Week 1 is now in the books, but it’s not too late to get in on the action. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have brought back CFB DFS, and Week 2 features an excellent selection of valuable DFS matchups.
The action kicks off Saturday at noon p.m. ET with 15 games in DraftKings’ early slate and eight games in FanDuel’s early slate.
- Arizona at Houston (-3.5), Over/Under: 72.5 – noon pm ET
- Duke at Northwestern (-3), Over/Under: 48.5 – noon pm ET
- Georgia Tech (-3.5) at South Florida, Over/Under: 63 – noon pm ET
- Mississippi State (-9.5) at Kansas State, Over/Under: 54.5 – noon pm ET
- Nevada at Vanderbilt (-9), Over/Under: 63 – noon pm ET
- New Mexico at Wisconsin (-35.5), Over/Under: 62 – noon pm ET
- Western Michigan at Michigan (-27.5), Over/Under: 56.5 – noon pm ET
- UCLA at Oklahoma (-30), Over/Under: 64 – 1:00 pm ET
- Portland State at Oregon (-49), Over/Under: 79.5 – 2:00 pm ET
- Arkansas State at Alabama (-36.5), Over/Under: 67 – 3:30 pm ET
- Ball State at Notre Dame (-34.5), Over/Under: 62.5 – 3:30 pm ET
- Colorado at Nebraska (-4.5), Over/Under: 65 – 3:30 pm ET
- Georgia (-10) at South Carolina, Over/Under: 57.5 – 3:30 pm ET
- North Carolina (-17) at East Carolina, Over/Under: 60 – 3:30 pm ET
- Rutgers at Ohio State (-35), Over/Under: 63 – 3:30 pm ET
For more information on the slate, see Sean Newsham’s CFB DFS rankings, and also check out The Action Network’s Live Odds page for line updates.
Game of the Week: Arizona at Houston (-3.5)
This game boasts the second-highest point total (72.5) on the slate with a tight 3.5-point spread. For the Wildcats, Heisman hopeful Khalil Tate commands an offense rich in DFS value. Running back J.J. Taylor posted a 18-85-1 rushing line last week and was targeted six times out of the backfield. On the other sideline, Houston boasts a dynamic quarterback of their own: D’Eriq King torched a bad Rice defense for 320 yards passing on his way to 40.1 DraftKings points in Week 1. Wide receivers Courtney Lark and Marquez Stevenson did most of the heavy lifting, combining for 15 targets and 189 receiving yards. Both offenses should dominate in a high-scoring, tightly contested affair. If you’re looking for a game to stack heavily, look no further than Arizona-Houston.
Quarterbacks
Kyler Murray (Oklahoma): $11,000 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
Murray looked like a star against Florida Atlantic, posting a clean 209-2-0 passing line and rushing for 23 yards in fewer than two quarters of action. Just imagine what he could do with a full four quarters.
You might not have to speculate very long. Backup QB Austin Kendall is questionable with a knee injury for Oklahoma’s game against UCLA. The Sooners coaching staff may want to protect Murray for conference play, but with Kendall possibly out, there’s an increased probability that we see Murray for most of this contest. UCLA ranked 120th in defensive S&P+ in 2017 and ranks 97th in in returning production. The Bruins also just lost 26-17 to a Cincinnati team that ranks 102nd in The Action Network’s college power ratings. Get your popcorn ready folks; Murray could put on a show in Norman on Saturday.
TaQuon Marshall (Georgia Tech): $7,800 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
Against Alcorn State, Marshall rushed nine times for 77 yards and a touchdown on his way to 19.86 DraftKings points. His nine rush attempts fall far short of his 2017 average of 22.5 rushes per game. That said, Georgia Tech controlled the game from the beginning, and the coaching staff likely limited Marshall’s rushes intentionally.
Last season, Marshall averaged 104.2 rushing yards and 1.5 rushing touchdowns per game, leading the Yellow Jackets in both categories. South Florida gave up 192 rushing yards to Elon in Week 1 and could be vulnerable against Georgia Tech’s triple-option attack. Marshall’s high-volume rushing upside makes him an ideal value selection.
Davis Alexander (Portland State): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
Last week we recommended Alexander as a punt option against Nevada, and he delivered 20.66 DraftKings points. This week he faces an Oregon defense that surrendered 389 yards and 24 points to Bowling Green State despite three Falcons turnovers. This game has a huge 79.5-point total, which means Alexander is likely poised for another inefficient but voluminous fantasy performance.
As a bonus, if you choose to roster Alexander, consider rolling it back with Oregon QB Justin Herbert. Herbert totaled 39.34 DraftKings points last week on just 21 passes and six rushes. If the Ducks defense stifles Portland State’s offensive attack, Herbert will likely be pulled from the game early. However, if you bet on Alexander and the Vikings to put up points this week, it mitigates risk of an early exit from Herbert. Stacking Alexander and Herbert together could be a viable boom-or-bust option in guaranteed prize pools.
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Running Backs
Jeremy Larkin (Northwestern): $8,600 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
As a freshman last season, Larkin averaged 6.0 yards per carry playing behind Justin Jackson. The Wildcats proved their commitment to Larkin as their workhorse running back by feeding him 26 carries against Purdue in Week 1. He amassed 143 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the game, good for 35.3 DraftKings points. His matchup against Duke isn’t fantastic, but his rushing volume should keep his fantasy floor high. Northwestern is also dealing with uncertainty at quarterback, which could set up Larkin for another run-heavy offensive game script.
D’Andre Swift (Georgia): $7,600 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
Swift had limited playing time last week against Austin Peay but still managed a 8-43-1 rushing line and 4-33-0 receiving line. Swift may finally be unleashed against South Carolina this week. Playing behind NFL pros Nick Chubb and Sony Michel last season, Swift averaged 7.6 yards per carry and totaled 618 rushing yards for the season. Georgia has a history of targeting running backs in the passing game, and Swift led the Bulldogs in targets (5) last week. Swift offers big upside as a runner and added upside as a receiver, making him a high-floor, high-upside play against the Gamecocks.
Raheem Blackshear (Rutgers): $3,900 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
Blackshear is a sneaky play against Ohio State due to his receiving upside. Against Texas State, Blackshear led the Scarlet Knights in targets (8) and receptions (7). For the game, he had a 12-62-1 rushing line and 7-56-1 receiving line. Ohio State’s defense should prove difficult for the young and inexperienced Rutgers offense. The Scarlet Knights will likely play from behind and be forced to pass. It wouldn’t be surprising for Blackshear to lead the Scarlet Knights in targets again for the second straight week as the primary check-down option in the Rutgers offense.
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Wide Receivers
Marquise Brown (Oklahoma): $7,700 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
After a huge 2017 campaign (57-1095-7 receiving for the season), Brown picked up right where he left off against Florida Atlantic in Week 1. Brown posted a 6-133-1 receiving line despite playing with Kyler Murray for only two quarters. He also had a team-leading eight receiving targets, and no other Sooner had more than three. Saturday’s DFS slate is loaded with wide receiver value below $5k, but if you’re looking to roster an elite wide receiver, Brown’s your guy.
Shawn Poindexter (Arizona): $5,700 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel
Poindexter was unexpectedly granted an extra year of eligibility last December, and he’s already making the most of it. Against a stout BYU defense last week, he posted a 4-68-0 receiving line on a team-leading eight targets. The senior wide receiver is listed at 6-foot-5 and is the Wildcats’ primary deep threat. Former coach Rich Rodriguez’s previous offense was run dominant and has since been replaced with a more balanced attack by Kevin Sumlin and Noel Mazzone. The combination of Poindexter’s size, Mazzone’s offense and Tate’s play-making could result in big fantasy production for Poindexter against Houston.
Kaleb Fossum (Nevada): $4,600 DraftKings, N/A FanDuel
Fossum broke out last week against Portland State, hauling in six receptions for 139 yards on a team-leading seven targets. With WR Brendan O’Leary-Orange still ailing from an undisclosed injury, Fossum seems locked into a heavy workload with the Wolf Pack. Fossum and fellow WR McLane Mannix earned a whopping 33.9% of the Nevada’s fantasy points market share last week. The Wolf Pack now go on the road to Vanderbilt, where they will be nine-point road dogs with a 63-point Vegas total. Nevada is expected to play from behind, which could promote a pass-heavy game script down the stretch. Fossum is a steal at just $4,600 on DraftKings and realistically could post a 5-plus reception, 100-yard receiving line against the Commodores.
DFS Stacks
East Carolina
Terrell Green and Blake Proehl combined for a whopping 30 targets against NC A&T, and ECU will need to lean on a pass-heavy game plan to stay in the game against the Tar Heels.
- WR: Green
- WR: Proehl
South Florida
The Bulls may look for big passing plays down the field to apply offensive pressure against Georgia Tech’s clock-chewing triple-option offense.
- QB: Blake Barnett
- WR: Tyre McCants
- WR: Randall St. Felix
Notre Dame
The Midwest is expecting heavy wind and scattered storms this weekend, and Notre Dame may opt for a conservative, run-heavy attack against MAC opponent Ball State.
- QB: Brandon Wimbush
- RB: Jafar Armstrong
Colorado
The Buffaloes gained 596 yards of total offense last week against rival Colorado State. They now take on a Nebraska team with an entirely new coaching staff and a true freshman at quarterback.
- QB: Steven Montez
- WR: Laviska Shenault Jr.
- WR: K.D. Nixon
Western Michigan
The Broncos put up big offensive numbers against Syracuse last week, and they now face a Michigan team that may still be emotionally hungover from their huge loss to Notre Dame.
- QB: Jon Wassink
- WR: D’Wayne Eskridge
- WR: Jayden Reed
- RB: LeVante Bellamy
Photo Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Pictured Above: Khalil Tate
