College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Saturday 11/4/23

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

We've gone a couple of weeks without those supremely targetable game-stack type of games. That changes with two whoppers on Saturday.

The highest total I've seen on a main slate this year (76.5) belongs to the Washington Huskies clash with the Southern California Trojans in the L.A. Coliseum. It makes sense as USC continues to operate as one of -- if not alone as -- the worst defenses in Power 5.

We've got another that would qualify as the top game on any other slate as the Louisiana State Tigers head to Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. That game's sitting with a 63.5-point total, and LSU has usually been around that marker behind their Heisman candidates.

With those games in the late window, we may want to lop off some of the less desirable ones early in the day. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Clemson Tigers are no strangers to defensive struggles with the lowest total (44.5) on the slate, and I don't see a need to prioritize the spread market shares of the Florida State Seminoles as 21.5-point favorites over a Pittsburgh Panthers squad whose coach is all but asking them to quit on the season.

Quarterbacks

Top Plays

• Jayden Daniels ($11,800)
  • There are several high-salaried QBs on the slate worth the acquisition ask, but I'll roll with 2023's two Heisman candidates over last year's winner. Daniels hasn't fallen short of 29 FanDuel points since Week 1, and Alabama (18th in Passing YPA allowed) isn't the outlierish bad matchup they've been for a decade this season.
• Michael Penix Jr. ($11,500)
  • Washington's 39.8-point implied team total is gargantuan, and Penix is truly the only safe bet to access a good portion of it. USC's horrid pass D put the California Golden Bears' backup quarterback in last week's perfect lineup. Penix's baseline is likely four touchdowns in this spot, but his ceiling is decently defined with just 1.3 rushing YPG so far.
• Brady Cook ($9,000)
  • The Georgia Bulldogs' wet blanket of a rush defense funnels most work to the passing game, and Cook (37.4 attempts per game) is used to a heavy workload. Last week's rest could help provide more of a return of his legs after an early-season knee issue.
• KJ Jefferson ($8,400)
  • Jefferson's inconsistent work has bitten me at every turn, but his 2022 self showed up against LSU (28.3 FanDuel points), and I'm wondering if this Florida Gators matchup brings him back. The Gators are 98th in passing YPA allowed (8.1) of 133 FBS schools.

Others to Consider

• Caleb Williams ($12,000)
  • Of the three prolific QBs on the slate, Williams has just not been himself the past two weeks (7.4 passing YPA). Even in the game of the day, it's a bit harrowing to ask for another pair of rushing scores just to cross the 30-FanDuel-point threshold at this salary. USC's offensive line is still a mess.
• Jalen Milroe ($10,600)
  • Alabama's signal-caller was benched earlier in the season, but he's put those concerns to rest at 10.9 Passing YPA overall. His matchup with LSU's defense (8.0 passing YPA allowed) is significantly easier than Daniels' in the same environment, and he'll be far less popular.
• Will Howard ($9,500)
  • Howard was the only one to take a snap for the Kansas State Wildcats last week until the score was 35-0, so the odd platoon might be over. As my colleague Gabriel Santiago pointed out, K-State visiting the Texas Longhorns is easily the third-best game of the day when both are averaging well above 30.0 PPG
    • I'm not sure why the total is so low when Maalik Murphy ($8,000) played well in his debut a week ago.
• Kyron Drones ($8,200)
  • In a game that should be largely ignored, Drones is a dual threat on a budget. He's posted 61.3 rushing yards per game so far -- including 80 in a far tougher matchup than this against the 'Noles.

Running Backs

Top Plays

• Ollie Gordon II ($11,000)
  • Even at a lofty salary, it's hard to fade a running back getting 27.7 carries and 4.0 targets per game in the past three weeks. I don't trust these offenses enough to rate Bedlam over K-State/Texas, but the 60.5-point game total here is still worthy of a pivot off the obvious top-two games.
• Jonathan Brooks ($10,000)
  • Even in a reduced workload last week against the lowly Brigham Young Cougars, Brooks amassed 98 yards and a rushing score. With another ranked foe in town, I don't think his role has actually reduced from the 22 carries and 6 targets he drew against the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 5.
• Dillon Johnson ($8,600)
  • Johnson got 20 carries against the Oregon Ducks in a marquee spot, and struggles since have kept his salary low. He's still handled 75.6% of the Huskies' carries in the past three weeks despite low overall numbers, and with six scores, they turn to him at the goal line.
• Jase McClellan ($7,400)
  • Alabama figured out its proverbial starting battery with Milroe and McClellan. Jase has handled 21.5 carries per game (60.0% of the team's) in the past three weeks, and LSU has been just as leaky on the ground (4.6 YPA allowed) as they have been through the air.

Others to Consider

• Audric Estime ($9,300)
  • The reduced salary helps, but Estime's workload is still better than his game environment by a good margin. ND clearly saved him for late, ramping up to 68.1% of their carries in the past three weeks. I'd put him around even money for a pair of scores against the waffling Tigers.
• Devin Neal ($8,900)
  • Neal still has Daniel Hishaw Jr. ($6,500) hanging around in key areas too often for my liking, but he's at least separated with a 60.3% rush share and 13.2% target share overall in the past three weeks. The Iowa State Cyclones are one of college football's most notable run funnels, which plays into his hands.
• Jo'Quavious Marks ($8,200)
  • The Mississippi State Bulldogs' offense has struggled with Mike Wright at QB, but if Will Rogers can return this week, Marks' talent and role are pretty solid for this salary. He handled 17 of 23 RB carries against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
• Logan Diggs ($7,900)
  • The midseason cupcake always throws a wrench into my RB process. Diggs toted the rock just six times in two weeks ago when LSU stomped the Army Black Knights, but he handled 61.3% of their carries in the three weeks prior. I'd expect that role to return against 'Bama -- with fresh legs.

Wide Receivers

Top Plays

• Malik Nabers ($9,800)
  • We'd be talking about Nabers in Heisman circles if Brian Thomas Jr. ($9,000) hadn't sniped him for 11 touchdowns on just 42 catches this year. Nabers' 34.6% target share the past three weeks shows he's still Daniels' top target.
• Luther Burden III ($8,800)
  • Big-time players come out in big-time games, and in a game where the Missouri Tigers figure to struggle to run the ball, I'm expecting a boatload of targets for LB3. The sophomore leads the slate with a 36.7% target share over the past three weeks.
• Jaylin Noel ($7,300)
  • The Kansas Jayhawks have been torched defensively, and Noel is really the one way I can access Iowa State. They don't throw away from an ugly RB committee often, but when they do, it's usually to the junior. He's seen 8.7 targets per game (29.6% share) in the past three weeks.`
• Leon Johnson III ($5,000)
  • We badly need a punt-level stud on this slate, and Johnson III could be one. Out of nowhere, the transfer from Division III drew 11 targets and turned them into 5 catches for 149 yards. The Oklahoma State Cowboys have been waiting for a wideout to emerge, and he might be that guy.

Others to Consider

• Jamari Thrash ($8,700)
  • While tailback Jawahr Jordan ($9,800) continues to pile up touchdowns in a committee, Thrash remains the safe choice overall. His matchup this week against the Virginia Tech Hokies is significantly easier than that against the Duke Blue Devils' secondary a week ago.
  • The game total is low (48.5), but he's a great mini-stack with Drones.
• Ricky Pearsall ($8,300)
  • I don't really want anything to do with Florida besides Pearsall, and their defense is too poor to not target their games. Ricky's 8.3 targets per game in the past three weeks are eighth-best on the slate, and he's accounted for 33.4% of Florida's total passing yardage this year.
• Xzavier Henderson ($7,300)
  • I specifically didn't write up Emory Jones ($9,200) as he continues to spiral in Big 12 play, but with no alternatives, he'll at least likely keep peppering Henderson in games they trail. He's tied with Pearsall in volume (8.3 targets) over the past three weeks.
• Andrew Armstrong ($7,300)
  • Arkansas' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde offense isn't worth afternoon-ruining exposure, but Armstrong is clearly Jefferson's top target if they get rolling against Florida. He's accounted for a similar amount of work as Pearsall (33.1% of Arkansas' pass yards), so we get a ton of the game's predictable volume across three players.

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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.