College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Saturday 11/18/23

With daily fantasy football being so popular, it was only a matter of time before it translated to the college level.

FanDuel now offers college football daily fantasy contests in most states, and there's a twist on the NFL ruleset. You select a quarterback, two running backs, three wideouts (which includes tight ends), and a "SuperFLEX" that can be any of those positions.

Finding target data for pass-catchers in college can be difficult, so figuring out which players are on the field and getting work can make all the difference. Naturally, there are also more lopsided outcomes in college, so balance game scripts appropriately! Your running back's monstrous first half could lead to a bagel in the second.

How should we approach this week's main slate?

Note: All stats are from PFF.com. All tables are sortable by any category.

The Slate

This week's slate doesn't have a ton of traditional blue bloods, but we do have high-scoring environments that'll force us to lean away from the sport's prolific offenses in less competitive spots.

The highest total on the slate (65.5) belongs to soon-to-be B1G rivals, the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans, at the Coliseum in L.A. USC's elite QB play and horrid defense usually produces fantasy gold.

From there, the Oregon State Beavers are surprise 2.5-point favorites over the Washington Huskies. I know Corvallis is a tough place to play, but sheesh. That one has a 62.5-point total.

I'd also circle the Central Florida Knights for a third straight week. They'll visit the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock with a 59.5-point total that might be shorter than you expected.

The cross-off spots are pretty obvious, too. I'm expecting the Oklahoma Sooners, Oregon Ducks, and Michigan Wolverines to name their score against weaker defenses in conference, and the total between the Louisville Cardinals and Miami (FL) Hurricanes is way too low for game stacks (46.5) despite one or two decent one-offs.

Quarterbacks

Top Plays

• Michael Penix Jr. ($10,800)
  • With Jalen McMillan returning last week, UDub's passing attack is back to having Penix as its only known quantity. His lack of mobility is less of an issue this week with other top QBs in projected blowouts or brutal matchups. The Beavers (7.0 passing YPA allowed; 50th in FBS) aren't the latter.
• Will Howard ($10,100)
  • Howard has now taken every competitive snap in three games, and this is a matchup where he might return to being a dominant dual threat. The Kansas Jayhawks are outside the top 80 in FBS in both passing and rushing yards allowed; the Sunflower Showdown is one of my favorite under-the-radar games to stack this week.
• John Rhys Plumlee ($10,000)
  • It's safe to say UCF's signal-caller is back to full speed. He ran for 74 yards in last week's downpour, and luckily for those of us who dig deeper than the FanDuel box score, he didn't score on the ground despite the blowout. Texas Tech's defense is pretty solid, but his salary is far from prohibitive when the total (59.5) projects a shootout.
• Cade Klubnik ($9,000)
  • Though improved, the North Carolina Tar Heels' pass D is just 51st in YPA allowed (7.1). I want to target UNC's key players, but the Clemson Tigers' two-headed running back stable and impossible target tree don't provide many answers. Klubnik -- and his three rushing scores -- can contribute reliably in several ways.

Others to Consider

• Dillon Gabriel ($12,000)
  • After nearly topping 60 FanDuel points a week ago, Gabriel got bumped to the top of the QB pool. However, this is the same inconsistent performer who has failed to reach 25 FanDuel points in three of his past five. The matchup against the Brigham Young Cougars is outstanding, but I'll take the chance he doesn't account for all eight touchdowns again.
• Caleb Williams ($11,200)
  • UCLA's defense is phenomenal (4.3 YPP; 6th in FBS), and that's why I can't really trust Caleb this week. With inconsistent market shares from both sides, the 65.5-point total just doesn't mean very much. I'll be stacking other contests.
• DJ Uiagalelei ($9,800)
  • DJU has flirted with the bench, and Washington's pass D has been solid, so he's a risky play. Still, Oregon State's target shares are widely spread, and he's the only reliable way to target the OSU passing game in the best game of the day. I prefer Penix, but Uiagalelei could be a razor-sharp pivot.
• Devin Leary ($7,700)
  • UK's offense runs so heavily through the ground, but Leary is the matchup-based punt of the week on paper. The South Carolina Gamecocks allow 8.0 passing yards per attempt (101st in FBS). He should be efficient with the upside to toss a few scores -- even to his tailback.

Running Backs

Top Plays

• Ray Davis ($10,200)
  • In extremely negative scripts, Davis has kept producing. His target share (11.1% in the past four weeks) is what allows him to do that. Expect a significant uptick in rushing volume this week when he's gotten 72.1% of the Kentucky Wildcats' carries in the past four weeks, and UK is just a 1.5-point road favorite in Columbia.
• Tahj Brooks ($9,800)
  • At salary, Brooks is the slam-dunk running back play of the week. He's averaged 31.3 (!) rushes per game in the past four weeks -- good for 77.9% of the Red Raiders' totes. His workload has honestly been kept quiet without multiple scores in five straight games, but the leaky UCF rush D (5.0 YPC allowed) could change that quickly.
• Damien Martinez ($8,500)
  • Overwhelmingly, Oregon State prefers to run the ball, and Martinez handled 21 of 31 running back carries in their last competitive game. I wish Deshaun Fenwick ($6,300) was less involved to poach a score or two, but the Beavs could lean on their veteran even more with a chance to bump rival Washington out of the CFP picture.
• CJ Baxter ($7,700)
  • Unfortunately, stud Texas Longhorns running back Jonathan Brooks tore his ACL last week, and Baxter should take over. He's handled 10.8 carries per game in the past four weeks as is. There is a reason to fade the chalk here, though. The Iowa State Cyclones' stout rush defense (3.8 YPC allowed) could hold Baxter to single digits even with a supreme workload.

Others to Consider

• Ollie Gordon II ($10,800)
  • Gordon was collateral damage from Alan Bowman's disasterclass with four picks last week, but the 4-6 Houston Cougars should provide a matchup where the Oklahoma State Cowboys can move the ball with just Gordon. Remember, he's seen a whopping 24.8 carries and 2.3 targets per game in their past four overall.
• Cody Schrader ($10,500)
  • I'm aghast at Schrader's 2023 breakout. It's as if Devin Singletary became Christian McCaffrey overnight in the NFL.
  • After averaging 4.4 YPC last year in this same role and being totally off NFL radars, Schrader had 321 scrimmage yards last week while handling 40 total touches. I just don't know how a limited talent continues to produce such breakout plays in the teeth of the SEC, but Florida's defense (6.7 YPP allowed) is far from the teeth of the conference.
• Devin Neal ($9,100)
  • With QB injury issues, Neal is -- by far -- the safest way to bring back Howard lineups. He's handled 21.7 carries and 3.3 targets per game in his past four, and the Kansas State Wildcats are leakier on the ground (4.2 YPC allowed) than you'd think.
• Mario Anderson ($6,800)
  • South Carolina's cupcake last week might mask Anderson's true role, which was 16 of 26 RB carries in the Gamecocks' last competitive affair. He's also drawn 3.3 targets a game in the past four weeks. He's easily got the best workload under $8,000 outside of Baxter with an equally concerning matchup.

Wide Receivers

Top Plays

• Luther Burden III ($9,400)
  • The Missouri Tigers should be able to name their score on Florida's ragtag defense, but there's some risk about where it'll come from. Schrader's top-shelf role is one concern, but Theo Wease Jr. ($7,000) is also steadily involved. Still, Burden's supreme talent and matchup give him the most obvious path to a ceiling on the slate.
• Xavier Legette ($8,700)
  • Legette has been a big-play threat all season, but now the stable workload is coming to fruition. He got 13 targets (37.1% share) in last week's rout of the Vanderbilt Commodores. Kentucky-South Carolina could be one of the slate's sneakiest game stacks.
• Elijhah Badger ($7,300)
  • Guessing which Oregon players will score isn't my favorite activity, but Badger is the clear guy to target if you need a bring-back option when doing so. He saw 16 targets last week with a healthy 8.5 per game over the past four weeks.
• Jaylin Noel ($7,000)
  • I'd be more inclined to fade the Baxter chalk if Noel wasn't such a great bring-back option should the game flow well. It seems the Cyclones would rather lose than pass at some points, but 7.8 targets per game (27.0% of ISU's looks) have gone his way this season.

Others to Consider

• Devontez Walker ($9,000)
  • UNC's best success against Clemson likely comes through the air, and Walker is the only UNC target I have any faith in. He drew 11 targets (33.0% share) last week and has multi-touchdown games in two of six since becoming eligible to play. This salary could be much higher if he was allowed to destroy early-season foes and his upside was more apparent.
• Eugene Wilson III ($7,600)
  • I've been averse to Wilson in lieu of Ricky Pearsall ($7,700), but this has become a dreaded timeshare for an offense that will trail -- with quality pieces on the other side -- often. The two have matching 25.4% target shares in the past five weeks. Good luck to all as to which prevails.
• Samuel Brown ($7,400)
  • Brown has Houston's best role, but it's not a great one. He's gotten 24.9% of the Cougars' looks in the last five weeks, but his closest competitor, Matthew Golden, missed last week's game with a foot injury/incoming money-itis. If Brown's alone again, he's much more desirable in a game where we know we'll have OG2.
• Xavier Worthy ($7,200)
  • With Brooks out, Worthy's role was turbocharged to 13 targets last week. Iowa State's defense seemed human ceding 28 points to Kansas; this salary is far too low in an average matchup for Texas' star wideout.

Looking for the latest college football odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the college football betting options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.