This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
The following is a breakdown of FanDuel's early Saturday slate for college football.
CASH-GAME TARGETS
QUARTERBACK
Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech (vs. Iowa State) - $8,600
Iowa State allowed at least 30 points to both Toledo and Iowa earlier this year, so a home game against the Cyclones should set the stage for a touchdown-heavy effort from the Red Raiders' offense. Despite being enormous favorites, Tech might keep the pedal down and run up the score for some necessary style points after dropping games against TCU and Baylor. With high usage as both a passer (42.2 pass attempts per game) and runner (6.2 rush attempts per game), Mahomes seems like the slam-dunk cash-game target at quarterback in this slate.
Honorable mention:Blake Frohnapfel, Massachusetts (at Bowling Green) - $6,900
RUNNING BACK
Nick Chubb, Georgia (at Tennessee) - $8,500
We screamed about it at length on the podcast this week, but this price is just nuts for Chubb. Tennessee is allowing 4.45 yards per carry, and Chubb is averaging 8.2 yards per carry with seven touchdowns on 91 attempts. After losing to Alabama, Georgia figures to show aggression on the scoreboard against an in-conference opponent that can't be taken lightly despite three straight embarrassing losses, paving the way for a multi-touchdown effort from Chubb.
Jordan Canzeri, Iowa (vs. Illinois) - $5,800
Canzeri opened the year as a pass-catching specialist behind Leshun Daniels, but an ankle sprain suffered by Daniels in Week 2 opened the door for Canzeri to start, and Canzeri is fully capitalizing on the opportunity. Although Daniels still lurks as a short-yardage vulture, Canzeri has proven his general superiority by running for 413 yards (4.9 YPC) and seven touchdowns against Iowa State, Pittsburgh, North Texas and Wisconsin. Illinois is allowing just 3.6 yards per carry this year, but that number was deflated by matchups against Western Illinois, Kent State and Middle Tennessee. Against Nebraska and North Carolina, the Illini allowed an average of 220 yards and 1.5 touchdowns per game on the ground, at an average of 6.2 yards per carry.
Honorable mention:C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame (vs. Navy) - $8,500; Samaje Perine, Oklahoma (at Texas) $7,700; Travis Greene, Bowling Green vs. Massachusetts ($6,300), Sony Michel, Georgia at Tennessee ($5,400)
WIDE RECEIVER
Tajae Sharpe, Massachusetts (at Bowling Green) - $6,900
Sharpe has been targeted constantly by Blake Frohnfapfel, securing 45 receptions for 536 yards and a touchdown in four games. The touchdowns will eventually show up for Sharpe, perhaps this week against a Bowling Green team that allows opponents to run an average of 82 plays per game.
Jay Lee, Baylor (at Kansas), $6,200
Another week, another low price for Lee. Still incorrectly perceived as the third receiver in the Baylor offense, every indication is that Lee is No. 2 in the rotation ahead of KD Cannon. There is some hit-or-miss risk since Cannon and Corey Coleman are both threats to go off any week, but there should be room for everyone to make an impact against a hopeless Kansas squad. Baylor could accidentally hit 80 points in this one.
Honorable mention:Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech (vs. Iowa State) - $6,900; Ronnie Moore, Bowling Green (vs. Massachusetts), $6,000
TIGHT END
Mark Andrews, Oklahoma (at Texas), $3,000
Andrews might be the top NFL prospect at tight end in college football. The true freshman is an imposing figure at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, but he runs like a receiver. He has eight catches for 154 yards and three touchdowns this year, and the fact that Oklahoma has short receivers makes Andrews the most tempting target in the red zone.
Honorable mention:Ethan Wolf, Tennessee (vs. Georgia) $3,000; Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin (at Nebraska) $2,300
TOURNAMENT-SPECIFIC TARGETS
QUARTERBACK
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (at Texas), $8,900
The Texas defense has inexplicably taken a big step back this year, and through five games the Longhorns are allowing 38.2 points per game. Mayfield is not only thriving as a passer with Oklahoma, averaging 345 yards per game (10.2 YPA) and 13 touchdowns, but he's run for 138 yards and four scores. That gives him a high floor and high ceiling, but the cheaper price tag on Mahomes should make Mayfield the lesser-owned player.
RUNNING BACK
Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State (vs. Maryland) $9,400
That this game is against Maryland all but guarantees the Buckeyes a healthy point total, yet the dysfunction of the Ohio State passing game makes it hard to reliably project those points as the work of quarterback Cardale Jones. It's an obvious chance for Elliott to earn a disproportionate share of a big point total. It's the exact scenario that played out a week ago, when the Buckeyes scored 34 points against Indiana as Elliott ran for 274 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries.
WIDE RECEIVER
Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma (at Texas) $6,100
Westbrook would generally make a fine cash game target, but Samaje Perine and Sterling Shepard are both affordable on this slate, so there might be an opportunity to get a lower ownership number than usual on a player who is a threat to lead Oklahoma in receiving. As good as Shepard is, Westbrook's reception and yardage totals trail by just three and 39, respectively (though Shepard has three touchdowns compared to Westbrook's one).
TIGHT END
Rodney Mills, Massachusetts (vs. Bowling Green) $3,100
Double check on Mills' injury status Saturday, but he reportedly returned to practice Tuesday after missing last week's game with a foot issue. If Mills does play, he would probably be the top tight end play on the slate. Massachusetts regularly makes use of the tight end position, and Mills caught five passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns against Temple in Week 2.
FADES
QUARTERBACK
Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee (vs. Georgia) $8,600
I had very high hopes for Dobbs this year, but he hasn't made the progress as a passer, and the rest of the Tennessee program is a mess right now. As Butch Jones continues to lose control of the team, Dobbs' supporting cast might become increasingly dysfunctional, too. Georgia is allowing just 18.4 points per game, so it's hard to see how Dobbs will provide a good return at this price.
RUNNING BACK
Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Illinois (at Iowa) $5,600
Josh Ferguson (shoulder) is likely out Saturday, making Vaughn the projected starter against Iowa. It may be tempting to go after Vaughn and his reliable workload, but the Illinois offense isn't very good, and the matchup is awful. Iowa has yet to allow a rushing touchdown this year, and opponents have totaled just 422 yards on the ground in five games against the Hawkeyes.
WIDE RECEIVER
Jordan Westerkamp, Nebraska (vs. Wisconsin) $6,600
Westerkamp has been great this year and should remain productive most weeks, but I won't be targeting him against Wisconsin. Not only is the Badgers' defense a rough matchup for Nebraska – Wisconsin is allowing just 6.0 YPA and have surrendered just two passing touchdowns in five games – but Westerkamp's target volume is bound to fall now that De'Mornay Pierson-El (foot) is back.
