CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Week 4

We're crossing the quarter pole of the college football season already. Crazy, right? But we have a bevy of intriguing contests on the slate Saturday, with conference play firing up in earnest.

USC-Oregon and West Virginia-Oklahoma State slot in at the top of the board at 61.5 total points expected, and I expect both of those games to feature numerous fantasy-relevant options. Those are the only two matchups to cross the 60-combined-point threshold this week.

Ohio State, meanwhile, boasts the highest expected scoring output of the week at 41.0. No other team crosses 40, and Louisville checks in next at 35.5. The Buckeyes are easily the biggest favorite (-27.5), while no other team is more than a two-touchdown favorite.

College Football DFS Weather

Winds 15+ MPH, precip. chance 50-plus percent and hot/cold temps noted

Utah at Iowa State - Strong chance for showers throughout contest. Winds at 10 MPH with gusts up to 18 MPH

Light week for weather concerns overall

College Football DFS Matchups and Odds

As of Thursday evening, updated odds and tables linked in Matchups Page below

Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Week 4

QB

Gio Lopez, Wake Forest - Expected to play despite initial questionable listing

 DJ Lagway, Baylor - Expected to make return from ankle injury this week

 Alonza Barnett, UCF - Out Week 4 and doubtful Week 5

 Keyone Jenkins, UCF - Probable to play and likely starter

RB

 Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss - Game-time call for Saturday

 Kamari Moulton, Iowa - Officially questionable but HC optimistic he'll play

 Keyjuan Brown - Probable ahead of Saturday's game

 Hollywood Smothers, Texas - True game-time call for Saturday

 Nate Frazier, Georgia - Expected to play despite questionable designation

 Jamarion Morrow, Texas A&M - Questionable for Week 4

WR

 Tre Richardson, Louisville - Probable to give it a go

 Jordan Dwyer, TCU - Listed questionable but expected to make his season debut

 Jeremiah McClellan, Oregon - Set for extended absence due to broken foot

 Corey Simms, USC - Out against Oregon

 Jayshon Platt, Illinois - Doubtful to face Ohio State

 Eric Singleton, Florida - True game-time call

 Danny Scudero, Colorado - Won't play Saturday

 Duane Thomas, UCF - Ruled out for Week 4

 Terry Bussey, Texas A&M - Done for 2026

 Mana Carvalho, Utah - Listed as probable

 Jadon Porter, Baylor - Listed as probable

 Isiah Canion, Georgia - Viewed as GTD for Saturday

 Prince Strachan, West Virginia - Listed probable

 Chris Barnes, Oklahoma State - Expected to play agaisnt West Virginia

 Ashton Bethel-Roman, Texas - Expected to be available

 Ayden Williams, Mississippi State - Ruled out for Week 4

 Trent Mosley, USC - Doubtful due to knee injury

TE

 Trey'Dez Green, LSU - Sidelined due to leg injury after being helped off in Week 3

 Jamari Johnson, Oregon - Viewed as a game-time call

 Maurice Brown, South Carolina - Holds probable designation

 Charlie Williams, Colorado - Won't suit up Saturday 

 Zach Atkins, Colorado - Probable to play

 DJ Vonnahme, Iowa - Deemed questionable but HC optimistic he'll play

College Football DFS Tools

• FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
• Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
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• Stats
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• Defense vs. Position
• Team Rankings

Week 4 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel

Quarterback

Michael Hawkins, West Virginia ($12,000) vs. Oklahoma State

As mentioned above, this game has shootout potential written all over it between a pair of teams that want to play fast. After struggling to find his way at Oklahoma, Hawkins has thrived in Rich Rodriguez's system over three weeks, including a massive showing last Saturday against Virginia in which he accounted for five total touchdowns. He should see massive usage in this one, and I'm willing to pay a top-of-the-board price to include him.

Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State ($10,300) at West Virginia

Unlike Hawkins, Mestemaker won't run you the same pretty penny, though he's far from a salary saver. Unlike Hawkins, Mestemaker generally doesn't give you a ton on the ground (Oregon game aide). That said, he can light it up through the air and already has a pair of 300-yard passing efforts to his name. To that end, West Virginia has allowed 7.2 yards per pass attempt, and 246.7 passing yards  and 1.7 passing touchdowns per game through three weeks, including allowing  373 passing yards and three touchdowns to Coastal Carolina in the opener. Mestemaker can certainly replicate that type of production.

Devon Dampier, Utah ($10,200) at Iowa State

Alright, back to the more traditional fantasy-friendly QB in Dampier, whose slower start on the ground can likely be attributed, in part, to a trio of blowout games against Idaho, Arkansas and Utah State. That's not to say a new offensive coordinator may not adjust things a bit, but Dampier hasn't needed to play the full 60 minutes in a competitive fashion to date.

That is likely to change Saturday. The Utes are only 8.5-point favorites versus the Cyclones, so the game is expected to remain within shouting distance throughout. Iowa State's defensive front hasn't faced a big running quarterback yet, but it surrendered 22 rushing yards and a score to Hank Brown in Week 2. Brown has just two carries for 12 yards to his name through the other two games. 

Running Back

The Top Dogs

Jadan Baugh, Florida ($11,200) vs. Ole Miss

I typically aim to avoid recommending the top overall players at every position, but if you're looking up here anyway, this is the name I'm circling near the top. 

Baugh handled the rock a whopping 276 times last week against Auburn and turned it into 162 rushing yards and a trio of scores. Ole Miss has had mixed results so far against opposing backs but has yielded back-to-back running back rooms (including Charlotte) to run for north of 100 rushing yards. 

Baugh's 47 and 49 percent carry shares in the last two games mean he should handle the vast majority of backfield touches, and game script (Florida is favored by 3.5) should allow the rushing attack to remain in tow throughout.

Jeremy Payne, TCU ($8,800) at UCF

If you're looking near the top but can't get Baugh, Payne is the next name near the top of the board that I'm targeting. Josh Hoover no longer dons Horned Frog purple, and Jaden Craig hasn't proven to be as reliable as the coaching staff had hoped in the early going. 

On top of that, TCU's backfield isn't much to look at once you get past Payne. Jon Denman (see above) is questionable for Saturday, and there's just nothing else behind Payne. That's resulted in carry shares of 64 percent and 62 percent against North Carolina and Arkansas State.

UCF surrendered 180 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, plus another six catches for 69 yards, to Georgia State last week, so all signs seem to point to a big showing for Payne.

Mid-Tier Targets

Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State ($7,600) at West Virginia

I feel like the GIF above perfectly encapsulates the two selections in the middle tier here. Sure, Hawkins has only hit pay dirt once so far this season. And sure, he only had 11 carries last week against FCS Murray State. Fair critiques, but he also handled the rock 25 times against Oregon in Week 2 and posted carry shares of 49 and 57 percent in Weeks 1 and 2. On top of that, he's been targeted 17 times in those three games. I can get that level of usage, at this price tag, in the projected highest-scoring game of the week? Yes please.

Isaac Brown, Louisville ($7,200) vs. Wake Forest

Brown isn't quite at the same usage rate, but he's averaging a 34 percent carry share through the first three games, and he's coming off a season in which he averaged 8.8 yards per carry in 2025 en route to 884 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Brown remains the lead back here, and Keyjuan Brown has a small ding that yielded him a probable tag on the availability report for the tilt, so there's a chance the other backfield Brown is less than 100 percent.

The Demon Deacons have yielded a combined 71 carries for 279 yards and four rushing scores, plus 10 catches for 74 yards to the two power conference opponents they have faced this season, and Brown has shown multiple times he can deliver at or near those thresholds.

Bargain Options

Dierre Hill, Oregon ($6,800) at USC

Hill's weekly output has been all over the place, but his showings against Boise State (5.7 FD points) and Oklahoma State (7.2 FD points) aren't all that encouraging. That said, the workload remains relatively steady, claiming a combined 35 carries and five catches between the first two tilts before seeing minimal work in a blowout last week versus Portland State. 

USC's run defense has been flaky at times, and it showed last week, allowing 25 carries for 146 yards and a pair of rushing scores to Rutgers.

Hill and Jordon Davison look like a close 1A-1B backfield tandem, yet Davison runs $1,500 more because of better results so far. Hill can produce similarly, though, and could be worth a stab at this price tag.

Raleek Brown, Texas ($6,400) vs. Tennessee

Brown took a backseat to Hollywood Smothers in the only other power-conference test the Longhorns have faced this season, accruing just 10 carries to Smothers' 21, but Smothers is a game-time call for this one, and it's quite possible his workload will be limited even if he gives it a go.

Thus, Brown looks to be in line for a heftier workload Saturday and has been solid in his own right, posting a 17-point FD game against Texas State in the opener and logging 31 carries and seven catches through three games.

The Vols yielded 24 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown (and seven catches for 45 yards and another score) to the only other power-conference backfield -- Georgia Tech -- they have faced this year, so this defense looks a bit vulnerable. At this price tag, and especially if Smothers is out, this could be a steal.

Derrek Cooper ($5,000) could be another sneaky play if you want to try something really cheap. Would only advise attempting this if Smothers is out.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

The Top Dog

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State ($10,800) vs. Illinois

Hello, top of the board. Smith is in his draft season and won't let opportunities like this go to waste. He wants to be in Heisman contention and to prove he's deserving of being the first wide receiver off the board in the 2027 NFL Draft. Illinois hasn't played any high-caliber wideout rooms through three weeks yet still sits mid-pack in FD points per game allowed. I look for Smith to feast here.

Carlos Hernandez, Wake Forest ($8,500) at Louisville

This contest sports a 57.5-point game total and features two teams who have allowed opposing offenses to run the most plays per game on the slate. That bodes well for Hernandez, who has emerged as the team's clear No. 1 option, claiming a 28.6 percent target share that includes 14 targets last week versus Miami.

The Demon Deacons are 12.5-point underdogs in this one as well, and the running game hasn't shown to be worth its salt so far, so I'd expect a heavy dose of the aerial attack again here.

Mid-Tier Targets

Kayden Dixon-Wyatt ($7,800) and Tanook Hines ($7,100), USC vs. Oregon

Dixon-Wyatt is the No. 1 target option for the Trojans, with Trent Mosley slated to sit again and Corey Simms sitting out this week as well after getting some run last week; Dixon-Wyatt should be more widely rostered, and deservedly so. Given the price tag, you're getting a safe floor play of a guy who has logged the most snaps out wide of any wideout this year at an affordable rate, and he's coming off a season-high nine targets last week. No argument from me, solid play.

If you're looking to go riskier, Hines is the player who saw the biggest bump in playing time last week with Mosley out, and he posted an impressive freshman campaign with the Trojans last year. Hines also posted a season-best six targets last week, though it resulted in just three catches for 33 yards. We're not getting the steep discount I was hoping for, but that means a lower roster rate that could pay dividends in a GPP. On top of Mosley, 

Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State ($7,500) at West Virginia

Oklahoma State's 2026 top players can't seem to shake the stench of the 2025 team's failures, and it's keeping the salaries highly affordable here. Young only had one target last week in a blowout, but he was targeted a combined 15 times in the two weeks prior and figures to be a healthy part of the wideout rotation moving forward. He's a big-play threat out of the slot in one of the highest expected scoring games. Definitely worth a look.

Bargain Options

Mark Bowman, USC ($6,500) vs. Oregon

With Mosley out, Bowman seems like a prime candidate to see more looks in the middle of the field Saturday. The freshman has compiled six targets each of the last two weeks, resulting in a total of nine catches for 115 yards and a pair of scores. To be fair, most of that production came in Week 2 against Louisiana, but Bowman's target share remaining steady is a good sign in a game that figures to feature plenty of scoring. On top of that, Simms is sidelined, leaving the Trojans down some additional depth at wide receiver. Bowman is a natural receiving tight end who could be featured more often Saturday.

Horatio Fields, Ole Miss ($6,300) at Florida 

Fields is second on Ole Miss in both snaps and targets, yet he's fourth among Ole Miss pass catchers in terms of salary. Fields' biggest knock is that he has only reached pay dirt six times over his three seasons as a regular (only played four games last year at Auburn). That said, he certainly sports enough size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) to be a red-zone threat and has reached the end zone once already through three games. In a contest the Rebels are expected to put up 30-plus points, getting a highly targeted wideout with red-zone size at a healthy discount works for me.

Chris Barnes, Oklahoma State ($5,300) at West Virginia

Speaking of Oklahoma State without being undervalued, Barnes tied Justin Bowick for the most pass snaps in the opener against Tulsa before suffering an injury in Week 2 against Oregon and subsequently missing last week versus Murray State. He's probable to give it a go this week and had put up two catches for 51 yards on three targets versus Oregon before his early exit. There's plenty of upside here at a rock-bottom price.