The end of the college football regular season is upon us, and there is still plenty at stake for many programs. Only five conference championship matchups are known, and plenty is on the line for the four remaining undefeated teams. That means another exciting weekend of meaningful football and another Saturday main slate loaded with some of the best college football players in the nation.
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
Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State Cowboys): $7,900 DraftKings
A shoulder injury to Spencer Sanders killed the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ early-season momentum. However, the Big 12 squad will still be looking to send their signal-caller off with a memorable Senior Day effort. Sanders has the highest fantasy ceiling and should torch a terrible West Virginia Mountaineers’ pass defense.
After two uncharacteristic games in which he threw for a cumulative 231 yards, Sanders was up to his usual antics last week against the Oklahoma Sooners — at least from a yardage perspective. Although he needed 67 pass attempts to reach the benchmark, the four-year starter accumulated 381 passing yards, his second-highest total over the last four games.
Interceptions have been an issue for Sanders this year, which limited his fantasy ceiling last week; however, we’re not expecting any resistance from West Virginia. The Mountaineers give up the ninth-most passing yards against FBS teams and have been even worse in conference play. The Big 12 basement dwellers have allowed an average of 294.4 passing yards per game over their past seven, with four opponents throwing for at least 336 yards.
With a mid-tier bowl game likely on the horizon, Spencer could focus on his last home game at the college level, using it to bolster his diminishing draft stock. We’re anticipating a season-best effort from Sanders against the Mountaineers.
Austin Reed (Western Kentucky Hilltoppers): $7,700 DraftKings
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers can’t afford any miscues as they look to punch their ticket to the C-USA Championship Game. We’re expecting them to play to their strengths against the Florida Atlantic Owls, which should include a heavy dose of Austin Reed.
Although he plays for a Group of 5 school, Reed has been sensational this season. The senior quarterback has compiled the second-most passing yards and fifth-most passing touchdowns while navigating the Hilltoppers to the brink of the conference championship.
Reed has excelled against C-USA opponents, completing 67.4% of his passes for 2,266 yards and a 19-3 touchdown to interception ratio. Further, he gets to end his season against an Owls squad that allowed 447 passing yards last week against the inferior Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.
The Hilltoppers pivot has thrown 12 touchdowns and 1,395 yards over his last four games. Reed’s salary isn’t an accurate representation of his fantasy ceiling. He’s the hot hand worth rostering on the main slate.
Bo Nix (Oregon Ducks): $9,700 DraftKings
There are more than a couple of reasons why Oregon Ducks pivot Bo Nix is the highest-priced quarterback on the board. An ankle injury may have limited Nix last week against the Utah Utes. Still, with another week to recover, we’re expecting him to be near full health for the rivalry game against the Oregon State Beavers.
Nix has thrown for at least 274 yards in five straight games, tossing 13 touchdowns to three interceptions. Last week’s outing against the Utes was the first time he didn’t throw multiple touchdowns since October 8, setting him up for a bounce-back effort in Week 13.
The x-factor impacting Nix’s fantasy ceiling is his ankle injury. Mobility is one of his biggest strengths, as Nix has 14 rushing scores on the season, romping for more than 50 yards in five of his previous seven.
There won’t be any letting up from the Ducks, who need a victory over their in-state rivals to guarantee themselves a win in the Pac-12 Championship. Nix is pricey, but he ranks among the elite quarterbacks available and is worth the investment.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota Golden Gophers): $7,400 DraftKings
Mohamed Ibrahim has been one of our preferred running backs all season. He’s in tough against the stingy Wisconsin Badgers in Week 13, but he’s a high-volume back with a lower-than-anticipated salary, making him one of our top plays once again.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers halfback is just 58 yards shy of the rushing yards lead and could move atop the list with a solid effort against the Badgers. Ibrahim has run for at least 102 yards in every outing this season and has elevated his performances over his recent stretch.
The senior has toted the ball 30 or more times in five straight, totaling 830 yards and ten touchdowns. That dominance is clearly illustrated in his fantasy performances, with Ibrahim accumulating 160.5 fantasy points over his five-game sample while equaling or surpassing 36.0 points in three of five.
Minnesota turns to Ibrahim more often than nearly every other running back in the country, and he’s rewarded them with the most touchdowns and third-most rushing yards. According to our projections, Ibrahim ranks as the best rusher available and is worth including on any roster with his modest salary.
Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama Crimson Tide): $8,400 DraftKings
Inevitably, every year there is a mass exodus of Alabama Crimson Tide players as they seek professional careers in the NFL. Typically, we see the team flex their muscles into the College Football Playoffs, but that’s likely not going to happen this year. As such, this year’s Iron Bowl could be the last opportunity for NFL-caliber players to flaunt their stuff for NFL scouts.
Among those is running back Jahmyr Gibbs. The junior is a natural playmaker, leading the team in rushing yards and receptions. Granted, an ankle injury has limited Gibbs to 70 all-purpose yards in two of his last three, but he is on track to play against the Auburn Tigers and should exploit their lackluster defense.
Auburn has been susceptible against the run, allowing an average of 172.6 yards per game, ranking fourth-last in the SEC. The Tigers have been carved up on the road, giving up a whopping 251.0 rushing yards per game as the visitors.
Gibbs’ salary implies that he’s at full health, which remains a question mark. But with pride on the line and a potential NFL suitor watching, Gibbs will be ready to run on Saturday.
Nicholas Singleton (Penn State Nittany Lions): $5,700 DraftKings
Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton could be the best value play on the board. The teams leading rusher enters Saturday’s main slate with an exploitable $5,700 salary and has one of the highest ceilings against the Michigan State Spartans.
Even though he shares the workload out of the backfield with Kaytron Allen, Singleton has been effective over his last few contests. Since the start of November, the freshman has 257 rushing yards on 36 carries, for an impressive 7.1 yards per carry to go along with three scores. That’s been a common theme for Singleton throughout the season, though, as he leads Penn State in yards per carry and touchdowns.
The Spartans take a passive approach to defending the run, allowing an average of 180.3 rushing yards per game this season, jumping to 211.3 over their last three. That’s an advantage that Singleton will capitalize on, as he puts more distance between himself and Allen as the team’s top running back.
CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Charlie Jones (Purdue Boilermakers): $7,800 DraftKings
The Purdue Boilermakers close the regular season with a road matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers. Needing a win and some help from the Nebraska Cornhuskers to make the Big Ten Championship game, the Boilermakers should turn to one of their most reliable producers on Saturday.
Charlie Jones is one of the best wideouts in the nation, ranking sixth in yards and third in receptions and touchdowns. He’s been held in check over his last two, failing to record more than 66 receiving yards but has buoyed his fantasy production by finding paydirt in both contests.
Nevertheless, Jones should thrive against a Hoosiers pass defense that is the worst in the conference. Indiana allows an average of 272.7 passing yards per game, with two of their previous three opponents eclipsing the 300-yard mark.
Jones is the primary option in the Boilermakers’ offensive schemes, earning a 29.8% target share over his last five games. At $7,800, it’s worth betting Jones breaks out of his mini-slump against the Hoosiers.
Dalton Kinkaid (Utah Utes): $6,600 DraftKings
The downtrodden Colorado Buffaloes have let opponents walk all over them this year. Their season mercifully comes to an end against the Utah Utes, but not without another standout performance from Dalton Kinkaid.
The tight end has cemented himself as the Utes’ top pass-catcher in the latter half of the season. Kinkaid has played four games since October 15, accumulating 424 yards on 38 receptions. Most of those yards came against the USC Trojans in Week 7, but Kinkaid’s workshare has remained consistent throughout.
In those four games, the senior has a 35.7% target share, hitting double-digit receptions in two of the four outings. Cameron Rising threw Kinkaid’s way 17 times last week, highlighting his reliance on his tight end as his top option.
Kinkaid is undervalued salary-wise and could easily end the day with the highest fantasy point total among receivers.
Malachi Corley (Western Kentucky Hilltoppers): $7,300 DraftKings
Our Saturday main slate breakdown wouldn’t be complete without a stacking option. The Hilltoppers have several wide receivers who have stepped up throughout the season, but none more so than Malachi Corley.
Corley leads the team in receptions, yards, and touchdown catches and has been Reed’s preferred target in six of the last seven games. Each contest has been a compelling performance for Corley, who has 90 receiving yards in all but one of those matchups and 17.7 fantasy points or more in five of seven.
Moreover, Corley has stepped up his game against C-USA opponents, improving his yards per reception to 15.9 from 12.8, with four of his seven touchdowns coming in those inter-conference battles.
There’s an argument to be made that Daewood Davis or Jaylen Hall are better options based on their respective salaries. Still, we’re sticking with the Hilltoppers’ top wideout in a must-win game against the Owls.
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