The greatest weekend of college football is upon us. Every year, the college boys take over Labor Day weekend. We have games galore from Thursday until Monday with no NFL to get in the way. Let's enjoy this! We have many teams gracing DFS tournaments that aren't normally on here. That's where the money lies, my friends.
Week 0 was a decent prelude to our nine-game welcome-back on Thursday. We have stars galore and teams you've never heard of. What could go wrong? Some risks are worth taking, but much of this slate will be determined by mining value in FCS teams.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/29/24, locking at 7 p.m. Eastern. I’ll provide multiple player suggestions for players at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, aiming to highlight one option at the high, middle, and lower end of the salary scale. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Quarterbacks
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado ($10K)
If you decide to pay up at QB, Sanders is your man. North Dakota State is good enough to keep this game close. Even if it doesn't, Colorado is committed to keeping Sanders in the Heisman race for as long as possible. Like it or not, that includes stat-padding where possible. Colorado has a lot of talent on offense and the whole thing revolves around Shedeur. He's worth this massive price tag.
2 Days Away ‼️?⏳
Shedeur Sanders career stats in week 1..
3 Games (3-0)
18/24 221 Yards 0 TD 0 INT
29/33 323 Yards 5 TD 0 INT
38/47 510 Yards 4 TD 0 INT ?#SkoBuffs? #BeatNDSU #UpTheSko pic.twitter.com/6iKrR0XpBp
— KeepItRealBuffs (@keepitbuffs) August 27, 2024
Max Brosmer, Minnesota ($7.5K)
I don't see a good reason to pay up at quarterback. There will be a few of them who have big games against inferior opponents, but taking a look at last year's games, Brady Cook was average in the opener. Jalon Daniels was treated with kid gloves and ultimately held out. Meanwhile, Minnesota will need everything Brosmer has to keep up with North Carolina.
We don't know what to expect from him since even I only watched one New Hampshire game last year. He looked good against Central Michigan, but North Carolina promises to be a tougher matchup. Still, the price is right and Brosmer should have a decent floor.
CJ Ogbonna, Buffalo ($5.8K)
Ogbonna might be nothing more than a glorified running back against Lafayette. Even at that, this is a great price for him. He ran for 214 yards and three touchdowns on 51 carries last year. Ogbonna could be in for a huge game here at a very reasonable price.
Unlike many in his price range, Ogbonna won the Buffalo job outright. He's not splitting reps (at least officially) in Week 1. A lot can be said for that.
Also consider: KJ Jefferson, Central Florida ($9.3K); Grayson McCall, North Carolina State ($7.1K); Cole Payton, North Dakota State ($6K)
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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Running Backs
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina ($8.5K)
Hampton struggled down the stretch last year, but that had as much to do with the struggles of the offense as a whole. That might be a concern later this year, but I see it as a strength for this game. Minnesota's run defense left a lot to be desired last year. It allowed 10 rushing touchdowns in the last four games of 2023, including two in the bowl game against Bowling Green.
With the Tar Heels nursing a QB controversy, Hampton should have plenty of room to run in this one. He can carry a heavy load. In Carolina's games in which it needed him last year, he notched 26 carries against Appalachian State, 24 against Miami, 29 against Georgia Tech, and 31 against Duke. There is a high ceiling here.
Darius Taylor, Minnesota ($6.7K)
There's a reason for the mass exodus of backs out of Minneapolis. Taylor racked up 799 rushing yards in just six games last year, culminating in a monster 35-carry, 208-yard performance against Bowling Green. Iowa was the only team that kept him out of the end zone and under 100 yards and he still scored 11.4 DraftKings points.
NOTE: #Gophers' star RB Darius Taylor's rushing yard total for Thursday night's opener against North Carolina is o/u 73.5 yds on most sportsbooks.
In 5 starts last season, he averaged 159.2 yards/gm. UNC's defense allowed 163.2 yds/gm last year. Seems shockingly low? ? pic.twitter.com/ehoYCCnEhC
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) August 28, 2024
Nate Noel, Missouri ($5.4K)
The Appalachian State transfer is backing up Georgia State transfer Marcus Carroll. That's a good thing in this game. Missouri should have this in hand by halftime. I expect a lot of work for Noel in the second half as Missouri bleeds the clock to wind down a big win.
Also consider: RJ Harvey, Central Florida ($8.2K); Marcus Carroll, Missouri ($5.9K); Jacqez Barksdale, Buffalo ($4.8K)
DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Wide Receivers
Luther Burden III, Missouri ($9K)
This is a risk since Missouri likely won't work its starters very hard in this one, but Burden still put up 22.8 DraftKings points in last year's opener against South Dakota. Burden should at the very least break a touchdown or two before hitting the showers.
Missouri WR Luther Burden III in Week 1:
? 7 Receptions
? 96 Yards | 1 TD
? 3 Missed Tackles Forced
? 2 Contested Catches pic.twitter.com/ZlATinqzUm— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 1, 2023
LaJohntay Wester, Colorado ($6K)
I have nothing against Travis Hunter, but he's $3,000 more. Wester was the possession guy for Florida Atlantic last year, but he's got some juice, too. Hunter has a much higher ceiling, but I can argue that Wester's floor is just about as good. He'll get targets in a game that should be closely contested throughout.
Kobe Paysour, North Carolina ($5.4K)
Paysour didn't play after Week 6 last year, but he looked good over the summer. The Tar Heels need someone to step up opposite Nate McCollum. Paysour might be the guy or he might play slot. Either way, he'll see plenty of targets from whoever starts at quarterback.
Also consider: Travis Hunter, Colorado ($9K); Dorian Singer, Utah ($6.7K); Daniel Jackson, Minnesota ($5.8K)
DraftKings CFB Stacks
Missouri
Murray State won't put up much of a fight, but Missouri at least has a clear-cut hierarchy. I'm probably avoiding Brady Cook due to price, but you can have both backs (who should both see a lot of work) for $11,300. I would add in Burden too just because he's a threat to score from anywhere.
North Carolina
I'll switch this if it's raining in Minneapolis. I seem to be on an island about North Carolina's offense, which seems a great reason to stack it! I'll give Max Johnson the nod because of experience, but this may be another spot where I fade the quarterback.
However, I love Hampton, McCollum, and Paysour here. Darwin Barlow and Bryson Nesbit are solid value plays if you need them.
Also consider: Central Florida, Kansas
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