This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.
Welcome to our Week 7 main slate breakdown. I'm Spencer Limbach, filling in for John McKechnie this weekend. The methodology and thought process should be similar to what you have grown to expect in this article series. Per usual, I will break down my strategy and points of emphasis at each position before getting into the actual player writeups. Otherwise, feel free to drop question in the comment section if you have any.
Quarterback Strategy
The top overall quarterbacks on this slate are McKenzie Milton ($10,400), Dwayne Haskins ($10,200) and Sam Ehlinger ($9,000). Ehlinger and his discounted salary might be the most enticing of that group, but you don't necessarily need to sacrifice that much cap space at the position. There are plenty of moderately priced and upper-mid-range QBs to lean on with confidence. My usual strategy is to play a second QB in the S-Flex spot, and this week isn't an exception. See below for more details.
Running Back Strategy
Darrell Henderson ($9,500) of Memphis might be the best overall running back playing Saturday – regardless of slate. After all, he has upside of 200-plus yards with three scores in an 81-point over/under vs. UCF. Even with that in mind, he may be too expensive for cash games, as I find myself reserving him (and other highly priced RBs) for tournaments. … There aren't many running backs I love for their respective price on this DraftKings' main slate. This has me taking a chance on a few options (listed in the writeups below) while looking toward another wide receiver at Flex and quarterback at S-Flex.
Cheat Sheet
Tools
Lineup Optimizer
Weekly Rankings by position
Targets
Team Trends
Odds
Defense vs. Position
Quarterback
Sam Ehlinger, Texas ($9,000) vs. Baylor
There's a chance Ehlinger is still trying to catch his breath after a Herculean 51-FP effort (314 pass yards, 72 rush yards, 5 total TD) in a win over Oklahoma last Saturday. There may be some concern of a letdown this week, but facing Baylor's subpar defense should alleviate that concern from a fantasy perspective. The Bears have let teams score at will this season, allowing 40 points to Duke, 66 to Oklahoma and 34 to Kansas State. Ehlinger should find himself in the middle of another fantasy buffet.
Taylor Cornelius, Oklahoma State ($8,300) at Kansas State
I really like Cornelius along similar lines to Ehlinger. He has exceeded 30-plus fantasy points in three of his last four games, and this week's matchup at Kansas State could keep the momentum alive. Cornelius has delivered four touchdowns in each of his last two games, bouncing back strong after a down Week 4 performance vs. Texas Tech. He's always a threat to punch in a rushing touchdown (or two) as well. Kansas State has been torn up by Will Grier and Charlie Brewer in Big 12 play this season, and I'm thinking Cornelius will join that list.
Superflex Me: Charlie Brewer, Baylor ($6,500) at Texas
Brewer is probably my favorite "per dollar" quarterback on this slate. Texas has come a long way in recent weeks, but its defense is still generous enough to create a fantasy opening for Brewer and company. Also, there's a chance the Longhorns start slowly following an emotionally draining win over rival Oklahoma last week. No matter how you slice it, I love Brewer at this salary. He'll likely be asked to throw the ball 40-50 times, which should make for a nice fantasy outing through volume alone. He has some playmaking receivers to help him out as well – more on them in a bit.
Running Back
Justice Hill, Oklahoma State ($6,900) at Kansas State
I believe there's enough room to roster Cornelius, Hill and an Okie State WR in the same lineup. They all check in with reasonable price tags despite strong recent performances and a healthy matchup on tap with Kansas State. Hill is one of my favorite "per dollar" running backs while serving as the Cowboys' workhorse with 55 carries, 255 yards and two touchdowns the last two weeks. He should have plenty of room to run against a Kansas State defense that ranks 115th in yards per carry allowed (5.6). I expect Hill to be in line for 20-plus carries, 125-plus yards, with 1-2 touchdowns, which would make for a fantastic return on this price.
Patrick Taylor Jr., Memphis ($4,000) vs. UCF
Taylor is somewhat of a risky play, as he's technically Memphis' second-string running back. If Memphis trails early, game flow could fall against its rushing attack while limiting Taylor's volume. However, I expect a back-and-forth game at home vs. UCF, and Taylor should carve out a slice of this massive 81-point over/under. He's sitting marginally above minimal salary with the potential to break some long-gainers while plunging ahead for a score or two. If you can recall, the only other quality rushing attack UCF faced was Florida Atlantic. The Owls' backfield ended up with four rushing touchdowns that day.
Otis Anderson, UCF ($5,500) at Memphis
Otis Anderson is the do-it-all RB/WR hybrid player on the other side of this high-scoring tilt. He's a big play waiting to happen, sitting with a moderate DraftKings' price in a game that should have plenty of possessions, snaps, yards and points. It's realistic to believe Anderson can get to 20 fantasy points while seeing work in the rushing and receiving game.
Wide Receiver
Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State ($6,600) at Kansas State
Oklahoma State wide receiver Jalen McCleskey decided to transfer, which has really opened things for the Cowboys' receiving corps. Tylan Wallace promptly stepped up with nine receptions, 186 yards and two touchdowns the last two weeks. He notched three consecutive 100-plus yard performances prior to that as well. He is the main target to pair with QB Taylor Cornelius. Otherwise, playing him or fellow receiver Landon Wolf ($5300) alone works too.
Jalen Hurd, Baylor ($6,500) at Texas
I really like Baylor WRs Jalen Hurd and Denzel Mims in this spot at Texas, but Hurd is the real prize here. Not only is he a beast in the receiving game (consecutive 100-plus yard performances), but Hurd has scored a rushing touchdown in back-to-back games too. The Bears love giving him a handful of runs in any given contest, which really enhances his upside. I expect Baylor to be going all out in an effort to keep pace with Texas.
Binjimen Victor, Ohio State ($3,900) vs Minnesota
Victor is not a "core play" by any stretch of the imagination. He's nothing more than a filler that makes the rest of your lineup (you know, the guys you really want) plausible. Regardless, Victor has snagged a touchdown in three consecutive games despite only hauling in six total receptions. The Buckeyes likely will light up the scoreboard against Minnesota on Saturday, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Haskins throw 4-5 touchdowns. I also wouldn't be surprised if Victor came down with another.
