NCAAF

College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Saturday 10/12/19 Afternoon-Only Slate

Matt Hiatt Oct 11th, 2019
Tua Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide are in a good spot Saturday afternoon. Which other players do we expect to shine on this slate?

Week 7 of college football is here! FanDuel's Saturday college football DFS afternoon only slate includes eight games.

In case you're unfamiliar with how it works, you can check out the rules and scoring on FanDuel, where you can hit the lobby each week to see the full array of slates and contests being offered.

As for the basics, your roster consists of a quarterback slot, two running back slots, three wide receiver slots (which also includes tight ends) and one super flex slot. In the flex, you can insert one player from any position, including quarterbacks.

Here, our goal is to help you field a roster full of fantasy goodness, and in true numberFire fashion, we'll use our in-house projections as well as betting totals and advanced statistics to tackle as many slates as possible in the lead-up to the College Football Playoff. This week, we are only breaking down Saturday's afternoon only slate, which locks at 3:30 p.m. EST.

Let's breakdown which players are in great spots as well as identify some players with cheap price tags that will allow you to roster the high dollar players.

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (10,700) – Tagovailoa has accounted for 25 of the Alabama Crimson Tide's 34 offensive touchdowns this season. The Alabama signal caller leads the nation with 23 touchdown passes (including three straight games with at least five touchdown passes). Tua is averaging 343.6 passing yards per game, which ranks third nationally. This week’s matchup with Texas A&M is projected to be competitive, according to our models. That should mean we should get four full quarters of Tua and the Alabama starting offense for the first time this season.

Charlie Brewer, Baylor (9,300) - Brewer has accounted for 13 of the Baylor Bears' 26 offensive touchdowns this season. Through five games, the dual-threat quarterback is averaging 240.4 passing yards, 14.8 rushing yards, and 2.6 total touchdowns. Brewer should be excited about the matchup with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Bears' signal caller threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns while also adding a touchdown on the ground in last year's meeting with Texas Tech.

Jaren Hall, BYU (7,000) – Hall is expected to receive his first career start against the South Florida Bulls with starting quarterback Zach Wilson out for the foreseeable future. Hall is a two-sport athlete at Brigham Young Cougars, and he’s known for his speed. The dual-threat freshman quarterback should have no problem paying off his cheap price tag against South Florida’s defense, which has surrendered 21 touchdowns to opposing offenses in five games this season.

Others to consider: Aaron Gordon, Brock Purdy, Jett Duffey, Trevor Lawrence, Jayden Daniels, Desmond Ridder, and Jack Coan

Running Backs

Eno Benjamin, Arizona State (9,600) – Benjamin is the focal point of the Arizona State Sun Devils' offensive attack. He's scored at least one touchdown in every game this season. The junior running back has at least 20 carries in four out of the Sun Devils' five games. Up next, Benjamin has a date with the PAC 12's worst run defense, the Washington State Cougars. The Cougars are allowing nearly 194 yards rushing to opposing backfields in the last three games.

Michael Warren, Cincinnati (9,200) – After finding the end zone 20 times a season ago, Warren is off to a slow start in 2019. The junior running back leads the Cincinnati Bearcats with 395 yards rushing and four touchdowns this season. In games decided by 10 points or less, Warren has received at least 20 carries in six out of seven games, dating back to 2018. With Cincinnati installed as 7.5-point favorites this week, expect Warren to be busy. He should thrive against Houston Cougars' porous run defense as the Cougars are allowing nearly 180 yards rushing per game.

Emmanuel Esukpa, BYU (7,700) - Esukpa will start at running back with Ty'Son Williams injured. Esukpa ran for 60 yards and one touchdown as the primary running back in BYU's last game against the Toledo Rockets. The former Rice Owls running back gets a crack at South Florida's run defense which has surrendered 13 rushing touchdowns in five games this season. He's the best cheap running back available on the afternoon only slate.

Others to consider: Jonathan Taylor, Max Borghi, Cam Akers, Travis Etienne, Najee Harris, and Johnnie Lang

Wide Receivers

Jerry Jeudy, Alabama (10,100) – Jeudy has at least six receptions in every game this season. Projected as a first-round draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jeudy ranks 11th in the country with six touchdown receptions. He averages 97.6 receiving yards per game, which ranks 15th nationally. Jeudy has been held under 12 FanDuel points in only one game this season.

Deshaunte Jones, Iowa State (8,200) – The pass catcher has formed a strong connection with emerging star quarterback Brock Purdy. That’s evident as Jones has been on a tear over the Iowa State Cyclones’ past three games. The senior receiver has 19 receptions for 397 yards and one touchdown in that span. With an implied team total near 31 this week, there should be plenty of opportunities for Jones (whose 7.4 receptions per game ranks seventh nationally).

Justyn Ross, Clemson (7,900) – Ross became a household name after his two massive performances against Notre Dame and Alabama in the 2018 college football playoffs. The sophomore wide receiver has had a relatively quiet start to the season after entering the 2019 campaign with huge expectations. This week is a prime spot for Ross to kickstart his year as the matchup with Florida State is exceptional. The Seminoles are allowing 302.2 yards passing per game to opposing offenses.

Others to consider: DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III (if he plays), Easop Winston Jr., Dez Patmon, Denzel Mims, Tee Higgins, Darrell Stewart Jr., Brandon Aiyuk, TJ Vasher, Tyquan Thornton, Aleva Hifo, TJ Simmons, Alec Pierce, Amare Rodgers, Frank Darby, and Bryce Wheaton


Matthew Hiatt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Hiatt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username easternmh. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.