The further we get into the season, the more intriguing the college football matchups become. Already in Week 3, we’ve got a few more games to look forward to. Some playoff hopefuls have their backs up against the wall, needing to run the table to warrant inclusion in the national semi-finals. Other teams have come out of nowhere, establishing themselves as conference contenders. Whatever the case may be, we’re anticipating more elite fantasy performances on Saturday’s main slate.
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.
Here’s a brief snippet of what our models look like:
Let’s dive into this week’s slate!
CFB DFS Quarterback Picks
Jalen Milroe (Alabama Crimson Tide): $9,100 DraftKings
Of course, one of the teams alluded to above is no other than the Alabama Crimson Tide. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Bama dropped a 34-24 decision at the hands of the Texas Longhorns, putting their playoff hopes on life support. They’ll have a chance to bounce back with a strong showing from Jalen Milroe.
Milroe has established himself as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the FBS ranks. Through two games, the Texas native leads the team in rushing attempts and yards, throwing for 449 more and five touchdowns. All of those stats will climb higher when Milroe is through with the USF Bulls.
USF started the year by giving up 41 points and 465 yards to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. They followed that up by allowing FCS Florida A&M to go off for 393 yards and 24 points. The Bulls haven’t been able to stop lesser-than opponents and stand no chance at slowing down a Crimson Tide squad looking to prove they belong.
Milroe leads the way for Alabama and could end the day as the highest-scoring quarterback on the slate.
Jayden Daniels (LSU Tigers): $8,600 DraftKings
From one marquee SEC school to the other. We’re shifting our focus to LSU Tigers signal-caller Jayden Daniels. Like Milroe, Daniels’ fantasy value isn’t limited by his ability to throw the ball. The former Arizona Sun Devils starter has a tendency to take off, amplifying his ceiling against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Daniels has been one of the more efficient passers in the SEC. The senior has completed 65.6% of his passes for an average of 10.1 yards per attempt and a tidy 6-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Moreover, he’s broken off big chunks with his legs, rushing for 93 yards and 20 carries. There’s blood in the water for Daniels against the Bulldogs. Mississippi State let the Arizona Wildcats walk all over them to the tune of 431 yards. If that’s what Jayden de Laura can do, we should expect Daniels to take off to an entirely different stratosphere.
Although both squads are gunning for the playoffs, one of the LSU Tigers or Alabama Crimson Tide isn’t going to make it. For now, you could ride both to fantasy glory, expecting elite performances from both QBs on Saturday.
We’re betting Daniels delivers an early-season best against Mississippi State.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Braelon Allen (Wisconsin Badgers): $7,500 DraftKings
You’re right to have some apprehensions about rostering Braelon Allen. All of a sudden, the Wisconsin Badgers running back appears to be in a workshare role with Chez Mellusi. Nevertheless, we like Allen to bounce back after a disappointing Week 2 performance against the Washington State Cougars, reaching his fantasy ceiling on Saturday.
Points will be scored at Camp Randall, and Allen will get his fair share. The total for this non-conference meeting versus the Georgia Southern Eagles is currently sitting at 65.5 and climbing. Although he only had seven carries last week, Allen should revert to his Week 1 usage against the Eagles. In the season opener, Allen went off for 141 yards on 17 carries, validating his spot in our modeling.
Allen leads our median and ceiling projections, also ranking near the top of our Points/Salary rankings. That profile makes him not only one of the top producers but best values on the board. Over the past couple of seasons, the Wisconsin native has been an integral part of the Badgers’ fabric, and we like him to re-establish himself as such against Georgia Southern.
Jo’Quavious Marks (Mississippi State Bulldogs): $6,800 DraftKings
A 2-0 start for Mississippi State has re-kindled their playoff hopes. For the Bulldogs to climb the mountain, they need to deliver against the top-tier teams, starting with Saturday’s showdown against LSU. Expect them to turn to Jo’Quavious Marks to further the Bulldogs’ cause.
Marks has been the bell cow in a crowded Bulldogs’ backfield. Nine different players have rushed the ball, none of whom have come close to Marks’ usage. Through the first two weeks of the season, the senior has toted the ball 43 times for a cool 250 yards. The next closest rusher on the team has a fraction of that, with Seth Davis checking in with 40 yards on seven carries.
Mississippi State’s best chance of winning comes with Marks making an impression. The Bulldogs rank sixth in the country in rushing play percentage, with Marks earning the lion’s share of work. He’s bunched up with a group of six other running backs in our projections, but we like Marks to churn out one of the best efforts of the day.
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CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Malik Nabers (LSU Tigers): $7,300 DraftKings
LSU has an embarrassment of riches on offense. Daniels has been the centerpiece on offense, but his metrics wouldn’t look as good as they do without the dynamic duo of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Although Thomas Jr. leads the team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, the usage trends support Nabers is due for a breakout.
Nabers has been Daniel’s preferred target early this season. The junior wideout was targetted 13 times in Week 1’s loss to the FSU Seminoles, following that up by grabbing six of seven passes last week versus Grambling State. On both occasions, he was the team leader in targets signifying his importance to the Tigers’ offense. In total, Nabers has a noteworthy 154 receiving yards on 11 catches.
Stacking Nabers with Milroe should be an efficient route to obtaining fantasy points. The Tigers enter the contest as meaty -9.5 road chalk, with a total in the mid-50s. Daniels will look Nabers’ way more frequently, giving him the edge over Thomas Jr.
Jamari Thrash (Louisville Cardinals): $5,300 DraftKings
Jamari Thrash is the undisputed number-one receiver for the Louisville Cardinals. The junior is the team leader in every receiving category and is poised to fly even higher against the lowly Indiana Hoosiers.
Thrash has been a magnet for Jack Plummer. The Cardinals wide receiver has led the team in targets in both games, representing a 23.1% target share. More impressively, Thrash has hauled in ten of those passes for 170 yards and three scores. The Hoosiers have given up a handful of plays for big chunks already this season, with Thrash compounding those issues on the main slate.
One of Thrash’s most valuable assets is his breakaway speed. Already this season, he broke off a 73-yard catch-and-run, nearly matching his career-best mark of 75. With Indiana’s secondary prone to lapses, Thrash could have more than a couple of signature catches against the Hoosiers.
Jha’Quan Jackson (Tulane Green Wave): $6,300 DraftKings
We are prying open the value chest with our final wide receiver, highlighting Jha’Quan Jackson as a top fantasy producer. The Tulane Green Wave pass-catcher is a touchdown hawk and has the underlying metrics supporting ongoing success.
Jackson’s found paydirt three times through two games. Further, he’s been a high-volume target for Tulane’s passing game. The senior has seven receptions on 13 balls thrown his way, totaling 189 yards and 27.0 yards per catch. That average should ratchet higher against an underwhelming Southern Miss Golden Eagles defense. Southern Miss gave up six receptions of 20 or more yards last week, a standard that’s unlikely to change against Tulane.
Without question, Jackson will infiltrate the Golden Eagles’ secondary en route to a slate-best performance. His touchdown prowess is what sets him apart, but even if he doesn’t cross the plane, Jackson’s yardage total alone makes him one of the top receivers available.
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