College Football DFS: Thursday Slate, Week 1

The college football season kicks off DFS action with an eight-game DFS slate. The major sites are not aligning this week, with DraftKings adding the two additional games to their main slate offering. We will take a look at those games and viable targets independently.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Boise State @ Central Florida (-6) O/U: 68

East Carolina @ Appalachian State (-10) O/U: 55.5

South Florida @ N.C. State (-19) O/U: 58

Ohio State @ Minnesota (+14) O/U: 62.5

Bowling Green @ Tennessee (-35) O/U: 65

Eastern Washington @ UNLV (-2.5) O/U: 67 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)

Southern Utah @ Arizona State (-45) O/U: 55.5 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)

Based on Vegas data alone, the Boise State/UCF contest checks all the boxes with a high O/U and one of the tightest spreads on the slate. The slate is also littered with some big names which are bound for elite production, and they merit a look despite the negative metrics associated with some of their games.

QUARTERBACKS

Joe Milton III, Tennessee (DK $8,300, FD $9,500) vs. Bowling Green

The Michigan transfer made a big impression in camp and has won the starting job for the Vols, and despite the weak opponent, he's a strong cash-game candidate. Tennessee will be looking at this game as a tuneup before conference play begins, so they'll want to give Milton all the real-world snaps he can handle to establish in-game chemistry with his playmakers.

Devin Leary, N.C. State (DK $6,800, FD $8.900) vs. South Florida

Leary is one of the better sleepers on the slate and should be a popular S-FLEX candidate. It's unwise to sleep on the Wolfpack this season, as Leary is raring to go after a leg injury cut short his 2020 season. The team has a lot of offensive firepower, and their running back corps should help open up the passing game. If Leary gets hot, it'll be a long day for the Bulls.

Also consider: Dillon Gabriel, UCF (DK $8,100, FD $11,500), Holton Ahlers, East Carolina (DK $6,100, FD $9,100)

RUNNING BACKS

Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota (DK $8,600, FD $10,000) vs. Ohio State

Even with the Buckeyes coming to town, Ibrahim will cause some problems for the Ohio State defense. Ibrahim is the most talented runner on the slate and perhaps the entire country, so there's no denying his apparent popularity. While he's an incredibly viable cash candidate, it's probably a better idea to look for a little more uniqueness at the position for GPP lineups. Still, there's no denying his potential.

TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State (DK $3,800, FD $5,100) @ Minnesota

Master Teague might be the best option at running back on the other end of this matchup, but this talented freshman will be right behind him, and I especially like his chances if the Buckeyes take an early lead. If you want to go very contrarian at this position, Henderson may very well be your best bet.

Also consider: Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State (DK $6,800, FD $9,300), Zonovan Knight, N.C. State (DK $6,900, FD $8.700)

WIDE RECEIVER

Bo Melton, Rutgers (DK $6,300, FD $8,800) vs. Temple

Melton's Week 1 success will largely depend on incumbent quarterback Noah Vedral and his ability to get the ball out quickly, which was a continuing problem for him last season.  Melton can break out with big plays and works well as a possession receiver, which is excellent for DraftKings contests (1 PPR).

*Editor's Note: Rutgers-Temple has been moved to Saturday as of Thursday morning

Ryan O'Keefe, UCF (DK $7,600, FD $6,700) vs. Boise State

Jaylon Robinson will see his share of touches as expected, but O'Keefe should also build on a promising sophomore campaign and get involved in the passing attack. He has the advantage of a prolific quarterback in Dillon Gabriel, who will probably be slinging the ball often in the second half if the Knights are behind. O'Keefe is a great FanDuel play but a bit too costly on DraftKings.

Emeka Emezie, N.C. State (DK $6,500, FD $8,400) vs. UCF

Although Emezie struggled with injuries during camp, it appears that the Wolfpack's top pass-catcher is good to go. Although the spread is wide, this contest should remain a high-scoring affair, and the Wolfpack will employ a balanced attack led by Leary. 

Also consider: Khalil Shakir, Boise State (DK $6,900, FD $9,500)

DRAFTKINGS-ONLY TARGETS

Southern Utah @ Arizona State

Southern Utah quarterback Justin Miller will begin the season without top wideout Landen Measom's services, so they begin behind the eight-ball as the heavy underdog here. This game should be an opportunity for ASU phenom Jayden Daniels ($8,500) to cement his claim as one of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12, and his partner in the backfield, Rachaad White ($7,000), will also be heavily involved.  I wouldn't sleep on Chip Trayanum ($5,900), however. He should get a hood dose of time in the backfield once the Sun Devils take the lead.

Eastern Washington @ UNLV

For DraftKings players, this is an intriguing matchup and should be considered a sleeper pick for fantasy production. While I won't touch the dual-quarterback approach that we'll likely see from UNLV, Eric Barriere ($5,200) is a great contrarian pick for Southern Utah. In only four games last season, the quarterback threw for 13 touchdowns and almost 1,500 yards. Talolo Limu-Jones ($5,000) was often on the other end of that connection. Charles Williams ($5,900) is one of the best options available for UNLV. He only rushed for four touchdowns in an abbreviated 2020 campaign.  Tamarick Pierce ($4,400) and Dennis Merritt ($4,900) make up the Eastern Washington backfield.  The Rebels are a run-first team, so I wouldn't place much emphasis on their pass catchers.