College football is back, baby!
Granted, Week 0 doesn’t offer the most robust set of games, but after months without it, we’ll take anything we can get. This season kicks off with a modest seven-game slate. Still, there are a few noteworthy matchups and a full docket of fantasy tournaments to get DFS players in the mood for what’s sure to be a compelling few months.
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
Caleb Williams (USC Trojans): $9,900 DraftKings
There are more than a few reasons why Caleb Williams is the highest-priced player on the slate. The USC Trojans quarterback enters the campaign as the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, defending his trophy from last year. Moreover, Williams and the Trojans get lobbed an opening week softball of a matchup against the San Jose State Spartans.
Last year, Williams was relentless, and more importantly, we’re anticipating a leveled-up campaign from him this year. The junior gunslinger completed 66.6% of his passes in 2022, averaging 9.1 yards per pass attempt and ending the season with the fifth-best QBR in the nation.
Not surprisingly, Williams made short work of non-Power-5 schools. In three contests, the Trojans quarterback completed 81 of 111 passes for a 79.3% completion rate, 995 yards, and a 9-1 touchdown to interception ratio.
According to our projections, Williams is expected to pick up where he left off. He leads our median and ceiling projections and should torch the Spartans, who allowed an average of 257.3 passing yards per game over their final three games of last season.
Hank Bachmeier (Louisiana Tech Bulldogs): $5,800 DraftKings
Hank Bachmeier’s tenure with the Boise State Broncos came to an end last season after he was usurped on the depth chart. With one season of eligibility left, Bachmeier departed for greener pastures with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. He takes the reigns of one of the most underrated offenses in the country, amplifying Bachmeier’s fantasy profile.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have averaged north of 263.0 passing yards per game in each of the past two seasons. Further, they called the 26th-most passing plays in 2022, airing it out on 55.1% of snaps. That plays into Bachmeier’s strengths, who has been a reliable pass-thrower throughout his time in the FBS ranks. In four seasons of action, Bachmeier completes 61.6% of his throws, averaging 7.6 yards per pass attempt.
Bachmeier’s best season came in 2021 when he threw for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns. Both of those benchmarks will be on the move after this year. This could be the lowest price we see on Bachmeier’s salary all season, and he is not worth passing up.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Austin Jones (USC Trojans): $7,800 DraftKings
Travis Dye and Austin Jones formed one of the best backfields in the nation last year, combining for 2,058 all-purpose yards. Dye was drafted by the New York Jets, leaving Jones as the feature back in what will be one of the most prolific offenses in recent memory. Jones’ run to glory starts with Week 0’s showdown against the Spartans.
Jones does it all. The California native toted the ball 135 times for 705 yards last season, adding 267 receiving yards on 25 receptions. He crossed the century mark in yards on four occasions last year, despite earning double-digit touches just six times. More remarkably, Jones didn’t fumble the ball once, making him one of the most reliable backs again in 2023.
If Jones could accomplish all of that while sharing the workload, there’s no telling how high he can fly with a more prominent role. That will be even more pronounced at the LA Memorial Coliseum, where Jones averaged 7.2 yards per carry last year. Combined with Williams, those two Trojans should account for the lion’s share of scoring against San Jose State.
Tylan Hines (Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors): $4,700 DraftKings
Like Jones, Tylan Hines made big waves with the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors in 2022, despite sharing the backfield with a more distinguished running back. But with Dedrick Parson out of the picture, Hines is ready to soak up the additional workload and shine as a top-tier running back.
Hines was sensational in his freshman campaign. The Texas native averaged 7.3 yards per carry on 83 rushing attempts, hauling in nine passes for an additional 82 yards. More positively, Hines responded well to an increased workload. In three games with more than 11 carries, Hines totaled 252 yards, with a marginal improvement to 7.4 yards per carry. His limiting factor was red zone touches, and thus fewer scores, but both of those are non-issues now that Hines is the feature back.
This salary doesn’t accurately reflect Hines’ fantasy ceiling. Granted, opening the season on the road against an SEC foe is a daunting task, but Hines will be ready for the challenge. He will be the go-to offensive weapon for the Rainbow Warriors throughout the season.
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CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Smoke Harris (Louisiana Tech Bulldogs): $6,600 DraftKings
We are making a correlated play, highlighting Smoke Harris as the top wide receiver on Saturday’s schedule. He pairs well with Hank Bachmeier as Louisiana Tech is expected to torch the FIU Golden Panthers.
The Harris receiving tandem was the Bulldogs’ secret weapon for the past couple of seasons. Smoke and Tre led the team in receiving yards and receptions for 2021 and 2022. Now, with Tre departed to the SEC, Smoke is left to take on the increased targets that come in Louisiana Tech’s air raid offense.
Over the past couple of seasons, Smoke Harris has averaged 68.5 receptions and 10.2 yards per catch. It won’t take him long to establish a connection with Bachmeier, who gets the most out of his receiving corps. Bachmeier and Harris could form one of the best duos in the FBS ranks when the dust settles this year, starting with Saturday’s tilt against the Panthers.
Will Sheppard (Vanderbilt Commodores): $5,500 DraftKings
Heading into 2023, Will Sheppard will once again be receiving option 1A for AJ Swann and the Vanderbilt Commodores. Sheppard set career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns last year, and should set the bar even higher in his senior campaign.
Sheppard has a professional frame and used it to his advantage in 2022. The Louisiana native surpassed 87 yards in four of his final nine games last season, grabbing five or more receptions on five occasions. Additionally, Sheppard was a red zone hawk, recording three multi-touchdown performances en route to nine scores throughout the season. Those metrics should be elevated even higher now that Swann’s got his freshman campaign underneath him and a full year of experience.
Sheppard was the primary target for Swann and will re-establish that connection early this season. Hawai’i will be out of their depths against an SEC opponent, allowing Sheppard to start his season on the best possible foot.
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