DFS players will have their pick of the fantasy litter for Week 6’s main slate. Eleven top 25 teams are in action early Saturday, with marquee SEC. Big Ten and Big 12 matchups. The Tennessee Volunteers battle it out with the LSU Tigers in Death Valley. The Michigan Wolverines look to maintain their status as a top-four team on the road against the Indiana Hoosiers, and the TCU Horned Frogs take on the Kansas Jayhawks, with both teams looking to maintain their unsuspected rankings. And that’s just a taste of what to expect on Saturday’s entertaining slate.
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Let’s dive into this week’s slate!
CFB DFS Quarterback Picks
Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State Cowboys): $8,000 DraftKings
The Oklahoma State Cowboys will be looking to maintain their perfect record against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Spencer Sanders is the guy to help them do it. The senior pivot is coming off his worst fantasy performance of the season, setting him up for a rebound effort against Texas Tech.
Prior to last week, Sanders had thrown for at least 240 yards and two touchdowns in each one of his outings. Still, Sanders completed 69.0% of his passes for 181 yards, a touchdown, and an interception against a top-ranked Baylor Bears squad. Even with last week’s down performance, Sanders is averaging 8.8 yards per pass attempt and has the benefit of playing at home, where he has a 10-1 touchdown to interception ratio.
The Red Raiders don’t travel well, dropping both of their games as the visitors this season. Those issues will be compounded by playing their third road contest over their past four outings, leaving them susceptible to the Cowboys’ effective passing game.
Jayden Daniels (LSU Tigers): $7,300 DraftKings
A season-opening loss to the Florida State Seminoles put the Tigers behind the eight-ball; however, the SEC contenders have responded by winning four straight games, including 2-0 in SEC battles. Jayden Daniels should help them maintain their immaculate conference record at home against the Volunteers.
No SEC team has allowed more passing yards than Tennessee, benefitting Daniels, and the Tigers. The dual-threat has torched opponents all season, completing 73.2% or more of his passes in three of five starts, and has yet to throw an interception on the season. Moreover, Daniels has been superb at Tigers Stadium, averaging 208.8 passing yards and 65.5 rushing yards per game.
Daniels will take what the Volunteers give him. Although we’re expecting a standout passing performance, he’ll also eat up yards on the ground when available. Tigers Stadium is an unforgiving venue, and Daniels knows how to get it done at home.
C.J. Stroud (Ohio State Buckeyes): $9,200 DraftKings
On Saturday, C.J. Stroud and the Ohio State Buckeyes put their 5-0 record on the line against the Michigan State Spartans. Stroud has been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and should have no problems poking holes in the Spartans’ ineffective pass defense.
Through the first five weeks of the season, Stroud has thrown for the third-most touchdowns and 26th-most passing yards, culminating with the second-best QBR. On average, the junior signal-caller is moving the ball downfield 10.3 yards per pass attempt, completing 68.7% of his passes. Those metrics should be on the rise against a Spartans squad that is allowing 275.0 passing yards per game, the second-most in the Big Ten.
Leading up to last week’s 49-10 win over Rutgers, Stroud had thrown for 280 or more yards and at least four touchdowns in three straight games. We’re expecting him to get back into Heisman Trophy form against Michigan State in Week 6.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Bijan Robinson (Texas Longhorns): $9,000 DraftKings
Neither the Texas Longhorns nor the Oklahoma Sooners are off to the start they were hoping for this season. Both teams are 3-2 to start the season, sitting outside the top 25. Still, Saturday’s meeting could serve as an inflection point for one of the two programs as they start their climb up the standings.
Bijan Robinson has been a constant for the Longhorns this season, and he projects as the top running back available on the main slate. The junior averages 5.9 yards per carry, surpassing the century mark in three straight outings. His 515 rushing yards rank 14th in the nation, and Robinson is tied for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns with eight. The most telling stat illustrating Robinson’s importance to the Longhorns’ ground game is that he’s responsible for 55.0% of the carries out of the backfield this season, nearly 2.5 times the next closest rusher.
The Sooners have the most porous rush defense among Big 12 teams, allowing an average of 198.2 yards per game. Further, they allowed two 100-yard rushers last week, giving up 668 total yards, 361 of which came on the ground.
Robinson could have a day against Oklahoma and should reach his fantasy ceiling.
Blake Corum (Michigan Wolverines): $7,900 DraftKings
The Michigan Wolverines have been one of the most consistent programs in the NCAA ranks over the past couple of seasons, and a big part of the reason is Blake Corum. The junior running back is off to another impressive start to the campaign and will once again be a prominent feature in the Wolverines’ offensive game plan.
Michigan has leaned into Corum in conference play, feeding him the ball 59 times over the last two games. Corum has responded positively to the increased workload, totaling 376 yards across those outings, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. We’re anticipating a similar performance against the Indiana Hoosiers, who allow the third-most rushing yards in the conference.
Corum is the feature back for the Wolverines, who remain one of the most dedicated rushing teams in the country. That’s contributing to his elite standing in our projections, ranking Corum as one of the top backs available.
Braelon Allen (Wisconsin Badgers): $8,500 DraftKings
We’re going back to the Big Ten well for our third pick at running back, looking for a bounce-back performance from Braelon Allen. The Wisconsin Badgers running back should be called upon early and often against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Unsatisfied with the start to their season, Wisconsin sacked head coach Paul Chryst after last week’s disappointing 34-10 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini. That dropped the team to 2-3, leaving the Badgers winless against Power 5 teams. Even though Allen managed just two yards on eight carries last week, he should remain a fixture on offense.
Before last week’s disaster, Allen was averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Although his total dipped marginally to 6.2, he remains a capable back with boom potential against an ineffective Wildcats defense. Northwestern allows an average of 172.6 yards per game, with opponents going north of 200 yards in each of the last two games.
Wisconsin will get back to basics and play to their strengths against Northwestern. That will include a heavy dose of Allen as he climbs back toward averages after last week’s collapse.
CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State Buckeyes): $6,700 DraftKings
Our top stacking option for Week 6 includes handcuffing Stroud with his preferred wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. The sophomore wideout leads the team in receptions and yards, contributing to his top-rated standing in our projections.
Egbuka has led the team in targets in four of five games this season, resulting in a 27.7% target share. More impressively, Egbuka has hauled in most of those passes thrown his way, compiling a 73.2% catch rate so far this season. As noted, the Spartans have been unable to limit opponents’ aerial attack, allowing 314 or more passing yards in two of their past three.
Last week was the first time Egbuka was kept out of the end zone this season, and we’re not expecting Michigan State to duplicate that feat. Egbuka has built a connection with Stroud this season, and the duo should elevate the Buckeyes’ offense against Michigan State on Saturday.
Jalen McMillan (Washington Huskies): $6,200 DraftKings
The Washington Huskies have one of the most prolific passing games in the country. Michael Penix Jr. sets the tone under center, but his stable of wide receivers helps set the Huskies apart. Among those receivers is Jalen McMillan, who projects as one of the top options available in Week 6.
McMillan is the pacesetter in receptions and receiving yards, leading the team in targets in two of the past three weeks. The sophomore is biting off a more significant chunk of the team’s offense over that stretch, totaling 30 targets or a 24% target share. That increased usage should carry over into this Pac-12 matchup, as the Arizona Sun Devils rank in the bottom half of the conference in total defense and passing yards allowed.
Although it’s not reflected in his salary, McMillan has emerged as a top receiving threat. The California native has hit double-digit targets twice over the last few weeks and moved into the team lead in several notable categories. That ascent continues Saturday against ASU.
Brock Bowers (Georgia Bulldogs): $7,100 DraftKings
The second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs survived a scare at the hands of the lowly Missouri Tigers last week, hanging on for a four-point victory despite entering the contest as -29.5 chalk. The Bulldogs were saved by their passing game, which should be a focus in Week 6 against the Auburn Tigers.
As usual, Brock Bowers was an integral part of Georgia’s victory last week. The tight end tied for the team lead in targets, setting the benchmarks in receptions and receiving yards. That performance added to his team-best 342 receiving yards total while also inching him closer to the team lead in catches.
SEC contests have brought out the best in Bowers, with the sophomore totaling ten catches, 187 yards, and two touchdowns in a pair of conference showdowns. We’re not expecting much resistance from the Tigers, who have yet to play on the road this season.
According to the FantasyLabs projections, Bowers ranks as a top-tier receiving option on the main slate. We like him to reach his fantasy ceiling as the Bulldogs improve to 6-0 on the season.
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