This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
As the bowl schedule enters its final week, we've got a slate for the Orange, Fiesta, TaxSlayer, and Gator Bowls on FanDuel. Action for the slate will kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
SLATE OVERVIEW
North Carolina State vs. Kentucky (-2.5) O/U: 49.5
Mississippi vs. Indiana (-8.5) O/U: 65.5
Oregon vs. Iowa State (-4.5) O/U: 58.5
Texas A&M vs. North Carolina (+7.5) O/U: 65.5
This bowl slate is full of intriguing matchups. The Aggies-Tarheels contest should be the most exciting game from a viewing perspective, and it should also be brimming with DFS opportunities on both sides of the ball. Another prime DFS matchup should be Ole Miss versus the Hoosiers. Vegas is giving Indiana a lot of rope in this game, and I don't expect them to cover against Mississippi. The O/U indicates that this should be a high-scoring affair that could come down to who scores last. To tackle this slate, we'll take the strategy that usually yields good results - opting for a quarterback in the S-FLEX, going elite with running backs, and value hunt with wide receivers. Unlike yesterday's CFP semifinal, there isn't a wideout like DeVonta Smith, who stands head-and-shoulders over the field.
INJURIES
Jerrion Ealy, Mississippi (undisclosed) QUESTIONABLE
Ealy will test the injury in pre-game warm-ups. His questionable tag clouds Ole Miss's running game a bit, and if he can't go, look to Snoop Conner ($6,900) to take the majority of maps in the backfield.
Braylon Sanders, Mississippi (undisclosed) DOUBTFUL
Matt Corral will be without his top wideout against the Hoosiers. If he cannot play, aim for Jonathan Mingo ($6,400) and Dontario Drummond ($6,900) to pick up the slack.
WR Dyami Brown, RB Javonte Williams, RB Michael Carter, North Carolina (opt-out) - OUT
Wave goodbye to North Carolina's offense. Their three top targets are passing on the Orange Bowl and will instead prep for the NFL. This is bad news for Carolina fans, but it might not be so bad for DFS value-hunting. There will likely be a timeshare at running back, but Sam Howell still has a reliable starter in Dazz Newsome ($8,600), and Khafre Brown ($5,800) should also get involved. If I were to guess the top runner, it would probably go to British Brooks ($5,700), but it might be best to fade their running game altogether against the Aggies.
QUARTERBACK
Kellen Mond, Texas A&M ($10,200) vs. North Carolina
No offense to my Ohio readers, but I think the Aggies deserved a spot in the CFP Final. Jimbo Fisher led the team to an excellent 8-1 record, his best result since taking the job in 2018. The Aggies have also taken down two bowl victories in his tenure, so the team knows how to close the deal when it counts. The big-name signal-callers in the sport grab all the headlines, but Kellen Mond deserves a spot in the limelight as well. Although the Aggies are a run-first team, Mond is a duel-threat who can burn you with his arm or while scrambling out of the backfield. He sports an effective 19:3 TD/INT ratio and is an extremely accurate passer (63.5 percent), and connected 80 percent of his passes in their last game versus Tennessee. He's also rushed for three scores, logging 258 yards on the ground. Mond will see a depleted Tar Heel defense, as many key players have either opted-out or are sidelined with injury, Put all of these metrics together, and you have what I think is the highest-rated quarterback on the slate.
Bailey Hockman, North Carolina State ($7,400) vs. Kentucky
Rather than zero in on highly-rostered targets like Matt Corral and Sam Howell, I'm going to slide down to Hockman, who's thrown for over 300 yards in two straight games. They've also won four in a row and are one of the country's hottest teams at the moment. The Wildcats are favored, but the Wolfpack's stuff run defense will stifle Kentucky, as they live and die on the ground with one of the least efficient passing attacks in the country. I expect N.C. State to control the time of possession, thus maximizing Hockman's opportunities to drive it down the field. He has a talented crew of running backs who will help open up the passing lanes. I also opt for Hockman due to Corral's issues at wideout and Howell's ability to stay on the field against a stalwart Texas A&M defense. A stack with wideout Emeka Emezie ($7,400) is necessary to stack if you go with Hockman. They've connected for 42 receptions this season.
Also consider: Tyler Shough, Oregon ($9,600) vs. Iowa State
RUNNING BACK
Breece Hall, Iowa State ($10,700) vs. Oregon
As previously stated, we're going to spend up at running back today. The Heisman has traditionally been a quarterback-heavy award, but there's no reason why Hall shouldn't have been in the conversation. The last Cyclone to be considered was Troy Davis, another running back - he came in second in the Heisman vote, and Hall has shattered most of his single-season records. Nineteen touchdowns are nothing to sneeze at, nor is his 1,436 yards on the ground, which ranked second in the country. He also tacked on two additional touchdown receptions and is the unquestioned engine of this offense. Oregon has been a turnover machine this season, but they've earned that through interceptions. That spells trouble for Purdy, but it's good news for Hall, who should be able to find creases in the Ducks' offensive line and break out for at least one long run.
Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M ($9,500) vs. North Carolina
Due to FanDuel's favorable pricing, there's no reason why you can't get both Hall and Spiller into your lineups. As we said, Mack Brown's team is hurting on defense, and stopping the run has been a weakness all season. The defense yielded an average of almost 150 yards against opposing running backs, and seven of those running backs went for 100 or more yards. The one knock for Spiller is that he has an excellent corps of runners behind him, which is one reason why he's only gone for just under 1,000 yards the year. You could consider opting for Ainias Smith ($8,800) in hopes of the game getting out of control, but there is no need to from a cost perspective. Spiller is good chalk that doesn't need to be faded to pay down elsewhere. However, I would consider stacking in Smith at the flex to round out the team's rushing attack. The Aggies' offensive line will take care of both of them.
Zonovan Knight, North Carolina State ($7,900) vs. Kentucky
Kentucky's offense will struggle against the Wolfpack's run defense, and to make things worse, they'll be without star cornerback Kelvin Joseph, who snagged 13 interceptions this season. While Bailey Hockman will exploit that soft spot, the Wolfpack will also look to employ ball control with Knight in the backfield. With nine touchdowns and 872 yards of total offense, I like Knight in the flex despite the lower O/U listed in this game. Ricky Person ($7,100) will also see some carries, but again, the salary structure on this slate doesn't favor value targets if you're building the right roster.
WIDE RECEIVER
As previously stated, there's value to be had at wideout, especially for Ole Miss and UNC. Definitely keep them in mind. We'll look beyond those two situations for other targets, and if you've followed my endorsements, you should be able to easily grab wideouts in the 7-8k range.
Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M ($8,300) vs. North Carolina
With Wydermeyer, you're paying for the upside. While he'll net you enough receptions to be relevant, the tight end can blow up for two touchdowns one week and be fairly quiet a week later. He's caught 13 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns over his past two games, so he's definitely trending up, and I think he'll be Kellen Mond's favorite target.
Charlie Kolar, Iowa State ($7,500) vs. Oregon
Brock Purdy always seems to find his tight end in the end zone, as Kolar has scored in six out of 10 games this season. He might also give Purdy more success against Oregon's secondary, who will attempt to shut down the pass by keying on Xavier Hutchinson. It might be a rough day in the air for Purdy, but Kolar should be around to bail him out.
Devon Williams, Oregon ($7,000) vs. Iowa State
Tyler Shough will be happy to get Williams back, who hasn't played since late November. You'll need to check in to make sure he's playing, but he was very effective against both Oregon State and UCLA before missing a few games. He totaled 100-plus yards and a touchdown in both of those contests.
Some other wideout targets worth considering:
WR Ty Fryfogle, Indiana ($9,200)
TE Peyton Hendershot, Indiana ($6,800)
TE Cary Angeline, North Carolina State ($6,000)
Unless I'm tapped for the CFP Final, this will conclude my contribution to college football DFS this season. Thank you to all the readers this year, and we'll see you next season!
