This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
On we go to Week 3, where non-conference remains in full swing for some of the slate while others kick off conference play. We have a trio of games that cross the 60-point expected threshold for Saturday's main slate, topped by Ole Miss-Georgia Tech and Houston-TCU (63.5 each) and followed by USF-Alabama (61.5).
Unsurprisingly, the Crimson Tide lead the way in expected scoring this week (47.5), followed by Georgia (41.0) and Ole Miss (40.5), rounding out the 40-plus point expected scorers. Florida State (37.0), Washington (36.0) and TCU (35.5) each make it to 35-plus expected points. The biggest favorites follow right along those lines, with Bama the biggest favorite (-33.5) and Georgia (-27.5) and Florida State (-26.5) not far behind. Ole Miss (-17.5), Washington (-16.5) and Penn State (-14.5) round out the double-digit favorites this week.
College Football DFS Weather (10+ MPH winds noted)
- Kansas State at Missouri - Decent chance of light rain throughout, doesn't appear to be too serious
- Florida State at Boston College - Winds north of 20 MPH throughout with some potential light showers early. Could be a problem for the passing game
- Alabama at South Florida - Chance for some scattered thunderstorms for possible delay, but it doesn't seem like conditions will be too bad.
- Tennessee vs. Florida - Chance for scattered thunderstorms throughout the day, but they end around kickoff.
Notable Injuries/Absences for Week 3 in College Football
QB
None
RB
Dillon Johnson, Washington 
- Expected to return Saturday.
British Brooks, North Carolina 
- Expected to play after missing last week.
Jalen Berger, Michigan State 
- Considered day-to-day but was seen in a walking boot after last week's game.
Pat Garwo, Boston College 
- Status unclear but didn't practice Wednesday.
WR
Tre Harris, Ole Miss 
- Wasn't spotted during Tuesday's practice.
Johnny Wilson, Florida State 
- Had an "exceptional" practice Tuesday, which seemingly bodes well for his chances of playing.
Ladd McConkey, Georgia 
- Wasn't ready for practice early in the week, and his status for Saturday is unclear.
Zakhari Franklin, Ole Miss - Has yet to play this season but did practice in a limited fashion Tuesday. He's still seemingly out Saturday, though an official word on his status hasn't surfaced yet.
John Paul Richardson, TCU 
- Was limited last week but will seemingly be good to go Saturday.
Dylan Wright, TCU - Practiced Tuesday, aligning him to play this week after sitting out Week 2.
Chris Autman-Bell, Minnesota 
- Sat out last week after being listed questionable on the availability report and warming up prior to the contest. Keep an eye out for Saturday's availability report, released two hours before kickoff.
Marcus Burke, Florida 
- Missed last week and isn't on the depth chart for Saturday.
Ahmarean Brown, South Carolina 
- Considered questionable for Saturday.
EJ Horton, West Virginia 
- Listed as a game-time decision for Week 3.
Jalen Knox, Ole Miss - Was a non-contact participant in practice Tuesday.
Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman, Florida - Questionable for Week 3.
TE
Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse 
- No updates have been offered since he left last week's game, but it didn't sound great when it occurred.
Mason Taylor, LSU 
- Considered a game-time decision against Mississippi State.
Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota - Injured last Saturday, and his status is unclear for Week 3.
Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss - Got in a limited practice Tuesday, but there's no sign he's expected back this week yet.
College Football DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
- Advanced Lineups Page
- Stats
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
Week 3 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel
Quarterback
Michael Penix, Washington ($12,400) at Michigan State
Pretty chalky to go top of the board here, but this just seems like the best of the best options when we look at the quarterback position near the top of the board. Jalen Milroe may not start (see Buchner below), Jordan Travis is facing hefty winds in Boston, and Jaxson Dart could be without numerous of his top targets. Penix faces a Spartans defense that looks okay so far based on the stats, but they've faced Central Michigan and FCS Richmond the first two weeks. Penix has arguably the two top wideout weapons on the slate and figures to find them early and often again this week.
Garrett Shrader, Syracuse ($9,800) at Purdue
I wouldn't blame you for fading Shrader here with Oronde Gadsden potentially sitting out the contest, but there are some major flaws in the Purdue secondary, and Shrader showed last week he could still produce without his top target from last season, albeit against Western Michigan, throwing for 286 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 31 yards and another score. Purdue has also been shredded for more than 300 yards passing in each of its first two games. There's enough talent out wide for the Orange to do some damage through the air.
Tyler Buchner (If he starts), Alabama 
($6,500) at USF
This will likely become the must-play of the week if the rumors swirling about Buchner starting Saturday come to fruition. At just $6,500, he would be taking over an offense with the highest expected total on the slate, facing a USF team that has allowed 22.2 fantasy points to opposing QBs through the first two games, including 374 passing yards last week to Florida A&M. Buchneralso has plenty of capabilities as a runner, rushing for 123 yards and four touchdowns last season in three appearances for Notre Dame. Simply put, he's probably worth sticking in your lineups to begin with and lining up some pivot changes if he's not starting.
Another to consider: Donovan Smith, Houston 
($10,200) vs. TCU
Running Back
Trey Benson, Florida State ($10,400) at Boston College
Again with the top of the board, I get it. But hey, I'm offering up some discount pairings so multiple top-tier options in your lineup aren't out of the question. Benson just checks all the boxes of a worthwhile play this week. Lead back: check. Game script (FSU -24.5); check. favorable matchup; check. This doesn't even take into account the 20-plus MPH winds they will be facing. It just makes sense to feature a heavy dose of the ground game here, and Benson is the guy to lead the way. He may only have 21 total carries through two weeks, but things should take a turn in his favor Saturday against a BC defense that allowed more than 250 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns last week against Holy Cross.
Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss ($9,900) vs. Georgia Tech
I get that I'm near the top again, but I just can't pass up Judkins. As you can see in the notable injury section above, it's littered with pass-catching options for the Rebels. There's a decent chance the team will be without its projected top two wideouts and possibly a third in Knox, who played more last week when Harris went down. With all of those weapons missing and a Georgia Tech defense on the schedule yielding a slate-high 5.6 yards per carry and 211.5 rushing yards per game, this is another scenario where all signs point to a heavy run game usage again Saturday, and Judkins is one of the premier backs in the country.
Nicholas Singleton ($8,300)/Kaytron Allen ($7,700), Penn State 
at Illinois
The Nittany Lions have a dynamic duo in the backfield, and this is another scenario where it just makes sense for the team to lean heavily on its strength. Illinois' run defense was shredded by Kansas last week, with two backs (Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr.) nearing or surpassing 100 yards and each scoring a touchdown. This pair can easily match that, if not surpass it, and there could be a case for either or even both being in lineups.
Darius Taylor, Minnesota ($7,800) at North Carolina
Taylor's role was rather small in the opener, taking just one carry for three yards, but the freshman finally got an opportunity last week and made the most of it, amassing 193 rushing yards and a touchdown on 33 carries against Eastern Michigan. While UNC figures to provide a bit more resistance don't he defensive front, the Tar Heels have still allowed a slate-high four rushing touchdowns to opposing running back through two games, and Taylor could now be positioned as the team's bellcow back. There are definitely some flaws in this play, but it's one to consider.
CJ Donaldson Jr., West Virginia ($5,500) vs. Pitt
Donaldson is your discount play this week. While he hasn't produced huge stat lines through the first two weeks, he's still averaged more than 15 carries between them and played 46 offensive snaps in the opener, triple any of the other running backs. He faced a tough defense in Penn State to open the season, and last week was a blowout win, while Saturday's game is the first where they won't be either heavy underdogs or favorites. Pitt's defensive front is seemingly not as good as the stats indicate either, with FCS Wofford offering little in the opener. Last week, however, Corey Kiner ran for 153 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.7 yards per tote along the way.
Others to consider: Emani Bailey ($8,200)/Trey Sanders ($7,800), TCU at Houston
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jalen McMillan ($10,300)/Rome Odunze ($10,100), Washington at Michigan State
There's a reason I recommend Penix at the top, and it's not for his running skills. This dynamic duo is arguably 1A-1B alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka for the best tandem in the country. I don't think you can really go wrong here with whichever you choose, and it may not even be the worst idea to go for broke with both in a GPP if you save up elsewhere, as it's a play that can't be made unless you go with low salaries elsewhere, but it can be attainable with the right pairings.
Matthew Golden, Houston ($8,900) vs. TCU
Golden has amassed 20 targets in the first two games, including a slate-best 13 last week against Rice. While that only turned into five catches, it still resulted in 60 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. While Colorado's offense is no fluke, TCU's secondary wasn't impressive in that game. Last week featured an FCS opponent, so that can be thrown out as well. The Horned Frogs' pass defense probably lies somewhere between the two performances, but Houston has a good enough passing attack to take advantage of it, and Golden is the clear favorite option for Smith when it comes to finding pay dirt.
Dayton Wade, Ole Miss ($7,200) vs. Georgia Tech
I'm a bit surprised Wade is this low in salary, but that may be because he was minimally involved in the opener and wasn't viewed as a major contributor overall. $7,200 still isn't the cheapest salary in the world, but as mentioned with Judkins, Ole Miss is facing the prospect of missing considerable numbers of targets in the passing attack. That doesn't include quarterback Jaxson Dart or Wade, who stepped into the starring role last week with seven grabs for 106 yards on 10 targets. While he's not a huge red-zone threat at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, he should draw enough passes to warrant a look for fantasy purposes.
Isaiah Jones ($6,900) and Umari Hatcher ($6,800), Syracuse at Purdue
As mentioned, I'm still a fan of the Syracuse passing attack this week, and Gadsden's (assuming he doesn't play) targets have to go somewhere. Jones is the one who earned additional work in the slot last week with Gadsden out, and he -- like Gadsden -- isn't the typical small-bodied slot receiver. Standing 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Jones scored twice in the opener and posted five grabs for 86 yards on seven targets last week. Hatcher actually led the team in targets with eight last week and has at least six through each of the first two games, yet both check in at a lower rate than Donovan Brown, which is why I favor them over Brown. The trio likely all have similar upsides, and this pair sports the more favorable salaries.
