This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.
Another bag of mixed results for me in Week 2. I was the kiss of death for my posted team here, as Malik Zaire, Keon Hatcher and Leshun Daniels suffered injuries.
The slate of early games Draft Kings has selected in Week 3 represents a new challenge. None of the 15 games feature an FCS opponent, giving you a full complement of 30 teams from which to choose. Prices have corrected themselves, or over corrected in some cases thanks to big performances against lesser teams, and you're left with very few true bargain options.
QUARTERBACK
Matt Johnson, Bowling Green (vs. Memphis) - $8,700
Johnson obviously is expensive, but six quarterbacks check in at a higher price, making Johnson an easy selection. He has consecutive 400-yard games and the over/under in this game is 79. What's not to love about this matchup?
Thomas Sirk, Duke (vs. Northwestern) - $6,600
There are two schools of thought with Sirk this week. One is that he is the Duke offense and likely will have his hand in any and all touchdowns the Blue Devils score. He's averaging 302 yards through the air, 77 yards on the ground and has six touchdowns through three games. The other school sees a much tougher defense in Northwestern travelling to Duke and a game that won't provide heavy doses of scoring. Sirk's price hasn't adjusted to his 33.8 points per game average, and it seems like Draft Kings is begging us to take him. I'm in this boat, and think Sirk ends up on a lot of rosters. His price and upside mean he deserves a long look, but I don't like the matchup enough.
Others to consider:DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame (vs. Georgia Tech) - $6,500; Clayton Thorson, Northwestern (at Duke) - $5,400; Brenden Motley, Virginia Tech (at Purdue) - $5,300
RUNNING BACK
Patrick Skov, Georgia Tech (at Notre Dame) - $4,900
Skov will likely have a prominent place in this column each week as long as his price stays in this range. It went up $500 from a week ago, but still checks in under the average cost per roster spot. Skov has ran 11 and 12 times in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, while scoring four touchdowns. Notre Dame represents a major step up in competition for the Jackets, which likely forces them to trim their rotations some. Skov is locked in as the team's top B-Back, and an uptick in carries with the threat for multiple scores should be the result this Saturday.
D'Andre Ferby, Western Kentucky (at Indiana) - $5,400
Ferby's price is a little inflated given the lack of success he had against Louisiana Tech last week. But what really stood out is the 17 touches he received following Leon Allen's season-ending injury. With Anthony Wales also likely sitting out the contest, Ferby has little completion for reps. And this is a game that could go overlooked by some with bigger names on the slate. The spread is hovering in the 1- to 2-point range, and the total in the 66-69 range. That adds up to a close, high-scoring affair and could translate in to continued opportunities for Ferby.
Tony Brooks-James, Oregon (vs. Georgia State) - $4,900
Brooks-James saw just three carries last week against Michigan State, but earned six in the season opening blowout against Eastern Washington. He averaged more than 10 yards on those carries and scored twice. He's a big play waiting to happen and could see closer to 10 touches in a game that will get out of hand quickly. Brooks-James is the ultimate boom-or-bust play.
Peyton Barber, Auburn (at LSU) - $4,800
Barber has officially been named the starter after garnering 23 and 24 carries in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, and topping 110 yards in each. Yes, LSU held Mississippi State to 1.7 yards per carry on 26 carries last weekend, but it also allowed Cameron Artis-Payne to gain 126 yards on 24 carries a year ago. With the Auburn passing game completely out of sync, another high-carry game for Barber is likely. He's going to appear on a large percentage of rosters, but he's too fairly priced to pass over.
Others to consider:Fred Coppet, Bowling Green (vs. Memphis) - $4,800; Elijah Hood, North Carolina (vs. Illinois) - $5,400; Travon McMillian, Virginia Tech (at Purdue) - $3,000; Doroland Dorceus, Memphis (at Bowling Green) - $3,900
WIDE RECEIVER
Tyler Higbee, Western Kentucky (at Indiana) - $4,900
Higbee is the Hilltoppers' leading receiver through two games yet checks in as their third-highest priced receiver. While the Hilltoppers spread the ball around in their aerial assault, there should be ample balls to go around against a Hoosiers' pass defense that has been shredded in consecutive weeks. Indiana has allowed 411 and 283 yards to Southern Illinois and Florida International, respectively. Neither of those teams pass the ball with the effectiveness of quarterback Brandon Doughty. And if you aren't buying in on D'Andre Ferby as a replacement running back, there is even more reason to expect a plethora of passes from WKU.
Marchie Murdock, Illinois (at North Carolina) - $4,000
Murdock has quietly emerged as a reliable second receiver for the Illini, catching eight passes through two games while scoring in each. This is another potentially high-scoring matchup with an over/under at 64, making it worth the effort to dig past the stars and gamble on some second-tier production.
Stacy Coley, Miami (vs. Nebraska) - $4,400
Coley is the cheapest of Miami's three receivers, but still comes in considerably higher than I would have anticipated having missed last Friday's game against Florida Atlantic due to a hamstring injury. That injury alone makes him risky, and when paired with his dismal season in 2014 and a two-catch, 11-yard outing in the season opener (before injury) makes his inclusion not for the faint of heart. Miami has had two receivers top 100 yards in their first two games, however, all while using a very vanilla offensive approach. The offense should open up a bit more against Nebraska, which has allowed 692 yards through the air in two games, including four plays of 37 yards or more. Coley has a puncher's chance at a couple big plays.
Others to consider:DeAngelo Yancey, Purdue (vs. Virginia Tech) - $4,300; Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech (at Purdue) - $3,500; Gehrig Dieter, Bowling Green (vs. Memphis) - $3,500
My Entry:
QB: Matt Johnson, Bowling Green (vs. Memphis) - $8,700
QB: Brenden Motley, Virginia Tech (at Purdue) - $5,300
RB: Peyton Barber, Auburn (at LSU) - $4,800
RB: Patrick Skov, Georgia Tech (vs. Notre Dame) - $4,900
WR: Mose Frazier, Memphis (at Bowling Green) - $6,300
WR: Ricky Jones, Indiana (vs. Western Kentucky) – $5,600
WR: Ronnie Moore, Bowling Green (vs. Memphis) - $6,000
FLEX: Tyler Higbee, Western Kentucky (at Indiana) - $4,900
FLEX: Gehrig Dieter, Bowling Green (vs. Memphis) - $3,500
I've made a very clear and conscious effort to target players from Bowling Green, Memphis, Indiana and Western Kentucky. I think the Illinois-North Carolina and Nebraska-Miami games should also see plenty of scoring, while trying to avoid nearly all other games due to potential blowouts or lower scoring prognostications, and filling in where bargains present. Debated long and hard about Frazier and Dieter, as I initially had a combo of Murdock and Elijah Hood, but felt strongly that I needed at least some piece of the Memphis offense. I like Bucky Hodges' potential to breakout this week, but learned last week not to unintentionally stack players from limited offenses (Louisville), thus rolling with Dieter. I feel too good about this lineup, which means it's destined to backfire. I am bullish on Indiana's Jones but am questioning the price given the Hoosiers' 3:2 run:pass ratio. The Hilltoppers, though, have been giving up as many yards through the air as they're chalking up on offense.
