College Football DFS: Friday Slate, Week 7

Friday's slate offers four games for our DFS enjoyment. The weather looks great at all outdoor stadiums, so there will be no hindrance to some notable passing offenses tonight.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Marshall (-11) @ North Texas O/U: 66

Clemson (-13.5) @ Syracuse O/U: 45

Oregon (-13.5) vs. California O/U: 54

San Diego State (-9) @ San Jose State O/U: 41

As is the case with several slates this season, I think it's wise to load up at running back. Friday is no exception, and it's a spot where I might be tempted to use the S-FLEX more frequently with a running back instead of a quarterback. I'm not a big believer in the MARSH/UNT total, but it should still be a shootout worth considering. I'm staying largely off the CLEM/SYR game because despite the Tigers' struggles, their defense is still top-notch, and it's going to do a better job of containing Syracuse than most expect. That doesn't mean that Clemson will score enough to beat them, however. Oregon-Cal is my favorite game of the slate, as both teams have a lot to prove after recent underwhelming play.

QUARTERBACK

Anthony Brown, Oregon (DK $8,300, FD $11,000) vs. California

The loss of CJ Verdell will almost certainly put additional pressure on Brown to get things moving through the air. While Cal's defensive front looked good initially, the Bears' backslide down the stretch has plagued all aspects on both sides of the ball. The Ducks have some promising freshmen to back up Travis Dye, so Brown should still be able to open up the passing game, and he will likely get the run going with designed plays suited for his dual-threat capabilities. He'll obviously be a popular add in the player pool, but he's also a reliable, safe cash play.

Chase Garbers, California (DK $6,200, FD $8,100) @ Oregon

Garbers' 7:5 TD/INT ratio isn't inspiring, and despite a keen ability to control the clock and post impressive yardage totals, Garbers and company seem to have problems getting the job done in the red zone. This week, the Ducks have a crack in their armor as Bennett Williams won't be around to defend the pass.  That's good news for Garbers, who could emerge as a darkhorse QB candidate if he can keep his turnovers to a minimum.

Also consider: Grant Wells, Marshall (DK $8,700), FD $10,500)

RUNNING BACK

Rasheen Ali, Marshall (DK $7,300, FD $11,500) vs. DeAndre Torrrey, North Texas (DK $6,700, FD $8,500)

Two running backs face off against the atrocious run defense of their opponent in this matchup.  Torrey is probably the sensible pick cost-wise, but there's merit to stacking both backs in a game that has the highest projected total on the slate. Ali leads the nation with 11 rushing touchdowns, while Torrey is in the Top 10 in rushing in the country, averaging 120 yards per game. It's uncertain if Austin Aune will take over for Jace Ruder as the Mean Green's signal-caller, and that might be a factor in taking Ali over Torrey, but North Texas has always been a run-first team, and the QB controversy shouldn't do much to curb Torrey's volume.

Greg Bell, San Diego State (DK $7,700, FD $10,200) @ San Jose State

Bell's shoulder issue seemed to disappear after the bye week as the standout RB bounced back with over 100 yards against UNM.  He's passed the century mark in every game except for Week 4, where his shoulder prompted an early exit. With only five touchdowns and meager receiving totals, you pretty much depend on Bell replicating another big yardage day, but against the Spartans, he could sneak in a score or two. San Jose State allows over 150 yards of rushing yardage to opponents this season.

Seven McGee, Oregon (DK $3,500, FD $5,000) vs. California

Welcome to my sleeper pick of the evening! There's no doubt that Travis Dye will lead this rushing attack, but without CJ Verdell, who gets the rest? I will take a flier on the freshman, especially if Oregon can jump out to a significant lead as expected. The four-star recruit is the future of Oregon's rushing attack, and Verdell's injury is a perfect opportunity for McGee to finally get a chance in the spotlight. He's fast, hard to bring down, and a great lateral mover. He also had some of the best pass-catching abilities of his recruiting class. Ole Miss and several other Power 5 schools campaigned hard for his services, and we'll now see what he can bring to Oregon's offense.

WIDE RECEIVER

Corey Gammage, Marshall (DK $6,900, FD $8,800) @ North Texas

The weather looks perfect for this game, and if you're going with Grant Wells, you've got to get Gammage in for your stack.  Gammage works well independently too, as he's easily one of the best producers on the slate. The only knock for Gammage is that he hasn't scored a touchdown yet. That role has fallen to Shadeed Ahmed (DK $6,100, FD $8,000), so he's a contrarian consideration who you also need to think about what targeting the Thundering Herd's passing attack.

Justyn Ross, Clemson (DK $6,200, FD $9,100) @ Syracuse

I want to believe in D.J. Uiagalelei, but I'm just not on board, at least not yet. Despite my misgivings about D.J., Ross has transformed his big-play ability into a Keyshawn Johnson-esque possession role this season. His spinal fusion may play a  role in that change, or it may just be that Ross is aware of what his new QB needs - a reliable target in his progressions. Ross ended up out of pads and on the sideline in his last game, but it was just a precautionary measure from a possible concussion. I'm restricting Ross to a DK-only play, as his FanDuel salary is a little too high for my taste.

Kekoa Crawford, California (DK $4,600, FD $6,600) @ Oregon

I'm also a big fan of Trevon Clark (DK $5,100, FD $7,100) for the Bears, but Crawford offers big-play ability and an opportunity to save some cash and be a bit unique at wideout. Although he's only caught 14 balls this season, he makes the most of it, averaging 20.1 yards per catch. To afford elite running backs, we will have to make some concessions in this price range, and both Clark and Crawford can offer that.