College Football DFS: Dec. 29 Bowl Slate

We've got a trio of bowl games on tap for Wednesday, beginning with the Pinstripe Bowl that kicks off at 2:15 p.m. ET.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Pinstripe Bowl - Maryland (-3.5) vs. Virginia Tech O/U: 54.5

Cheez-It Bowl - Clemson (-2.5) vs. Iowa State O/U: 44

Alamo Bowl - Oklahoma (-6.5) vs. Oregon O/U: 60

This slate sets up to be one of the most watchable sets of contests to date during bowl season. All three games should be close, and the Oklahoma-Oregon game should be a high-scoring affair with a lot of DFS action from which to choose.  

There are some interesting variables afoot, especially for Clemson and Oklahoma. Will the loss of Brent Venables curb the Tigers' effectiveness on defense? The core scheme is still in place, but Venables is a singular talent who called many defensive audibles on the fly. Bob Stoops will be the Oklahoma coach, with Cale Gundy calling the offensive plays, bridging the gap between Lincon Riley and Venables. Unlike Venables' departure from Clemson, Stoops' presence is likely a net positive for Oklahoma, as they are ready for a revenge rematch against the Ducks, and the team will rally around the veteran coach.

WEATHER

The weather at Yankee Stadium for the Pinstripe Bowl is the only concern on the slate. There will be rain in the area, and the site is known to get gusty winds in the winter months. 

QUARTERBACK

Anthony Brown, Oregon (DK $7,100, FD $9,400) vs. Oklahoma

Oregon was pounded into submission by Utah's relentless defense twice in a row, so occasional DFS players may take a look at the team's recency and look elsewhere, but the Ducks' running game (a universal endorsement for me) will have a much easier time against the Sooners. Brown will be without Devon Williams, who is passing on the bowl to prepare for the NFL combine, but his passing skills are not why you roster Brown. He's one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, with 637 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground this season. Oklahoma is less potent defensively against the pass, and Brown is a 63 percent passer who threw for almost 3,000 yards this season and only threw five picks in 350 attempts. The Sooners have struggled to keep safeties and corners on the field this season, so the youth and relative inexperience in the secondary is a feather in Brown's cap as well.

Caleb Williams, Oklahoma (DK $8,200, FD $12,000) vs. Oregon

I'm also a fan of the other side of the matchup, which is a no-brainer considering the game's obvious Game Total prediction. The Ducks had one of the best defenses in the country for most of the season until they started playing some worthy opponents. Things came off the rails after that, but the Ducks are fortunate that their current defense is intact and relatively injury-free. After a poor outing against Iowa State, Williams finished out strong with 253 yards and three touchdowns in a tough loss against Oklahoma State. It's easy to forget the Williams took over for Spencer Rattler only a couple of months ago, but he still managed an 18:4 TD/INT ratio as the part-time starter. Williams may have a tough time against Oregon's defense, but the youngster has proven that he can step up in the big moments.

Despite his dual-threat capability, I am not as high on Taulia Tagovailoa (DK $6,700, FD $10,200) as the sites are. He's definitely a consideration on DraftKings due to the lower salary, but I am confident that the Hokies' defense can contain Maryland for the duration.

It's usually a fool's errand to start a quarterback against Clemson, so you need to be a believer in the coaching intangibles to go with Iowa State's Brock Purdy (DK $5,900, FD $8,000). The Tigers will be missing several key players on defense, which is also a variable to consider. Breece Hall (NFL prep) won't be around to open up the passing game, but Purdy could still surprise us.

RUNNING BACKS

Travis Dye, Oregon (DK $7,200, FD $10,500) vs. Oklahoma

My builds will live and die on Dye. Right now, he has 100 percent exposure in my builds, and I don't see the number going any lower, barring a COVID-19 catastrophe. The team has a lot to prove after getting squelched by Utah twice, but as the team's final game against Oregon state showed, they possess a superlative rushing attack. Dye even managed a better night against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship, scoring the team's only touchdown to go along with 109 yards of total offense.

Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma (DK $6,200, FD $9,400) vs. Oregon

We'll go right back to the well with Oklahoma as we did at quarterback. Brooks is coming off two consecutive 100-yard games against Iowa State and Oklahoma State. He's also in the midst of a three-game touchdown streak. He faces an Oregon rush defense that had difficulty containing Utah's rushers but was otherwise decent the rest of the season. Brooks's voluminous snap count and usual touches make him an easy add regardless of how well he plays. He joined a secret few by logging a third consecutive 1,000-yard season and is the most consistent back on the slate behind Dye.

Raheem Blackshear, Virginia Tech (DK $5,900, FD $7,800) vs. Maryland

The Terps have one of the worst run defenses in the country, which is one reason why I'm endorsing Blackshear here. Although he competes with Malachi Thomas for touches, Blackshear is the more predominant back and has the best opportunity for success. When he gets a lot of volume, as he did against Virginia in Week 13, you're going to get a decent total. His up-and-down numbers carry some variance, and running back isn't a spot where we are looking to spend down, but he works in a build where you pay the premium at wideout.

Opting for Will Shipley (DK $5,900, FD $8,400) or Kobe Pace (DK $4,800, FD $6,400) appears to make sense considering Clemson's passing game has been of late, but the Cyclones are very tough against the run. Although Shipley has a talent for wearing down any front four, Pace might offer a better value if Iowa State fails to seal the corners. I am more inclined to roster Pace and keep my spend-ups with Dye and Brooks.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Rakim Jarrett, Maryland (DK $5,800, FD $8,000) vs. Virginia Tech

When Tagovailoa takes to the air, Jarrett is the most likely wideout at the other end. He has 56 receptions on the year, which is a notch in favor of his DraftKings salary due to the better PPR rules. Tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo (DK $4,700, FD $6,600) is the only pass-catcher to come close to that volume, but I don't think the price differential on DraftKings merits a pivot. The gap is wider on FanDuel, so a pivot off of Jarrett makes a bit more sense there.

Beaux Collins, Clemson (DK $6,300, FD $6,400) vs, Iowa State.

The Tigers will need success through the air to get things done, and D.J. Uiagalelei's high school teammate has been a consistent favorite. There is plenty of uncertainty in Clemson's receiving corps for the bowl game as there are injuries all over the depth chart, leaving Collins as the safest target. Joseph Ngata (DK $4,100, FD $6,000) is probable to play and should also get involved. FanDuel is very forgiving to the Clemson wideouts with below-average salaries.

Mario Williams, Oklahoma (DK $4,300, FD $5,400) vs. Oregon

Williams and Marvin Mims are almost equal in my projections this week,  so it makes sense to grab Williams at the lower salary. I think the two are interchangeable for bulk bulilds as they both have around the same number of receptions, yards, and touchdowns this season. It's a dart throw to determine which wideout will have the better day, but either of them rate well as a stack for Caleb Williams.

Kris Hutson, Oregon, (DK $4,800, FD $5,800) vs. Oklahoma

Identifying the receiver who absorbs most of Devon Williams' and Johnny Johnson's output is key piece of the puzzle on the slate. And I believe Hutson is the most likely candidate. Isaah Crocker's emergence against Utah is something to pay attention to, but he's only played two games this season and is far from reliable. There's little doubt that a bargain wideout will pop here, but there's too much variance in sipping below 4k in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough.