RADIO
Welcome to Week 5 of the college football season! After three extremely fun weeks of football, this fifth week is looking like the best one yet. FanDuel and DraftKings have given us very different slates and while we'll be focusing on DraftKings, I'll do my best to throw in some FanDuel plays as well.
Hopefully, you're checking out this article after a successful Saturday morning. Let's dive in!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for the early slate of games on FanDuel and DraftKings on 9/21/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!It's an extremely fun slate ahead of us, with more than enough offense to go around. I'll be breaking down the later slate in a different article, so make sure to keep an eye out for that as well. Let's dive into some of the top plays at each position. You can follow me on Twitter @VarneyDFS. I will be around all day to answer questions.
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks
Jordan Love - Utah State - FD $8,700 DK $6,800
This Colorado State defense is one of the worst in the entire country. Let’s get that out of the way. They managed to give up 55 points to Arkansas and 41 to Toledo. Vegas has Utah State favored by 24 points with a 70 total, so they expect the Aggies to put up close to 50 points here. Jordan Love is an underrated quarterback and I can see him throwing for 400 yards again in this match-up. I would be playing Love if he was the most expensive QB on the board, so that should let you know what I think of him priced below 10 other QB’s. It’s a great idea to get exposure to this Utah State offense on the late slate.
Patrick O'Brien - Colorado State - FD $10,700 DK $5,600
I do expect Colorado State to struggle early on, but O’Brien shouldn’t have any trouble getting over 300 yards by the time things are said and done. He’s missing his top target in Warren Jackson, but Dante Wright and Nate Craig-Myers should fill in serviceably. CSU is a 24 point underdog, but that still puts them close to a 30 implied total with a 70 total. O’Brien is just too cheap on DraftKings and he helps you get exposure to these running backs that we want very badly.
Justin Fields - Ohio State - FD $8,300 DK $8,600
Justin Fields is still the safest cash game quarterback on the board. On the road in Nebraska, it might not be all rainbows and cupcakes. However, we’re still looking at a 61 total with Ohio State a healthy 17-point favorite. Nebraska doesn’t have a great defense and Fields won’t have any issue reaching 25-35 fantasy points. With that being said, I don’t think the upside for 45 is there like it is for Love. It sounds crazy, but I prefer Jordan Love.
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Running Backs
Chuba Hubbard - Oklahoma State - FD $10,500 DK $8,400
You can’t go wrong with Hubbard or Akers. Both are home favorites in games with a high total facing a bad defense. Honestly, if you can find a way to fit both, you could be looking at 70 fantasy points between the pair. If you make me choose one, it’s Chuba Hubbard. Oklahoma State is expected to put up a few more points than FSU and I fully expect them to attack on the ground. Kansas State is a lot worse vs the run and it’s obvious that Hubbard invites the touches. He’s had an insane 71 touches in just the last two weeks. The Cowboys are just four-point favorites, so they’ll need every bit of Hubbard magic to bring this home. Expect another 30+ touches and 25+ fantasy points out of Chuba Hubbard.
JaTarvious Whitlow - Auburn - FD $10,200 DK $6,500
JaTarvious “Boobie” Whitlow is one of my personal favorite running backs to watch in college. He’s not flashy at all, but has a great knack for the first down line and makes very deliberate cuts. It’s why he’s given the ball so much in short distance situations. He’s found the end zone in three straight games, totaling 408 yards and four scores on the season. Auburn is a 10 point favorite over Mississippi State and Whitlow is who they’ll be leaning on the run the clock out in the second half. Kansas State ran for more yards than they passed for and beat Mississippi State, so you can definitely run on these guys. Expect another affordable touchdown out of Boobie Whitlow.
Also Consider - Cam Akers, Devin Brumfield, J.K. Dobbins
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers
Lynn Bowden Jr. - Kentucky - FD $8,500 DK $6,700
In all of college football, Lynn Bowden Jr. ranks second with 46 targets through four games. He’s the focal point of this offense and they’ll need him against South Carolina. The Gamecocks have a terrible pass defense and I wouldn’t be surprised if Bowden Jr. ends up with 10+ targets for 100 yards and a score. His price is fair on both sites and I’ll have 100% exposure in my cash games.
Emeka Emezie - NC State - FD $8,400 DK $6,100
If NC State really is playing from behind as Vegas expects here, the passing game should be able to put up a ton of yards. Emeka Emezie has been the favorite target of McKay, reeling in 12 balls the last time they faced a below-average pass defense. He saw 23 targets in that game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him climb towards that number again Saturday. Emezie wasn’t great last week and I’m hoping that keeps him under 20% owned. Emezie is a great play in all formats and you can pair him with McKay and Akers in a tournament.
Nate Craig-Myers - Colorado State - FD $6,400 DK $4,400
With Warren Jackson not expected to play, there is a glaring hole in this Rams offense. If you watched last week, Jackson saw 20+ targets and is a guy O’Brien leans on like crazy. He’ll be forced to look towards Nate Craig-Myers, who has all the tools to succeed as an Auburn Transfer. I really expect at least 7-10 catches with the potential for more. Dante Wright could see 10+ catches as well, but it’ll just depend on who O’Brien decides to lean on. He wasn’t perfect last week, but ended up throwing for 400 yards and a couple of scores. It won’t happen again, but the receiving game should be concentrated between Craig-Myers and Wright. Both are excellent plays as the Rams will be throwing from behind all game.
Also Consider - Dante Wright, Bryan Edwards, K.J. Hill, Tamorrion Terry
