There are some hefty numbers on the betting board, contributing to amplified projections as we head into Week 3 college football action. We have several highly-rated players at each position, making it hard to assess which players will have the most significant fantasy impact. As usual, we’re here to break things down using the FantasyLabs modeling to determine which players are worth including on your rosters.
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
Clayton Tune (Houston Cougars): $8,200 DraftKings
The Houston Cougars entered the season as a nationally-ranked program, falling out of the top 25 after last week’s 33-30 loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Now, they’re in an ideal bounce-back spot against the Kansas Jayhawks, which should lead to an elite showing from Clayton Tune.
Tune was neutralized by the Red Raiders defense, completing just 51.3% of his passes, still throwing for 266 yards and a touchdown. However, the senior pivot won’t face the same resistance against the Jayhawks defense. Kansas allowed three touchdowns on 365 passing yards in their lone FBS matchup. Moreover, they let West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback JT Daniels complete 28 of 40 passes.
Houston leans into their passing game, calling passing plays 51.7% of the time. The Jayhawks are no slouches offensively, which could help Tune surpass his 39 pass attempts from last week and reach his fantasy ceiling.
Aidan O’Connell (Purdue Boilermakers): $7,500 DraftKings
Our projections rate Aidan O’Connell very highly. Still, they might not do him justice. The Purdue Boilermakers pivot is coming off an outstanding performance and is poised to replicate it against the Syracuse Orange.
O’Connell went 17-for-19 in pass attempts last week, throwing for 211 yards and four touchdowns. Although it was modest yardage and limited attempts, Purdue was in control of their contest against an FCS foe from start to finish, implementing a game plan that focused on controlling the clock. Nevertheless, last week’s stat line clearly illustrates the Boilermakers’ reliance on the passing game to score and O’Connell’s effectiveness under center.
We saw O’Connell throw the ball 59 times against the Penn State Nittany Lions in Week 1. If he can combine last week’s effort with Week 1’s volume, the sky is the limit for O’Connell.
The passing game is Purdue’s strength, and we expect a heavy dose against the Orange.
Austin Reed (Western Kentucky Hilltoppers): $7,800 DraftKings
Although they are 2-0, opponents are having their way with the Indiana Hoosiers this season. That should allow Western Kentucky Hilltoppers quarterback Austin Reed to continue his hot start and reach his fantasy ceiling.
The Hoosiers are allowing nearly 400 yards per game, ranking third-last in the Big Ten. Their current defensive form is incompatible with their scoring defense, which should lead to more points against. Reed can facilitate that regression. The senior has thrown for at least 271 yards in both contests this year, finding the end zone seven times across his two games. As we saw last week, Reed also can move the ball with his feet, rushing for 43 yards and a score.
Reed has flown under the fantasy radar this year, but it’s time to take notice of the Hilltoppers quarterback. We like his ceiling against the Hoosiers, and that’s reflected in our projections.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota Golden Gophers): $9,400 DraftKings
After missing most of last season, Mohamed Ibrahim is making up for lost time. Through two games, the Minnesota Golden Gophers running back has rushed for 262 yards and could set a new benchmark against an ineffective Colorado Buffaloes defense.
Ibrahim has gone for at least 130 yards in each of his first two contests, finding paydirt twice in each game. His ability to move the ball consistently, garnering huge totals with modest touches, has been most impressive. Ibrahim ran the ball 23 times in Week 2, which was slightly over the 21 touches he had in the season opener, resulting in 6.0 yards per carry on the season. We’re anticipating that upward trend to continue against Colorado on Saturday.
The Buffaloes have given up more yards than any other Pac-12 team, with an absurd 355.0 rushing yards allowed per game. Further, they have yet to face a running back comparable to Ibrahim. Our algorithm could be underestimating Ibrahim’s ceiling on Saturday.
Ray Davis (Vanderbilt Commodores): $6,800 DraftKings
Teams are walking all over the MAC conference this season, and we’re expecting that trend to continue when the Vanderbilt Commodores take on the Northern Illinois Huskies in Week 3. Ray Davis has been integral to the Commodores’ offense and is one of our preferred options at running back.
Davis is the feature back in an offense predicated on the run. The senior has 269 yards on 47 attempts, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. His fantasy ceiling is magnified by his ability to break off yards in big chunks, with Davis’s game-long rush surpassing 28 yards in all three contests this season. Additionally, he adds value in the passing game, accumulating 46 receiving yards with one touchdown.
Davis has found the endzone in each game this year and should maintain that trend against the Huskies. Northern Illinois averages 435.0 yards per game, and Davis could help increase that total.
Sean Tucker (Syracuse Orange): $8,900 DraftKings
Syracuse is in an unfamiliar spot atop the standings and will be looking to sustain their early-season momentum against the Boilermakers. Sean Tucker has been a primary weapon on offense and rates as the top running back available on Saturday’s main slate.
Tucker has a unique distinction, leading the Orange in rushing and receiving yards and touches. The former three-star prospect has amassed 212 rushing yards on 48 carries while catching ten passes for 101 yards. Still, Tucker is below his career average in yards per carry and is also falling short of his 124.7 rushing yards per game we saw last year, suggesting that progression is expected from the sophomore running back.
It’s evident that Syracuse’s offense runs through Tucker, and his metrics are below what we’ve come to expect from him. We could see a season-best effort from Tucker against Purdue.
CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Marvin Mims (Oklahoma Sooners): $8,900 DraftKings
The Nebraska Cornhuskers are rudderless and will have to limit one of the most prolific offenses in the nation on Saturday when they host the Oklahoma Sooners. That is a recipe for success for standout wide receiver Marvin Mims.
Mims can expose the Cornhuskers’ shoddy defense. The Sooners’ wideout has been a catalyst on offense, hauling ten receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Last week’s performance is a true reflection of what to expect from Mims throughout the season. The Texas native grabbed seven of eight targets, totaling 163 with two touchdowns.
At this point, Nebraska couldn’t stop a leaky faucet, leaving them no chance of containing Mims and an explosive Sooners offense. According to our projections, he’s one of the best wide receivers available and is worth including on any roster.
Charlie Jones (Purdue Boilermakers): $8,000 DraftKings
Dedicated readers will notice that we’ve included a correlated play at wide receiver in each of our articles. We’re going back to the well in Week 3, handcuffing Charlie Jones with the aforementioned O’Connell.
The Boilermakers’ wideout has been O’Connell’s safety blanket early this season. Somehow, Jones has compiled 21 receptions and 286 receiving yards through the season’s first two games, illustrating his importance to the passing game. Jones has gone off for 133 or more yards in each matchup, crossing the goal line four times already, three of which came in last week’s 56-0 shellacking of the Indiana State Sycamores.
Jones leads our median and ceiling projections in Week 3 and should be one of the top fantasy producers overall.
Michael Mayer (Notre Dame Fighting Irish): $5,600 DraftKings
It hasn’t been a graceful fall for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The independent program entered the 2022 campaign ranked in the top five, with legitimate postseason aspirations. Two losses to open the year has sent Notre Dame into a tailspin, but now is the perfect time to buy low on the blue blood program.
Michael Mayer has been one of the lone bright spots early this season. The tight end leads the team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, illustrating his chemistry with quarterback Tyler Buchner. Mayer surpassed the 100-yard mark in his most recent outing but has led the team in targets in both games, averaging 10.5 per contest. Those gaudy metrics will look even better after Saturday’s tilt with the California Golden Bears, who have allowed the third-most passing yards in the Pac-12.
Notre Dame has a chip on its shoulder and will have something to prove after last week’s humbling defeat at the hands of the Marshall Thundering Herd. At $5,600, Mayer is an affordable receiving option with an elite fantasy window.
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