College Football DFS: Week 1 Saturday Night Slate for DraftKngs and FanDuel

Welcome to our DraftKings and FanDuel DFS coverage for Saturday evening's slate of games on the college gridiron. As usual, there's a slight discrepancy between slates, but we've got you covered for both sites.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Alabama (-51.5) vs. Western Kentucky O/U: 59.5

Houston (-2.5) vs. UNLV O/U: 54.5

Michigan (-20.5) vs. Fresno State O/U: 45.5

Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame O/U: 46

UCLA (-14) @ Hawaii O/U:  52.5

Oregon (-44.5) vs. Idaho O/U: 62.5

Kentucky (-26.5) vs. Southern Mississippi O/U: 49.5

James Madison (-8.5) @ Charlotte O/U: 48.5 (FANDUEL ONLY)

Georgia Tech (-20.5) vs. Georgia State O/U: 55.5 (FANDUEL ONLY)

As one might expect, we have high projected totals for Alabama and Oregon in the blowout games, but it will be difficult to predict how much action we'll get from the starters. So far this week, first-string guys have fared pretty well in these lopsided contests. Considering Alabama's new coaching staff and a Heisman hopeful in Oregon, the urge to run up the score with starters may be looming. Michigan has the biggest question mark with a new quarterback, and only time will tell if the DeShaun Foster era at UCLA will be successful.

WEATHER

UNLV/Houston - 63 percent chance of rain

Charlotte/JMU - 60 percent chance of rain

CFB DFS Tools

• DraftKings College Football Optimizer
• 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    

CFB DFS Saturday Night Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 1

Quarterback

Let's begin with a discussion of the two blue-chippers, Dillon Gabriel (DK $9,200, FD $12,500)) and Jalen Milroe (DK $8,700, FD $11,500). An excited but nervous crowd awaits the first Saban-less Alabama squad in 26 years as the Kalen DeBoer era begins in Tuscaloosa. Interestingly, Milroe shares a lot of the same traits as DeBoer's previous quarterback, Michael Penix. Although Milroe's arm is a bit less polished, he's more mobile than Penix, has Heisman aspirations and can put up points in a hurry. We could say the same for Dan Lanning in Oregon, who has a Heisman hopeful under center for a second consecutive year. Let's first look at how DeBoer handled Penix in blowout games. In three extremely lopsided games, other quarterbacks totaled nine pass attempts. That's a very small number.  By comparison, Lanning was much more forgiving in allowing Bo Nix to sit. I do not doubt that both coaches are motivated to run up the score, but it appears the DeBoer may have more reason to keep Milroe in to please Alabama's fan base. The stats show that he tends to keep his starters on the field. Then there is the question of salary - Milroe is coming in at a less expensive cost on both sites. Our roster would suffer if we took both quarterbacks, so based on this analysis, I will take Milroe at the top.

Conner Weigman, Texas A&M (DK $8,300, FD $8,700) vs. Notre Dame

I like Weigman in what should be a hotly-contested matchup against the Irish. Weigman looked strong before going down with a leg injury to end his 2023 campaign, and the Aggies hope that he can carry the load. The leg injury appears to be past him, and the passing game should improve under former Duke coach Mike Elko, who boosted the Blue Devils' offense with Riley Leonard's arm. Elko is a sharp contrast to Jimbo Fisher, who far preferred a ground-and-pound approach, and Weigman will benefit from the change.

Running Back

T.J. Harden, UCLA (DK $7,000, FD $9,200) @ Hawaii

The departure of Carson Steele leaves the door wide open for Harden, who had a career game against USC at the end of last season. You have to believe new coach DeShaun Foster is going to favor a heavy dose of the running game, and Harden will benefit. Keegan Jones (DK $6,600, FD $5,200) seems to track a little better on FanDuel due to the extremely low cost, so he might be worthwhile on that site as a pivot, but Harden is priced exactly right on DraftKings and well worth it.

Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, Kentucky (DK $5,700, FD $8,600)

I'm going to try and sneak in Donovan Edwards (DK $9,000, FD $10,000) where I can, but DraftKings can you up against it when you spend up at quarterback. We need a contrarian spot for DK and the temporary starter for the Wildcats is a good spot. Chip Trayanum is expected to be out for the first few weeks of the season, and while coach Mark Stoops has stated that they'll take a committee approach in his absence, Sumo-Karngbaye had a leg up on the other backs throughout camp. There's some risk here due to the blowout, but the team will want to get a sense of who could be their bellcow back if Trayanum's absence is extended.

Also consider: Parker Jenkins, Houston (DK $4,900, FD $7,000) vs. UNLV

Wide Receiver

Colston Loveland, Michigan (DK $7,000, FD $6,200) vs. Fresno State

Although Loveland is a tight end, he could end up leading Michigan's receiving corps this season. The Wolverines will lean on the running game, but Loveland will be a reliable target for Alex Orji when they elect to pass. Orji will need a security blanket, and Loveland's 6-5 frame will be hard to miss.

Pofele Ashlock, Hawaii (DK $4,700, FD $7,300) vs. UCLA

Here's a wideout that already has measurable metrics after a Week 0 game. Ashlock was targeted nine times by Brayden Schager and looks like the top target for the passing game. Although DC D'Anton Lynn left for a job at USC, the structural core of UCLA's defensive scheme remains intact. The defensive front is mostly intact but lost key guys like Lanatu Latu and have some inexperience in the secondary. UCLA will likely prevail, but they may give up some big plays in the pass through the air, with the Schager-Ashlock connection already showing promise.

Ryan Williams, [LOGO[Alabama (DK $3,000, FD $5,700) vs. Western Kentucky

Unlike Nick Saban, I don't think Kalen DeBoer will punish opponents on the ground as frequently, and once this game is well in hand, an appearance from Williams is likely.  The youngster made a lot of noise in camp and although he's way down the depth chart, he'll get a few chances. His cheap salary will allow you to make bigger moves at running back (like Edwards) and could even grant you a Milroe-Gabriel stack in some circumstances.

FANDUEL-ONLY OPTiONS

After playing in Bo NIx's shadow last season, Dylan Morris ($9,100) gets a chance to helm his own team in Harrisonburg. Although I love Georgia Tech's Haynes King ($11,000), he's too expensive for my taster, and James Madison is in a more competitive game. James Madison is my favorite team to target in the four-game set, with RB Ayo Adeyi ($8,200) and WR Taji Hudson ($7,200) forming a strong core around Morris. I'm also confident in a strong running game from Georgia Tech, so Jamal Haynes ($9,600) will also make the cut here.