College Football DFS Picks: Week 7 CFB DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown (Saturday, October 17th)

College Football’s Week 7 schedule features a bevy of crucial matchups. The defending champion Indian Hoosiers host the Ohio State Buckeyes. Florida travels to Texas in a virtual must-win for both programs. Two undefeated teams, Notre Dame and BYU, get down to business in Provo. Oklahoma battles Houston for a pivotal win in the Big 12 standings. That’s without even considering Alabama vs. Tennessee, Mississippi State vs. LSU, or 4-1 Wisconsin vs. 5-0 UCLA. You get the point. This is going to be a dandy of a weekend, with on-field consequences playing out across the fantasy realm.

---

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

Ethan Grunkemeyer (Virginia Tech Hokies): $7,000 DraftKings

We’re leading off with one of the premier value picks on the main slate. The Virginia Tech Hokies host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, with both teams trying to stay relevant in the ACC. The Hokies are coming off consecutive losses, but we think Ethan Grunkemeyer bounces back with one of his best performances of the season at home.

Grunkemeyer has been incredibly efficient this season. Already, he ranks seventh in the country with 1,734 passing yards, matching that volume with a sterling 12-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. As great as he’s looked, Grunkemeyer reserves his best efforts for Lane Stadium. Across three home starts, the junior is completing 75.7% of his passes for 328.3 yards per game and 9.6 yards per pass attempt. Further, he’s thrown for at least 288 yards in four of his last five games, regardless of venue.

This Yellow Jackets defense doesn’t possess the defensive faculties to limit Grunkemeyer and the Hokies’ offense. Last week, they were burned for 259 passing yards at home against a Duke squad with a clear preference for running the football. The game prior, Stanford accumulated nearly 400 yards through the air, resulting in 34 points on three passing touchdowns.

Grunkemeyer and the Hokies are set up for success at home. We expect them to flaunt their advantage unmercifully, precipitating one of the most dominant fantasy performances of the weekend.

DFS punters will set their sights on quarterbacks from more prestigious matchups. Ethan Grunkemeyer is the key to a winning lineup.

---

Avery Johnson (Kansas State Wildcats): $7,500 DraftKings

Few events across the sporting world rival the intensity of an in-state rivalry matchup. The Sunflower Showdown takes place this weekend, with the Kansas State Wildcats hosting the Kansas Jayhawks and looking to extend their whopping 17-game winning streak. We’re betting that Avery Johnson will be up to the task against the hated Jayhawks.

In his third season under center for K-State, Johnson remains an upper-tier dual-threat quarterback. He presents as an elite value pick on the Week 7 main slate. The senior has seen a jump in his completion percentage this season, going from 59.8% last year to 63.8% in 2026. That improvement isn’t reflected in some of his other passing metrics. Specifically, Johnson’s yards per pass attempt has dropped from 7.2 to 6.7 this season. We should see a spike in his yards per pass attempt as his season-long average catches up to his career average. That should yield more fruitful fantasy efforts.

Johnson is coming off a relatively quiet performance against Houston, implying that he’s a natural progression candidate at home. Last week, he completed just 16 of 30 pass attempts for 182 yards, setting him up for a bounce-back effort after his lowest fantasy-scoring game of the season.

All of that is without considering Johnson’s rushing prowess. He’s churned out 330 yards on just 39 attempts for a meaty 8.5 yards per carry. Johnson has crossed the century mark only once this season, but if things aren’t working through the air, we expect significantly more involvement in the ground game.

Altogether, Avery Johnson will be another overlooked quarterback primed for a massive showing on the main slate. Don’t overlook this value.

CFB DFS Running Back Picks

Jamal Roberts (Missouri Tigers) $8,500 DraftKings

As we expected at the outset of the season, Nate Sheppard’s fantasy salary has increased week after week, effectively pricing him out of contention in Week 7. Surely, he remains a solid fantasy bet; however, you could get similar, if not greater, fantasy output from Jamal Roberts on Saturday.

It’s not reflected in his salary, but Roberts continues to assert himself as one of the premier running backs in the country. Through six games this season, Roberts ranks second in carries (147), third in yards (828), and is tied for seventh in touchdowns (eight). Still, he ratchets the bar higher with each passing week.

In Week 6, the senior totaled 37 touches, accounting for 52.9% of Mizzou’s offensive production. His 34 carries were a season high, but he also pulled down three of his five targets for additional yardage. In total, Roberts hit 230 yards, with all but eight of those coming on the ground. Moreover, that was the second straight week in which he crossed the 200-yard plateau on the ground, and he’s fallen below 125 yards just once over the past five games.

This isn’t the same punishing Ole Miss defense we remember from years past. The Rebels sit 111th in the country in rush defense, getting obliterated for 176.4 yards per game. Most notably, Florida ran for 303 yards and six touchdowns back in Week 4, setting the stage for a Heisman-caliber performance from Roberts.

Clearly, Jamal Roberts is the linchpin on offense. You can roster him at a discounted rate and still get one of the best fantasy outputs of the weekend.

---

J’Koby Williams (Texas Tech Red Raiders) $6,700 DraftKings

The Texas Tech Red Raiders have quietly asserted themselves as a playoff threat and one of the premier Group of 4 teams. They’ve deviated from their traditional air raid offense in favor of a more balanced attack. With that, J’Koby Williams has taken the reins out of the backfield and should run to fantasy glory on the main slate.

Williams splits carries with Cameron Dickey, albeit with the former taking on a more productive role. Williams has just six more carries than Dickey on the season but has 130 more rushing yards while also being featured more prominently in the passing game. So far, the junior has hauled in all 19 of his targets for 137 yards. Comparatively, that amplifies Williams’ fantasy value by a substantive margin.

After a solid 2025 campaign, Arizona State’s defense has ceded ground this season. They sit in the bottom half of the country in yards allowed against FBS opponents, getting eaten up for 387.3 yards per game. Predictably, that correlates with reduced effectiveness on the ground. Opponents are up to 144.8 rushing yards per game this season, compared to 127.3 last year.

Texas Tech will turn to its ground game with more frequency in Week 7. With that, J’Koby Williams should build off the 88 yards he put up on 17 carries last week. In terms of total output, he’s crossed the century mark in three of his five outings this season. That represents the low end of the spectrum for what to expect versus the Sun Devils.

Interested in more action? Check out Polymarket and use our Polymarket promo code.

CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks

Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State Buckeyes) $9,700

We have to talk about Jeremiah Smith in Week 7. The Ohio State Buckeyes’ receiver is the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Week after week, Smith finds more compelling ways to validate his position as the best player in college football. We suspect he’s reserved his best effort for a rematch with the Indiana Hoosiers.

Infamously, the Buckeyes were bested by the Hoosiers in last year’s Big Ten Championship Game. Despite the loss, Smith put forth a tremendous effort, gaining 144 yards on just eight receptions. Smith has been playing with a chip on his shoulder since the loss, establishing himself as the top receiver in the FBS.

The Florida native got off to a hot start, recording 315 receiving yards through the first two games this season. Starters were used sparingly in a blowout over Kent State, with Smith following that up with back-to-back 200-yard games. Smith is coming off a 93-yard effort versus Maryland, and we should see his receiving metrics climb back to elite levels against the Hoosiers.

As productive as he’s been, Smith’s fantasy value is heightened by his scoring prowess. He had a four-touchdown effort against Illinois and has multiple scores in all but two of his six outings this season. Undoubtedly, Smith will be the engine that drives the Buckeyes in this revenge game. He should have no problem reaching his fantasy ceiling in Indiana.

---

Luke Reynolds (Virginia Tech Hokies) $6,100

With a number of high-profile matchups this weekend, the stacking options are endless. Our preferred quarterback-receiver combo heading into Week 7 pairs Luke Reynolds with Ethan Grunkemeyer.

The Hokies’ passing game runs through Reynolds and Que’Sean Brown. Reynolds holds a slight edge in terms of receptions, whereas Brown has produced three more yards. Still, Reynolds’ fantasy advantage relates to his scoring ability, with his four touchdowns doubling Brown’s two. Assuredly, that will be a factor against the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech is also guilty of losing sight of opposing tight ends in coverage. Last week, Jeremiah Hasley was targeted 11 times, albeit while pulling down just six of those passes. That aligns with the persistent volume that Reynolds sees from Grunkemeyer. The junior has been targeted at least nine times in four of his last five games, accounting for a 23.9% target share on the season.

As is the case with most tight ends, Reynolds is a reliable presence in the Hokies’ passing attack. His 77.4% catch rate is the second-best mark on the team, while his 10.5 yards per reception is the second-best among pass-catchers with more than 14 receptions.

We’re banking on the Hokies’ tandem to put together a dominant fantasy showing in Week 7.

---

Jordan Shipp (North Carolina Tar Heels) $5,100

We’re riding the value train for one last stop. The North Carolina Tar Heels have emerged as a legitimate threat in the ACC. Their defense is getting the recognition it deserves for its early-season success. We’re here to shine a light on Jordan Shipp as a standout receiver.

Shipp has been the primary target in all of UNC’s games this season. He leads the Tar Heels in most receiving categories, punctuated by his 26 receptions, 366 yards, and 24.6% target share. Shipp took a backseat to Jelani Thurman early in the campaign but has been more of a focus in recent weeks.

The junior wideout was targeted a team-high nine times in last week’s triumph over Pitt. The week prior, he hauled in all seven targets for 109 yards against an imposing Notre Dame defense. Altogether, Shipp has nabbed 19 of the last 23 passes thrown his way, producing an 82.6% catch rate and 14.2 yards per reception.

Duke’s most glaring weakness is its pass defense. The Blue Devils are allowing 214.3 passing yards per game against FBS foes, setting the stage for another standout effort from Jordan Shipp. At $5,100, he’s the ideal low-salary, high-ceiling pass-catcher to pair with Jeremiah Smith.

Pictured: Ethan Grunkemeyer
Photo Credit: Imagn