CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Saturday Main Slate
Heading into Week 4, we're nearing the meat of conference play (with a few straggler non-conference matchups). There aren't a ton of behemoth matchups from a real football perspective on this slate, but there's always some intrigue on the fantasy side.
Shootout potential
TCU-SMU should be one to get the blood pumping in the early window, with the Horned Frogs and Mustangs expected to combine for 63.5 points on just a 6.5-point spread. That gives us some shootout potential and is a possible option to take players from both sides.
Other games in shootout contention include Baylor-Arizona State (60.5-point total, 2.5-point spread), Arkansas-Memphis (60.5-point total, 7.5-point spread), and possibly Utah-Texas Tech (57.5 total, 3.5-point spread) and Duke-NC State (57.5-point total, 2.5-point spread).
Blowout potential
Notre Dame sits as a 25.5-point favorite in its contest against Purdue, while Clemson is also a 16.5-point favorite over the Orange. Ole Miss rounds out the double-digit favorites at -12.5, which may not be enough of a favorite to keep the starters from the field late in the game.
I'd say Notre Dame has a little higher chance of seeing starters on the sidelines in an out-of-hand game than the rest, especially given the way Clemson's offense has looked the last couple of weeks. Dabo Swinney may want to get the Tigers headed on the right path, even if the team's CFP hopes are seemingly dashed already.
Highest implied totals
Our top scorers have all been mentioned already, which is unsurprising, but Notre Dame heads the pack at 38.5 implied points, with Ole Miss trailing closely behind at 37.0. In total, 13 teams sit within 10 implied points of the top-scoring squad on the slate, so this is one where spreading the wealth certainly makes some sense.
College Football DFS Weather (winds 15+ MPH, precip. chance 50-plus percent and hot/cold temps noted)
Auburn at Oklahoma - Some chance for weather here, uncertain how it will develop
North Carolina at UCF - Chance of rain for first half of game, 14 MPH winds
Florida at Miami - Decent chance for rain in second half of contest but not expected to have major impact
Notable Injuries Impacting Week 4 College Football DFS
QB
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina 
- Trending toward playing Saturday
Cam Fancher, Central Florida 
- Back at practice but unclear if he'll be the starter
Austin Simmons, Ole Miss 
- Unlikely to play this week
RB
Kevorian Barnes, TCU 
- listed questionable for Saturday
Kyson Brown, Arizona State 
- Termed probable for Saturday
Yasin Willis, Syracuse 
- Status uncertain
Damari Alston, Auburn 
- Probable for Saturday
Maurice Turner, Tulane 
- Sat out last week, status unclear
Greg Desrosiers, Memphis 
- Day-to-day again this week, status unclear
Durell Robinson, Auburn - Out for a while following freak accident
WR
Antonio Williams, Clemson 
- HC Dabo Swinney "hopeful" he'll be back this week
Eric Singleton, Auburn - Listed questionable on injury report
Keontez Lewis, Oklahoma 
- Listed probable this week after leaving last week
Malcolm Simmons, Auburn - Listed probable against OU
Jordyn Bailey, TCU - Missed practice Tuesday, status unclear
Jordan Hudson, SMU 
- Practiced Tuesday and could return in Week 4
Mazeo Bennett, South Carolina - Listed questionable
Joshisa Trader, Miami 
- Sat out last week, status unclear for Saturday
Jalen Moss, Arizona State - Out with illness
Daidren Zipperer, Utah 
- Out for season
TE
DJ Rogers, TCU - Injury suffered last week believed to be minor, seems likely he'll be in the fold
College Football DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
- Advanced Lineups Page
- Stats
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
Week 4 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel
Quarterback
Quarterback Stacks to consider (or mix and match)
While most weeks I wouldn't find myself highlighting the top four games at QB, I think there's potential here to stack any of the four top expected scoring games at quarterback. I'll run quickly through them and discuss which of the QBs I like better in each matchup.
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor 
($11,000) and Sam Leavitt, Arizona State ($9,200)
Robertson has put up points consistently in the early going and has thrown the ball a combined 98 times in just two games against power conference teams so far this season. Arizona State has yielded 6.4 yards per pass attempt on the season and has already been torched by Blake Shapen to the tune of 279 yards and three passing scores.
The run defense is solid for the Sun Devils so far this season, allowing only 2.7 yards per tote and 0.7 rushing scores per game, and Washington has averaged under four yards per carry against the two power conference opponents, so this may land squarely on Robertson's shoulders again.
Leavitt, conversely, fits the mold of the type of quarterback who can do damage against the Bears. Jackson Arnold is the prime example of a dual-threat QB who can do some damage, racking up 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Bears in the opener. Leavitt has already accounted for 157 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season on the ground.
Verdict: Leavitt and the passing attack aren't off to the greatest of starts, and the matchup here isn't quite as nice, so I'm not sure I'll end up with as many shares of this half of the game under center. I'm more intrigued by Robertson but could see myself with both in the lineup in some instances.
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss ($12,000) and Jake Retzlaff, Tulane ($9,900)
Chambliss filled in admirably for Austin Simmons last week, posting the best fantasy game for an Ole Miss quarterback so far this season. He's expected to start again and is operating the team with one of the highest implied totals on the slate.
That said, the steep discount from last week is now off the table, and there's also some film to study on him. Don't get me wrong, I think Ole Miss will put up plenty of points on Saturday, I'm just not sure it will be as Chambliss-laden as it was a week ago. Tulane yielded nearly yards per attempt to Duke and South Alabama, so the potential for big numbers is there. I just think the ground game will be more involved.
Retzlaff is on the expected losing side of this game and quarterbacks the team with the lowest implied total (24.5) among my stacking options. But, as I mentioned when I recommended him last week, Tulane's running back room isn't what it was a year ago. Retzlaff is a power-conference talent at QB playing at Tulane due to unfortunate circumstances, and he'll likely need to play hero ball again to keep this one within reach for a while. Ole Miss' defense seems far from elite.
Verdict: Both in play here for me, but I may end up fading this game a little more due to the implied total and likely heavy roster rate of Chambliss after last week's effort. Could bite me, but that's my gut feeling.
Kevin Jennings, SMU ($10,200) and Josh Hoover, TCU ($9,800)
Jennings is off to a solid start as a passer through the first three contests, posting a career-best 9.5 yards per attempt after racking up 8.5 YPA a season ago. TCU's pass defense has allowed just 224 passing yards per contest, but it's also yielded 9.0 yards per pass attempt, and SMU will certainly have enough pass volume to make good on that. The run defense has also been solid for the Horned Frogs, and SMU is nearly a touchdown underdog, so the game script could lean on a heavier pass attack.
Hoover faces an SMU squad that has similarly struggled against the pass this season, yielding 7.3 yards per attempt and 319.7 passing yards per game, by far the worst on the slate. On top of that, starting running back Kevorian Barnes is banged up and questionable with a lower leg injury, and the Mustangs have been stingy against the run anyway, yielding just 3.0 yards per carry. That includes keeping star back Bryson Washington to just 3.7 yards per carry in Week 2.
Verdict: This is the game I'm most interested in stacking at QB if I'm going to go with both sides under center and hope for a shootout.
Taylen Green, Arkansas 
($12,500) and Brendon Lewis, Memphis ($8,600)
Green has been arguably the hottest QB in the country coming out of the gates, finishing with no fewer than 33.7 fantasy points through the first three games.
That said, two of the games came against Alabama A&M and Arkansas State, and Ole Miss also surrendered 23 to a sketchy Kentucky offense.
The Tigers have faced no real threats on the schedule, so it's tough to get a gauge on how they stack up, but the betting odds favor the Hogs by just over a touchdown. I just get the feeling we'll see plenty of Arkansas' ground game here in the second half if they get a lead and force the game onto Lewis' shoulders, who I'm not sure has the passing acumen to get it done.
Speaking of Lewis, I mentioned that I'm not sure he's ready to fully take a game versus Arkansas on his shoulders, but it wouldn't shock me if that's the game plan here for the Razorbacks.
Greg Desrosiers seems, at best, to be operating at less than 100 percent, if he suits up at all. Sutton Smith should handle the bulk of the rushing attack, but this could be a tougher game to find room, and it wouldn't shock me to see Lewis forced to take matters into his hands, similar to Retzlaff above. That said, I think Lewis has a bit more talent surrounding him, especially in the backfield.
Verdict: Green is a decent play, per usual, but the high roster share may get me to fade him some in GPPs and hope the Hogs can focus on the rushing attack. Lewis is obviously a GPP-only option, and he might only be in lineups I'm stacking with Green in hopes of a close game.
Standalone option
Cade Klubnik, Clemson ($10,300) vs. Syracuse
Syracuse plays fast and doesn't seem to have the same Orange juice it had a year ago on offense. Clemson should get plenty of opportunity to run its offense on the field, and this seems like a good spot for a get-right game for the Tigers, who sport an implied total of 35.5. This passing attack is too talented to be held down for this long.
Running Back
The Top Dogs
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame 
($11,000) vs. Purdue
Love seems like a playable on both GPP and cash game fronts despite the price tag to incorporate him this week. Notre Dame knows it's better and has little reason to get pretty in this game. They'll put the ball in the hands of their best players and ram it down the throats of the Boilers here.
Again, there is a slight risk that starters will rest at some point in the second half, but if it gets to that point, I'm confident Love will have done enough to justify the salary.
Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss ($10,000) vs. Tulane
I mentioned above that I may fade Trinidad Chambliss some in this matchup, but I don't think I'll be doing a ton of the same with Lacy, assuming I can fit him in.
Lane Kiffin showed in the game against Georgia State that he keeps his starters in, letting them play into the fourth quarter despite a 42-7 lead. Lacy wound up with three rushing scores in that contest. Now, I'm not anticipating anywhere near the 63-7 score we got there in this one.
Tulane is a talented enough club to keep it within shouting distance, but that should allow Lacy to feast against a Tulane club that has allowed 4.4 yards per carry to opposing rushers. The 135 rushing yards and 0.7 rushing scores per game aren't off the charts, but the Green Wave have been playing from ahead thus far, and that's not likely the case Saturday.
Mid-Tier Targets
Ahmad Hardy, Missouri 
($9,200) vs. South Carolina
Hardy has staked his claim to the lead role and served as a workhorse the last couple of weeks, handling a combined 47 carries for 362 yards and four scores between the two contests. It's a tougher matchup this week, but the Tigers are still the favorite here, and I expect them to ride the workhorse to get it done. The Gamecocks have kept opponents under wraps so far this year, but Vanderbilt doesn't feature much of an attack, the FCS opponent was outmatched, and Virginia Tech stinks.
Kyson Brown, Arizona State ($8,000) at Baylor
I mentioned Leavitt above and how I may not have as many shares of Leavitt, but I may wet my beak with some Brown shares.
Brown was the presumed starter coming into the season and handled 13 touches in the opener, including six catches. He tallied two more in Week 2 before being knocked out due to injury, and Raleek Brown has controlled the backfield over the last pair of weeks. (Raleek) Brown should remain a factor Saturday, but he's also $1,000 more in what I would anticipate being close to an even split of touches. Oh, and Baylor has yielded 4.4 yards per carry, 188.3 rushing yards per game, and 2.3 rushing scores per contest.
Bargain Options
Rahsul Faison, South Carolina ($6,400) at Missouri
Faison took a back seat early in the season, but he was finally untethered as the lead back last week and didn't disappoint, totaling 15 carries for 74 yards and a score while adding four catches for a yard.
The matchup isn't fantastic, and the implied score (19.5) doesn't scream roster me, but Lanorris Sellers is coming off a concussion, so I'd expect the staff to be careful with him as a runner and defer more to Faison and co. in the backfield.
Aidan Laughery, Illinois 
($5,200) at Indiana
Laughery is in a mirrored situation to Brown above. He racked up big numbers on 11 touches versus an FCS opponent in the opener before going down early in Week 2 and missing last week.
Hence, a $5,200 salary. Illinois sports a lower implied team total and is a 6.5-point underdog against the Hoosiers, but the ground game is where we've seen Indiana be a bit leaky this season, yielding 4.0 yards per carry despite an underwhelming level of competition to date, featuring no power conference foes.
Others to consider: Myles Montgomery, UCF ($7,800), Tory Blaylock, Oklahoma ($7,000)
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Pairing Targets
Jordyn Tyson ($10,200)/Chamon Metayer ($5,200), Arizona State vs. Baylor
Josh Cameron ($8,400)/Michael Trigg ($6,000), Baylor vs. Arizona State
Jordan Dwyer ($9,200)/Eric McAlister ($5,200), TCU vs. SMU
Romello Brinson ($8,900)/Jalen Cooper ($7,200), SMU at TCU
Bryant Wesco ($9,500)/Antonio Williams ($8,000)/T.J. Moore ($5,200), Clemson vs. Syracuse
Some of the quarterbacks mentioned above, I don't really have many pairings I'm intrigued by, but here is the group I would stand by or consider inserting alongside the quarterbacks I'm considering Saturday.
Favorites:
Tyson - 42.9 percent target share too much to ignore, reasonable rate for that target dominance
McAlister - Only two games in, both blowouts. Dude had more than 700 receiving yards last year
Cameron - Explosive potential in his range. four 20-plus point games last year and already one this year
Brinson/Cooper - Clear 1-2 in the pecking order for SMU, both have big-play potential
Williams - Wesco has been a target hog to date, but Williams led the team last year and is much cheaper
Standalone Targets
Cam Coleman, Auburn ($6,700) at Oklahoma
While Eric Singleton has put up bigger numbers to date than Coleman, Coleman still reigns in terms of target share for the Tigers. He hasn't had a blowup game yet this season, and the matchup isn't great, but he has early-round NFL talent and is due for it at some point. I'd take a chance at this salary.
Malachi Toney, Miami ($7,600) vs. Florida
Slot receivers don't typically produce a ton because of the half-point PPR format, which favors touchdowns a bit more than DraftKings does. However, the slot in Miami is still a valuable place to play, evidenced by Xavier Restrepo's team-leading 69 grabs for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns a season ago.
Toney has inherited the starting role there and has one touchdown through the first three games, but he also leads the team in target share (24.5 percent). He's definitely capable of delivering surplus value at this salary.
