This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
FanDuel's eight-game slate for Saturday evening looks to be an enjoyable offering for DFS action. We have a lot of stars and many moving pieces to choose from. It'll be hard to narrow down the cornucopia of talent, but we'll do our best!
SLATE OVERVIEW
Florida (-2.5) vs. LSU O/U: 50.5
Mississippi State (-3.5) @ Kentucky O/U: 48.5
Purdue (-13.5) vs. Nebraska O/U: 56
Notre Dame (-16.5) vs. Stanford O/U: 56
Clemson (-3.5) @ Florida State O/U: 51.5
East Carolina (-5.5) vs. Memphis O/U 59.5
North Carolina (-7) @ Duke O/U: 67.5
Utah (-3.5) vs. USC O/U: 64.5
A couple of games stand out as potentially high-scoring affairs, with North Carolina/Duke leading the way in terms of game total. We have endorsements in that game as well as USC/Utah, although that high total will largely depend on what Utah's offense can bring to the party. Mississippi State/Kentucky looks like an exploitable over for sports bettors, and while I'd definitely take Clemson and give 3.5, I'm not quite sure what to make of this game from a DFS percentage, so we stayed away.
WEATHER REPORT
No major weather concerns
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QUARTERBACK
Drake Maye, North Carolina
($12,000) @ Duke
The salary is high but highly justifiable, especially against a questionable Duke defense. Maye leads an offense that leads the ACC in several categories, most notably passing yards and total scoring. Josh Downs ($10,000) probably deserves his own article now that he is fully healthy, and if money was no object, I'd love dropping $22k on a Maye/Downs stack. I think this is a case where we need to choose one or the other to make sure our lineup is balanced, and I think taking the quarterback will be the stronger play.
Aidan O'Connell, Purdue
($9,200) vs. Nebraska
There's a bit of s salary drop-off after the Top 10 QBs in FanDuel's player pool, and O'Connell sits right outside it with a Big Ten West lead up for grabs. It's alarming to see the leader of Purdie's aerial attack at this salary point - maybe FanDuel knows something we don't. I've watched every Purdue game (even the one when O'Connell was out). Couple that with the cold hard statistical data, and I think I have an argument that O'Connell is too cheap and should be much higher in the pecking order. Nebraska's defense ranks among the worst in the Big Ten, and that's all the more reason to back Purdue's passing arsenal, which is deadly in the red zone. If Purdue gets inside the 20, expect O'Connell to generate some scoring production.
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
($10,200) @ Kentucky
We're climbing back up the ranks and landing on Rogers, who travels to Lexington to face the Wildcats in what should be a high-scoring barn burner. Mike Leach's Air Raid offense has been flying high all season, so much so that Will Rogers leads the nation with 2,010 passing yards. He's also logged an excellent 71 percent completion rate thanks to a talented corps of receivers. He spreads the ball around a lot, which is one reason why none of his pass-catchers made our list, but they are worth a look if you need salary cap help. It won't be a cakewalk for Rogers and the Bulldogs, however. Kentucky's defense is sneaky good and has kept them competitive, but the offense hasn't been as explosive as they were last season. I think Rogers and company will simply outscore them.
RUNNING BACK
Chris Tyree, Notre Dame
($6,800) vs. Stanford
As Notre Dame's fortunes have improved, Tyree's numbers have followed suit. This is one spot where we will get substantial salary cap relief and sizeable production at the same time. The running game is a true time-share with Tyree, Andric Estime ($8,100) and Logan Diggs ($5,300) but I think we can roll with Tyree and his low salary in hopes that he'll have the hot hand. Stanford is in a terrible rut after a promising beginning, so the Irish should have no problem running against their defense.
Tavion Thomas, Utah
($7,500) vs. USC
Thomas has been difficult to trust with Micah Bernard swallowing up his share of carries, but if the Utes were smart, they'd get back to the guy who helped them get to a Pac-12 championship last season. The Utes won't win this game in the air, and they may be out of luck and outscored by USC's high-octane offense. Their only hope is to win the war in the trenches and give their backs room to move, and this is a barrier they can overcome. The Trojans are all about offense and make too many mistakes on the defensive side, and I hope that Utah will go back to what's worked for them in the past - a good dose of Thomas.
John Emery, LSU
($5,000) @ Florida
Emery is getting stronger with every game following his injury woes, and with Armani Goodwin expected to miss again, he should have wide land to end the day as the Tigers' leading rusher. Florida is just fine against the run, but they'll be focused on keeping Jayden Daniels from scampering outside the pocket. With Daniels keeping the Gators guessing, there could be some added production from the backfield. With a little luck, Emery could crush value at this salary.
GAME-TIME CALL Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina
($7,500) vs. Memphis
Mitchell warmed up last week but didn't play, so there's a chance he could return to action this week against the Tigers. He's been a massive contributor as a rusher and pass-catcher when he's been active, so he's worth the risk if he is ready to go Saturday evening.
WIDE RECEIVER
Charlie Jones, Purdue ($9,500) vs. Nebraska
We've already spoken of Aidan O'Connell's advantage in this spot, so let's keep rolling with his premier stack. We've cleared up some cap space with our tunning back selections so I think we can go big at wideout, starting with Jones, who should be able to exploit the Nebraska secondary with his speed and reliable hands.
Jordan Addison, USC
($8,800) @ Utah
This could be the most interesting game of the day, as we see how Utah's defense sixes up against this elite offense. True, Addison is kind of a no-brainer every week, and one missed coverage will spell doom for the opposing defense when Addison finds a seam. He's more ideal for cash lineups due to his reliable floor, but just about any format will do for Addison.
C.J. Johnson, East Carolina ($8,800) vs. Memphis
Every so often you'll find an "elite contrarian" and Johnson fit the bill as a standout player who isn't grabbing headlines. What the game lacks in playoff considerations, it makes up for with a high O/U and a narrow line that will put offenses to the test. Both quarterbacks in this game were borderline considerations, but I am more than fine with adding Holton Ahlers ($10,000) to the QB list if you opt to go with Johnson. It's a good unique stack that won't be over-rostered.
GAME-TIME CALL: Jalon Calhoun, Duke
($6,400) vs. UNC
The Blue Devils will need all of their playmakers, and it looks like Calhoun will be able to join the frat. It's still a wait-and-see situation as he comes off the upper body injury he sustained against Georgia Tech, but if he's a go, fire him up if you need salary cap relief.
