College Football DFS Picks: Week 1 CFB DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown (Saturday, September 5th)

This is what we’ve been waiting for. We got a taste of the college football action with last week’s amuse-bouche of a slate, followed up with more tantalizing Thursday and Friday night dockets. Now, we get our first full day of Saturday action since the end of November last season. New players, new coaches, and new systems. Our projections have taken all of that into consideration with our latest modelling. The table is set, and we’re ready to feast.

---

We’ve got you covered for DFS purposes, highlighting our preferred players from Saturday’s main slate.

College football is back at FantasyLabs. Inside our Player Models, you’ll be able to utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups for your DFS contests.

Or if cash games are more your speed, you can build your lineups alongside our projections with our Lineup Builder. From there, you can hand-build your lineup or lock in a few guys and let the builder optimize the rest based on our projections.

Here’s a brief snippet of what our models look like:

Let’s dive into this week’s slate!

CFB DFS Quarterback Picks

Byrum Brown (Auburn Tigers): $7,800 DraftKings

It’s been a painful few years for the Auburn Tigers. The former SEC goliath hasn’t recorded more than six wins since 2019 and has never earnestly been in the College Football Playoff conversation. The Tigers were rebuilt this offseason, and now it’s time to reap the rewards of their transfer portal harvest. Led by Byrum Brown, we’re expecting big things from Auburn in Week 1.

Brown spent the past four seasons with the South Florida Bulls. When healthy, he was a game-changing quarterback with elite metrics. Now a redshirt senior, Brown is in fine form and should spearhead Auburn’s redemption arc.

The North Carolina native had a breakout campaign in 2023. He completed 276 of his 426 pass attempts for a 64.8% completion rating, 3,292 passing yards, and 26 touchdowns. Injuries robbed him of his 2024 season before Brown came back with a vengeance as a junior. Last season, he threw for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns, while leading USF to a 9-4 record and keeping the program in the CFP conversation until the final month of the campaign. Those benchmarks are well within reach in 2026.

Of course, Brown’s fantasy value is enhanced by his superior rushing metrics. He cracked the 1,000-yard plateau last season, notching 5.8 yards per carry and 14 scores. Tigers head coach Alex Golesh will unbridle his star pupil, giving Brown free rein to run and throw as needed.

The Baylor Bears have absolved themselves of any defensive responsibility. For the past few years, they’ve ranked as a bottom-tier defensive team, a weakness that should be exploited by the Tigers in Week 1. With that, Brown is the premier quarterback available on the main slate, and it’s not particularly close.

---

Conner Weigman (Houston Cougars): $9,000 DraftKings

Listen, we’re as tempted as you to roster Arch Manning in Week 1. His Texas Longhorns should have no problem dispatching Texas State in a very one-sided affair. However, variety is a crucial factor in setting DFS lineups, and we see immense value in pivoting to Conner Weigman on Saturday.

Weigman is one of the few quarterbacks who can compete with Manning in terms of overall fantasy production. The senior accounted for 36 touchdowns last season, throwing for 25 and running in 11 more. As expected, that correlates with a top-end 7.6 yards per pass attempt and 4.1 yards per carry. We should see an increase in both of those benchmarks in 2026, starting against an inferior Oregon State defense.

At first glance, the Beavers appear to be a respectable defensive program; however, that stands in stark contrast to their underlying metrics. They rounded out the 2025 season against Mickey Mouse competition and still finished the campaign with just two wins. Oregon State gave up 36.8 points per game against Power 4 teams last season and a staggering 456.2 yards per game as the visitor.

The Cougars are a fringe playoff team, and they can’t afford to cede any ground if they want to stick around in that conversation. We predict a monumental showing from Weigman in the season opener, with the senior ending the day as one of the premier performers.

CFB DFS Running Back Picks

Bo Jackson (Ohio State Buckeyes) $7,500 DraftKings

Few players have accomplished what Bo Jackson did as a true freshman. The Ohio State Buckeyes’ running back stormed onto the college football scene, trampling elite defensive competition from start to finish. The bar is set even higher in 2026, and the sophomore should still sail over it.

Despite a plethora of rushing options out of the Buckeyes’ backfield, Jackson was the undisputed leader. He ran for over 1,000 yards on just 179 carries, churning out 6.1 yards per rushing attempt. Moreover, he was more than adequate in the passing game, hauling in 19 receptions for 200 yards. Included in that sample are six 100-yard rushing performances and an average of 13.2 rushing yards per game.

As inferred, Jackson’s overall fantasy production was hampered by him getting sniped for goal-line touches. CJ Donaldson took over in goal-to-go scenarios, accounting for 10 touchdowns and leaving Jackson with just six. With Donaldson gone, Jackson is positioned for resounding fantasy success throughout the season.

Ball State offers little to no resistance in Week 1. Jackson will be saddled with a larger-than-expected workload, with Ohio State prioritizing possession and clock control. The Buckeyes’ premier rusher should reach his fantasy ceiling with relative ease.

---

Cam Cook (West Virginia Mountaineers) $8,700 DraftKings

Cam Cook is the highest-salaried running back on the main slate, and it’s not particularly close. While some DFS punters may take a more value-centric approach, we’re here to tell you that Cook is worth the investment against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

West Virginia enters Week 1 as hefty -21.5 chalk, with the total hovering in the high 50s. Assuredly, that implies that the Mountaineers’ game plan will include a heavy dose of the rushing attack and nonstop involvement from their feature back.

Cook started his career at TCU, failing to earn a fair share of touches out of the backfield. Naturally, he sought greener pastures and transferred to Jacksonville State ahead of the 2025 season. There, he tallied a mind-numbing 1,659 rushing yards on 295 touches, showcasing his three-down skill set and straight-downhill approach. Further, he eclipsed the century mark in all but three games last season while recording no fewer than 75 yards in any contest.

Coastal Carolina was one of the worst run-defending teams in the country last year. Their 219.1 rushing yards allowed per game was the sixth-worst in the FBS, putting them marginally ahead of teams like Eastern Michigan and UMass. A rebuilt defensive line does little to calm those apprehensions ahead of their season battle in Morgantown.

The spotlight is on Cook, and we predict that he will steal the show. We’ve got you covered with value picks at quarterback and wide receiver, so you have salary flexibility to roster Cook. Trust me, he’ll end the day as the top-performing running back.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with our Sleeper promo code.

CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks

Nick Marsh (Indiana Hoosiers) $6,400

The Indiana Hoosiers enter the 2026 season in an enviable position. While the reigning champs lost a few key pieces this offseason, they had a prosperous transfer period and are ranked as the sixth-best team in the country. Their long-term success depends on the production of their incoming playmakers, and Nick Marsh will be the premier pass-catcher in Indiana.

Marsh was brought in after two productive seasons with Michigan State. The Spartans have been trying to reclaim their identity as a Big Ten powerhouse, and Marsh did his part to facilitate their ascent. The Michigan native totaled 1,311 across his underclassmen years, recording no fewer than 649 yards in either one of those seasons and adding nine scores. Marsh should have no problem dwarfing those numbers in Indiana.

Still, the most tantalizing fantasy aspect is that Marsh enters the Hoosiers’ passing attack with targets up for grabs. Indiana lost its top-two wideouts from last season, with Omar Cooper and Elijah Sarrat both earning their shot in the NFL. Their departure leaves 134 receptions and nearly 1,800 receiving yards needing to be accounted for. And that’s exactly why the Hoosiers targeted Marsh in the transfer portal so he could replace that lost production.

Indiana has something to prove – last season wasn’t a one-off, and the program can still compete for a National Championship. Once again, Nick Marsh has been tabbed as the receiver to spearhead the revival. We’re betting he announces his triumphant arrival in a big way in Week 1.

---

Nyziah Hunter (Nebraska Cornhuskers) $5,000

Up to this point, Nyziah Hunter hasn’t really delivered with respect to his former four-star rating. He enjoyed modest success at Cal before transferring to the Nebraska Cornhuskers ahead of last season, where he saw a slight uptick in production. While he’ll still be competing for targets with Jacory Barney Jr., we’re expecting 2026 to be Hunter’s breakout campaign.

Hunter is a prototypical X wideout. Standing 6’1″ and weighing 205 pounds, he’s built for isolation plays and does his best work on deep plays. His breakout game came in Week 7 last season, when Hunter went off for 125 yards and two touchdowns on just five receptions. He fizzled toward the end of the campaign, but the Cornhuskers’ wideout still averaged 14.3 yards per reception while tallying five scores.

It’s up to Matt Rhule to optimize his offense, and in that regard, he should incorporate more deep routes for Hunter. Nebraska lured Anthony Colandrea away from UNLV, where he threw for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior. Colandrea’s mettle will be tested in the Big Ten, but Nebraska has a cakewalk season opener against the Ohio Bobcats, in which we should see Rhule flaunt his passing attack.

This is Nyziah Hunter‘s opportunity to solidify himself as the top pass-catcher in Nebraska. He will get the lion’s share of targets, and we expect him to make the most of those against Ohio.

---

Gavin Freeman (Baylor Bears) $4,500

We’re abandoning our usual stacking option for a more value-based approach. As noted, we like Auburn’s chances of putting up a big number against the Bears, and Baylor will have no choice but to unleash its offense in an attempt to keep pace. As +7.5 underdogs, they’ll be forced to turn to their passing attack more frequently, meaning more involvement from Gavin Freeman.

The newly minted Bears receiver was a tertiary option at Oklahoma before spending the past two seasons with Oklahoma State. He finally found his footing in 2025, recording 481 yards and four touchdowns on 53 receptions in what quickly became a lost season for the Cowboys. While those are far from elite benchmarks, it’s worth noting that Freeman led the team in every category.

Baylor has always been known for its up-tempo offensive approach, and they’ll need more of the same to offset their defensive shortcomings. The Bears brought in DJ Lagway to lead their offense, and the junior pivot has the chance to reassert himself as a premier quarterback. To do so, Lagway needs to build immediate chemistry with his receivers, starting with Freeman.

Operating out of the slot, Freeman will be Lagway’s release valve in the passing attack. The knock on Lagway has always been accuracy issues, and we suspect that David Aranda will recalibrate his quarterback to focus on short-to-intermediate routes to limit those mistakes. Lagway will have Freeman in his pocket throughout the season, and it’s a duo that should reap many fantasy rewards, particularly in Week 1.

Pictured: Byrum Brown
Photo Credit: Imagn