College Football DFS: Friday Night Slate, Week 4

We have four games on the docket for Friday night, and there are some interesting matchups worth watching. Let's dive in!

SLATE OVERVIEW

Charlotte (-3) vs. Middle Tennessee State O/U: 56

Virginia (-3.5) vs. Wake Forest O/U: 68.5

Liberty (-6.5) @ Syracuse O/U: 54

Fresno State (-30) vs. UNLV O/U: 59.5

The two questions we need to answer involve Liberty's elites and the predicted margin of victory for Fresno State. The Virginia/Wake battle is an obvious DFS target due to the superior O.U numbers, but there's ample temptation to pivot to Malik Willis and take advantage of his Heisman-like numbers. The O/U for Liberty is of some concern, however. The Flames have averaged around 38 points a game, but Syracuse's underrated defense will be their stiffest foe yet.  The slate presents other opportunities in place of Willis, which can make your lineup more unique.

Fresno State, a 30-point favorite, is trending up after a signature win against UCLA. It would be prudent to dig a little deeper and look at their blowout against Connecticut to see if we can find any second and third-string value on their roster.

QUARTERBACK

As previously stated, you probably can't go wrong with Malik Willis, but the Flames' schedule leaves a lot to be desired in terms of quality opponents. Willis will probably put up 30 FP anyway, but he's also going to be extremely popular. Due to that issue and a surprisingly good Syracuse defense, I will take a risk and keep my exposure low.

Brennan Armstrong, Virginia (DK $8,700, FD $11,500) vs. Wake Forest

Armstrong is one of the best quarterbacks in the country at the moment, so it's no surprise to see him atop the player pool today. The 3-0 Deacons are strong defensively, but after the painful loss to UNC, the Wahoos will be ready to lay down the hammer, especially in the passing game. One deficit for Virginia is their reliance on the passing game. The game flow could lean toward Wake's defense daring the Cavs to beat them on the ground, which could spell trouble for Armstrong.  Either way, this game should end up with some top-flite numbers from the signal-callers. I'm also giving a nod to Sam Hartman (DK $7,700, FD $9,000) as a contrarian option, as he's been relatively mistake-free with six touchdowns and only one intersection over three games.

Jake Haener, Fresno State (DK $7,900, FD $10,000) vs. UNLV

I wouldn't worry too much about Haener getting pulled in a blowout. He threw for 331 yards and three touchdowns against Connecticut and followed up with four touchdowns and 380 yards in their other blowout game against Cal-Poly State. He's coming off a massive night against UCLA where he threw for a whopping 455 yards against a tough Bruin defense.  The Rebels should pose no problem for him, and even if he's pulled late, he'll still finish with an excellent line.

RUNNING BACK

Christian Beal-Smith, Wake Forest (DK $5,300, FD $8,800) @ Virginia

If you've had a chance to watch this guy, you know why he's high on the running back list this week. Although Sam Hartman is a perfectly capable quarterback, the Deacons lean hard on their running game, with CBS leading the charge. There are more attractive options on the slate, but one look at Virginia's rushing defense against UNC (392 yards and three touchdowns) gives the impression of an exploitable spot for Wake and Beal-Smith.

Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State (DK $5,600, FD $10,500) vs. UNLV

The slate would not be complete without throwing some love to Rivers, who is probably the most NFL-ready running back on the slate tonight. He's shown up in the blowouts as well as the tough matchup against UCLA. Although he only has three touchdowns on the year, he catches enough passes out of the backfield to make up for crossing the goal line. I previously said that we might want to take a look at the bench in this game, so I'm providing a flier pivot in Jordan Wilmore (DK $3,000, FD $5,100), who made decent appearances against UConn and CPS.

Calvin Camp, Charlotte (DK $3,400, FD $6,300) vs. Middle Tennessee State

Let's get a little more unique, shall we? It's true, Shadrick Byrd (DK $4,700, FD $7,200) is the starter for the 49ers, but Camp vaulted up to 14 carries last week and had broken out at least one 20-plus yard carry in every game this season. Byrd has a bigger body, but Camp is an effective scat back at only 5-8 and 178 pounds, and he should find some holes against MTSU, who are giving up over 150 yards a game to opposing rushers.

WIDE RECEIVER

Billy Kemp IV, Virginia (DK $8,700, FD $8,500) vs. Wake Forest

We want to buy into our original QB picks and make stacks wherever possible, so I'm willing to spend on Kemp. He's especially attractive on FanDuel and s probably the best bargain you'll find for that site at $8,700. Since we anticipate a tight matchup, Kemp should be used early and often. He was a key element of the offense in the loss to the Tar Heels, and I wouldn't be surprised to see another 100-plus yard day out of him at home against the Deacons.

Jalen Cropper, Fresno State (DK $7,400, FD $10,200) vs. UNLV

Keeping with the same narrative, Cropper is the ideal stack with Haener, although this time the better salary is at DraftKings. There's not much you can say about Cropper - just look at the numbers. He's scored a touchdown in every game and has 29 catches against 37 targets. UNLV's secondary has been dreadful, and Cropper should be able to shred the coverage. I like to find diamonds in the rough in potential blowout games, and I think I have one in Keric Wheatfall (DK $5,100, FD $6,300), who has shown up in blowouts and had an excellent game against Oregon. He's been targeted 20 times this season and will surely be a lesser-owned pivot who could blow up.

Dontayvion Wicks, Virginia (DK $7,100, FD $8,800) vs. Wake Forest

I've separated Wicks because his standout seven-catch, 183-yard performance against UNC might be a continuing trend in Virginia's passing attack.  He also caught almost every ball thrown to him (8 targets) in that matchup and already has three touchdowns on the season. It might be a little heavy-handed to stack Armstrong, Kemp AND Wicks, but I wouldn't rule it out.

Also consider: Jaquarii Roberson, Wake Forest (DK $7,000, FD $7,000),  Zane Pope, Fresno State (DK $3,400, FD $5,300), Demario Douglas, Liberty (DK $4,400, FD $6,500)