FanDuel College Football: Saturday Main Slate Breakdown for Week 5

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Updated on September 30, 2023 2:29AM EST

Hello there, friends. On to Week 5 we go as conference play abounds across the country. While multiple offerings on the slate provide intrigue from a real football standpoint, some under-the-radar games may also pique the interest of DFS players.

Topping the charts on the totals spectrum is Colorado-USC at 72.5, thanks to Colorado's lightning-fast offense, averaging 77.8 plays per game, good for the 13th-most in the country, and the efficiency with which USC's offense operates. Ole Miss- LSU (66.5), Tennessee-South Carolina (61.5) and Texas-Kansas (60.5) round out the 60-plus point totals.

USC also leads the way on the expected score front (47.0), more than a touchdown above any other team on the slate. Texas (38.5) and Tennessee (36.5) each pass the 35-point barrier, while LSU (34.5) and Oklahoma (34.0) aren't far behind. There are eight double-digit-point favorites Saturday, with USC -- shocker, I know -- topping the charts (-21.5). Oklahoma (-19.5), Michigan (-17.5), Texas (-16.5) and Georgia (-14.5) make the list as two-touchdown favorites.

College Football DFS Weather (winds 10+ MPH and rain chance 50-plus percent noted)

Baylor at UCF: Strong chance of rain and storms throughout, and winds are expected to be 11-13 MPH.

Kansas at Texas: Winds expected to sit a little above 11 MPH. Slight chance of rain

Michigan at Nebraska: Winds 15-20 MPH could be a cause for concern with the passing game.

Houston at Texas Tech: Winds 15+ MPH here as well. Could cause trouble for two high-volume passing attacks.

Iowa State at Oklahoma: Winds could sit in the low double digits

West Virginia at TCU: Winds here may also sit in low double digits throughout.

Notable Injuries/Absences for Week 5 in College Football

John Rhys Plumlee, UCF Central Florida - Ahead of schedule and could return soon, though it's unclear if Saturday is in play.

Blake Shapen, Baylor Baylor - Considered day-to-day and is hopeful to return soon.

Garrett Greene, West Virginia - Being monitored throughout the week and won't play unless healthy.

Jeff Sims, Nebraska - Not 100 percent but could see some snaps Saturday, possibly splitting time under center.

Raheim Sanders, Arkansas - Seemingly better chance to suit up Saturday versus Texas A&M.

Kendall Milton, Georgia Georgia - Got some reps in practice earlier this week.

Cartevious Norton, Iowa State - Practiced Tuesday and is expected to play.

Jaylen Wright, Tennesssee Tennessee - Viewed as a game-time decision, but head coach Josh Heupel feels "really good" about him playing.

Tony Mathis, Houston Houston - Expected to make his return Saturday.

Roderick Robinson, Georgia Georgia - Minimal involvement in practice earlier this week.

Xavier Weaver, Colorado - Nine grabs for 75 yards before leaving last week with an injury.

Noah Thomas, Texas A&M - Should be good to go Saturday.

Ladd McConkey, Georgia Georgia - Has looked good in practice this week. Status for Saturday still unclear.

Tre Harris, Ole Miss Mississippi - Was in a non-contact jersey after minimal action last week. Expected to be healthier this week, though it's unclear how much he will play.

Ramel Keyton, Tennessee - Termed as a game-time decision but is believed to have a solid chance to play.

Myles Price, Texas Tech - Was limited to just punt return duties last week. Status for Saturday unclear.

Antonio Williams, Clemson Clemson - Status for this week remains unclear, but he's reportedly making progress.

Dylan Wright, TCU TCU - Hasn't appeared since the opener and is being eased back into the lineup.

Jayden Thomas, Notre Dame - Termed "questionable/doubtful," which seemingly has him trending toward sitting out.

Marcus Burke, Florida Florida - Listed as questionable for Saturday on the depth chart.

Jack Bech, TCU TCU - Being eased back in like Wright above.

Bru McCoy, Tennessee - Termed a game-time call for Saturday.

Josh Kattus, Kentucky - Coach Stoops is hopeful he will return this week.

Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss Mississippi - In a non-contact jersey Tuesday, though likely as a precaution. Seems likely he'll be available, though it's unclear how much he will play.

College Football DFS Tools

Week 5 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel

Quarterback

Caleb Williams, USC ($12,800) at Colorado

Williams is the clear chalk play of the week, and it's not difficult to see why. The Buffs play at a lightning pace on offense and have put up points, but the defense hasn't proven to be at the necessary caliber to compete yet, surrendering a slate-high 24.7 points per game to opposing quarterbacks, including 141 rushing yards and three rushing scores. Williams is as impactful as they come on the ground when he wants to be, and he's tallied three rushing scores in the first two Pac-12 contests of the season. He also has plenty of weapons to turn to in the passing attack, and I anticipate the Trojans aiming to make a statement similar to what Oregon did last week.

Quinn Ewers, Texas ($10,200) vs. Kansas

Ewers has posted modest efforts on a weekly basis thus far and is coming off of a couple slower weeks. His salary still checks in seventh among quarterbacks, and this is a matchup where the passing attack could be highlighted more frequently. Kansas' pass defense has seemingly held opposing passing attacks in check thus far, but what needs to be accounted for are the opponents, which include numerous teams that aren't particularly effective through the air. Ewers and the Longhorns certainly can be when they want to, and the Jayhawks have bottled up opposing running backs reasonably well, allowing just 11.5 fantasy points per game. This seems like a contest where Ewers could shine through the air and possibly add to his three rushing scores, given that Kansas has surrendered four to opposing QBs through four games.

Donovan Smith, Houston ($8,400) at Texas Tech

The weather for the passing attack here could be of some concern, but I'm not relying on Smith's contributions through the air here to get my fantasy returns. The Red Raiders have yielded 46.8 rushing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks this season, and that includes negative-7 yards to Tarlston State. In the other three contests, opposing QBs have scampered for a combined 194 yards, and Smith has certainly proven he can run when the opportunity arises, rushing for 104 yards and three scores through four games. The Cougars are also 8.5-point underdogs for the contest, so the team will be playing from behind if that holds true, and Smith will be counted on for a sizable dose of usage.

Running Back

RJ Harvey, UCF ($9,400) vs. Baylor

While Harvey's carries have been limited to a max of 15 on the year, he's also been involved as a receiver, amassing even grabs thus far. The Bears have also shown they can't stop opposing running backs, yielding 4.6 rushing yards per carry, which balloons to 5.4 yards per tote against just opposing running backs. Harvey is also a major weapon as a receiver, turning seven catches into 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns on seven targets. He shouldn't need a ton of work to put up a well-rounded stat line in this one.

Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech ($7,400) vs. Houston

While it's not among the higher-profile games on the slate this week, Brooks may be one of my favorite DFS plays on this slate. All of the factors are seemingly working in his favor Saturday. Windy weather could mean more emphasis on the ground game, the Red Raiders are more than touchdown favorites over the Cougars, Houston has struggled as a whole defensively and in a big way versus running backs, allowing six rushing touchdowns to opposing backs through four games. Texas Tech will also be without Tyler Shough under center, which essentially eliminates the ground game threat from the quarterback position with Behren Morton under center. Brooks has also taken a heavier volume the last two weeks, rushing a combined 44 times, and both teams in this matchup rank in the top 20 in plays per game. What's not to love?

Daijun Edwards, Georgia ($8,200) at Auburn

While Auburn doesn't seem the most appealing opponent, allowing just 15.2 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, that also includes contests against FCS Samford and an overmatched UMass team. Texas A&M made mince meat of the Tigers' run defense last week, seeing Le'Veon Moss rumble for 97 yards on 15 totes and Amari Daniels add 85 on just five carries. Edwards and the Bulldogs certainly have the chops to match that sort of ground production, and Edwards seems the most available of the team's leading backs right now. Kendall Milton did partake in some of practice this week, so it's possible he will return to the mix, but he won't necessarily be operating at 100 percent, and Edwards has been efficient with his work the last two weeks, averaging 5.8 yards per tote en route to 184 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries. I expect him to be heavily involved again Saturday.

Dylan Edwards, Colorado ($5,900) vs. USC

If you're aiming to go against the grain here, Edwards seems like a cheap spot to get involved on the Colorado side of this game. Sure, he's been relatively silent since his flashy entrance on to the college scene in the opener versus TCU, but Edwards is still the primary target among running backs in the passing attack, notching 21 targets through four games. USC has ben vulnerable when it comes to defending opposing backs as receivers, allowing 19 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown on 24 targets. Edwards' receiving ability could be a factor in the game plan this week, especially if the Buffs fall behind again as expected, so it just seems like this is a game where Edwards could pop up again.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Brenden Rice, USC ($8,500) at Colorado

I really wanted to find the right wideout to involve in the USC stack Saturday, and by looking deeper on PFF, I have settled on Rice as the top option. Omarion Cooper was the primary cornerback targeted (10 times) last week, resulting in 81 yards and a touchdown tallied against him. Based on who lined up primarily against him last week (Troy Franklin), it's Rice who would be expected to line up most frequently on the same side, thus potentially aligning him for a sizable showing. Given his reasonable salary and the fact that he's coming off his best effort of the season against Arizona State, things seem to align right for another big output Saturday.

Andrel Anthony, Oklahoma ($8,200) vs. Iowa State

I'm going back to the well here with Anthony, but he's still sitting at a reasonable salary despite a season-high output last week, thanks to the fact that he's failed to reach the end zone in all but one game. Anthony was still targeted eight times last week and is a major deep threat, averaging 14.8 yards per target on the season. Having viewed some of the game, he was also targeted near the goal line in the red zone, so there's reason to anticipate more trips to the end zone are on the way. Iowa State has faced Northern Iowa, Iowa, an Oklahoma State, Ohio and an Oklahoma State passing attack still aiming to find its footing, so while it doesn't appear like a great matchup, I'm confident Dillon Gabriel and the passing attack will get plenty of chances to air it out in this one, especially given the state of the Cyclones' passing attack. The Sooners need to continue making statements for their CFP case to climb from the double-digit ranks, and this seems like an opportunity to make one.

Tre Harris, Ole Miss ($7,200) vs. LSU

Harris is a risky play coming off a week in which he saw just five snaps, but Lane Kiffin indicated he's expected to be healthier this week, and his upside is too much to ignore. Kiffin pointed out that Harris played eight drives before suffering the injury, and the Rebels scored touchdowns on seven of them. Of the seven touchdowns, five went Harris' direction. He's the best playmaker the team has in the passing game at the moment when healthy, and LSU's once-vaunted secondary hasn't proven to be the same this season, though it's slightly skewed by Florida State's outburst in the opener. That said, Harris and co. will need to make some impact on the box score to keep this one as close as Vegas anticipates, especially since Quinshon Judkins and the ground game has been held in check thus far.

Squirrel White, Tennessee ($5,900) vs. South Carolina

White has little to write home about thus far in 2023, compiling just 17 catches for 172 yards and no touchdowns through four games. However, he's still the top target in the passing game, averaging just under seven per contest, which carries over from his big effort in the bowl game last year, which also came with Joe Milton under center:

The Vols are due to get the passing game into gear at some point, and Saturday's matchup versus a South Carolina secondary that allowed 487 passing yards last week seems like a good place to start. White is explosive and seems like as good an option as any to find pay dirt this week, and his salary is significantly less than either Ramel Keyton or Bru McCoy, who are reportedly both GTDs but have a good chance to play.

Also consider: Malik Nabers ($10,500)/Brian Thomas ($9,400), LSU LSU, Tyler Brown, Clemson Clemson ($6,700)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Benzine plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Crispy272001, DraftKings: Crispy27.