This article is part of our College Football DFS: Weekday Slate series.
We've got another MACtion slate for you this week, albeit a smaller one. Let's dig in and revisit some gems on these teams.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Northern Illinois (-1.5) @ Buffalo O/U: 60
Central Michigan (-1.5) 2 Ball State O/U: 59
These games have narrow spreads and high totals, so there isn't a team worthy of a fade here. It should be reasonably easy to find a sensible, balanced cash lineup tonight. Still, as is usually the case with small slates, identical lineups will occur in large-field tournaments, thus diluting the likelihood of a big cash.
WEATHER
NIU/Buffalo - 18.1 m.p.h. winds, 28 percent chance of rain, 59 degrees
CMU/BSU - 15 m.p.h. Winds, 78 percent chance of rain, 57 degrees
Simply put, there's some crummy weather afoot for both of these games, and it will be challenging to get the ball through the air with gusts in Buffalo. There will also be added emphasis on the run should it pour in Muncie.
QUARTERBACK
Drew Plitt, 
Ball State (DK $6,200, FD $9,500) vs.Central Michigan
Plitt gets my first mention due to his ability to get out of tight spots and get work done on the ground, which will be at a premium in the rain. Although he has some of the lowest yardage totals on the slate, he utilizes a series of short passes in the red zone to find his playmakers instead of a reliance on the breakaway play. The Cardinals are ideally suited for this weather scenario with Plitt at the helm.
Rocky Lombardi, 
Northern Illinois (DK $7,500, FD $10,200) @ Buffalo
Although Buffalo has one of the stiffer pass defenses on the slate, Lombardi is due for a big game now that his injury concerns are in the rear-view mirror. His 532-yard performance against Kent State is evidence of his massive upside, but with seven interceptions on the season, he can be a little wild with the ball on occasion.
RUNNING BACK
The timeshare at Buffalo will move me off of their options tonight.
Lew Nichols, 
Central Michigan (DK $9,000, FD $12,000) @ Ball State
As was the case last week, you'll fall behind the pace if you don't roster Nichols. He will be hard to get to on Fanduel at $12,000, but he is worth every penny. He'll look to build on his 215-yard, four-touchdown effort last week against a Ball state defense that ranks 75th in the country against opposing running backs.
Jay Ducker, Northern Illinois (DK $5,700, FD $10,000)
Going with Ducker also proved to be the smart move, with Harrison Waylee still sidelined. I'd only alter this pick if Waylee finds the field, but I'd keep him on DraftKings due to the favorable price. With his 155-yard effort last week, you were happy if you took my advice and rostered him.
Also consider: Carson Steele. Ball State (DK $5,500, FD $8,500)
WIDE RECEIVER
Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois (DK $7,300, FD $8,800) @ Buffalo
Rudolph is having an excellent season, with 40 receptions for 747 yards and seven touchdowns over nine games. Utilizing Cole Tucker (DK $5,100, FD $6,700) is an inexpensive way to get involved with this passing offense. Both guys are favorable if you take Lombardi on the QB route.
Quian Williams, 
Buffalo (DK $5,900, FD $8,200) vs. Northern Illinois
With Jovany Ruiz out, Williams will get the bulk of the receiving duties. We saw clear indications of the increased load in his nine-reception, 104-yard performance against Miami (OH) last week.
Jayshon Jackson, Ball State DK $4,400, FD $6,800)
What I like about rostering Jackson are the similar numbers we see for Ball State receivers despite disparate salary numbers. The hype around Justin Hall (DK $7,100, FD $9,400) has him at a much higher salary, but Jackson's numbers are remarkably similar with the expectation of touchdown totals, where Hall dusts everyone on the slate with 11 scores. While that's a mark in Hall's favor, Jackson has scored two of his three total touchdowns in the last three weeks.
Also consider: Dallas Dixon, Central Michigan (DK $5,300, FD $7,700)
