A few teams are taking their foot off the pedal this week before gearing up for the final playoff push over the last few weeks of the season. Still, there are some noteworthy matchups that will keep college football enthusiasts entertained this weekend. Among those are several top 25 matchups sprinkled across the country, with Pac-12, Big 12, and SEC teams trying to bolster their resumes for the playoff and bowl committees. Whatever happens, you can be sure it’ll factor into seeding as we wrap up the regular season schedule next week.
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
Caleb Williams (USC Trojans): $10,900 DraftKings
DFS Punters will have their choice of some of the top quarterbacks in the country on Week 12’s main slate. More importantly, they should spare no expense in rostering the highest salaried signal-caller available. Caleb Williams enters Saturday’s contest against the UCLA Bruins with a staggering $10,900 salary. Still, he’s worth the investment as he projects as one of the preeminent fantasy players on the docket.
The USC Trojans pivot isn’t getting the same love he did last year in the Heisman Trophy conversation, which is odd considering the improvement he’s shown in a few key categories. Specifically, Williams has increased his completion percentage up to 67.9%, setting a new benchmark with 9.4 yards per pass attempt.
His efforts at home have helped set those new standards, as Williams has done his best work at LA Memorial Coliseum. In his friendly confines, the junior is completing 73.2% of his passes for 1,665 yards, 10.4 yards per pass attempt, and a sterling 16-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
UCLA has made defense more of a priority this year than they have in the past, but they are still getting torched via the passing attack. The Bruins give up a middling 231.0 passing yards per game, facilitating another superb outing from Williams on Saturday. There are many reasons why Williams is priced as high as he is, and he’s worth every penny.
Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma Sooners): $9,800 DraftKings
Things really went off the rails for the Oklahoma Sooners. Just a few weeks ago, the Sooners were knocking on the door of the CFP, putting together another playoff-worthy campaign. Then they dropped two straight on the road all but eliminating themselves from postseason contention. Nevertheless, Dillon Gabriel has continued to deliver Heisman-esque performances and should once again be at his best against the BYU Cougars.
Gabriel did put up a bit of a clunker against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Hawaii native completed just 14 passes for 171 yards but did add three scores and 64 yards on 14 carries. In the two games since then, Gabriel has rounded back into form by completing 49 of 73 passes for 767 yards and six touchdowns. Further, he matched his season-best performance, adding another three rushing touchdowns last week against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
BYU has been a defensive abomination. The Cougars rank 104th in yards allowed, letting opponents walk all over them to the tune of 421.8 yards and 30.1 points per game. Somehow, they’ve found a new low over their recent sample, with those metrics tumbling to 454.7 and 39.0, respectively.
The Sooners may have lost their footing, but Gabriel has not. The senior leads our median and ceiling projections this week, and should have no problem reaching his pinnacle against a laughable Cougars defense. While others will be focusing on Pac-12 pivots, you can set yourself apart with Gabriel.
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CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Bucky Irving (Oregon Ducks): $7,600 DraftKings
Bucky Irving might be getting a little lost in the hoopla of Bo Nix and Troy Franklin. The Oregon Ducks running back has been one of the most consistent performers in the NCAA ranks, churning out yards on the ground and through the air. Stacking Nix and Franklin may be a common strategy on the main slate, but including Irving on your roster is the prerequisite for success.
Irving just doesn’t quit. The junior is well on his way to setting new career bests, needing just 119 rushing yards and 18 carries to set new benchmarks. Considering his current workload, he should get there in Week 12. Irving has recorded at least 18 carries in three of his last five outings, eclipsing 118 yards in each one of those contests. Moreover, he’s maintained his role in the passing attack, totaling 192 yards on 22 carries.
The cherry on top is that Irving has sustained this elite workload while also being a primary scorer for the Ducks. Altogether, he’s recorded 11 touchdowns this season, finding paydirt in all but two of his outings.
Oregon is still in the hunt for a playoff berth, but already with one loss, can’t afford any missteps along the way. Thankfully, they have nothing to worry about that, with the Arizona Sun Devils awaiting them on Saturday. Opponents are averaging 405.0 yards per game against ASU over their last three, dropping their season average to 362.8,
Irving’s fantasy ceiling is among the best on the slate, and he’s essential to any winning roster.
Gavin Sawchuk (Oklahoma Sooners): $5,500 DraftKings
Finding the overlooked or marginalized fantasy performers is the secret recipe for sustainable DFS success. We think we’ve found one with our second RB pick. Sooners running back Gavin Sawchuk wasn’t getting a ton of playing time until Tawee Walker fell out of favor. Now, he’s poised for his third straight 100-yard rushing game against BYU.
Playing behind the likes of Gabriel and Walker has afforded Sawchuk some anonymity in the fantasy realm. However, we’ve seen Sawchuk thrive since taking over as the lead back a few weeks ago. In two games, the freshman has accumulated 251 total yards on 35 carries and one reception. A similar workload is anticipated in Week 12, as Sawchuk has thrust himself to the top of the Sooners’ depth chart.
For many of the same reasons as outlined above, we’re expecting Sawchuk to thrive on Saturday. BYU has a very inviting defense that is incompatible with limiting opponents. Although it might not be the best correlated play, stacking Sawchuk with Gabriel should account for the lion’s share of the Sooners’ yards at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Ollie Gordon (Oklahoma State Cowboys): $8,800 DraftKings
We’ve been raving about Ollie Gordon for a few weeks now, and DraftKings has finally taken notice. DK has raised his salary to a season-high $8,800 in Week 12, nearly $4,000 more than where it was at the start of the year. Still, we’ve come to expect certain things from Gordon, and he should have no problem delivering those against the Houston Cougars.
Gordon’s 1,250 rushing yards are second to none. The sophomore leads all FBS running backs in that category while also featuring prominently in a few other stats. Gordon’s 6.7 yards per carry puts him second among all running backs with at least 1,000 yards, while his 12 rushing scores are good enough for tenth.
The Cougars have been toothless when it comes to defending the run. Opponents are trampling them for 164.9 yards per game, jumping to 178.3 since Week 8. Last week, Corey Kiner torched Houston for 129 yards on 23 carries, which could be a sign of things to come with Gordon and the Cowboys coming to town.
Gordon’s meteoric rise is well-deserved. He’s tormented opponents all season and could be in for a season-best performance against a porous Cougars’ run defense. According to our projections, Gordon is the top rusher available.
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CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Samuel Brown (Washington State Cougars): $6,400 DraftKings
Defensive shortcomings notwithstanding, the Houston Cougars have been able to march their offense down the field thanks in part to a few key offensive performers. Among those is Samuel Brown, who leads the team in nearly every receiving category.
The Cougars wideout has been a focal point on offense. Brown leads the team in targets, receptions, yards, and yards per reception, highlighting his reliability and big play potential. The sophomore has had catches over 20 yards in all but two of his outings, averaging 77.6 yards per game.
Additionally, we’ve honed in on Brown as he’s a natural progression candidate after a lackluster effort last week. Against the Cincinnati Bearcats, Brown mustered a minuscule 12 yards on five catches despite commanding his usual target share. This week, he’ll have the chance to trot for yardage against the 107th-ranked Oklahoma State pass defense.
Week after week, we see that defense is an afterthought in the Cowboys’ game planning. In Week 11, they let Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson accumulate 112 and 96 yards on four and three catches, respectively. Those are miscues that you can’t afford with Brown, which should help him get back on track on Saturday.
Drake Stoops (Oklahoma Sooners): $6,800 DraftKings
We’re going into Saturday’s main slate with a three-headed monster of Sooners, fulfilling our usual stacking QB/WR preference. In the last couple of weeks, Drake Stoops is running around out there with a football magnet in his pocket and the Sooners are better because of it. Look for him to maintain his new standard standard in Saturday’s clash versus BYU.
Stoops has emerged as the primary target in Gabriel’s progression chart. The senior has soaked 27 targets over the last two outings, hauling in 22 of those for an 81.5% catch rate. More impressively, Stoops has totaled four touchdowns and 298 receiving yards across that modest stretch.
The Cougars can’t slow down anybody, and they have no chance of corraling the Sooners. Stoops has become the primary yard-getter in Oklahoma’s offense, and he should easily exceed the implied value of his salary in Week 12. Color us shocked if he doesn’t end the day as one of the top performing fantasy producers.
Elijah Sarratt (James Madison Dukes): $5,500 DraftKings
There may be a few pass-catchers with higher ceilings than Elijah Sarratt, but none have a more appealing salary. The James Madison Dukes wideout has been nothing short of sensational and has seemingly been overlooked by the powers that be at DraftKings. Sarratt could be an x-factor that sets rosters apart on the main slate.
For a brief moment, the Dukes edged into the top 25, only to be cast out after a close call versus the Old Dominion Monarchs. That relegation appears somewhat undeserved, considering James Madison remains one of only seven undefeated teams left standing.
Moreover, JMU has been one of the top performing offensive programs in the country. The Sun Belt leaders average 432.9 yards per game against FBS opponents, 295.2 of which come via the passing attack. Sarratt has accounted for a significant portion of those yards, totaling 840 receiving yards on 60 catches.
The sophomore is coming off his best game of the year, setting new highs in receptions (13) and yards (160); however, that was the third time in five games that Sarratt had crossed the century mark and the fourth straight game he had at least nine targets.
Sarratt has flown under the radar thus far but should get the recognition he deserves after another solid showing against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
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