DraftKings CFB DFS Lineup Picks: Daily College Fantasy Football (12/21/24)

Mike Marteny's DraftKings daily fantasy college football lineup picks for Saturday (12/21/24). His CFB DFS lineup picks and DFS sleepers will help you win.

College football cleared the way for the expanded playoff to dominate the final Saturday before Christmas. We'll have plenty more bowls coming up during Christmas week, but this Saturday will be for the giant revenue-making abomination that is the expanded playoff. Hey, those NIL deals don't pay for themselves!

We have three playoff games today, starting in State College with SMU visiting Penn State. Next up is Clemson in Austin for a battle of which orange color is the worst. We end in Columbus with yet another orange team trying to dispose of Brutus. Can you imagine if Syracuse gets in next year along with Florida while keeping Texas, Clemson, and Tennessee? The world would be a different shade of orange...permanently.

In this article, I will provide you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/21/24, starting at noon Eastern. I’ll give multiple player suggestions for players at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, aiming to highlight one option at the salary scale's high, middle, and lower end. Good luck, RotoBallers.

DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Quarterbacks

Drew Allar, Penn State ($7.3K)

The only P5 quarterback in the country with ZERO turnover worthy plays under pressure this season.

1. Drew Allar, Penn. State pic.twitter.com/CtNBJD58sT

— Adam Carter (@SmartfootbalI) December 19, 2024

This is a slate with three playoff games. There are no "good" matchups. You know what I do in those situations? I choose the guy who doesn't make mistakes. Allar may be "safe," but I'm never going to dog a guy for taking care of the ball.

Five of Allar's seven turnovers on the season game in two games (two against Oregon, three against USC). Allar still realizes that he can be better. He has already committed to return to Happy Valley next year. I have some questions about the Penn State offense and the plays called at times this season, but that has nothing to do with Allar. He's going to have a good game or three in the playoffs.

Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee ($5.8K)

Iamaleava is a miniature Drew Allar right now. He has worked hard to cut down on his turnovers, but he still fumbles a lot more than Allar. He only turned it over four times in eight SEC games. Iamaleava may not have the upside to break a slate, but no one at this price does. The first thing to break down against a stout defense is the quarterback. If we can find ones that don't make mistakes, we're ahead of the curve.

Also consider: Cade Klubnik, Clemson ($8.6K); Kevin Jennings, SMU ($7.7K)

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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Running Backs

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee ($8.2K)

Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson This Season:

? 70 Missed Tackles Forced
? 927 Yards After Contact

Leads All SEC Running Backs in BOTH Categories@Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/DD4M3EJSPb

— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 20, 2024

I'm old enough to remember Michigan running wild on Ohio State for four consecutive years. None of the backs are of the caliber of Sampson. The offensive line may be a little better, but not enough to scare me off of Sampson.

It's going to be cold in Columbus. Good running weather. I expect Sampson to do a lot of it. He topped 100 yards in all but the UTEP (11 carries in a blowout) and Oklahoma (92 yards) games. He should make it again tonight.

Quintrevion Wisner, Texas ($6.2K)

Jaydon Blue's arm still isn't fully healed. Wisner has filled in nicely for Blue and mostly cedes to him in passing downs now. Wisner topped 100 yards twice in the last three games. He should at least get close to that mark against Clemson.

Also consider: Brashard Smith, SMU ($7.7K); Nicholas Singleton, Penn State ($6.8K); TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State ($5.9K)

DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Wide Receivers

Tyler Warren, Penn State ($7.2K)

When you’re watching football and see someone moving differently than everyone else… That’s Tyler Warren.

Listed at 6’6, 260-pounds. Guys this large don’t usually have that burst.

He’s a zone killer. Good enough against man coverage on size and contested catch ability alone. pic.twitter.com/h4AC6nweux

— Camden (@Camden_Cash) December 14, 2024

It would be easy to point at SMU's schedule and say they haven't faced anyone quite like Warren. While that is true, this defense used to put up with RJ Maryland in practice. He's close to as good as Warren. SMU may not be as ill-suited to defend Warren as many teams.

That said, Warren is still the target hog of this offense. He has at least six receptions in seven of the last eight games, getting eight or more in five of them. He has also been getting carries out of the backfield with moderate success. Even though SMU is kind of used to his brand of athleticism, they haven't faced Maryland in practice in two months. This still won't be easy.

Matthew Golden, Texas ($5.1K)

Isaiah Bond is likely out again, which means a lot more targets for Golden. With Bond out against Georgia, Golden was targeted 14 times by Quinn Ewers. If Texas isn't playing from behind, the targets will likely go down, but the share should remain the same. Golden is still going to see a lot of pigskin coming his way.

Bryant Wesco Jr, Clemson ($4.4K)

SMU keyed on Antonio Williams. Wesco responded with career highs in receptions (eight) and yards (143) in the ACC Championship. He scored two of the five touchdowns during his freshman season in that game. Texas may take a different approach, but things have been trending this way for a while. Wesco has at least 60 yards in four straight games.

Also consider: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State ($6.2K); Roderick Daniels Jr., SMU ($4.5K); Donte Thornton Jr., Tennessee ($4.3K); Matthew Hibner, SMU ($3.9K)

DraftKings CFB Stacks

Penn State

This isn't an attack on SMU. This is about Penn State controlling the ball, therefore controlling the game. Allar doesn't make mistakes. Both Singleton and Kaytron Allen are affordable and should see plenty of carries. Use the unicorn known as Tyler Warren as the final piece.

Also consider: Texas, Tennessee

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