This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.
College Football DFS Picks: Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Bowl Slate
Slate Overview
There is only one bowl game Thursday, the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl coming to us at 7:30 p.m. ET in Fort Worth. We have a fitting matchup for this bowl, with Air Force playing the Texas-based team Baylor. The Falcons were 9-3 playing in the Mountain West, making them decidedly the best of the military teams, while the Bears somewhat disappointed, only going 6-6 in the Big 12.
Since there is only one game, DraftKings is operating under Showdown rules. You have $50,000 in salary to spend on six players. It's all offensive players and kickers, for the record. Your captain earns you 1.5 times the points, but their salary is elevated as a result. Here is a lineup you could go with for the Armed Forces Bowl.
DFS Tools
- DraftKings Lineup Optimizer
- NEW Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
- Advanced Lineups Page
- Team Rankings
- Stats
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Podcast
Positional Breakdown
Captain
Brad Roberts, RB, Air Force vs. Baylor ($18,900)
Roberts is basically the Air Force offense. As a service academy team, it runs the triple option, and Roberts is the focal point of that offense. This year he carried the ball a staggering 308 times for 1,612 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was one of the top backs in college football in terms of sheer numbers. The Bears rank 41st in terms of rushing yards allowed per attempt, which is not enough to deter me from making Roberts my captain. The dude has had over 30 carries in three of his last four games.
Utility
Monaray Baldwin, WR, Baylor vs. Air Force ($11,000)
This matchup is a little tricky to target, as the Falcons have a top defense. They ranked ninth in defensive SP+, and actually were first in points allowed per game. Having said that, it's not like Air Force is rife with options. After Roberts, it gets sparse fast. The Falcons ranked 18th in rushing yards allowed per carry, but 35th in passing yards allowed per attempt. Thus, I head to the Baylor passing game. Baldwin now sits atop the Baylor depth chart, and he had 174 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma State. He has upside, to be sure.
Blake Shapen, QB, Baylor vs. Air Force ($9,800)
If the Baylor passing game does anything, it's going to happen thanks to Shapen. Was he great? No, but he threw for 2,602 yards and 16 touchdowns this year. The Bears are going to have to air it out to win. That's going to happen. Having Shapen in the lineup just makes sense.
Matthew Dapore, K, Air Force vs. Baylor ($4,400)
After the top three names, I dipped down quite a bit. I went a little all-or-nothing, skipping the guys in the middle. Of the two primary kickers, Dapore is the one I'm going with. John Mayers tried all of 10 field goals this season. Dapore attempted 20. It's more likely that Air Force will settle for a field goal than Baylor.
Ben Sims, WR, Baylor vs. Air Force ($3,200)
Sims is actually Baylor's starting tight end, but he's listed as a wide receiver on DraftKings. He had 31 catches in 11 games this season with four total touchdowns. If a tight end is on the field, it's going to be Sims. At this salary, and intending to avoid any element of the Baylor running game, I'm down to go with Sims in my lineup.
Jordan Nabors, WR, Baylor vs. Air Force ($2,200)
This is a total shot in the dark but worth it at this salary. Nabors, a true freshman, had all of one catch this year, but due to opt outs and transfers he's further up the depth chart now. Also, Baylor clearly believes in his potential. He was given nine carries this year and turned them into 63 yards and two touchdowns, and he also returned kicks and punts. If the Bears have that degree of faith in him, I can have some faith in his as a low-salary flyer to round out my lineup.
