This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
CASH-GAME TARGETSQuarterback
Deshaun Watson, Clemson vs. North Carolina ($10,900)
Yes, this is almost prohibitively expensive, but I'm still eager to pay up for Watson this week. He's been beyond spectacular in the last month, averaging 37.64 fantasy points per game over his last five. The Tar Heels will be without starting safety Sam Smiley, and the over/under is 67.5, with Clemson (-4.5) projected to score roughly 37 points. Brandon Doughty is also a great play if you'd rather not pay up for Watson.
Honorable mention:Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky vs. Southern Mississippi ($9,400); Nick Mullens, Southern Mississippi at Western Kentucky ($7,800)
Running Backs
Christian McCaffrey, Stanford at USC ($8,000)
I probably won't fit him into my lineup, but I had to write up McCaffrey at this price. Paul Perkins is the running back to last play the Trojans, and in that game – even in a 40-21 loss – Perkins ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries while catching five passes for 36 yards. McCaffrey has obviously been amazing this year, even better than the already brilliant Perkins, running for 1,640 yards and catching 37 passes for 435 yards, scoring 10 total touchdowns. His price probably should be closer to $9,000.
Brandon Wilson, Houston vs. Temple ($5,900)
Wilson is the guy who made Javin Webb owners furious last week, when coach Tom Herman silently installed the former cornerback as the starting running back with Kenneth Farrow (ankle) out. If Farrow plays this week then Wilson is no longer an option, but given that Farrow is dealing with a high ankle sprain, it's hard to imagine him returning after sitting out just one game. High ankle sprains normally take closer to a month, and as a runner who subjects himself to unnecessary contact, Farrow isn't the type to do well if he's hobbled. Wilson ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries against a tough Navy defense last week, and at this low price he's worth the risk against Temple's sound defense.
Honorable mention:Wendell Smallwood, West Virginia at Kansas State ($6,600); Shock Linwood, Baylor vs. Texas ($6,500); Wayne Gallman, Clemson vs. North Carolina ($6,200); Ito Smith, Southern Mississippi at Western Kentucky ($6,200)
Wide Receivers
Michael Thomas, Southern Mississippi at Western Kentucky ($6,800)
Thomas has quietly been one of the best receivers in the country this year. He has a touchdown in eight straight games, and he went over the 100-yard mark in seven of his last nine, as well as at least 84 yards in all of those. That has him up to 56 catches for 1,111 yards and 11 touchdowns despite his first two games getting wiped out by injury.
Juju Smith-Schuster, USC vs. Stanford ($6,400)
Cody Kessler has been a mess for a couple months now and the USC passing game just isn't what it used to be, but this is still awfully cheap for an elite talent like Smith-Schuster. Although six of his 10 touchdowns came in the first four weeks of the season, Smith-Schuster still has 22 catches and two touchdowns over his last four games, and Stanford's defense is only decent this year.
Honorable mention:Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky vs. Southern Mississippi ($6,900); Deon Cain, Clemson vs. North Carolina ($5,300); Nicholas Norris, Western Kentucky vs. Southern Mississippi ($5,300); Casey Martin, Southern Mississippi at Western Kentucky ($5,100)
Tight End
Tyler Higbee, Western Kentucky vs. Southern Mississippi ($4,700)
Higbee isn't cheap, but I think this is still an instance where you want to pay up. He has 555 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games this year, and this is a game that ought to be a shootout. The over/under is up to 74, with Western Kentucky (-7.5) projected to score about 40. Given that Western Kentucky just put 49 points on Marshall's solid defense – that was a two-touchdown game for Higbee, by the way – I'm confident Western Kentucky will pass the 40-point mark.
TOURNAMENT-SPECIFIC TARGETS
Quarterback
Chris Johnson, Baylor vs. Texas ($7,200)
The Baylor-TCU game was nothing less than foul, and Johnson was a huge disappointment, but it's hard to see him failing two games in a row, especially playing in Waco on a day that should lack weather similar to the downpour that smothered both the Bears and the Horned Frogs last week. Johnson threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns while running for 42 yards and a third touchdown playing on the road against Oklahoma State in the game before that, so you have to like the dual-threat quarterback's chances of decisively bouncing back in a game where Baylor is projected to score roughly 45 points.
Running Back
Anthony Wales, Western Kentucky vs. Southern Mississippi ($8,600)
His price probably limits him to GPPs for me, but Wales is an awesome play this week. He's on an absolute tear and might be the most explosive runner in what's a long line of dominant players, with Bobby Rainey, Antonio Andrews and Leon Allen preceding him. Since returning from a preseason knee injury, Wales has run for 933 yards (7.2 YPC) and seven touchdowns while catching 17 passes for 123 yards and two more touchdowns in nine games. You have to like the starting runner for a favored home team projected to score over 40 points as a general rule, but when that runner is Wales you have to expect some bonus points.
Honorable mention: Previously mentioned cash-game targets; Jalen Richard, Southern Mississippi at Western Kentucky ($5,200)
Wide Receiver
D.J. Thompson, Southern Mississippi at Western Kentucky ($4,700)
Thompson is behind Michael Thomas and Casey Martin in the Southern Mississippi passing game, but he's the clear third option and has generally produced not far behind Martin. Indeed, Thompson showed the ability to post big numbers by catching 10 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns against UTEP on Halloween, and he heads into this game with 51 catches for 729 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. If Western Kentucky makes it a point to single out Thomas and Martin with the coverage schemes, Thompson would be in position to pick up the slack and give a big return at a cheap price.
