College Football DFS: Night Slate, Week 6

We have a slight deviation between the two major sites for our Saturday night slate, and we'll discuss the unique games at the conclusion of the article.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Kent State (-6.5) @ Buffalo O/U: 65

TCU (-2) @ Texas Tech O/U: 61

Kentucky (-2) vs LSU O/U: 51

Notre Dame (-1) @ Virginia Tech OU: 47

Michigan (-2.5) @ Nebraska O/U: 50

Alabama (-18) @ Texas A&M O/U: 51

USC (-3) vs. Utah O/U: 53

Air Force (-5) vs. Wyoming O/U: 47.5 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)

Western Kentucky (-3) vs. UTSA OU: 71 (FANDUEL ONLY)

The games to fade are pretty obvious here, as I don't expect much from either Notre Dame or Virginia Tech, and the Michigan-Nebraska contest looks to be a slugfest with no top DFS producers - at least, none that are solid locks. The outlier games have many options today, and there isn't enough time to flesh them out, although I summarized the best picks and one budget wideout in particular. For DFS purposes, I'm giving a lot of love to Alabama, Kentucky and TCU, and am not too keen on Utah, Texas A&M and LSU.

WEATHER CONCERNS

ND/VT: 32% chance of rain

QUARTERBACK

Bryce Young, Alabama (DK $9,200, FD $10,000) @ Texas A&M

Mac who?  Young has an astonishing 17:2 TD/INT ratio in his first year as the starter and is currently sporting a 73% pass completion percentage. Texas A&M allowed over 400 passing yards to Mississippi State last week, and with Young's talented corps of wideouts, Jimbo Fisher has an uphill battle to climb. His lofty price is warranted, and I would call his FanDuel price reasonable, considering where the site has him among the QBs on the slate.

Max Duggan, TCU (DK $8,200, FD $10,200) @ Texas Tech

Duggan's price is much more attractive on DraftKings, as FanDuel's number is curiously $200 higher than Young's. Duggan is a consistent dual threat and has an excellent corps of runners who can open up the passing game. The Red Raiders have shown little ability to withstand the passing game, and they're at the bottom of the Big 12 in passing offense. They are a little more formidable against the run, so expect Duggan to air it out a bit more than usual. With an O/U of 61, this game promises to be a high-scoring affair, which should translate to a sizeable total for Duggan.

Dustin Crum, Kent State (DK $6,800, FD $8,000) vs. Buffalo

As we search through the player pool, it becomes increasingly apparent how Young is head-and-shoulders ahead of the group, but Crum sticks out as an excellent contrarian play in what should be a high-scoring game. Crum is not only one of the most accurate passers in the nation, but he also leads his team in rushing. Kent State's defense isn't great, so Crum will be hard-pressed to keep up with the point total as it rises. If he can mix some big passing plays with fancy footwork at the goal line, Crum could surprise as a secondary QB option.

Also consider: Jaxson Dart (DK $6,700, FD $4,500) of USC if they opt for him over Kedon Slovis to begin the game.

RUNNING BACK

Brian Robinson, Alabama (DK $7,600, FD $8,800) @ Texas A&M

The further away Robinson gets from his rib injury, the more effective he becomes. The senior is coming off a 171-yard showing against Ole Miss, and although the Aggies are decent on defense, they've yet to meet a superior runner like Robinson. You can likely count on at least one rushing score from him, as he's now scored in three consecutive games.

Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky (DK $6,800, FD $9,000) vs, LSU

There's a better running back than Robinson in the SEC, and that's Rodriguez, who leads the conference with an average of 124 yards per game. The Wildcats love to run the ball, and they have no problem giving Rodriguez most of the work. He's carried the ball as many as 27 times this season, and even though the Tigers have fared well against the run, Kentucky will use a ground-and-pound approach to wear down LSU's defensive front.

Keaontay Ingram, USC (DK $6,000, FD $7,400) vs. Utah

I like Ingram a lot in the second tier of this running back pool. The transfer has been a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating campaign for the Trojans. He has a great burst of speed and can burrow for additional yards after contact with relative ease. He shares carries with two other capable running backs, but Ingram has been the clear leader of the three. It's unclear if there will be a change at quarterback this week, but the team stands a better chance of beating the Utes on the ground. They rank third in the conference in passing defense. If Micah Bernard can't make it, I like TJ Pledger (DK $5,000, FD $6,100) on the other end of this matchup as well. The Trojans have given up an average of 141 yards on the ground this season.

Also consider: Zach Evans, TCU (DK $8,400, FD $10,000), SaRodorick Thompson, Texas Tech (DK $5,700, FD $6,900)

WIDE RECEIVER

As usual, stacks are essential, so I recommend giving the wideout corps of your chosen quarterback(s) a solid look as you construct your lineups. If you opt for Bryce Young, I am ok with John Metchie and Jameson Williams as options, but they are very obvious selections and won't get a specific write-up.

Drake London, USC (DK $9,000, FD $10,500) vs. Utah

You may have to go stack-independent with London, but it doesn't matter much either way. London had great success with Dart and Slovis, and even JT Daniels when he was a quarterback in LA once upon a time. An obvious pick to be sure, London is NFL-ready and one of the best wideouts in the nation. It will be difficult to fit him in if you spent up at quarterback or running back, but he's good enough to be looked at as a QB replacement in the S-FLEX if you want to get unique in that slot.

Wan'Dale Robinson, Kentucky (DK $7,300, FD $8,400) vs. LSU

I would be wary of stacking Robinson with Rodriguez, but it's wise to get a Kentucky receiver involved in your lineups when you consider LSU's difficulty defending the pass. While unlikely, a bottle-up of Rodriguez could force an adjustment from Kentucky, and without a doubt, Robinson will be heavily involved. He's caught 29 balls for 467 yards and three touchdowns so far this season.

Quian Williams, Buffalo (DK $6,000, FD $8,200) @ Kent State

You can get the MAC's leading receiver at a reasonable price on this slate. We didn't give Kyle Vantrease a ringing endorsement, but he throws almost exclusively to Williams, who has two consecutive 100-yard performances to his credit. HE could be in line for a third against Kent State, as they struggle mightily against the pass (225th nationally).

Also consider: Tre Turner, Virginia Tech (DK $5,500, FD $6,400), Quentin Johnston, TCU (DK $5,600, FD $7,500) IF HE PLAYS, otherwise pivot to Derius Davis (DK $4,100, FD $6,800)

Unlike most weeks, the outlier games provide a host of options for DFS consumption, especially at the wide receiver position. 

Wyoming @ Air Force (DRAFTKINGS)

Brad Roberts ($6,700) is one of the best running back options available on the DraftKings slate. Air Force is a run-first team, and Roberts leads the pack with 540 yards and five touchdowns on the season. He's also run for over 100 yards three times this season and faces a Wyoming squad that has trouble against the run. Wyoming will need to air it out to compete, which is why I like wideout Isaiah Neyor ($5,700) as the key component of their passing attack.  Wyoming's Sean Chambers ($6,100) is a decent dual-threat quarterback who won't see high rostership in this player pool.

UTSA @ Western Ketucky (FANDUEL)

This game has the highest total of both slates, and there's certainly a lot to explore in this contest. Bailey Zappe ($11,500) is expensive but a very viable quarterback, and he has two capable receivers in Jerreth Sterns ($11,000) and Mitchell Tinsley ($8,700), with Malachi Corley ($7,600) as a more budget option in that system. Frank Harris ($10,400) will probably end up overlooked on this slate, but if you opt for speedster Zakhari Franklin ($9,700), a UTSA stack could be in your future. The top player for UTSA is unquestionably Sincere McCormick ($9,800), who has 495 yards and three rushing touchdowns to his credit. My favorite budget play for the day is Ben Ratzlaff ($5,000). The graduate transfer from Houston Baptist has made waves in recent weeks and has logged 16 receptions and two touchdowns over the last two games,