RADIO
Welcome to Week 5 of College football! It's been a very fun year up to this point and this upcoming week looks the be the most fun of them all. In recent CFB news, D'Eriq King has decided to redshirt and will sit out the rest of the season. Houston isn't on this slate, but it's worth noting the overall forecast of college football. This early slate has two games with a 70 total, and we'll be focusing on those. Jalen Hurts is on the slate, so all eyes will be on him against a brutal Texas Tech defense. We'll discuss if he's worth paying for.
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 9/28/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
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.
Vegas Lines
- Texas Tech @ Oklahoma (-27) - 70
- Wake Forest (-6.5) @ Boston College - 70
- Ole Miss @ Alabama (-37.5) - 61
- Clemson (-27) @ UNC - 60
- USC @ Washington (-10.5) - 60
- Texas A&M (-23) @ Arkansas - 58
- Iowa State (-3) @ Baylor - 56
- Kansas @ TCU (-15.5) - 49
- Georgia Tech @ Temple (-8.5) - 49
- Virginia @ Notre Dame (-12.5) - 48
- Northwestern @ Wisconsin (-24.5) - 46
If you're working with a funky FanDuel slate, hit me up on Twitter and I will help you out. Let's dive right in!
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts - Oklahoma - FD $11,000 DK $9,200
This one is pretty easy, right? It looks like it may come down to Hurts and Tua for the Heisman. Joe Burrow and Jonathan Taylor may have something to say about that, but it's looking pretty tough to touch either of these two guys at this point. Hurts was back to dominating UCLA last time out, throwing for 289 yards and three scores to pair with 150 rushing yards and a touchdown. We're looking at a 70 over/under against a Texas Tech defense that is going to get thrashed. You're looking at a floor of 30 fantasy points with the upside for 65. In cash games, you're playing with fire to go anywhere other than Hurts on this slate.
Jamie Newman - Wake Forest - FD $10,300 DK $7,800
You get a slight discount here to Jamie Newman, who has been another one of the more impressive quarterbacks in the nation. Through just four games, Newman has thrown for 1,278 yards and 12 touchdowns on top of 1600 rushing yards and three touchdowns. While Wake Forest doesn't have as high of an implied total, this bout between WF and BC is still sitting at a 70 total and Wake Forest is a slight favorite. The Boston College secondary is nothing to worry about and Newman should have another field day. The added dual-threat upside makes him worth considering over Hurts in a tournament.
Also Consider - Kellen Mond, Jett Duffey
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Running Backs
Isaiah Spiller - Texas A&M - FD $7,600 DK $5,100
The Texas A&M running game was stifled in a big way last week, but you can’t blame them much. The Auburn defensive line is full of savages and they return to a regular match-up this week. Arkansas has a beyond terrible defense and A&aM will be able to move the ball however they want. With A&M a 27 point favorite, Vegas expects them to score over 40 points. There’s no way at least two or three of those don’t come on the ground. I expect Spiller to get the lion share of carries over Kibodi and he should have no issue turning that into 100 yards and a score. He’s too cheap on both sites and helps you pay up elsewhere while maintaining a high floor and ceiling.
Richard Newton - Washington - FD $8,300 DK $5,200
With Salvon Ahmed expected to miss this game, Richard Newton will fill in as the starter. Newton took over and impressed for Ahmed last game, running the ball 16 times for 80 yards and a score. He added two catches, 16 yards, and another score through the air, showing his versatility. This match-up with USC isn’t an easy one, but Washington is a 10.5 point favorite and they’ll need to establish themselves on the ground if they want to throw the ball with any success. Newton is fairly priced on both sites and tough to get away from in cash games.
Also Consider - Jonathan Taylor, Darius Anderson, Cade Carney
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers
Sage Surratt - Wake Forest - FD $9,800 DK $7,500
If you're going to pay up for a receiver on this early slate, Sage Surratt is a good one. He's been one of the best receivers in all of football up to this point, catching 30 balls for 484 yards and five touchdowns. I think some may go to the cheaper Scotty Washington, but I still believe Surrat has a firm grasp on the WR1 role. He's fairly priced on both sites and makes for a great play in both cash games and tournaments. If I'm playing Jamie Newman, Surratt is a must.
Charleston Rambo - Oklahoma - FD $8,900 DK $5,600
There’s no wrong answer between Rambo and Lamb. Rambo is a lot cheaper than Lamb and has been been the better receiver so far. It’s certainly early, but Rambo has caught two more balls than Lamb for 251 yards and four touchdowns. If I’m playing Jalen Hurts, you’re looking for three or more touchdowns, so you can’t go wrong here. Play the cheaper guy and use that money to pay up elsewhere. In a tournament, you can go with Lamb and hope his ownership is low. This Texas Tech defense isn't any good, and they've allowed 100 yards three times so far to WR1's. Both Rambo and Lamb are elite plays in all formats.
Justyn Ross - Clemson - FD $8,200 DK $6,200
This is a perfect spot for Justyn Ross. Tee Higgins is fine too, but Ross is cheaper on FD and I like him more if they were priced the same. He sat out last week for precautionary reasons, but Dabo said he was 100% ready to play. He’ll be back on the field against this weak UNC pass defense and is WAY too cheap on both sites. He’s still one of the best fantasy wide receivers in college football and it’s fair to expect 100 yards and a score this week. If you’re scared to pull the trigger here, it hopefully comforts you to know I’ll be on 100% Ross. It’s not the safest thing on the planet, but I see way too much talent and opportunity for way too low of a price.
Quartney Davis - Texas A&M - FD $8,700 DK $6,000
This Arkansas defense just gave up 400 yards through the air to San Jose State, so I think Kellen Mond and co. will do just fine. You can go with Quartney Davis or Jhamon Ausbon, as I think both have a great shot at going over 100 yards. I still see Davis as the number one receiver and I think he has a better chance of finding the end zone multiple times. I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but this Arkansas secondary is terrible and these two should have a field day. Neither are too expensive on either site and I’m a fan in all formats.
Also Consider - Jerry Jeudy, T.J. Vasher, Michael Pittman, Cole Kmet, Jalen Camp
