College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Saturday 9/2/23

With daily fantasy football being so popular, it was only a matter of time before it translated to the college level.

FanDuel now offers college football daily fantasy contests now in most states, and there's a twist on the NFL ruleset. You select a quarterback, two running backs, three wideouts (which can include tight ends), and a "SuperFLEX" that can be any of those positions.

Finding target data for pass-catchers in college can be difficult, so finding out which players are on the field and getting work can make all the difference. Naturally, there are also more lopsided outcomes in college, so balance game scripts appropriately! Your running back's monstrous first half could lead to a bagel in the second.

Week 1 features plenty of projected blowouts as small schools travel to face title contenders, but there are a few tight, high-scoring contests projected with stars from last season. We've definitely got enough to be excited about this weekend.

Also, don't forget that this week's FanDuel Research free play contest is for Saturday's main slate!

Note: All stats are from PFF.com. All tables are sortable by any category.

The Slate

This slate, as is always the case in Week 1 until college football figures out its scheduling, is chock full of projected blowouts.

Per the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes, Auburn Tigers, USC Trojans, Texas A&M Aggies, and Alabama Crimson Tide are all projected to win by at least four touchdowns, and their respective opponents are projected at no more than 14 points themselves. We'll cross off those outmatched schools, but these teams -- and their starters -- still could produce meaningful fantasy production despite lacking the competitive environment we'd hope to see.

There are a few marquee games in that "competitive" tier, though. The North Carolina Tar Heels and South Carolina Gamecocks have a projected total of 64.5 points with a spread below a field goal. In a rematch of a Week 1 barnburner last year, the UTSA Roadrunners and Houston Cougars have a total encroaching 60 points in what is ostensibly a pick 'em.

Those two ideal games are followed by two that somewhat fit that bill. The Boise State Broncos are two-touchdown 'dogs visiting the Washington Huskies, but the total at 59.5 is appealing. From there, we like the 4.5-point spread between the Fresno State Bulldogs and Purdue Boilermakers, but their game total (47.5) leaves a bit to be desired.

I'd also say to watch the revamped Colorado Buffaloes, who certainly brought in enough talent to believe they could hang within a pair of scores against a TCU Horned Frogs team that sent plenty of its best players to the NFL after its national championship appearance.

Quarterbacks

Key Takeaways

• For the second consecutive week, Caleb Williams ($12,000) holds the slate's highest salary in a projected blowout. The do-it-all Heisman winner only mustered 26.9 FanDuel points with his running backs taking three scores on the ground, so I prefer others in a similar environment.
• Drake Maye ($11,200) is the most notable "other." He's in the best game of the day on paper with in UNC's up-tempo offense. Maye topped 30 FanDuel points eight times a year ago.
  • Spencer Rattler ($8,700) also returns on the other side for South Carolina. Rattler's 2022 ended in style with two straight over 25 FanDuel points, and UNC's pass defense was 105th in YPA last year.
• Quarterbacks without much of a rushing threat are even harder to stomach in blowouts, so I'm not thrilled to look at Dillon Gabriel ($11,100) or Joe Milton III ($11,000) at nearly the same salary as Maye. Quinn Ewers ($9,800) is also in this boat.
  • Michael Penix Jr. ($10,800) is a more forgivable option with Taylen Green ($7,300) and Boise State expected to make things a bit more competitive.
• In terms of bang for your buck, Frank Harris ($10,400) and Donovan Smith ($9,300), who transferred from the Texas Tech Red Raiders, are awesome dual-threat slingers in the UTSA-Houston clash.
• If I'm right about the Buffs, Shadeur Sanders ($7,600) could be the steal of the slate. Sanders posted 46 total touchdowns at Jackson State last year before following his father, Deion, to CU.
• Potential quarterback rotations are to be avoided at all costs:
  • Ohio State has one with Devin Brown ($10,000) and Kyle McCord ($10,000) potentially both in line to play.
  • Alabama could play any of Jalen Milroe ($10,200), Tyler Buchner ($9,000), or Ty Simpson ($9,000).

Running Backs

Key Takeaways

• Because so many productive RBs bolt for the NFL, last year's market shares don't necessarily indicate the best plays this weekend.
• Texas sent two tailbacks to the NFL, leaving Jonathan Brooks ($10,000) as the one-man show in Austin. He's a threat to pile up touchdowns for as long as their game stays competitive.
  • Auburn's Jarquez Hunter ($9,800) also fits this bill with minimal competition for touches.
• Austin Jones ($9,400) scored twice on just six carries last week to salvage his fantasy day, but South Carolina transfer MarShawn Lloyd ($7,500) saw two more carries. Jones' salary is hard to justify.
• Though I'd expect TreVeyon Henderson ($9,200), Jabari Small ($9,100), and Jovantae Barnes ($8,900) have larger workloads later, they're all fighting off backups who were productive and scored at least five touchdowns in 2022. In blowouts, they absolutely could get vultured from a great day.
• This is a good place to save salary. Many of the backs in close, competitive games actually come with the best workloads.
  • Kevorian Barnes ($8,400) and West Virginia Mountaineers transfer Tony Mathis Jr. ($7,100) have a clear leg up for backfield work in UTSA-Houston.
  • Elijah Green ($6,800) has a low salary despite getting 50.8% of UNC's carries last year. It's a bit concerning he's behind British Brooks ($5,500) on the team's initial depth chart, though.
  • Though the total is low, Purdue should operate a ton through Devin Mockabee ($8,500), whose 50.2% rush share last year is third-highest on the slate behind Green and Boise's George Holani ($6,900).
• I love the idea of stacking Fiesta Bowl hero Emani Bailey ($8,300) with Shadeur Sanders in the event that game stays competitive.
• Pass-catching specialist Dillon Johnson ($8,000) should also be right at home with Michael Penix and Washington. He averaged 5.2 targets per game last year with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Wide Receivers

Key Takeaways

• Because college target shares can be so consistent and dominant compared to NFL marks, my base strategy is always spending up at wideout. This week, thanks to the wide spreads, is largely an exception.
  • For example, OSU's Marvin Harrison Jr. ($10,100) and Emeka Egbuka ($9,200) worked against each other on a weekly basis, so adding in quarterback uncertainty and a 29.5-point spread doesn't make it a "safe" place to put salary.
• At the top, Washington's duo of Rome Odunze ($9,400) and Jalen McMillian ($9,000) combined for 17.9 targets per game, so they're both fine stacking candidates with Penix Jr.
• Antawne Wells Jr. ($8,700) is a great bring-back option to Drake Maye lineups, tallying 29.9% of the Gamecocks' passing yardage last year with Rattler.
  • After sending Josh Downs and Antoine Green to the NFL, UNC's pass-catching situation is volatile, but Devontez Walker ($7,300) is likely the leading candidate for their top role if he's cleared by the NCAA to play. J.J. Jones ($7,100) and Nate McCollum ($6,900) are others if he's not.
• Matthew Golden ($8,000) and Samuel Brown ($7,500) have big shoes to fill in Houston after Tank Dell left, but they're the favorites to do so. On the other side of that marquee game, Josh Cephus ($8,500) returns a stellar 25.2% target share from a year ago.
• CU's transfer activity was pretty absurd; they also scored Xavier Weaver ($7,400) from the South Florida Bulls. Weaver had a 39.9% target share for USF, so he can shoulder a pretty heavy load for the Buffs as their projected top wideout.
• If the Buckeyes stumble at all, Cam Camper ($6,800) is one of the most reliable value plays on the board. He averaged 11.6 targets per game last year for the Indiana Hoosiers.
  • Luke McCaffrey ($7,000) should also have one of FBS' largest overall target shares for the Rice Owls after transferring from the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Former WVU quarterback JT Daniels ($5,900) is also at Rice, so the Longhorns will have some former top recruiting talent to navigate despite the large spread.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.