This article is part of our FantasyAces College Football series.
My streak of good-not-great DFS performances continued on Fantasy Aces last week. My lineup finished second of four, just high enough to make zero money in the winner-take-all SalaryPro format. This week, I'm going back to the standard tournament-style game in a freeroll that pays 75 of 1,500 entries. My goal is to target some players that I believe will no doubt score high and fill in the roster with high volatility, upside plays, that can get me into the top 5 percent.
QUARTERBACK
Trevone Boykin, TCU (vs. SMU) - $6,800
Boykin is the most costly player in the Fantasy Aces universe this week, so hopefully that scares off some players, but his salary is still not preventatively high for me with his killer matchup. SMU allowed 54 points in week 1 to Baylor, and I expect a similarly high-scoring affair in a game with one of the largest over/unders (66.5) on the available slate.
Matt Davis, SMU (at TCU) - $5,900
Going all-in on the Battle for the Iron Skillet. Davis is the leading passer and rusher for the Mustangs, averaging a combined 300 yards and three touchdowns per game. SMU should be playing from behind in this one and hopefully can keep it competitive, but in any case, garbage points count just like regular points.
Others to consider:Matt Johnson, Paxton Lynch, Baker Mayfield,
RUNNING BACK
Jahad Thomas, Temple (at UMASS) - $5,650
Thomas isn't a household name, but the junior has racked up 328 yards and more than six yards per carry against Penn State and Cincinnati to start 2015. His Week 3 matchup against Massachusetts is extremely favorable, as the Minutemen allowed 390 yards on the ground to Colorado. I love Thomas' potential to score among the leaders at RB this Saturday, and he's only the 15th most expensive player at the position.
D'Andre Ferby, Western Kentucky (at Indiana) - $4,650
My quarterbacks weren't cheap, so I need to save some money. Ferby, a 6-foot-1, 240-pound freshman, is now the lead back at WKU after Leon Allen's season-ending injury. The Hilltoppers have a history of producing big rushing numbers with Allen going for 1,500 yards last year and Antonio Andrews topping 1,700 on the ground in 2013.
Others to consider:Samaje Perine, Paul Perkins, Alex Collins
WIDE RECEIVER
Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma (vs. Tulsa) - $5,950
Las Vegas handicappers like this contest even more (71.5 o/u) than the SMU-TCU matchup. I am a little skeptical that Tulsa can muster the firepower against the Sooners that it showed in the first two weeks versus Florida Atlantic and New Mexico. Oklahoma, on the other hand, is a good bet to roll the Golden Hurricane. Shepard is a silky smooth receiver, who can absolutely torch a weak Tulsa defense.
Courtland Sutton, SMU (at TCU) - $4,800
Sutton has quickly become Matt Davis' go-to receiver at SMU. The redshirt freshman's college career is off to a hot start, with three touchdowns in his first two games. Sutton stacks with Davis in a matchup that could get smothered by the Horned Frogs defense or become a shootout between rival schools. I'm obviously betting on the latter.
Others to consider:Josh Doctson, William Fuller
TIGHT END
Austin Hooper, Stanford (at USC) - $3,750
I hoped to stack a cheap tight end with one of my quarterbacks, as usual, but SMU and TCU have combined to complete a whopping one pass to the position over the first two games. When looking for a DFS tight end, it's a good bet to target pro-style offenses like Stanford. Hooper hasn't been involved much this season but that just suppresses his DFS salary in a Cardinal offense that usually features the tight end more than they have so far in 2015. Expect them to get back to that at USC.
Others to consider: Matt Flanagan, Tyler Higbee
FLEX
Robbie Rhodes, Bowling Green (vs. Memphis) - $3,800
Even with a sub-$4k tight end, I'm low on funds for the flex spots. I'm looking for some explosive playmakers who aren't highly owned but have a chance to breakout. Rhodes meets that criteria. A five-star recruit out of Texas that sat out 2014 after transferring from Baylor to BGSU, the sophomore had receptions of 64 and 44 yards in week 2 and is an upside play in a game with an over/under of 79 points.
Steven Mitchell Jr., USC (vs. Stanford) - $3,550
JuJu Smith-Schuster gets all the headlines at USC, and for good reason, but Mitchell is a big play waiting to happen out of the slot. Mitchell has dealt with some injuries, and was limited in week 2 versus Idaho, but when healthy -- and he should be -- Mitchell is expected to be a major part of the Trojans' passing attack. The matchup isn't ideal, but at this price, the potential for payoff is exciting.
