as Texas' offense has been, the Longhorns' defense has has surrendered a slate-high 325.0 passing yards per game, coughing up 8.3 yards per attempt and 2.2 passing touchdowns per game. Not only should Hurts be able to take advantage of that, but he also provides a dual-threat presence on the ground, having rushed for no fewer than 56 yards thus far. Oklahoma is the second-highest expected scoring squad for a reason, and Hurts is the main reason.
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson ($9,400) vs. Florida State
Although Lawrence hasn't lived up to the sky-high heights surrounding his name after a phenomenal freshman campaign, he still possesses immense upside that was displayed in his 36-point effort recorded earlier in the season against Syracuse. The sophomore signal-caller has plenty of weapons at his disposal and takes on a Florida State defense allowing north of 300 passing yards per game. This is a good opportunity to get Lawrence back into a groove as Clemson looks to reassert its dominance atop the ACC.
GPP Play: Brian Maurer, Tennessee ($7,000) vs. Mississippi State
Maurer gets the starting nod again Saturday after replacing Jarrett Guarantano in that role last week and completing half of his 28 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns against a staunch Georgia defense. Mississippi State doesn't pose nearly as much of a threat, letting up 243.4 passing yards per game (8.1 yards per pass attempt) and 1.2 touchdowns per game. The Vols are expected to put up close to 30 points in the contest and a lot of that could come through the air without a reliable running game to turn to.
Running Back
Michael Warren II, Cincinnati ($9,200) at Houston
While Houston's raw defensive stats should hype up the passing game for the Bearcats, most of the Cougars' previous opponents have relied heavily on the passing game for production. What gets lost in the shuffle is that the Houston defense allows a slate-high 5.3 rushing yards per attempt to go along with 178.8 yards per game. Warren typically fills the bell-cow role for the Bearcats, rushing 23 times for 133 yards last week against UCF. Vegas believes the game script will favor Cincinnati down the stretch, which should allow the offense to ride its workhorse.
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State ($9,600) vs. Washington State
Speaking of bell cows, Benjamin is the definition of that for the Sun Devils. The junior back has carried the rock at least 20 times in four of the five games this season. While it required a season-high 29 carries, Benjamin is coming of his best effort last week against California, when he racked up 100 yards and three touchdowns to post 30.4 points. He checks in third among running backs on the slate, and squares off against a Washington State defense that has been shredded to the tune of 4.6 yards per carry and 178.6 rushing yards per game. The Cougars have faced 39.4 rushing attempts per game this season, and Benjamin has handled nearly 60 percent of totes for Arizona State. If that holds true Saturday, Benjamin shouldn't have a ton of trouble topping 100 rushing yards for the second straight week and the third time this season, which doesn't factor in his average 2.6 receptions for 30.2 receiving yards per contest.
GPP Play: Zach Charbonnet, Michigan ($7,900) at Illinois
Charbonnet has had his workload monitored in recent weeks, but he returned to a double-digit carry count last week against Iowa after combining for just seven in the previous two contests. In the three games he has totaled eight or more totes, Charbonnet has topped 10-plus points. The matchup this week has the right combination of game script (Michigan -22) and matchup (Illinois allowing 183.2 rushing yards and 1.4 rushing touchdowns per game) that Charbonnet could add to that total. The only question is whether or not he will get enough carries to reach that fantasy value.
Wide Receiver
Sage Surratt, Wake Forest ($9,200) vs. Louisville
Surratt and teammate Scotty Washington have proven to be two valuable fantasy options in the early going. While both average more than 10 yards per target, Surratt isn't as reliant on the deep ball, totaling just 15.1 yards per reception compared to Washington's 17.4. That's a good sign for his game Saturday against a Louisville team that has yielded just 24 pass plays of 15 yards or more. While that's not great, it still ranks in the top 50 nationally. If the Cardinals are able to deter some of the deep ball tosses, Surratt, the more well-rounded wideout of the two, should still find gaps in the Louisville secondary. He's tallied 20 or more points in three of his five games this season and should have a good chance to deliver that again Saturday.
Tee Higgins, Clemson ($8,900) vs. Florida State
Higgins hasn't garnered as many targets as teammate Justyn Ross, but he's been much more efficient with his looks, averaging 15.8 yards per target, which ranks second in the nation for players receiving at least six targets per tilt. The passing game has taken some criticism early in the season, so this should provide the Tigers with an opportunity to shed it Saturday with a statement win and the matchup, as highlighted in the Trevor Lawrence section above, should give the shot in the arm it needs. The Seminoles have also surrendered a whopping 35 pass plays of at least 15 yards this season. Only seven teams having played just five games can make similar claims.
GPP Play: Marquez Callaway, Tennessee ($7,400) vs. Mississippi State
Not only does the change in quarterback and matchup make Tennessee's signal-caller an attractive option, but that extends to Callaway as well. Prior to last Saturday against Georgia, Callaway had been the target of more than four passes just once, the opener versus Georgia State. That changed with the swap to Brian Maurer as the starting signal-caller last week and the continuity there elicits some encouragement regarding Callaway's potential fantasy output. The Bulldogs have let up 38 passing plays of 15 or more yards through five tilts, the third most among teams having played just five games this season and 11th-most overall. Callaway has made the most of his catches this season, averaging 19.9 yards, and could be in line to back that up with another effort.
GPP Round 2: Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati ($7,900) at Houston
Deguara is among the most heavily involved tight ends in the passing game in all of college football. He ranks 15th nationally in targets per game and third in team target share. He's also tallied three touchdown grabs through the first five games, which bodes well against a Houston defense surrendering a slate-high 2.6 passing touchdowns per game. The game script suggests it should remain close enough to keep the passing game involved throughout, so it's worth throwing a dart at a position that gets little DFS love if you're looking to fade Michael Warren II.