College Football DFS: Picks: Friday Slate Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 5

You had a pretty good night if you read my Thursday article and followed my endorsements. I recorded 9x my investment on FanDuel and 5x on DraftKings for a solid night across the board. We'll try to keep the ball rolling with Friday's four-gamer, with action beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Slate Overview

Louisville (-3.5) @ North Carolina State O/U: 55.5

Oregon State (-3.5) vs. Utah O/U: 44.5

UTEP (-1) vs. Louisiana Tech O/U: 50.5

Cincinnati (-1) @ BYU O/U: 49.5

I'm going to mostly fade the biggest game of the evening. I predict a defensive clash that won't produce enough points to be relevant. The other three games have plenty of options to choose from, with Louisville and N.C. State's total offering the most production.

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CFB DFS Friday Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 5

Quarterback

Jack Plummer, Louisville (DK $8,500, FD $10,500) @ N.C. State

Although the Wolfpack's defensive unit is strong, I like Plummer a bit better than Armstrong in this contest. Despite a lot of pre-season hype, Armstrong and his former offensive coordinator have underperformed compared to the lofty expectations placed on the duo. With Plummer, you'll still get some dual-threat ability but a more robust passing result than Armstrong. I wouldn't rule out the N.C. State quarterback completely, but his roster percentage will be much higher than Plummer's, and we can outpace the field if Plummer posts a higher number.

Kedon Slovis, BYU (DK $6,700, FD $8,500) vs. Cincinnati

Slovis is a frequent flyer in the transfer portal, and he landed at BYU after stints with USC and Pittsburgh. Slovis brings a strong arm and lots of experience to the Cougars, and his 2023 results have been solid. He's thrown for 1,017 yards and eight touchdowns over four games, an impressive line given BYU's propensity to run the ball in previous seasons. He faced Arkansas and Kansas over the past couple of weeks and still performed well against formidable defenses. The Bearcats will be softer competition.

Running Back

Jawhar Jordan, Louisville (DK $7,000, FD $10,00) @ N.C. State

I will gladly pay the premium for Jordan, who could be the highest-producing non-quarterback on the slate. Jordan is on a three-game streak of 100-plus-yard rushing games, and he's scored six touchdowns along the way. He also serves as Plummer's third option in the passing game, with 133 yards and a touchdown.

Torrance Burgess, UTEP (DK $5,900, FD $8,200) vs. Louisiana Tech

The Bulldogs have proven powerless against the run, allowing an average of 227 yards on the ground. I have some doubts about the rushing totals we'll get from Utah and Oregon State, and Burgess is a less visible option who could outscore more notable options in that game. On small slates like this, uniqueness can go a long way, and Burgess' skills as a rusher and pass-catcher could give us the slate-breaking kind of production we're looking for.

Also consider:  LJ Martin, BYU (DK $5,100, FD $7,800) vs. Cincinnati, Corey Kiner, Cincinnati (DK $4,700, FD $7,500)

Wide Receiver

Jamari Thrash, Louisville (DK $6,600, FD $9,700) @ N.C. State

I'm going all-in with a Plummer-Thrash stack. He's the best receiver by a mile for the Cardinals and also is at or near the top on the sites. I acknowledge Thrash's potential popularity, but I think we can make an exception here. He represents over one-third of Plummer's production and is responsible for six touchdowns this season.

Silas Bolden, Oregon State (DK $5,800, FD $7,400) vs. Utah

The Beavers will have difficulty making headway if they run too much against Utah. The Utes have only allowed over 100 yards rushing once this season, and although I don't have supreme confidence in DJ Uiagalelei, he'll need to use his arm to prevail in this game. Although Anthony Gould is fine, Bolden should deliver higher PPR and has been the more popular target over the past few weeks. The low total in this game doesn't appeal to me, but this scenario should play out in our favor.

Isaac Rex, BYU (DK $4,700, FD $7,000) vs. Cincinnati

The BYU tight end has seen an uptick in targets in recent games, but if you aren't a fan of the position, I'm equally fine with Darius Lassiter (DK $5,100, FD $7,500) or Chase Roberts (DK $4,600, $7,100). They all have similar salaries and similar production, and I will be inclined to use one of them if I'm using Slovis as my second quarterback,

Also consider:  Cyrus Allen, Louisiana Tech (DK $6,200, FD $7,300) @ UTEP