College Football DFS Picks: Week 3 CFB DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown (Saturday, September 19th)

We are at the outset of the conference schedules! The intensity only ratchets higher from here, as teams compete for coveted spots in their respective championship games. That’s particularly true on the Week 3 main slate, as several ranked and high-profile teams look to amplify their playoff profiles with early-season wins. Combined with the few non-conference offerings, there’s an unsuspecting winning lineup in the FantasyLabs projections that will lead to DFS glory.

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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): $8,800 DraftKings

As expected, Kamario Taylor’s fantasy profile has risen since the start of the season. Formerly a low-$8,000 afterthought, the Mississippi State Bulldogs’ quarterback is quickly ascending in the DFS realm. We predict his value will be at an all-time high after Week 3’s showdown versus the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Taylor is doing it all in his sophomore year. Through two games, the Mississippi State native has 581 passing yards, seven touchdowns, 145 rushing yards, and an additional score. On a per-attempt basis, he’s churning out 10.4 yards per pass attempt and 7.6 yards per carry, all without turning the ball over once. Predictably, that correlates with the 10th-best quarterback rating in the country.

We’ve seen the best Kamario Taylor has to offer in each of his first two outings. In Week 1, he threw for 354 yards while completing 22 of 34 pass attempts. Last time out, he rushed for 86 yards on just 13 carries, doing so without compromising his passing metrics. Despite the lopsided victory, the sophomore still managed to complete 16 of 22 passes for 227 yards and three tuddies.

It may seem a little counterintuitive, but we should see the best Taylor has to offer as the Bulldogs wander into SEC play. Without a competitive defense, Mississippi State will have to unleash its offense to keep pace with the conference frontrunners. That means a heavier dose of Taylor and more of a fantasy impact.

It’s time to take notice – Taylor is a fantasy stud.

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Kevin Jennings (SMU Mustangs): $8,200 DraftKings

The Ohio State Buckeyes will have something to prove after last week’s ugly loss to Texas, and that means big things from Julian Sayin. However, if things get out of hand early, we could see Sayin called back to the sidelines, hampering his fantasy value. With that, we are shifting our focus to Kevin Jennings as he leads his SMU Mustangs into a heated ACC clash versus the Louisville Cardinals.

A fifth-year senior, Jennings has long since established his value as a fantasy stud. He threw for 6,886 passing yards across 2024 and 2025, with no fewer than 3,245 yards and 23 touchdowns in each of those campaigns. Not surprisingly, he’s maintained those lofty standards this season, totaling 767 passing yards and eight scores through two weeks. Armed with a 76.9% completion percentage and a bevy of elite pass-catchers, the best has yet to come for Jennings and the Mustangs’ offense.

We have reason to believe that Jennings’ best performance of the season will come on the road versus Louisville. The Cardinals defense was rag-dolled by Ole Miss in the season opener, getting burned for 336 passing yards and three touchdowns. In that game, Trinidad Chambliss completed 21 of 36 pass attempts, connecting on deep pass after deep pass. Louisville followed that up with another lackluster defensive showing against FCS Villanova.

SMU’s most prominent strength on offense is throwing the ball. In that regard, Kevin Jennings will be tasked with leading the Mustangs to glory in this pivotal intraconference battle. He should end up being one of the premier value candidates on the board and have no problem reaching his fantasy ceiling.

CFB DFS Running Back Picks

Nate Sheppard (Duke Blue Devils) $9,200 DraftKings

We knew it was just a matter of time before Nate Sheppard got the fantasy respect he’s owed. After two dominant weeks, the Duke Blue Devils’ running back leads all ball carriers in terms of salary and production. Still, he’s worth the investment against the lowly Stanford Cardinal.

Sheppard’s fantasy ceiling is still being underestimated. Already, the sophomore has 374 rushing yards on 59 carries, handling the ball 35 times in a Week 1 win over Tulane and following that up with 24 touches on the road against Illinois. In both of those contests, he showed his ability to break out for big gains, chugging for a 47-yard jaunt in the season opener and a 29-yard run against a formidable Illinois defense.

Every-down running backs are a thing of the past, but Sheppard is doing his part to reverse that trend. He’s hauled in eight of 10 targets this season for 60 yards, crossing the plane with two of those catches. With that, he’s already accounted for five touchdowns this season, a total that will grow substantially against Stanford.

The Cardinal defense is flightless these days. Formerly a premier college football program, Stanford ranks among the worst defenses in the country, giving up 437.0 yards and 36.0 points per game. Surely, Nate Sheppard will add to those woes en route to another monumental fantasy performance at Wallace Wade Stadium.

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Wayshawn Parker (Utah Utes) $7,000 DraftKings

The Utah Utes have taken a more methodical approach on offense. While they’ve scored 109 points in two games, including 43 against Arkansas last time out, the Utes are prioritizing ball control and tempo instead of big scores. As we’ve seen, that’s led to big things from Wayshawn Parker, who has dominated out of the backfield. We’re anticipating a season-best performance from Parker as Utah hosts the Utah State Aggies in The Battle of the Brothers.

Despite only toting the ball 22 times, Parker is the undisputed leader out of the Utes’ backfield. The junior has churned out 124 rushing yards on those touches, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Like Sheppard, Wayshawn Parker fits the mold of an every-down back. He’s been a primary factor in Utah’s passing attack, ranking first in receptions, second in targets, and first in touchdowns. Therein lies his most notable fantasy advantage, as Parker has already found paydirt six times this season.

The 0-2 Aggies weathered the storm versus Washington last week, but they look completely incapable of handling Utah’s dynamic offense. Playing back-to-back road games puts them at a significant disadvantage, and Parker will be ready to exploit them on the ground and in the air.

Priced as -28.5 chalk, the Utes are positioned to run away with this one. With that, expect Parker to be the featured player on offense, resulting in more touches out of the backfield. At just $7,000, he should soar past the implied value of his salary and be an X-factor in most winning lineups.

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CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks

Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State Buckeyes) $8,400

We all knew what Jeremiah Smith was capable of. The Buckeyes’ wideout entered the season with Heisman Trophy aspirations, and he’s validated those expectations with his early-season onslaught. Seeking redemption from last week’s collapse, Smith will put Ohio State on his back against the Kent State Golden Flashes.

Smith’s metrics speak for themselves. In Week 1, he went off for 151 yards on eight receptions and two scores versus Ball State, announcing his triumphant return to the college football stage. Proving any naysayers wrong, Smith followed that up with 164 yards on eight receptions against the now-top-ranked Longhorns at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, no less.

Altogether, Smith has 315 yards and three touchdowns on 16 receptions while serving as the focal point on offense. His 25 targets are nearly triple those of the next-closest receiver (Devin McCuin, 10) and account for a monstrous 36.2% target share.

In their lone FBS showdown, Kent State was absolutely torched by South Carolina. They gave up 645 yards of offense and allowed LaNorris Sellers to post an 81.8% completion percentage. The Buckeyes will have a chip on their shoulder, and they could dwarf that production at Ohio Stadium.

His Heisman Trophy moment will likely come against a more high-profile opponent, but Jeremiah Smith will vault to the top of the futures board after his Week 3 performance. He’s a must-roster versus Kent State.

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Anthony Evans (Mississippi State Bulldogs) $6,500

After two uninspired years with the Georgia Bulldogs as a mop-up-time option, Anthony Evans transferred to Mississippi State ahead of the 2025 season. He broke out as a junior, topping 800 receiving yards and 65 receptions as a primary option. Evans grabbed the bull by the horns early this season, cementing his position as Kamario Taylor’s go-to receiver.

Evans has been unstoppable early in 2026. He opened the campaign with a seven-reception, 118-yard performance against ULM before boosting his production to 121 yards in last week’s road win over Minnesota. While his 66.7% catch rate leaves something to be desired, the senior has accounted for a 32.8% target share and is the first look in Taylor’s pass progressions.

South Carolina has yet to be truly tested this season. They beat up on Kent State in the season opener, following that up with another strong showing against FCS Towson in Week 2. We should see some immediate correction to their key defensive metrics against the high-octane Bulldogs. This is still a team that has given up a 60.9% completion percentage to two inferior opponents and that went 1-7 in SEC play last season.

Mississippi State’s passing attack runs through Anthony Evans, and he will be the focal point in the Bulldogs’ conference opener. Still, his salary doesn’t reflect his fantasy ceiling. We’re stacking Taylor with Evans to maximize fantasy production.

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Yamir Knight (SMU Mustangs) $4,100

We’re attempting the rarely seen double-stack with our Week 3 projections. While Kevin Jennings’ fantasy value is undeniable, there is no clear No. 1 receiver in the Mustangs’ offense. So far, four different receivers have eclipsed 100 receiving yards, with Yannick Smith leading the way with 151 and Yamir Knight at 111. You may be tempted into thinking that Smith is the play, but we’re here to tell you that Knight has the superior fantasy profile.

So far this season, Knight leads SMU with 12 targets, outpacing Smith by three. Moreover, his 75.0% catch rate is almost 10 points higher than Smith’s mark of 66.7%. As we saw in Week 1, Knight was the primary target, pulling in six receptions for a more modest 49 yards against Florida State. He exceeded that yardage against UC Davis last time out, going off for 62 yards on three receptions before giving way to the backups at halftime.

Smith, Jalen Hale, and Jalen Cooper all serve as intermediate-to-deep route receivers, whereas Knight operates out of the slot. That will be the difference against a Louisville defense that gave up over 100 yards to interior pass-catchers against Ole Miss.

To offset splurging on Nate Sheppard and Jeremiah Smith, we need to shift our focus to value receivers in the other spots. Chief among them stands Yamir Knight, who will be Kevin Jennings’ first look as the Mustangs look to cement their position as an ACC contender.

Pictured: Kevin Jennings
Photo Credit: Imagn