This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Saturday Main Slate
That fall air is looming, and you know what that means. We're back for another football season, albeit with just an appetizer in Week 0 before we reach our first main course in Week 1. Still, it's football nonetheless! With only three games on the docket, it gives us limited options to choose from, but I'll do my best to parse through the options for the best.
College Football DFS Weather (winds 10+ MPH and precip. chance 50-plus percent noted)
Florida State at Georgia Tech - Winds sitting 14-15 MPH with a small chance of rain
Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Week 0
QB
None
RB
Pat Garwo, Nevada 
- Not listed on Week 0 depth chart but deemed fully healthy by coach. Could play despite absence or could be out of rotation to start.
Julius Davis, Montana State 
- Out for Week 1, Scottre Humphrey listed as top back on depth chart.
Camar Wheaton, SMU 
- Out for 2024 season with a knee injury.
WR
Destyn Hill, Florida State 
- Out for 2024 due to injury.
TE
Brett Seither, Georgia Tech 
- Out for 2024 with a knee injury.
College Football DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
- Advanced Lineups Page
- Stats
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
Week 0 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel
Quarterback
Preston Stone, SMU ($11,200) at Nevada
Stone squares off against a Wolfpack defense that ranks second-worst in SP+ defensive rating (36.1) among the FBS squads on this slate, ranking 120th in FBS. Stone thrived in an AAC conference schedule, closing the regular season with 3,197 passing yards and a 28:6 TD:INT ratio. Nevada's defense doesn't reach close to the average AAC competition, so Stone should dominate this one, both through the air and potentially with some work on the ground.
Haynes King, Georgia Tech ($10,500) vs. Florida State
In contrast to Nevada, the Seminoles' defense is far from the worst in college football. In fact, it was among the best in the nation last year. That said, the defense loses a decent number of pieces from last year's squad, losing nearly half of the returning production from last year. King is also the ultimate dual-threat option under center for an improving Yellow Jackets club, accounting for 27 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores last season. That dual-threat ability, combined with the fact that the team is a double-digit underdog, suggests to me we'll see plenty of King in both avenues Saturday.
Tommy Mellott, Montana State ($8,600) at New Mexico
The only FCS squad on this slate, the Bobcats are actually favored by nearly two touchdowns over the Lobos, with Montana Stat sporting an expected score of 34.0 for the season opener. Mellott is another dual-threat option under center, tossing for only 1,068 yards and a 10:2 TD:INT ratio last year but adding 690 rushing yards and another five touchdowns on the ground over nine games. This is the perfect salary-saver option at the quarterback or Superflex spots in lineups.
Running Back
Roydell Williams, Florida State ($9,100)/Lawrance Toafili, Florida State ($7,200) vs. Georgia Tech
To put it bluntly, Georgia Tech's defense was bad last year, and it's going to be bad again this year. While I bypassed DJ Uiagalelei at the quarterback spot, you need to get shares of the Seminoles' offense somewhere, and I think this is the perfect spot to do it. Trey Benson is gone, leaving the door open to carries for the likes of Williams and Toafili against a Yellow Jackets defense that allowed 221.3 rushing yards per game last season, 131st out of 133 FBS teams. Williams holds the starting running back spot on the depth chart that led Benson to 906 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023, so it's justifiable to pay up for that spot and the expectation that Williams will lead the rushing attack here. I can see that play, but it's also a deep room in Tallahassee and Toafili is also a talented and experienced option, posting 463 rushing yards and four touchdowns and adding 21 grabs for 186 yards and another score last year. He's also almost $2,000 cheaper and may be a slightly preferred option to me if you don't just have excess salary to spend.
Jaylan Knighton, SMU ($8,400) at Nevada
Time to get another share of a Mustangs offense that leads the slate with 40 expected points scored. Knighton is the leader in this running back room when healthy, and it should be a room that sees plenty of reps as 24.5-point favorites in the contest. He should have plenty of opportunity to reach into double-digits in fantasy scoring, especially with some depth out for the year in Wheaton.
Eli Sanders, New Mexico 
($7,700) vs. Montana State
Sanders seems the most likely option to take over the lead role held by Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who transferred to Arizona following the campaign. Dorian Lewis also exits stage right, leaving FCS Campbel transfer Naquari Rogers as the top backup. This could turn out to be a workhorse share for Sanders, and he should be more than capable of producing with a heavy volume of totes, even with the Lobos as double-digit underdogs in the contest.
Scottre Humphrey, Montana State ($6,100) at New Mexico
Expected starter Julius Davis, who rushed for 718 yards and six touchdowns last season, is apparently set to miss the opener due to injury, leading to Humphrey's name atop the depth chart for the season opener. Humphrey didn't have nearly the same workload as Davis, but he proved electric in his limited carries, averaging 8.0 yards per rush attempt en route to 441 yards and eight rushing scores on 55 carries and adding four grabs for 104 yards and another score. He could definitely bust one or two for big gains in this one, and this salary is certainly worth the price of admission.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ja'Khi Douglas, Florida State ($8,500) vs. Georgia Tech
Florida State has a ton of targets to replace from 2023, losing Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson and Jaheim Bell, who were all selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Douglas saw some work behind the trio last year, recording 14 catches for 243 yards on 25 targets, and he appears set to take over one of the primary wideout roles in 2024 alongside Alabama transfer Malik Benson. I'll still take my shot at a player who has been in the system in the season opener, and Douglas has three years under his belt in Tallahassee.
Eric Singleton, Jr., Georgia Tech ($8,300) vs. Florida State
Singleton is arguably the only established stuff wideout on this slate. While the matchup isn't the greatest, I'll take my shot here at an electric player who is only heading into his sophomore season after a big freshman campaign in which he absorbed a 22.5 percent target share despite missing a game. He keeps his quarterback in King, so the two have another offseason working together, and this could prove to be a big campaign for Singleton in Year 2. Singleton notched touchdowns in each of the first five games last season, and he'll aim to kick off his 2024 campaign with a run of double-digit fantasy efforts, starting in Dublin on Saturday.
Caleb Medford, New Mexico ($7,400) vs. Montana State
Medford claimed a healthy 20.1 percent target share a season ago, including multiple contests he drew double-digit targets. Second on the list was Jeremiah Hixon (17.8 percent), and the third was Desna Washington (16.7 percent), who is gone as well, potentially elevating Medford's share of the target pie even more. If the Lobos are behind, look for the ball to be in the air early and often, and Medford could be the primary beneficiary on that front.
RJ Maryland, SMU ($6,700) at Nevada
This one is pretty simple: 40 points are expected from the Mustangs, and Maryland matched Jordan Hudson for the most receiving touchdowns (seven) on the team last season, also finishing second in receptions (34) and tying for the most targets (57). While most of the receiving production returns in 2024, Maryland should retain a similar role in this offense, and he seems a good bet to have his hand at some point in the scoring Saturday. Given the salary tag, I am taking my chance in the passing game here.
