College Football DFS: Friday Slate, Week 10

There are two college games on the docket Friday.  Let's dive deeper and find the DFS value in these two contests.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Virginia Tech (-3) @ Boston College O/U: 47.5

Utah (-9) @ Stanford O/U: 54

There are some general things to consider when approaching this slate, especially if you veer from the endorsements below for diversity and uniqueness. 

1. The Hokies and the Eagles are both terrible against the run.
2. Due to injuries, Stanford will be hamstrung and unable to move the ball against the superior Utah offense.
3. You only need one low-cost target to get most of what you need in your roster tonight.

QUARTERBACK

Stanford's Tanner McKee will be a game-time call, which dramatically reduces our scope at quarterback on this slate. With Dennis Grosel holding court over an underperforming Boston College offense, there's really only one call to make at the position.

Cameron Rising, Utah (DK $8,000, FD $12,000) @ Stanford

The Utes are flying high due in large part to Rising, who currently ranks fourth in the Pac-12, averaging 278 yards per game. The redshirt sophomore can also get things done with his feet. Last week against UCLA, he parlayed his running skills into a one-touchdown, 63-yard effort. No team in the conference has been able to slow down this multi-dimensional offense, and Stanford will not break that trend.

Also consider: Braxton Burmeister, Virginia Tech (DK $6,400, FD $8,500)

RUNNING BACK

Tavion Thomas, Utah (DK $8,200, FD $10,500) @ Stanford

Thomas is one of the hottest running backs in the nation at present.  He also enjoys running behind an offensive line that's been unstoppable over the past month. Thomas was the conference's Offensive Player of the Week after running for 160 yards and a whopping four touchdowns against the Bruins last week. Like UCLA, the Cardinal will find it difficult to contain him. 

Raheem Blackshear, Virginia Tech (DK $4,900, FD $7,100) @ Boston College

There is considerable merit to rostering Malachi Thomas (DK $6,600, FD $8,300), and I won't hesitate to take him, but we need to keep our costs down. Blackshear's numbers have trended up recently, and he's expected to have a continued role in the offense. Over the past two games, he's rushed 24 times for 161 yards. While that pales in comparison to his teammate's numbers, his DraftKings salary is meager. Conversely, on FanDuel, Malachi Thomas' salary gap over Blackshear is only $1,200, which will motivate me to pay up a bit more for Virginia Tech rushing on the site. Syracuse and Louisville shredded the Eagles' rushing defense in recent weeks, so you need to have a Hokies rusher involved.

Pat Garwo, Boston College (DK $5,300, FD $7,000) vs. Virginia Tech

While the Hokies will try to key in on Garwo, they do so as one of the worst teams against the run in the ACC. The Eagles have been abysmal as a passing team, so Garwo represents the team's best chance to win. Garwo is the fourth-leading rusher in the conference, and even if the Hokies try to crowd the box and make the Eagles beat them through the air, he'll find enough holes to be relevant.

Also consider: Nathaniel Peat, Stanford (DK $3,500, FD $5,500) 

WIDE RECEIVER

Stanford's passing game will be a mess Friday. Aside from McKee's injury status, Elijah Higgins (undisclosed) and John Humphreys (undisclosed) may miss this game as well. It may be difficult to find news about their status, which is unfortunate because our ability to swap in this game will be limited. I do see value here despite my complete distrust over the QB situation for the Cardinal. Benjamin Yurosek (DK $6,800, FD $7,000) will emerge as a great contrarian pick if the injury tags hold.

Brant Kuithe, Utah (DK $6,500, FD $6,500)

Kuithe was the preseason first-team selection at tight end for the Pac-12, but it took him a few weeks to get going. The Utah receiving corps is a bit perplexing because Cameron Rising gets so many players involved. And it makes stacking with Rising a bit of a challenge. Kuithe is likely the best option, however.

Tre Turner (DK $7,000, FD $8,300) and Tayvion Robinson (DK $4,800, FD $7,100) Virginia Tech @ Boston College

If you elect to put Burmeister in your S-FLEX, you need to get one of these receivers involved. Although the Hokies started slow, their running game has surged, making the passing game that much better in Blacksburg. Turner is the prominent producer with 34 receptions and 602 yards, but Robinson beats Turner out in TD catches. He also has 31 receptions to his credit, so reaching down for Robinson will save you some coin.

Also consider: Britain Covey, Utah (DK $4,400, FD $6,700) 

To conclude, I will circle back to the 'one low-cost target' that I mentioned at the beginning of the article. More often than not, I found myself placing Nathaniel Peat in that category. Still, I think you can also find similar value with Boston College's Travis Levy (DK $4,000, FD $5,800) and any number of Utah receivers who will contribute to Rising's superior totals.