Another Saturday CFB slate is here and we have an 11 pack of games to breakdown. We are getting into conference play and that means competitive games and lower spreads. There are a few top-25 matchups on the schedule as well as some spots for potential upsets for some ranked teams. On the DFS side, we have some of the top quarterbacks in the country available to roster, opening plenty of spots to spend up on.
This article is going to highlight some of the big names on the slate and breakdown some of the things to watch as we get another Saturday kicked off. Make sure to also check out the Saturday Betting breakdown article, which breaks down a few games in depth and also talks about a few betting lines that are worth looking into.
** Make sure to monitor news close to lock as a lot of news can break late in CFB. Sometimes there is nothing we can do, but many other times you will be at an advantage if you can swap off someone late when others miss the news **
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma – 9.2k DraftKings
We have most of the premier quarterbacks in the country on the main slate this week for CFB. Alabama is in there, which means Tua Tagovailoa is primed for another huge game, even if he will be watching the fourth quarter (Alabama -38).
The top quarterback has to be Jalen Hurts, as Oklahoma is in a game with an over/under at 70.5. The Sooners are almost a four-touchdown favorite at home and the dual-threat ability will allow Hurts to blow any price tag out of the water. Last time we saw him, he had three passing touchdowns to go along with 150 yards rushing and another touchdown on the ground against UCLA. That type of upside is just hard to replicate, and if you are going to pay up, he is the clear and obvious choice this week.
Jett Duffey, Texas Tech – 5.9k DraftKings
Starting Texas Tech quaterback Alan Bowman isn’t expected to play, which means that Jett Duffey takes over the Red Raiders offense. On one hand, it is not ideal for your first start of 2019 to be at Oklahoma. But on the other hand, he gets to play catch-up and possibly rack up the stats. As I just talked about, this over/under sits at 70.5 and there is no scenario where Texas Tech slows down Oklahoma’s offense, so they have to put up points to stay in this one.
Duffey isn’t a newcomer as he played in games last year,throwing for eight touchdowns and six interceptions. He does have some mobility as he had four games of 80-plus yards on the ground during the 2018 campaign. There is definitely some boom-bust potential with him as it’s his first start of the year, but if you are looking for a full game stack of this one, you can take both quarterbacks and hope for the massive shootout.
Also Considering – Jamie Newman
Running Backs
Darius Anderson, TCU – 6.5k DraftKings
TCU hasn’t had the best start to the season, but don’t blame that on Darius Anderson. The Horned Frogs are coming off a 41-38 loss against SMU where Anderson ran for 161 yards and two scores. That game built upon his Week 3 showing against Purdue where he ripped off 179 yards on the ground and another two scores. Clearly, Anderson is a major contributor in this offense and TCU is almost forced to give him volume, considering the outputs in the last two games.
If that wasn’t enough, he now gets a home game against the Kansas Jayhawks, who despite improving are still terrible. TCU sits as a 14.5-point favorite and they should be able to control this game on the ground with a guy like Anderson. Certainly, when Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor is on a slate you want to get him, but if you don’t have the money, look to a guy like Anderson.
Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M – 5.1k DraftKings
Last week, Texas A&M was very disappointing and Auburn went into College Station and took control right from the start. The Aggies mounted a small rally, but were never really in the game and now have two losses on the season. They get a reprieve this week as they draw Arkansas, who is only a SEC team in name and is coming off a loss to San Jose State.
Texas A&M, despite being on the road, sits at -23 in the betting market. They should move the ball with ease through this Razorback defense and Spiller should get plenty of opportunity on the ground. Jashaun Corbin was the Aggies’ prime running back, but he is out for the year, so Spiller now splits that role with Jacob Kibodi. Both of these backs should have a ton of success in this one. But I lean to the Freshman Spiller in terms of who gets the most opportunity and he has the chance to really return major value. The price is more than reasonable when you consider how bad Arkansas is, so he makes a solid running back play in most formats this weekend.
Also Considering – Richard Newton
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Wide Receivers
If you have the money to go get Alabama guys, they make fantastic plays, but with not a ton of value on this slate, it can be tough to have room for top tier receivers.
CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma– 7k DraftKings
If you have the money to go get Lamb, that’s great, as he makes an obvious pairing with Hurts in a game that will have a ton of points. If not, then Charleston Rambo makes the salary-saver version and still should produce big numbers. Last week, Rambo had 5/116/2 while Lamb had only two touches but scored touchdowns on both.
Lamb isn’t going to be touching the ball just twice going forward and he still is one of the top receiver options for this Sooners team. Targeting anyone from Oklahoma’s offense is going to be a good idea, so it is more about the roster construction than trying to decide between these Oklahoma pass-catchers.
Cole Kmet, Notre Dame – 5.1k DraftKings
This is a little risky since we almost never target tight ends in college DFS. Cole Kmet also only has played one game so far in 2019, but man, was he a factor. Last week, he returned from his collarbone injury against Georgia and kicked off the season with a 9/108/1 stat line. He immediately became a go-to option for quarterback Ian Book and the monster tight end should once again be in line for a lot of work.
Basing things off a sample size of one game is never what you want to do, but Kmet is a matchup nightmare at 6-foot-5 and should cause problems for Virginia this week. The Irish are somewhat devoid of play-makers on the outside, so it is not insane to think Kmet can be a focal point of the offense each week. The Irish sit as 12.- point favorites with an over/under of 48.5 in this game between ranked teams and I don’t mind taking a shot on Kmet here. The price is reasonable and based on last week, we know he has the ceiling we want in tourneys.
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Good Luck everyone!
