DFS College Football: Gasparilla Bowl Picks and Strategy for Friday, December 22

Friday's Gasparilla Bowl starts a bit earlier than usual, as it is kicking off at 6:30 p.m. ET. However, among bowl games, this matchup is one of the more interesting ones to me. It features a couple of programs happy to be here. UCF, in its first season in the Big 12, won three of its last four to get to 6-6. Georgia Tech, a program that has struggled post-Paul Johnson, got into gear under Brent Key and went 6-6 as well. That means either the Golden Knights or the Yellow Jackets are going to finish with a winning record.

For DFS purposes, we have a couple of single-game contests available for you. At DraftKings, you have $50,000 in salary cap for six players. One player is your Captain, and they earn 1.5 times the points but with an elevated salary. Then, over at FanDuel, you have $60,000 for five players (FanDuel player salaries are higher). You pick an MVP for 1.5 times the points but with no increase in salary. Here are five players sticking out to me from these rosters for the Gasparilla Bowl.

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College Football DFS Picks for Friday, December 22

John Rhys Plumlee, QB, UCF ($15,300 DK, $17,000 FD): Part of UCF's dip in the middle of the season came from Plumlee getting injured. His dual-threat abilities are important to the Golden Knights' offense, and Georgia Tech's defense is the weak link among the units for these teams (aside from the Knights' awful special teams, which won't come into play much for DFS purposes). Plumlee ran for 314 yards and three touchdowns over the final five games of the season, and Georgia Tech was 127th in rushing yards per attempt, and there are only 133 teams in the FBS.

Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech ($13,200 DK, $12,500 FD): Haynes, a redshirt sophomore getting his first real action this year, has already announced he is returning to Georgia Tech in 2024, so this bowl game is a chance for the back to get fans excited for next season. While Haynes didn't get a ton of carries, he averaged 6.0 yards per tote and tallied up 931 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Central Florida's run defense is barely better than Georgia Tech's. It ranks 115th in rushing yards per attempt.

Kobe Hudson, WR, UCF ($11,400 DK, $9,000 FD): Hudson and Javon Baker were basically equals in the passing game, but Hudson's salary is lower, so that's the way to go. Baker had all of one more catch than Hudson, while Hudson had one more touchdown. The Jackets were better against the pass than the run, but not good by any means. Georgia Tech gave up 7.8 passing yards per attempt, which ranks 88th in the FBS.

Malik Rutherford, WR Georgia Tech ($7,500 DK, $8,000 FD): Rutherford didn't make a ton of big plays, but he did have 44 catches for 462 yards and three touchdowns. His receptions are second among the players for these two teams, and his receiving yards are fourth. Given that, I feel like his salary gives him some real upside. Haynes King clearly has no issue looking for him in the passing game.

Johnny Richardson, RB, UCF ($5,100 DK, $7,000 FD): The Golden Knights were kind of a one-man team in the run game, with RJ Harvey shouldering the load. However, Richardson is the No. 2 back. He did average 6.6 yards per carry on 84 rushing attempts, and he did manage two 100-yard games on the ground. Georgia Tech allowed 5.5 yards per carry, so there could be a chance for Richardson to break one off on the ground down in Tampa.