College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 9/24/20 Single-Game Slate
Week Four of the college football season continues Thursday night as the South Alabama Jaguars play host to the Alabama-Birmingham Blazers.
For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.
MVP Consideration
Spencer Brown, Alabama-Birmingham ($14,000) - Brown will go down as one of the best running backs in UAB history. He eclipsed 1,200 rushing yards in both his freshman (2017) and sophomore (2018) seasons. Unfortunately, Brown was hampered by an injury in 2019. Now fully healthy, the senior is off to a great start in 2020. Through two games, the talented runner has tallied 201 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 40 carries. On tap is a matchup with South Alabama's vulnerable run defense. The Jaguars have surrendered 298 yards rushing and 6 rushing touchdowns in only two games this season.
Chance Lovertich, South Alabama ($13,500) - The junior college transfer will start at quarterback on Thursday night. The pro-style quarterback has seen action and looked impressive in each of the Jaguars' first two games this season. Through two games, Lovertich has completed 20 out of 32 passes for 311 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Bryson Lucerno, Alabama-Birmingham ($13,000) - Lucerno is set to start under center with Tyler Johnston III ruled out indefinitely. The former three-star prospect has earned rave reviews from his teammates. He completed 11 out of 21 passes for 138 yards and 1 touchdown in limited playing time this season.
Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama ($15,000) - Tolbert is emerging as one of the best wide receivers in the Sun Belt Conference. The junior leads the Jaguars in targets (19), receptions (12), and receiving yards (268) through two games this season. He has two touchdown receptions. His box scores over the last three games (dating back to 2019) are impressive: 5/144/4 in the 2019 season finale against Arkansas State, 6/169/2 in the 2020 season opener against Southern Mississippi, and 6/99/0 in the Jaguars' last game against Tulane.
Others to consider: Kawaan Baker
Value Plays
Carlos Davis, South Alabama ($11,500) - Davis has established himself as the Jaguars' lead back. He's averaging 83.5 rushing yards on 15.5 carries this season. He encounters a UAB defense that surrendered 337 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns to Miami (FL) two weeks ago. Prior to that, the Blazers allowed a crisp 4.8 rushing yards per carry to FCS foe Central Arkansas in their season-opener.
Myron Mitchell, Alabama-Birmingham ($11,000) - Mitchell leads the Blazers in receptions (12) and receiving yards (164). He has one touchdown through two games. The senior is coming off, arguably, the best game of his career. He piled up 8 receptions and 117 receiving yards against the notoriously stout Miami (FL) Hurricanes defense. Additionally, UAB quarterbacks are posting a 139.3 passer rating when targeting Mitchell, which is the highest rating amongst Blazers' pass catchers, per Pro Football Focus.
Austin Watkins Jr., Alabama-Birmingham ($10,000) - Full disclosure, I debated listing Watkins Jr. in the MVP consideration section. The athletic pass-catcher finished the 2019 season with 57 receptions, 1,092 receiving yards, and 6 touchdown receptions. He was named to the Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List (nation's top wide receiver) over the summer. Watkins Jr. is off to a fast start in 2020. Through two games, the senior has 10 receptions, 104 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown on 15 targets (team-high), per Pro Football Focus.
Garrett Prince, Alabama-Birmingham ($8,500) - The tight end has taken advantage of his red zone opportunities with defenses focusing their attention on play-making wide receivers Myron Mitchell and Austin Watkins Jr. Through two games this season, Prince has 4 receptions, 31 yards receiving, and 2 touchdowns.
Others to consider: Jalen Wayne, Jermaine Brown Jr., Hayden Pittman, Rob Johnson, Trae Shropshire, and AJ Davis
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.
