Week 2 is now in the books, but it’s not too late to get in on the action. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have brought back CFB DFS. DraftKings’ Saturday early slate kicks off at noon pm EST and features 10 games.
- Oklahoma (-18) at Iowa State, Over/Under: 55.5 – noon pm ET
- Florida State (-3) at Syracuse, Over/Under: 68 – noon pm ET
- Hawai’i at Army (-6.5), Over/Under: 62 – noon pm ET
- Kent State at Penn State (-35), Over/Under: 64 – noon pm ET
- Georgia Tech (-4) at Pittsburgh, Over/Under: 52.5 – 12:30 pm ET
- Vanderbilt at Notre Dame (-14), Over/Under: 52 – 2:30 pm ET
- LSU at Auburn (-10), Over/Under: 44.5 – 3:30 pm ET
- Boise State at Oklahoma State (-2.5), Over/Under: 64 – 3:30 pm ET
- BYU at Wisconsin (-21), Over/Under: 45.5 – 3:30 pm ET
- SMU at Michigan (-35.5), Over/Under: 53.5 – 3:30 pm ET
Check out The Action Network’s Live Odds page for line updates.
Game of the Week: Florida State (-3.5) at Syracuse
FSU-Syracuse features two teams whose stock is pointed in opposite directions. The Seminoles struggled last year and have dealt with critical injuries to their offensive line this season. Still, with Deondre Francois and Cam Akers leading the offense, they have plenty of potential. The Seminoles will be looking to “get right” against a Syracuse defense that has given up 909 total yards to Western Michigan and Wagner this season.
The Orange have an exciting offense under head coach Dino Babers that is headlined by QB Eric Dungey. Dungey is an explosive dual-threat quarterback who is averaging 122 rush yards per game in 2018. His top receiving weapons include Jamal Custis, Devin Butler and Sean Riley.
Both teams are determined to deliver statement performances in this game, and the game script may favor offensive firepower for both sides. Questions abound for both teams, but that same uncertainty may make stacking FSU-Syracuse a good option in guaranteed prize pools.
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Quarterbacks
Cole McDonald (Hawai’i): $9,200 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
What more can I say about this guy? In three games, McDonald has posted a ridiculous 1165-13-0 passing line and a 27-125-2 rushing line. Hawai’i’s new-look/old-look air raid offense provides McDonald and his receivers with high-floor usage each game.
There are some concerns for Hawai’i against Army’s triple-option, however. Army could grind clock, thereby limiting Hawai’i’s offensive possessions. That said, Hawai’i has already played Navy this season, and the Rainbow Warriors torched the Midshipmen for 522 yards of total offense. McDonald threw for 428 yards and six touchdowns in that game. The Rainbow Warriors have already defended the triple-option once, and I’m betting they keep their momentum going with a big win (and big numbers) on the road against Army.
Deondre Francois (Florida State): $8,700 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
Francois’ off-the-field issues and disappointing start to 2018 may be clouding his elite athletic potential. Before tearing his patellar tendon in the Seminoles’ 2017 season opener against Alabama, Francois was named the 2016 ACC Rookie of the Year. He posted a 3350-20-7 passing line and added five rushing touchdowns as a freshman.
His current 2018 season stat line (553-3-3) leaves a lot to be desired, but he has the potential to blow up at any time. Week 3 against Syracuse may be his moment.
Woody Barrett (Kent State): $4,800 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
Barrett, a former four-star Auburn commit, leads an exciting Golden Flashes offense that plays with extreme tempo. Through two games, he’s compiled a 426-3-3 passing line while rushing for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Penn State’s defensive strength is its front seven. If the Nittany Lions stack up against the run, game script could favor the pass. The Nittany Lions are young in their secondary, having to replace four starters from last season. And, if Penn State pressures the pocket, Barrett has the athleticism and rushing acumen to scramble for nice yardage.
Don’t forget that in Week 1, Appalachian State QB Zac Thomas threw for 270 passing yards and ran for 43 more against the Nittany Lions.
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Running Backs
Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin): $9,700 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel
With the Badgers dealing with injuries and suspensions to its receiving corps, Taylor has benefited from a huge workload despite somewhat limited action. Through two games, he’s rushed 51 times for 398 yards and five touchdowns.
BYU’s defense is good, Taylor has little receiving upside, and the low Vegas total is a concern. Still, Taylor’s volume of carries is almost unmatched in college football, his touchdown rate is fantastic and we’re getting him this week at a slight discount on DraftKings. I’m betting that Taylor furthers his Heisman campaign with another big-volume, multi-touchdown performance against the Cougars.
David Montgomery (Iowa State): $5,900 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
Montgomery rushed for 1,146 yards and 11 touchdowns last season on his way to First-Team All-Big Ten honors. Iowa State QB Kyle Kempt injured his MCL last week, which likely means the Cyclones will lean heavily on the running game against Oklahoma. That kind of game script could lead to big volume for Montgomery. He added 36 receptions for 296 yards in 2017 and should see high usage in all phases of the Cyclones offense.
Squally Canada (BYU): $5,000 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
With respect to Tulsa QB Chad President and Navy defensive lineman Joshua Van Dunk, Squally Canada has the best name in college football.
Canada has rushed 40 times through two games and is indisputably BYU’s bell cow running back. He has also added three rushing touchdowns, demonstrating his touchdown upside when BYU is in the red zone. This game has a low Vegas total and should feature a heavy run emphasis for both teams. Canada’s secure workload makes him a cheap, high-floor candidate this week.
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Wide Receivers
At the Top, Stack Hawai’i or Oklahoma Wide Receivers
This week, Hawai’i and Oklahoma wideouts dominate the top tier of receiver talent, and I couldn’t pick just one, so you get four instead.
The Rainbow Warriors’ air raid offense features inside receivers John Ursua ($8,100 DraftKings) and Cedric Byrd ($7,400 DraftKings). Hawai’i’s top two receivers have combined to average a 17.7-188-3.3 receiving line through three games this season. Hawai’i’s offense should overwhelm Army by heavily targeting both wideouts.
Oklahoma’s offense rivals Hawai’i’s for the best in the country. Star receivers Marquise “Hollywood” Brown ($7,600 DraftKings) and CeeDee Lamb ($6,700 DraftKings) have breakaway potential on any given play. Brown is averaging 22.1 yards per catch this season, and Lamb isn’t far behind him with a 21.0 yards-per-catch average.
Kalija Lipscomb (Vanderbilt): $5,400 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
After dispatching Nevada last week, Vanderbilt may be better than we thought. Their offense is led by No. 1 wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb. As the Commodores’ top receiving option, Lipscomb has amassed 14 receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns through two games. His high target volume affords him a high fantasy floor, which is crucial at this price point.
Vanderbilt is a two-touchdown underdog this week at Notre Dame, which struggled to finish off Ball State last weekend. Lipscomb’s touchdown upside makes him a nice DFS value, while Vanderbilt may favor the pass while playing from behind.
Mike Carrigan (Kent State): $3,100 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
I went deep into the bargain bin with my cheap/punt option this week. Kent State’s up-tempo spread offense features Carrigan as its No. 1 wide receiver. He has caught 10 passes for the Golden Flashes through two games. The Nittany Lions’ young secondary may be vulnerable, and game script could favor the passing game. Carrigan should hoard the greatest market share of receiving targets as an inside, possession receiver. In this price range, high-volume usage is at a premium, and Carrigan’s $3,100 price tag is too good to pass up.
DFS Stacks
Hawai’i
Hawai’i has one of the top passing offenses in the country, and their receiving market share is consolidated to only three core receivers.
- QB: McDonald
- WR: Ursua
- WR: Byrd
- WR: JoJo Ward
Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s prolific spread offense — even without Rodney Anderson — should wear down the Cyclones defense with tempo and speed.
- QB: Kyler Murray
- WR: Goodwin
- WR: Lamb
- RB: Trey Sermon
Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets lost RB KirVonte Benson to an ACL injury last week, and QB TaQuon Marshall is questionable with an injured toe. Their lower-budget replacements should have stable, high-floor rushing upside against Pitt.
- QB: Marshall / QB: Tobias Oliver
- RB: Jordan Mason
Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Pictured Above: Cole McDonald
