College Football DFS Picks: Week 2 CFB DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown (Saturday, September 12th)

Week 1 was everything we hoped it would be. Upsets, controversies, and the majesty of a full slate of college football action for the first time in months. It only gets better from here. We are tiptoeing into the conference slates as teams start to gear up for the most treacherous parts of their season. Even in a non-conference matchup-heavy schedule, the main slate is loaded with tantalizing showdowns to consider ahead of Saturday.

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

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Let’s dive into this week’s slate!

CFB DFS Quarterback Picks

Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State Bulldogs): $8,300 DraftKings

After taking the reins of the Mississippi State Bulldogs’ offense late last season, Kamario Taylor entered his sophomore year as the presumptive starter in Starkville. A dominant Week 1 performance validated his position as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, and we expect another strong showing against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Taylor cut through UL Monroe’s defense with ease. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns, adding 59 rushing yards and another score on six carries. That translated to 42.1 fantasy points, making the sophomore one of Week 1’s premier fantasy producers. We predict that Taylor will reach his fantasy ceiling again in Week 2.

There are two noteworthy caveats. First, Minnesota’s defense is vastly superior to UL Monroe’s. Second, the Bulldogs won’t have the benefit of playing at Davis Wade Stadium. Still, from a game-script perspective, Taylor should have plenty of opportunities to rack up a hefty fantasy score against the Golden Gophers.

Minnesota enters the contest as a slight home favorite, meaning Mississippi State could be forced to play from behind. If so, Taylor should see a deluge of passing opportunities and chances to pick up yards on big plays. Moreover, Minnesota’s pass defense hasn’t been a strength recently. With two new transfers in the secondary, we have concerns about its ability to prevent Kamario Taylor from continuing his early-season onslaught.

This should be one of the weekend’s most entertaining games. A Mississippi State win is far from guaranteed, but we like Taylor’s chances of delivering another monumental fantasy performance.

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Mason Heintschel (Pittsburgh Panthers): $7,600 DraftKings

Irrespective of the opponent, seven touchdowns is a remarkable accomplishment for a college quarterback. Still, the cards are stacked in Mason Heintschel’s favor as he leads the Pittsburgh Panthers into a pivotal matchup against the UCF Knights.

Heintschel and the Panthers offense were unstoppable against Miami (Ohio) in Week 1. Pitt totaled 646 yards of offense, with its quarterback accounting for most of the damage. The sophomore threw for 453 yards and seven touchdowns on 41 passing attempts, adding a modest 23 rushing yards on five carries. Given that they led from the outset, the Panthers offered a clear look at what to expect from their offense moving forward.

Typically, teams turn to their ground game in blowout wins to control the clock and avoid unnecessary injuries to their quarterbacks. Last week, however, Pitt continued to unleash Heintschel. Nearly 60% of its offensive plays were passes, allowing Heintschel to display his full arsenal from start to finish.

UCF may offer more resistance defensively, but not enough to negate Heintschel’s potential. The Knights gave up nearly 200 yards against Bethune-Cookman, suggesting that the Panthers have every opportunity to cover the 7.5-point spread. Heintschel should do his part to get them there.

CFB DFS Running Back Picks

Nate Sheppard (Duke Blue Devils) $8,200 DraftKings

As is the case every Saturday, DFS players will have their fair share of running backs to consider on the main slate. Still, no one can hold a candle to Nate Sheppard’s ceiling as his Duke Blue Devils take on the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Sheppard established himself as a premier running back during his freshman season and raised the bar even higher with his performance last week. The Blue Devils’ lead back carried the ball 35 times, accounting for nearly half of Duke’s 75 offensive snaps. More importantly, Sheppard churned out 227 yards and two touchdowns, the highest single-game rushing total of the young season. As outlandish as it may seem, another 200-yard rushing performance is within reach against Illinois.

The Fighting Illini were gashed for 194 rushing yards by UAB last week. While the Blazers took a committee approach, they showed that Illinois still has holes to fill along its defensive front. That is reminiscent of last season, when opponents averaged 4.2 yards per carry against the Big Ten program.

The cherry on top is that Sheppard also provides value in the Blue Devils’ passing game. He caught three of four targets for 19 yards last week, building on the 286 receiving yards he recorded last season. Even if Duke elects to turn to the passing game, Sheppard still offers immense fantasy upside.

It isn’t reflected in his salary yet, but Duke’s offense runs through Sheppard. He is the most valuable running back on the Week 2 slate.

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Jordon Davison (Oregon Ducks) $7,700 DraftKings

The Oklahoma State Cowboys remain a shell of their former selves. Some held out hope that they could turn things around early in Eric Morris’ tenure, but a Week 1 loss to Tulsa reminded us where they stand. The Oregon Ducks are the beneficiaries in Week 2, making Jordon Davison a standout running back worth targeting.

The Ducks didn’t look entirely comfortable in their Week 1 victory over Boise State, but we gained a better idea of what to expect from their backfield. Davison led the way with 12 carries, outpacing Dierre Hill Jr. by two rushing attempts. Moreover, the sophomore was on the field for 36 of Oregon’s 63 offensive plays, narrowly exceeding Hill’s 35 snaps.

The more notable gap emerges in their production. Davison totaled 90 rushing yards to Hill’s 36, more than doubling Hill’s average yards per carry. As a result, Davison should shoulder a heavier workload and establish himself as the premier rusher in the Ducks’ backfield.

Moving forward, we expect Hill to serve as Oregon’s pass-catching back, with Davison assuming the lead-back role and receiving the goal-line touches. That amplifies his fantasy value in Week 2, when Oregon should run through Oklahoma State’s weak defensive front.

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CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks

Jeremiah McClellan (Oregon Ducks) $5,900

Historically, our preferred stacking strategy has been to pair a quarterback with a receiver. Undoubtedly, there’s value in including Dante Moore in your Week 2 stack, but our preferred approach is to pair Jeremiah McClellan with Jordon Davison. In doing so, we’re accounting for a significant portion of Oregon’s offensive production.

Oregon’s strength has long been its deep receiving corps, and 2026 is no different. Three pass-catchers had at least eight targets in the season opener, and six players recorded receptions. Despite the relatively even distribution, McClellan stood out as the most productive option. The junior caught six of his nine targets, burning Boise State for 150 yards and a touchdown. His performance included a 51-yard reception and an average of 25 yards per catch, and he finished with the team lead in targets and receiving yards.

When these teams met last season, McClellan recorded 76 yards on two receptions while serving as a secondary receiving option. Now tasked with leading the Ducks’ passing attack, he should deliver a more impactful performance. The Cowboys pass defense remains one of the worst in the country, and the Moore-McClellan connection should expose it. Mark it down: McClellan will finish the day as the top-performing wide receiver on the main slate.

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Ian Strong (California Golden Bears) $5,700

Over the past couple of seasons, Ian Strong cemented his position as an integral part of the often-overlooked Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ passing game. After transferring to the California Golden Bears this offseason, Strong should receive more attention throughout his senior season. He got off to a good start against UCLA and should steal the spotlight against the Syracuse Orange in Week 2.

Cal sophomore quarterback Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele entered the campaign with lofty expectations. Viewed as one of the premier passers in the country, he drew plenty of attention in the season-opening loss to UCLA. While his individual performance left something to be desired, Keawe-Sagapolutele appeared to establish an immediate connection with Strong.

Strong was targeted 12 times in the loss, accounting for a 29.3% target share. The senior wide receiver caught only five of those passes, but Keawe-Sagapolutele shares some responsibility for the low completion rate when targeting him. More importantly, Strong gained 94 yards on those receptions, surpassing Cal’s next-leading receiver by 30 yards while drawing three more targets.

The Golden Bears should have a much easier time moving the ball against a Syracuse defense that allowed nearly 250 passing yards per game last season. We expect Keawe-Sagapolutele to look more comfortable on Saturday, setting the stage for a grand fantasy performance from Strong.

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Collin Dixon (Illinois Fighting Illini) $5,500

Illinois was in the mix for a playoff spot last season until an unexpected loss to Wisconsin dashed its hopes. The Fighting Illini have similar ambitions in 2026, albeit with a retooled roster looking to replicate last season’s success. Maximizing their aerial attack will be key, and that will depend on substantial production from Collin Dixon.

Head coach Bret Bielema has built his scheme around the passing game. He kept the reins on Katin Houser last week, requiring him to attempt only 17 passes in a Week 1 win over UAB. However, we should see the offense rely more heavily on Houser as the season progresses. That is particularly true with the Fighting Illini tasked with keeping pace with Duke on Saturday afternoon.

Despite the limited passing volume, Houser made the most of his attempts, thanks in large part to Dixon’s production. The senior quarterback completed 13 of 17 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Not surprisingly, Dixon accounted for six targets, a 35.3% target share, 70 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. The next-closest receivers finished with just 54 yards (Ty Robinson) and five targets (Aidan Laughery), leaving Dixon as the clear leader in every receiving category.

As Illinois opens up its passing attack, Dixon should become even more involved. For now, he remains undervalued and could be the X factor in a winning lineup.

Pictured: Kamario Taylor
Photo Credit: Imagn