College Football DFS Picks on DraftKings & FanDuel: Saturday Night Slate Plays for Week 1

FanDuel swooped in and provided a 7:00 p.m. ET slate after leaving it out in the first sweep, so our Saturday night analysis will be a combo article for DraftKings and FanDuel. The Kansas State - Southeast Missouri State game is the only outlier game, and we'll take a quick look at that contest after we make recommendations for the bulk of the slate.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Kansas State (N/A) vs. Southeast Missouri State O/U: N/A (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)

UTSA (-1.5) @ Houston O/U: 60

Texas A&M  (-38) vs. New Mexico O/U: 49

North Carolina (-2.5) @ South Carolina O/U: 63.5

Penn State (-20.5) vs. West Virginia O/U: 48.5

Texas Tech (-14) @ Wyoming O/U: 50.5

Alabama  (-39.5) vs. Middle Tennessee State O/U: 51.5

Virginia Tech (-15.5) @ Old Dominion O/U: 47.5

Tulane (-6.5)  vs. South Alabama O/U: 52

In our search for narrow spreads and high totals, the UTSA - Houston matchup immediately jumps out. I also expect the battle of the Carolinas to emerge as a great source of DFS production. It's hard to determine how Texas A&M will perform in the blowout scenario, but Alabama coronated Jalen Milroe as the new quarterback and will likely empty their bench in the second half - we may be able to find value there.

WEATHER

South Alabama @ Tulane: 66 percent chance of rain

CFB DFS TOOLS

• New DraftKings College Football Optimizer
• New FanDuel College Football Optimizer
• Weekly CFB Matchup Info
• CFB Targets
• CFB Stats
• CFB Team Trends
• CFB Advanced Team Stats with Plays per Game, Pass %, Run % and more

Week 1 Saturday Night CFB Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel

Keep in mind that while I have selected 'DK-Only' and 'FD-Only' plays, they are also universal endorsements. The players have more favorable salaries compared to the other site.

Quarterback

Drake Maye, North Carolina vs. South Carolina (DK $10,000, FD $11,200)

Maye kicks off his Heisman campaign against the Gamecocks in Charlotte Saturday night, and while it was no surprise to see an elevated salary next to his name, I think you're getting him on FanDuel at a slight bargain. FanDuel often boosts the salaries of premier quarterbacks to 12k or more, so the 11.2k cost makes him a bit more palatable. Although you'll have to dedicate a good chunk of your salary to slot him, I believe he is worth it. UNC dropped several games mid-season in 2022, and while that might have lowered Maye's Heisman odds, his stats rivaled Caleb Williams' end result. Maye threw for 4,328 yards, completing 66.2 percent of his passes with a 38:7 TD/INT ratio. He's also a talented runner, racking up 698 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. No one can compare to him on this slate. Sometimes, you just have to avoid being cute and go with the chalk, and this is one of those times.

Tyler Shough, Texas Tech @ Wyoming (DK $8,400, FD $9,500)

As I studied quarterbacks on this slate, II was quickly reminded of Shough's monstrous 438-yard game against Oklahoma at the end of last season. The senior struggled with injuries in 2022 but led the team to a 4-1 record to end the year, capped by a win over Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl. Wyoming's defense is just good enough to make this game somewhat competitive, and while the Red Raiders will showcase a balanced attack, Shough will have plenty of opportunities to air it out in the first half. We're also recommending one of his favorite targets (see below), so there's an excellent opportunity for stack potential if you place Shough in the Superflex.

Donovan Smith, Houston vs. UTSA (DK $7,400, FD $9,300)

Smith was a change-of-pace quarterback behind Shough at Texas Tech last season, and now he gets a shot for the starting job with the Cougars. Replacing Clayton Tune is no easy feat, but coach Dana Holgorsen sees something in Smith that you won't find in his 2022 stats. His dual-threat style showed mixed results with the Raiders, and he would need to show vast improvement as a passer to make a DFS impact. Smith won the job, so perhaps he's made some strides in that department, and I've already earmarked this game as a prime DFS opportunity.

DK-Only Play: Frank Harris, UTSA @ Houston (DK $7,100, FD $10,400)

FD-Only Play: Spencer Rattler, South Carolina vs. North Carolina (DK $8,800, FD $8,700)

Running Back

Nicholas Singleton, Penn State vs. West Virginia (DK $6,900, FD $8,100)

Singleton's salary is confounding. I realize that Kaytron Allen (DK $6,500, FD $7,900) will siphon some carries, but the Penn State star is exceedingly cheap. Conversely, Allen's salary is prohibitively high on both sites, so I had to go back and drill down to see how the Nittany Lions plan on handling the backfield duties. It looks like the 'Thunder and Thunder' situation will be in full effect, but I think Singleton is the more talented back. Allen might be worth a try in some of your GPP lineups, but I think Singleton is on more solid footing.

Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech vs. Wyoming (DK $6,300, FD $8,700)

I think this game will be more competitive than the line implies, and I would roster Brooks with abandon if I thought the game had blowout potential. I'm a big fan of his DK salary, and the Red Raiders will give their top back plenty of opportunities to succeed. Cam'Ron Valdez could also have an impact. I'm confident Brooks will get the lion's share of the carries.

La'Damian Webb, South Alabama @ Tulane (DK $5,600, FD $9,700)

The sharps know how good the Jaguars are, and FanDuel isn't fooled either. His salary is ridiculously low on DraftKings, and with the site's more stringent threshold, you'd be foolish not to consider him. Tulane ended the 2022 season on a high with a massive victory over USC, and they'll be highly motivated to keep the momentum going. South Alabama will not be a pushover win for the Green Wave, however. Webb has some of the best 2022 stats on this slate, and there's no indication of a slowdown in their running game.

DK-Only Play: Elijah Green, North Carolina vs. South Carolina (DK $5,000, FD $6,800)

FD- Only Play: Kevorian Barnes, UTSA @ Houston (DKK $5,600, FD $8,400)

Wide Receiver

Nate McCollum, North Carolina vs. South Carolina (DK $5,700, FD $5,900)

If you're spending up for Maye, it makes perfect sense to stack him with McCollum, who is one of his favorite targets. While I think McCollum is the best option, this is also a spot where you could potentially get some salary cap relief. My choice for an alternate target would be Kamari Morales (DK $3,400, FD $5,100), who is way off the radar and won't be very popular. 

Jerand Bradley, Texas Tech @ Wyoming (DK $6,300, FD $7,000)

I'm a fan of stacking Shough and Bradley together. Bradley logged three games of 100 yards or more last season and finished with 744 yards and six touchdowns. Bradley's 6-5 frame is a massive target for Shough in open space.

Joshua Cephus, UTSA @ Houston (DK $5,700, FD $8,500)

We head back to one of the most productive games on the slate and select one Of Frank Harris' favorite targets. The 6-3 senior is dealing with a knee issue but is expected to play Saturday. Cephus had a stellar 2022 campaign, logging 87 catches, 985 yards and six touchdowns. Monitor his status to ensure he plays, and make him a lock if you're utilizing Harris. 

DK-Only Play: Devin Voisin, South Alabama @ Tulane (DK $5,100, FD $7,300)

FD-Only Play: De'Corian Clark (if active), UTSA @ Houston (DK $5,200, FD $7,800)

Southeast Missouri State - Kansas State Plays (DrafKings)

You'll notice that the underdog has some stat beasts on its roster, but their totals are against FCS opponents and are no match for Kansas State's defense. For my money, the best options here are RB Treshaun Ward ($6,000) for Kansas State, and I would not mind a dart throw on QB Paxton DeLaurent ($5,000), who will be playing from behind for most of the game.