College Football Single-Game Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 12/21/20 (North Texas at Appalachian State)

The bowl season kicks off as the Appalachian State Mountaineers square off with the North Texas Mean Green.

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

Zac Thomas, Appalachian State ($15,000) - The dual-threat senior quarterback makes for an intriguing MVP candidate. Thomas accounted for 21 out of the Mountaineers' 41 offensive touchdowns this season. He faces off with a North Texas defense that has coughed an average of 509.5 total yards of offense to opposing teams. Moreover, they were smoked for 49 touchdowns in nine games. North Texas allowed point totals of 43, 42, and 49 in their last three regular-season games.

Jason Bean, North Texas ($14,000) - The matchup is tough (Appalachian State held opposing passers to 169.6 passing yards per game) and the Mean Green love to musical chairs with their two quarterbacks. However, Austin Aune has been ruled out which means Bean should get the entire game. That's notable because he's a fantastic athlete. Bean has run for 336 yards and 5 touchdowns on 43 carries in seven games. He's completed 58 out of 109 pass attempts for 880 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.

Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State ($13,000) - Peoples takes his shot at a North Texas run defense that is one of the worst in college football. The Mean Green are allowing an eye-popping 243.6 rushing yards per game. They've been slammed for 26 rushing touchdowns in nine games. Peoples leads the Mountaineers with 807 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on 146 carries this season. Six of his seven touchdowns have come within the last seven games. He's received 17-plus carries in four out of the last five games.

Deonte Simpson, North Texas ($12,000) - With Jaelon Darden opting out, Simpson figures to act as the Mean Green's top wide receiver on Monday. Per Pro Football Focus, Darden racked up 74 receptions, 1,190 receiving yards, and 19 touchdowns on 112 targets. Needless to say, Simpson should be busy sans Darden. The junior has drawn at least six targets in five out of the last six games. He posted a respectable 25 receptions, 517 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns in nine games this season. Moreover, North Texas quarterbacks actually posted a better passer rating when targeting Simpson than Darden (126.1 passer rating when targeting Darden and 131.6 passer rating when targeting Simpson, per Pro Football Focus).

Other to consider: Oscar Adaway III.

Value Plays

Nate Noel, Appalachian State ($10,000) - Noel will likely be the first running back to enter the game after Peoples. The freshman has been fantastic as of late. He's cleared 72 rushing yards in three straight games. He found the end zone in each of the last two regular-season games. As noted above, this is a phenomenal spot for the Mountaineers' ball-carriers.

Thomas Hennigan, Appalachian State ($9,500) - Hennigan enters the bowl game averaging six receptions over the final three regular-season games. He's cleared 40 receiving yards in four straight games. The senior leads all Appalachian pass catchers with 45 receptions and 571 receiving yards (three touchdowns). Per Pro Football Focus, Appalachian State quarterbacks are posting a 107.0 passer rating when targeting Hennigan (highest amongst the starting pass catchers).

Malik Williams, Appalachian State ($8,000) - Williams looks like one of the better sources of salary relief. He caught at least two passes in each of the 10 games that he played in this season. The senior had 54-plus receiving yards in 6 out of 10 games. Moreover, he's averaging six targets per game over his last four games. Williams encounters a North Texas pass defense that was torched for 23 touchdown passes in nine games.

Austin Ogunmakin, North Texas ($7,500) - Prior to Jaelon Darden's opt out, Ogunmakin and Deonte Simpson were the Mean Green's starting wide receivers. Logically, Ogunmakin figures to see a boast with Darden out. Per Pro Football Focus, he ranks third in targets (25), receptions (16), and receiving yards (218) amongst the Mean Green. Most importantly, he has some upside at an incredibly cheap salary.

Others to consider: Tre Siggers, Marcus Williams Jr. (if he plays), Roderic Burns, Jalen Virgil, Greg White, Jason Pirtle, Henry Pearson, and Christian Wells.

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.