We’re full speed ahead now. Power Five schools got their season-opening gimme matchups out of the way, and the intensity is already being ratcheted up in Week 2. This week’s schedule is punctuated with a few top 25 contests, in-state rivalry games, and a clash of titans as the Alabama Crimson Tide host the Texas Longhorns in the marquee matchup of the weekend.
We’ve got you covered for DFS purposes, highlighting our preferred players from the main slate.
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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.
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Let’s dive into this week’s slate!
CFB DFS Quarterback Picks
Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss Rebels): $9,700 DraftKings
The Ole Miss Rebels didn’t take their foot off the pedal in Week 1’s 73-7 win over the Mercer Bears. Everyone got in on the action, orchestrated by standout quarterback Jaxson Dart. Ole Miss travels for a top-25 showdown against the Tulane Green Wave, and we’re anticipating another elite effort from Dart.
Dart was on point last week, completing 18-of-23 passing for 334 yards and four touchdowns. His resulting 95.9 QBR is good enough for seventh in the nation and a sign of what’s to come throughout his junior year. The Utah native has improved his completion percentage, yards per attempt, and touchdowns in every season, and Dart is already trending higher early in 2023.
Not surprisingly, Tulane has struggled to contain high-octane Power Five offenses over the past few seasons. They may have the offense prowess to put up a few scores themselves, but that only adds to Dart’s ceiling, as the Rebels should be comfortably out front from start to finish.
Jeff Sims (Nebraska Cornhuskers): $7,200 DraftKings
The Nebraska Cornhuskers are tasked with keeping pace with the all-of-a-sudden top 25 Colorado Buffaloes. Dual-threat QB Jeff Sims projects as one of the top pivots available and gets to pick apart a less-than-stellar Buffaloes defense.
As is typically the case with a Nebraska quarterback, Sims can burn teams with his arms or legs. In their season-opening loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Sims threw for 114 yards and a touchdown, adding 91 yards on 19 carries. He’s got a more robust floor against the Buffs, who struggled to contain TCU last week. The Horned Frogs totaled 279 passing yards and 269 rushing yards en route to six touchdowns.
Sims should be able to replicate TCU’s success on Saturday. The junior quarterback will take what’s given to him, earning fantasy points the easy way. We’re adding him to our roster as an undervalued option with one of the best ceilings on the slate.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Ray Davis (Kentucky Wildcats): $7,700 DraftKings
The Will Levis-Chris Rodriguez Jr. era may have come to an end, but Devin Leary and Ray Davis are ready to take up the mantle and carry on the Kentucky Wildcats’ recent dominance. Davis shone in Saturday’s dismantling of the Ball State Cardinals and has an even easier path to fantasy relevance Saturday versus the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.
Davis has established himself as the primary back for Kentucky. The senior was one of only two Wildcats RBs to run the ball, out-carrying JuTahn McClain 14-4 and out-rushing him by an even wider 112-9 margin. Factoring in Davis’ three receptions on five targets, tied for third-most on the team, we get an even clearer picture of his impact on the Wildcats offense all year.
That ceiling is higher in Saturday’s showdown against the Colonels. The FCE foes were trounced by the Cincinnati Bearcats last week, facing a stiffer challenge against Kentucky. According to the FantasyLabs model, Davis should end the day as one of the top-producing runners on the slate.
Rasheen Ali (Marshall Thundering Herd): $4,800 DraftKings
For the Marshall Thundering Herd to be successful this season, they’ll need their offense to operate efficiently. Thankfully, Rasheen Ali is up to the challenge. Marshall’s feature back got off to a great start this season and should carry that momentum into Week 2’s contest against the East Carolina Pirates.
Ali was a menace in Week 1, running for 137 yards and two scores on 18 touches. That is reminiscent of his freshman campaign in which he finished as one of the premier running backs in the FBS ranks. In 2021, Ali rushed for 1,401 yards and 23 touchdowns, being named to the Freshman All-American squad. After an injury-plagued 2022 resulted in a medical redshirt, Ali is back and ready to re-capture that magic.
This could be the lowest we see Ali’s salary this year, and it’s not worth passing up. When healthy, Ali makes short work of his opponents, carving up any defense that gets in his way. He leads our median and ceiling projections, making him an x-factor on any winning roster.
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CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Jimmy Horn Jr. (Colorado Buffaloes): $7,700 DraftKings
We may not have seen all the tricks Deion Sanders has up his sleeves, but we did get a glimpse of what to expect from Colorado this season. One of the most telling reveals was the Buffaloes’ predilection for the passing game and Jimmy Horn Jr.’s role in said attack.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was an absolute unit, throwing the ball 47 times for over 500 yards against the Horned Frogs. Although he will be hard-pressed to replicate those numbers week-over-week, we should expect a heavy dosage of Horn Jr. in the passing game. The junior wideout was targeted 13 times, grabbing 11 of those passes for 117 yards — a sign of things to come.
Nebraska doesn’t have the capacity to limit the Buffaloes’ passing game. Horn Jr. will be a fundamental part of Colorado’s success and could set the bar even higher in their home opener. That’s reflected in our projections, which show Horn Jr. as the pre-eminent wide receiver available on the main slate.
Deion Burks (Purdue Boilermakers): $4,800 DraftKings
Ryan Walters’ tenure as head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers got off to a rocky start. The Boilermakers, who have made bowl games in four of their past six seasons, dropped a tough Week 1 decision to the Fresno State Bulldogs. The silver lining following the loss is that their high-powered offense remains intact despite a slew of changes.
Arguably, Deion Burks was the brightest star in Purdue’s season opener. The sophomore wide receiver torched the Bulldogs for 152 yards on just four catches. Burks flashed his big play potential, breaking off an 84-yard catch and run, tying the high mark for longest reception early in 2023.
Although he only came down with four catches, Burks was the most targetted receiver for Hudson Card last week. The Purdue quarterback looked Burks’ way ten times in the loss, double the next closest pass catcher. That high volume works in his favor against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Burks’ salary doesn’t reflect his potential in Week 2, warranting inclusion on any roster.
Tre Harris (Ole Miss Rebels): $7,800 DraftKings
He may rank behind a few other players in our projections, but Tre Harris is worth stacking with the aforementioned Jaxson Dart. Harris was the top performer on the first main slate of the season, nabbing four scores and 133 receiving yards in the convincing win. He may not reach those lofty metrics again in Week 2, but his usage trend supports another strong showing is on the horizon.
In limited action, Harris was targeted more than any other Rebels receiver. The senior came down with six of eight targets, representing a noteworthy 19.5% target percentage. What’s most impressive is that virtually every starter was taken out in the second half, which included second and third-string quarterback time.
With Ole Miss locked in a more competitive Week 2 matchup, we should see Harris carve out an even bigger piece of the pie versus Tulane. Keep in mind, after last week’s performance, recency bias suggests DFS punters will heavily target Harris. Consider pairing him with a less popular receiver like Burks to enhance his value.
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