First off Happy New Year everyone, hope everybody has a safe and fun New Year’s Eve! This is always the best part of bowl season and we are set to kick it off with four games on this New Year’s day, all of which feature some of the biggest and most known programs in the country . The schedule is very spread out so the main slates gets underway with the opening game at 1 PM, and takes you all the way to the night game.
This article is going to breakdown games from a DFS perspective. We are starting to get some teams that have been on previous slates throughout the year and that will help in terms of projecting the production. It has been an awesome CFB year and I truly appreciate everyone taking the time to check out he article and hang in slack breaking down these slates.
Wednesday Bowl Games on Slate
Outback Bowl – Minnesota vs Auburn -7, O/U 54
Citrus Bowl – Michigan vs Alabama -7.5, O/U 58.5
Rose Bowl – Oregon vs Wisconsin -3, O/U 52
Sugar Bowl – Georgia -4.5 vs Baylor, O/U 41.5
CFB DFS Picks: Quarterback
Bo Nix, Auburn – 6.8k DraftKings, 8.9k FanDuel
This is immediately becoming a crazy slate as I think I might have Bo Nix 7th in terms of QB’s id want on my team from this slate. The Freshman hasn’t had a bad year, but I also don’t trust him nearly as much as a lot of the QB’s from other teams, yet sadly he’s an option that we have to consider. With only four games sometimes it’s more about the lack of options than actually loving an individual play and that’s where I am at with Nix.
The first thing that I like is he is one of if not the most mobile QB from this slate of games. Minnesota shouldn’t overwhelm Auburn’s line and that will give Nix opportunities to scramble as well as find the endzone on the ground. With so many other situations having stout D-lines I worry about some QB’s racking up -30+ rushing yards which is basically starting with a negative touchdown of value. With no glaring smash spots on QB I don’t mind paying down a bit for a guy like Nix and use the extra cash to upgrade skill position players.
Also Considering – Charlie Brewer
CFB DFS Picks: Running Backs
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin – 8.4k DraftKings, 10.8k FanDuel
If you have followed me at all this year you know that I am in love with this Oregon team and I surely will be backing them in the Rose bowl today. After Oklahoma set back sports a few decades with their showing against LSU I am even more bitter that Oregon wasn’t able to grab that final spot and show what they could do. They now get this Wisco team and specifically Taylor who is probably the best running back in the entire country. He comes into this game just 91 yards short of 2000 for the season and has 26 rushing touchdowns which is another top end mark in the country.
Oregon’s defense has been tough this season, but Taylor is matchup proof and will see a ton of work regardless of game script. He isn’t going to give you much in the passing game, but even a few short targets can add up quickly and the price isn’t thru the roof. With my lack of interest at the QB position I can spend all the way up at RB and get one of the safest players on the slate.
D’Andre Swift, Georgia– 4k DraftKings, 8.4k FanDuel (DK ONLY)
This has massive risk so don’t blindly click in Swift unless you are prepared for a potential pivot late as news breaks. This is a bizarre situation as D’Andre Swift is currently sporting a Q tag next to his name with his injured shoulder. All indications is he will probably give it a go, but how effective and used he will be remains to be seen. Either way he got his price basically cut in half on DraftKings and now sits at just 4k flat. Normally he is in the 7 or 8k range and even though its been a lot of ineffective play we have to consider this spot. Georgia has other running backs so if Swift doesn’t get the start or is scratched we can look to guys like Kenny McIntosh or Zamir White to fill that production.
The matchup will Baylor isn’t great, but on this slate you aren’t going to find horrible defenses to pick on. Although the Bears have been a solid defensive team they still give up close to 150 yards per game on the ground and Georgia likes to run the ball especially if they can get ahead. Keep an eye on the news leading up to this one as it’s the late game, but we do have some potential value and salary relief with the Georgia backfield in this one.
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CFB DFS Picks: Wide Receivers
Tyler Johnson, Minnesota – 6.6k DraftKings, 8.8k FanDuel
We saw Minnesota have some success this year with PJ Fleck and his row the boat mantra. They beat up on some bad teams early, but then showed everyone they can play with a great win against Penn State, before stumbling a few times down the stretch. Either way it’s a big opportunity for this program against an Auburn team that played one of the toughest schedules in the country. They have seen major talent from the SEC and also opened up with that wild game against Oregon.
In order for Minnesota to find a win here they are going to have to win on the outside and that starts with Tyler Johnson. Coming into this game Johnson has a healthy 74-1114-11 and has found the endzone in six straight games. He will be targeted early and often by Tanner Morgan and if the offensive line can hold up they have the advantage. With the way Johnson seemingly produces each and every week he is an easy guy to fit into all types of rosters and is one of my favorite plays on the entire slate.
George Pickens, Georgia – 4.9k DraftKings, 6.7k FanDuel
We last saw Pickens in the SEC Championship game where Georgia desperately needed him due to injuries at the WR position. Unfortunately for them he was suspended for the 1st half after getting ejected the week before against Georgia Tech and he was sorely missed. LSU is so good it wouldn’t have mattered, but Pickens came in and gave them a solid 4-54-1 in just 30 minutes of play. He now will be good to go and should lead this Georgia passing attack with Lawrence Cager not expected to play.
The matchup with Baylor isn’t great, but again this is a slate full of quality defenses so we have to take some shots on situations that are a little murky. Obviously the big question is can QB Jake Fromm be more effective and I do think he actually shows up and plays a solid game in this spot. With all the question marks in the backfield Pickens makes sense on a lot of levels and is cheap enough to unlock salary elsewhere.
Also Considering – Bama WR’s (All of them are in play)
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Good Luck everyone!
