The Thanksgiving Weekend college football slate is always a sight to behold. Conference championship games are finally decided, teams make their final push for playoff inclusion, and the weekend is rife with rivalry matchups. Some of that action spills into Friday’s schedule, but we’re focused on Saturday’s main slate, which features some of the premier showdowns this weekend.
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
Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt Commodores): $9,600 DraftKings
For the last time this season, we get to rave about Pavia’s fantasy ceiling. The Vanderbilt Commodores’ resurgent campaign has left the program short of the SEC Championship Game, but they could sneak into the final playoff spot with a strong showing versus the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
Pavia has been the catalyst in Vandy’s rejuvenated attack. The senior quarterback sits among the top signal-callers in the country, throwing for 265.8 passing yards per game while completing 71.8% of his passes. Still, Pavia has ratcheted up his production in the latter stages of the season.
Over the last three weeks, Pavia has totaled 1,226 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, while throwing for no fewer than 365 yards or three scores in any one of those contests. In and of itself, those passing metrics have vaulted the New Mexico native to the top of the fantasy charts, but that’s without considering his 47 rushing attempts, 203 rushing yards, or three rushing touchdowns.
Vanderbilt is auditioning for one of the final playoff berths, and we expect the Commodores to put their best foot forward. Tennessee’s passing defense gives up 226.3 passing yards per game, a major weakness Pavia will expose. While he carries a hefty salary, Pavia is worth the investment on the final main slate of the regular season.
Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati Bearcats): $8,600 DraftKings
The Big 12 isn’t the mess it was last season, when eight teams had a path to the Championship Game in the final week of the regular season. Still, the fantasy market continues to underestimate some of the top contributors in the conference. Chief among those stands Sorsby, who has been a premier fantasy option throughout the campaign.
Sorsby has transformed the Cincinnati Bearcats into an elite and productive offense. Led by their dual-threat quarterback, the Bearcats churn out an average of 236.6 passing and 184.7 rushing yards per game, benchmarks that are easily attainable in Week 14’s clash versus the TCU Horned Frogs.
TCU’s defense has been a welcome sight for opponents, especially over the past couple of weeks. Cumulatively, the Horned Frogs have given up 839 yards to Houston and BYU, looking equally ineffective against the pass and run. That plays into Sorsby’s strength as a mobile gunslinger, as he’s coming off a 300-yard passing performance last week and has rushing touchdowns in four of his previous five outings.
Sorsby will poke holes in the Horned Frogs’ defense from start to finish, resulting in one of the top fantasy performances of the day. While other DFS players are captivated by quarterbacks in the other Power 4 conferences, you can set your roster apart by adding an often-overlooked Big 12 pivot.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Kaytron Allen (Penn State Nittany Lions) $8,500 DraftKings
Needless to say, this hasn’t been the Nittany Lions’ season. At the start of the year, Penn State was one of the top National Championship bets. Six weeks into the campaign, those aspirations were extinguished. The loss of Drew Allar resigned the Nittany Lions to abandoning their hopes, but in doing so, it gave birth to a rejuvenated effort from Kaytron Allen.
Allen was a virtual non-factor early in the season, falling below 90 rushing yards in five of his first six games. Since then, Allen has re-emerged as the powerhouse threat out of the backfield, finding a new level of efficiency with each passing week.
Over the last five games, the senior has produced 610 rushing yards while eclipsing the century mark in three of those contests. His latest efforts have been even more noteworthy, with Allen combining for 341 rushing yards over the past two. More importantly, his fantasy profile has been elevated by increased scoring, with Allen recording two or more touchdowns in two straight and three of his previous five.
Clearly, Penn State is prioritizing its running back as the engine that drives its offense. Allen has rewarded the Nittany Lions with more exceptional performances with each passing week. Needing a win to become bowl eligible, we expect Allen will be the featured contributor against a weak Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ defense.
Jadan Baugh (Florida Gators) $6,000 DraftKings
The Florida Gators are trying to re-establish themselves as legitimate SEC contenders. There is still plenty of room for improvement, but the Gators have a solid building block in Jadan Baugh operating out of the backfield. Expect Baugh and the Gators to go out with a bang against an inferior Florida State Seminoles squad in the final weekend of the regular season.
Baugh’s efficiency has taken a bit of a hit over the last month of the season, but that sets him up as an ideal progression candidate in Week 14. The sophomore running back has fallen below 72 yards in three of his past four, but showed signs of revitalization last time out. Baugh rushed for 96 yards on 18 carries against a respectable Tennessee run defense, yielding his best yards per rush attempt since the middle of October. Moreover, that upward trajectory should continue against an FSU side that has allowed 470 rushing yards over its previous three.
Baugh’s fantasy ceiling is increased by his inclusion in the Gators’ passing attack. The Georgia native ranks second on the team in receptions while posting a 78.6% catch rate on his 42 targets.
Altogether, Baugh has the makeup of a game-changing running back, characteristics we’ve seen intermittently throughout his second campaign. We’re betting that he builds off last week’s performance and ends the day as one of the top running backs of the day.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with our Sleeper promo code.
CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Malachi Toney (Miami Hurricanes) $7,000
The Miami Hurricanes need a decisive win and some help if they want to stay in the running for a spot in the ACC Championship Game and the College Football Playoffs. Suffice it to say, we expect them to unleash their offense against a high-octane Pittsburgh Panthers squad in the regular season finale.
Pittsburgh has offset its passing defense inefficiencies with one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the country. With that, the Hurricanes will need to fight fire with fire, turning to their aerial assault to keep pace. We’ve seen Carson Beck rely on Malachi Toney since Week 1, but the duo has to combine for its best performance to date if it hopes to sneak in the back door.
Toney is far and away the best pass-catcher in Miami’s offense. His 92 targets are nearly double the next closest receiver and account for a robust 26.8% target share. Despite the constant volume, Toney has been one of the team’s most efficient wideouts. His 77.2% catch rate and 11.9 yards per reception underscore his ability to make contested grabs while also serving as a legitimate deep threat. Both of those characteristics should be on full display against the Panthers.
Last week’s box score sets the bar for what to expect in Week 14. Toney reeled in 12 of 15 targets for 146 yards and a touchdown. That sets his fantasy ceiling for what to expect in this must-win clash at Acisure Stadium.
Josh Cameron (Baylor Bears) $6,800
The Baylor Bears have abandoned any semblance of defensive responsibility in favor of a no-holds-barred offense. Baylor can regain its bowl eligibility with a win, but it’ll need its top offensive playmakers to be at their best to make it happen.
Josh Cameron should be called upon frequently on Saturday to lead the Bears’ offensive. The senior is a constant red-zone threat but also has the volume and workload to elevate his fantasy performance. Cameron has found paydirt in four straight, totaling five touchdowns and 275 yards across that sample. Further, he’s been targeted an astounding 30 times over the last two weeks, including 20 times in a Week 12 clash versus Utah.
After starting the year hot, the Houston Cougars’ secondary has come crashing back down to earth. They gave up 292 passing yards last week to TCU, meaning three of their last five opponents have all thrown for at least 262 yards. That represents the low bar for what to expect from Baylor on Sunday.
Cameron is set for a monster performance on the main slate. He may not qualify as true “value”, but we expect him to easily surpass the implied value of his current salary. A must-roster for winning lineups.
Eric McAlister (TCU Horned Frogs) $7,900
We were burned by McAlister last week. Still, we don’t expect the TCU Horned Frogs’ wide receiver to let us down two weeks in a row. TCU’s presumptive MVP is primed to avenge Week 13’s lackluster effort with one of his best performances of the season.
McAlister has been the main component of TCU’s offense. His 1,020 receiving yards are nearly 400 more than the next closest receiver and put him among the top pass-catchers across the FBS. While only 79 of those came last time out, McAlister has been one of the most dominant pass-catchers over the final few weeks of the season.
Prior to last week, the Texas native had recorded at least 107 receiving yards in three straight. Assuredly, his breakaway speed is one of his most prominent strengths, but he also has the volume to thrive on short-to-intermediate routes. Across that three-game sample, McAlister was targeted 46 times, hauling in 24 of those looks for 14.1 yards per reception.
Cincinnati’s strengths reside on the offensive side of the football. This is a team that ranks in the bottom half of the FBS in total and passing defense. Those factors will undoubtedly contribute to a slate-best performance from one of the premier wideouts in the country.
Pictured: Kaytron Allen
Photo Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
College Football DFS Picks: Week 0 CFB Saturday DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown
College Football DFS Picks: Week 4 CFB Saturday DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown
College Football DFS Picks: Week 5 CFB Saturday DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown
College Football DFS Picks: Week 0 CFB DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown
