NCAAF

College Football Single-Game Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 11/18/21 (Louisville at Duke)

Matt Hiatt Nov 18th, 2021
Malik Cunningham is expected to stuff the stat sheet against Duke's reeling defense. Who else should we consider targeting?

Week 10 of the college football season continues on Thursday, as the Louisville Cardinals square off with the Duke Blue Devils.

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.

Player Breakdowns

At The Top

Malik Cunningham, Louisville ($17,000) - Cunningham is the obvious choice at the MVP slot. The dual-threat quarterback has accounted for 29 total touchdowns through 10 games. Additionally, he leads the Cardinals with 709 rushing yards. This could be a ceiling game for the Louisville star. Duke ranks 129th nationally in total defense this season. They are allowing an eye-popping 499.9 total yards to opposing offenses.

Mateo Durant, Duke ($14,000) - Durant has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season for the Blue Devils. The senior running back has racked up 1,095 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns through 10 games. Furthermore, he is actively involved in the passing game. Durant has tallied 23 receptions, 229 receiving yards, and two touchdown receptions this season. I expect Durant will be a popular selection in one of the flex spots.

Jalen Mitchell, Louisville ($13,000) - The Cardinals starting running back has received 11-plus carries in four straight games. Mitchell has tallied 633 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns this season. He is a contrarian MVP option. Duke has allowed 20 rushing touchdowns through 10 games. They are allowing 195.1 rushing yards per game including an ugly 4.95 yards per rush attempt.

In The Middle

Jordan Watkins, Louisville ($12,000) - Watkins has posted an ADOT above 18.0 in three out of the last four games. He also leads the Cardinals in receiving yards this season (496). Duke struggles mightily defending the pass; they have been carved up for 24 passing touchdowns through 10 games. Furthermore, Duke is only one of two teams in the FBS that is allowing over 300-plus passing yards per game (304.8).

Gunnar Holmberg, Duke ($11,000) - The Duke quarterback position is the spot to monitor pre-lock. Holmberg missed last week's game with an upper-body injury. Reportedly, Holmberg along with Jordan Moore and Riley Leonard have been getting practice reps this week. Holmberg has been inconsistent at the quarterback spot this, but he has accounted for 13 total touchdowns (nine games). The Duke signal caller does provide dual threat upside. Additionally, both Moore and Leonard carry the same exact salary as Holmberg. If Holmberg is out, whoever starts at quarterback for Duke makes for a clean pivot off Holmberg.

Jake Bobo, Duke ($10,000) - Bobo is a safe play. He has recorded at least three receptions in every game this season. He also leads the Blue Devils with 660 receiving yards. The senior is averaging 8.5 targets per game. Louisville's weakness is their pass defense. The Cardinals rank 99th nationally in passing yards allowed per game (251.7). Additionally, they have surrendered 18 touchdown passes through 10 games.

Others to Consider: Ahmari Huggins-Bruce ($10,500), Tyler Harrell ($9,500), Jalon Calhoun ($9,000), Trevion Cooley ($8,500)

At The Bottom

Marshon Ford, Louisville ($8,000) - The Cardinals starting tight end leads the team with 37 receptions. He should be due for touchdown regression soon. Ford has only one touchdown reception this season. In 2019, he found pay-dirt seven times. In 2020's shortened season, Ford recorded six touchdown receptions. He is the best source of salary relief on Thursday night.

Justin Marshall ($7,500) - Marshall air balled in last week's box scored despite running 13 routes. That will likely depress his popularity this week. To date, Marshall is the third most targeted Cardinals' pass catcher (30 targets). On a single game slate, we must consider all of Louisville's pass catchers against Duke's atrocious pass defense.

Eli Pancol, Duke ($7,500) - Pancol's primary appeal is his ADOT over the last two games: 14.6 and 28.0. As noted above, the best way to attack Louisville is through the air. Duke will likely trail throughout Thursday night's game as they are installed as 20.5 underdogs. That game script would likely assure that Duke will need to take to the air. Consequently, Pancol makes for a solid target as your roster's last piece.


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.