College Football DFS: Weekday Slates: Thursday/Friday Week 7

We've got five games of action on two different slates for Thursday and Friday, so let's jump right in with an introduction of the available games via the Vegas oddsmakers.

THURSDAY

North Carolina State (-5) vs. Syracuse    O/U: 56

UL-Monroe (-3.5) at Texas State O/U: 61.5

FRIDAY

Colorado State (-3.5) at New Mexico  O/U: 56.5

Miami (-2.5) vs. Virginia  O/U: 43.5

Oregon (-21) vs. Colorado  O/U: 58.5

(odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change)

For the Thursday slate, I see no particular need to fade either game, but I'm fairly sure that the lower ownership will lie in the UL-Monroe-Texas State matchup, based purely on overall knowledge about the teams involved. It does have the highest O/U over both days, so I'm inclined to do a little more homework about both teams and look at their recent trends.

On the Friday end, Vegas is telling us to stay away from the UVA/MIA matchup with the low O/U, and a glance at their recent scoring, I'm inclined to believe them.  Conversely, I'm not at all convinced by the O/U in the perceived Oregon blowout. I think Steven Montez can do enough to keep this game interesting, resulting in more points on both sides of the ball.

For the purposes of this article, I'll identify my two favorite picks for each slate, at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. In the flex section, I'll focus on sleepers or budget options for that slate.

QUARTERBACK

Thursday

Caleb Evans, Louisiana-Monroe (DK $7,600, FD $10,500) @ Texas State

This first pick kind of plays itself.  With Tommy Devito injured but probable, and a truly muddled QB situation in Raleigh, Evans is far and away the logical pick. This is also the Caleb Evans that almost upset Florida State with a crazy 400-yard, three-touchdown performance. His ownership will be sky-high die to the obvious flow of these games, but that's okay.  It's likely that you'll need him to keep pace.

Tommy DeVito, Syracuse (DK $7,100, FD $9,200) @ North Carolina State

Unless I hear late-breaking news elsewhere, I'm going to assume DeVito plays here.  I see nothing appealing about Gresch Jensen and I don't know how many snaps Bailey Hockman and Matt McKay might split, so DeVito is really the only sensible play left. When healthy, DeVito has played especially well with the exception of a decisive loss to Clemson. N.C. State's defense isn't particularly strong, so a good day may be in the offing for DeVito if he plays.

Friday

N'Kosi Perry, Miami (DK $6,800, FD $7,000) vs. Virginia

I'm starting on the lower end here because I'm a big fan of this kid.  If you had a chance to watch him against Virginia Tech, you witnessed one of the best performances from a mid-game backup QB I've seen all year, save Matt Fink's masterful game against Utah for USC. After 422 yards through the air, Perry almost managed to pull this game out, but Jarren Williams' three picks put then in a hole they couldn't dig out of.  UVA ranks 54th against the pass so they bring a tougher challenge, but Perry's a dual threat as a runner as well. If his single game is any indication,. He'll find his way out of trouble.

Justin Herbert, Oregon (DK $7,400, FD $10,000) vs. Colorado

I think you risk falling off the pace if you don't go with Herbert.  The kid is just plain good, and Oregon is so focused on the pass that there's a good chance you'll see him on the field for most of the game. His stats indicate that he's blowout-proof, with his 316-yard game in a 35-3 win against Montana as the best example. There's no reason Herbert shouldn't be in the Heisman conversation at this point, but being in the less-publicized PAC-12 keeps his profile lower than a Jalen Hurts or Jonathan Taylor.  They've got a weak opponent, but start him with confidence.

RUNNING BACK

Thursday

Josh Johnson, Louisiana-Monroe (DK $7,000, FD $8,700) @ Texas State

Texas State ranks 247th in the nation against the rush and even though he's at the top of the list at RB (always prone to higher ownership), you have to go with Johnson in  your roster builds. Through six games he's rushed a lights-out 598 yards to go along with four touchdowns.

Moe Neal, Syracuse (DK $5,900, FD $9,100) @ North Carolina State

I'm not endorsing Neal with much enthusiasm, but in terms of solid, reliable production I think Neal is probably our best bet for this price. His 317 yards through five games is fine when you consider his uninspiring day against Clemson is in that grouping, and his three touchdowns are encouraging. The Wolfpack have a Top100 defense against the rush, but considering their troubles on offense, I don't see them catching up to Syracuse if the Orange put up any kind of lead, which would spell more production for Neal.

Friday

Ahmari Davis, New Mexico (DK $5,800, FD $7,900) vs. Colorado State

The confluence of a weak rushing defense with a high-volume rusher makes Davis a great way to spend down a bit.  In terms of sheer athletic talent, I think Davis is probably the best pick you'll find on the slate, and I'm a little surprised that he's gone so low. There sre injury concerns and tough rush defense issues with picks above him, and that only accentuates the necessity of going with Davis.

Travis Dye, Oregon (DK $5,000, FD $7,200) vs. Colorado

Due to his ankle sprain, I don't think they're going to push CJ Verdell if they don't have to, so Dye is next in line to get carries if they choose to limit him. There's always a chance that Darrian Felix may get preferential treatment due to Dye's propensity to cough up the ball  (he fumbled twice against Cal last week),but Dye is a much stronger runner and I think they'll give him an opportunity to redeem himself.

WIDE RECEIVER

Thursday

Trishton Jackson, Syracuse (DK $7,300, FD $9,600) @ North Carolina State

I'm going right to the top of the slate with this position. The prices at the top are moderate enough that I can make some tougher cheap calls at wideout in my WR3 and flex positions, so going slightly more expensive with WR! And WR2 is doable.  I'm a believer that Syracuse will win this game handily, and I as I said, that's good news for Neal. I also believe they'll get their lesd through the air, however. Jackson has logged 100-plus receiving yards in two of his five games played, and he's caught five TD passes during that span.  

Josh Pederson, Louisiana-Monroe (DK $6,800, FD $8,400) at Texas State

If you like Evans, then it makes sense to stack him with Pederson.  His stats resemble those of as possession-type receiver, but he's also caught five touchdowns this season, so the scoring potential is definitely there. He also had a two-touchdown day against Memphis in their last matchup, so he is definitely trending up.

Friday

Jacob Breeland, Oregon (DK $6,500, FD $8,300) vs. Colorado

I'll go with the Oregon receiver with the most touches here, even though there are many mouths to feed in this offense. He has 23 catches on the year and has made the most of them, netting 352 yards and five touchdowns.As I said previously, Herbert has stuck around in blowouts, so I anticipate you'll see his best targets out there as well.

Dante Wright, Colorado State (DK $6,400, FD $8,500) @ New Mexico

This could be negative news because the Lobos could smother Wright, but it looks like Warren Jackson may not make this game, and will likely be limited if he does suit up. I'm not a huge fan of Patrick O'Brien, but Wright's ability is difficult to ignore.  I think the prices are a tad too high for what we might receive in return, but injury situations like this need to be exploited whenever possible.

FLEX

Thursday

For Thursday the flex section is all about finding a way to afford these high-priced selections.  I'm planning on stacking DeVito in the S-FLEX if he is cleared to play, so I have to dig even deeper to afford that. I elected to go to Texas State for one receiver in Jah'Marae Sheread, He's coming off a great game against Wyoming where he caught all four of his targets and added in a touchdown.  He's reasonably priced on both sites. To fill out my flex I went with another Syracuse wideout in Aaron Hackett. His numbers aren't astounding, but he's scored a touchdown in three straight games so he's been lucky in the red zone recently. I think there's also some merit to taking a flier on Cary Angeline, although I'm not too high on N.C. State's chanced on offense.

Friday

I wanted to fill my WR3 with another Oregon receiver, so I went with Jaylon Redd.  His reception numbers are trending well and he's scored a touchdown in four out of five games this season. For the S FLEX I'll still opt for a second QB, but I think there's still a lot of value out there at WR for the flex position.  Options that I like include Virginia's Joe Reed and Hasise Dubois, and Nate Craig-Myers could come through for Colorado State, as it looks like Laviska Shenault may miss this week. Of course, Tony Brown is way up there, and he has multiple scoring opportunities as a receiver and runner, but he seemed a tad too expensive in my builds.