We’ve gotten a taste of how good life is going to be, but on Saturday, we get to fully indulge in what to expect until the end of November. College football season is officially in full swing, and the upcoming schedule doesn’t disappoint.
Week 1 features some potential CFP matchups. The fifth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. The defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs host the Oregon Ducks, while the Cincinnati Bearcats and Arkansas Razorbacks duke it for a chance to maintain their top 25 ranking.
We’ll have a front-row seat to watch the action unfold as athletes battle it out for supremacy on the gridiron.
College football is new to FantasyLabs this season. Inside our Player Models, you’ll be able to utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 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.
Let’s dive into this week’s slate!
CFB DFS Quarterback Picks
Taulia Tagovailoa (Alabama Crimson Tide): $8,700 DraftKings
Following in his brother’s footsteps, Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is looking to replicate the success he had in his sophomore campaign, leading the team to their first winning record since 2014.
Tagovailoa’s success was reflected in his metrics, as he threw for a career-best 3,860 yards and 26 touchdowns, setting a new school record for passing yards. The former Alabama Crimson Tide backup was responsible with the ball, completing 69.2% of his passes with just 11 interceptions.
Tagovailoa was prone to big outbursts, surpassing 300-yards in seven of his 13 outings last year. That’s bad news for the Buffalo Bulls, who allowed an average of 416.3 yards per game in 2021 and underwent serious turnover in the offseason, losing starters on both sides of the ball. That benefits Tagovailoa and the Terrapins, giving him the highest fantasy ceiling among quarterbacks.
Jaren Hall (BYU Cougars): $7,200 DraftKings
The departure of star running back Tyler Allgeier will necessitate a pivot to increased emphasis on the passing game for the BYU Cougars. With a full season as a starter under his belt, Jaren Hall should be up to the task, starting against the USF Bulls.
Hall was one of the most disciplined quarterbacks in the league, throwing a paltry five interceptions in his sophomore season. Moreover, he completed 63.9% of his passes, averaging 8.7 yards per completion. He’ll have a chance to improve those metrics against the AAC’s worst defense, which allowed an average of 471.4 yards per game, 264.2 of which came through the air.
We saw meaningful progress from Hall towards the end of the 2021 season. The former three-star recruit threw for at least 276 yards in each of his last four starts, with a sterling 11-2 touchdown to interception ratio. That’s a good omen for what to expect Saturday against the Bulls.
Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma Sooners): $9,200 DraftKings
Dillon Gabriel spent two seasons running the UCF Knights offense before falling out of favor in 2021 due to a clavicle fracture. That led to him entering the transfer portal before landing the starting gig with the high-octane Oklahoma Sooners.
Throughout his three years with the Knights, Gabriel has been a model of consistency. His yards per completion ranged between 8.0 and 9.2, with his completion percentage not dropping below 59.3%. Moreover, Gabriel threw for at least 3,500 yards in each of his first two seasons before his abbreviated 2021 campaign.
Those metrics could just be scratching the surface of what to expect from Gabriel this season. The Sooners have a reputation to maintain, and Gabriel fits right in with his pedigree.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Devon Achane (Texas A&M Aggies): $7,600 DraftKings
Even while playing second fiddle in the Texas A&M Aggies running game, Devon Achane led the team in touchdowns and yards per game. Now that the backfield is his, we could see Achane hit a sixth gear.
Achane snapped off big runs in nearly every contest last year, going for 15 or more yards in nine of 12 games; however, Achane’s production wasn’t limited to rushing the ball. The Texas-born running back hauled in five or more passes on five occasions, totaling 261 yards n the season.
There will be additional carries to go around now that Isaiah Spiller is onto the NFL. Achane satisfies a big need for the Aggies and will absorb the lion’s share of the workload. That amplifies his fantasy ceiling and makes him our preferred running back on Saturday.
Zach Charbonnet (UCLA Bruins): $7,900 DraftKings
Over the last couple of years, the UCLA Bruins have been a first-class offensive team. The Bruins’ re-invigorated offense has finished top two in the Pac-12 in each of the past two seasons and will look to sustain that production for a third year in a row.
The foundation of the Bruins’ success has been their running game, which starts with Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet enters his senior season as the leag back on offense, looking to improve on his career-best metrics from 2021. That year, Charbonnet rushed for 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
UCLA opens its season at home against the Bowling Green Falcons. If last season’s metrics are any indication, Charbonnet and the Bruins will run all over a Falcons rush D that allowed 187.8 rushing yards per game. Based on our modeling, that could be the low end of the spectrum for Charbonnet.
Blake Corum (Michigan Wolverines): $7,300 DraftKings
The Michigan Wolverines enter the season with legitimate postseason aspirations, looking to make the CFB Playoffs for consecutive years. They can start their season off on the right foot with a home matchup against the Colorado State Rams. The Rams lost some of their best players on defense, which will create space for running back Blake Corum.
Corum steps into the featured back role after Hassan Haskins landed a gig with the Tennessee Titans. The junior running back took on a secondary role with the Wolverines last year but has the analytics to support an increased workload. Corum ranked tenth in the nation in yards per carry among running backs with at least 100 carries. Further, he was effective in the red zone finding pay dirt 11 times while giving up goal-line touches to Haskins.
Our projections rank Corum highly, and we like his chances to reach his fantasy ceiling at The Big House in the season opener.
CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Josh Downs (North Carolina Tar Heels): $8,200 DraftKings
The North Carolina Tar Heels were one of a handful of teams who got their season started in Week 0. That affords them a modest advantage over the Appalachian State Mountaineers and gives us a glimpse of what to expect from Josh Downs this year.
Quarterback Drake Maye had the Tar Heels moving efficiently in their win over the Florida A&M Rattlers. As a unit, the team accumulated 608 total yards, with 294 coming through the air. North Carolina leaned into their passing game early before turning things over to the run game once the contest was out of reach.
Still, Downs was the pre-eminent part of the offense, drawing 12 targets, which nearly matched the 14 touches Omarion Hampton had as the lead running back. More importantly, Downs hauled in nine of those for receptions, for 78 yards, and two scores. A repeat performance is on tap against the Mountaineers.
Dontay Demus Jr. (Maryland Terrapins): $6,800 DraftKings
Senior wideout Dontay Demus Jr. was Tagovailoa’s favorite target before a knee injury ended his season prematurely. Demus Jr. is back with unfinished business, helping the Terrapins take another step forward in 2022.
The 21-year-old played in only five games last year but still ended the season second on the team in receiving yards. Demus Jr. had 28 receptions for 507 yards, for a gaudy 18.1 yard per catch average. He’ll resume his spot on the depth chart and will make an immediate connection with Tagovailoa again.
The Terrapins rebuilt offense is predicated on the passing game, and Demus Jr. will help them set the bar higher, starting with a Week 1 matchup against the Bulls.
Nathaniel Dell (Houston Cougars): $7,800 DraftKings
All Houston Cougars wide receiver Nathaniel Dell has done since arriving at TDECU Stadium is torch opponents, leaving little doubt that he continues his dominance against the UTSA Roadrunners.
Dell has averaged 14.8 yards per reception or more in all three of his seasons, increasing his volume and contributions year-over-year. As a sophomore, Dell set a new benchmark, leading the Cougars with 90 catches, 1,329 yards, and 12 touchdowns.
It’s appropriate that the Roadrunners call themselves such, as they spend most of their time chasing receivers. UTSA allowed 252.2 passing yards per game last year, equalling the third-most totals yards in the C-USA. Dell adds to their misery in the season opener and carries one of the highest fantasy ceilings.
