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Week seven of the 2019 college football season is a week loaded with highly impactful matchups in conferences across the country. In the Big 12, the Red River Rivalry will likely be the biggest regular season game in the entire conference during the regular season. Texas and Oklahoma will play in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas this weekend in what is expected to be a shootout between two of the nation's most impressive offenses. In the SEC, Texas A&M continues its quest through the toughest schedule in all of college football, as they play host to the Alabama Crimson Tide. No team has been able to hold Tua Tagovailoa under three passing touchdowns this season- will the Aggies be the first? And if so, could that spell trouble for Alabama's hopes of running the table? Staying down south, the Florida Gators, fresh off a thrilling victory over the Auburn Tigers, head down to the bayou to face off with LSU's new-look offense that has been shredding defenses left and right in 2019. This primetime game, as well as Iowa vs. Penn State in the Big Ten, is not included on the DraftKings main slate of games, but there is no let up in the college football slate of games once the DraftKings main slate wraps up this weekend. It's going to be a long day of heated rivalries with playoff implications, so make sure you've done everything you can to clear your schedule for this Saturday. One thing we do know is that there will be fireworks, we just don't know where they'll be at yet.
Best of luck to everyone playing college football DFS this weekend, let's make some money.
STRATEGY NOTE
There is one fundamental difference between NFL DFS and College Football DFS, and that is lineup construction. A college football removes the tight end and defense positions from a lineup and replaces them one super flex position. The super flex position can be filled by a quarterback, running back, or wide receiver. On nearly every single slate throughout the year rostering a second quarterback in the super flex position will be optimal in both cash games and tournaments. Keep this in mind all year when building lineups.
SLATE SNAPSHOT
Listed here are the most notable games for DFS purposes. In green are games with the highest projected totals, according to betting markets, and in red are the games with the lowest projected totals on the slate. Try to avoid using too many players in any single lineup from the game(s) in red. On the other hand, the game(s) in green should provide enough points and fantasy points across the board to make multiple pieces on each team viable for fantasy lineups.
- Oklahoma @ Texas (Neutral Site) | Oklahoma -10.5, Total: 75
- Michigan @ Illinois | Michigan -23, Total: 49
- Georgia Tech @ Duke | Duke -17, Total: 49
QUARTERBACK
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, $9,000
Another week with Oklahoma on the DraftKings main slate of games means another week that Jalen Hurts grades as an elite option in all formats, even at his $9,000 price tag. The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Texas Longhorns this weekend in the Red River Rivalry at a neutral location in Dallas, Texas. Year-in and year-out, this ends up a tightly-contested game, even when one team projects to overpower the other. This season's iteration of one of college football's best rivalries projects to total a whopping 75 points, the highest total of the week, and Oklahoma is expected to total over 42 in the game. Throughout the first five games of the 2019 campaign, Jalen Hurts has posted astonishingly impressive and consistent numbers against FBS opponents. Last weekend's outing against the Kansas Jayhawks, when Hurts totaled 36.82 DraftKings points in about three-quarters of action, was Hurts' worst game of the season. Hurts has a nose for the end zone both on the ground and through the air: the graduate transfer has thrown for multiple touchdowns and run for at least one score in every game against FBS competition this season. Expect head coach Lincoln Riley to pull out all of the stops this weekend in Oklahoma's biggest game of the 2019 regular season. Jalen Hurts has such an astronomical floor and ceiling of production thanks to his rushing and passing prowess, and a matchup with Texas' banged-up secondary is unlikely to be the week he slows down. Expect Hurts to be one of the most-rostered players in all formats this weekend, and building cash lineups around him will be an exceptionally sharp strategy here in week seven of the college football season.
Sam Ehlinger, Texas, $8,400
On the other side of the Red River Rivalry, three-year starter Sam Ehlinger leads the Longhorns' offense into a true must-win game for Texas if they have any dreams of making the 2019 College Football Playoff. Ehlinger, another dual-threat quarterback, led the Longhorns in rushing touchdowns in 2018 with 16 scores. The next highest total on the team was just three rushing touchdowns. When Texas enters the red zone or any goal-to-go situation, Ehlinger has reliably produced for years, and head coach Tom Herman certainly does not change the gameplan in high profile games. In last year's matchup against Oklahoma, Ehlinger ran the ball 19 times for 72 yards and 3 touchdowns, with over 300 yards and 3 more scores through the air. Then, in Texas' bowl game against the Georgia Bulldogs, Ehlinger added another three touchdowns on the ground. This weekend, in an expected shootout against Oklahoma, Sam Ehlinger and the Texas offense will have no shortage of scoring opportunities. Ehlinger has proven time and time again that he is ready for the big stage, and this weekend he grades as the second-best quarterback option on the slate. At $8,400, Sam Ehlinger will not be easy to fit into lineups alongside his opponent, Jalen Hurts. Ultimately, Ehlinger makes for a strong tournament pivot away from the slate's highest-priced quarterback, and if confident in the salary-saving options elsewhere on this slate, do not be afraid of rostering both Jalen Hurts and Sam Ehlinger in the same lineup.
RED RIVER RIVALRY STRATEGY NOTE: The lineup construction necessary to fit both Sam Ehlinger and Jalen Hurts into the same cash lineup is potentially suboptimal-- barring any late news that provides elite value elsewhere. Hurts is likely going to be the more-rostered player between the two, which is why Ehlinger is a sharp pivot away from Hurts in tournaments. Both players have incredibly high floors and ceilings of production, but Hurts' production is unparalleled this season, making him the stronger and safer play in cash games.
Tyrrell Pigrome, Maryland, $5,400
Tyrrell Pigrome will get the start under center for the Maryland Terrapins in week seven while their regular starter, Josh Jackson, heals from an ankle injury. Pigrome, a true dual-threat quarterback, started for Maryland in the final games of 2018 after Kasim Hill was sidelined with a knee injury. In Pigrome's limited playing time, he tallied nearly as many non-sack rushing attempts as pass attempts. This weekend, he will start against Purdue's horrid defense that ranks 108th in the nation in defensive SP+. At just $5,400, Tyrrell Pigrome is one of the best salary-saving options on the slate, in large part thanks to his expected rushing production. Pigrome, following a full week of first-team reps, should be far more comfortable in an offense more tailored to fit his strengths. Last weekend, Pigrome ran the ball 5 times for 22 yards against Rutgers in just over 2-quarters of action. Expect significantly more rushing volume and production from the senior quarterback this weekend against one of the nation's weakest defensive-fronts. Pigrome's projected production aligns perfectly with the typical profile of an elite value option at the quarterback position. Most low-priced quarterbacks lack significant passing upside, but Pigrome's floor of rushing production negates that. Tyrrell Pigrome's $5,400 price tag makes him a great bargain-bin candidate for week seven lineups in all formats. The salary relief Pigrome affords in lineups is unmatched, especially at the quarterback position, and he allows players to pay up elsewhere for top-end players across multiple positions.
SECONDARY OPTION
Jayden Daniels, Arizona State, $6,300
For the first time in Arizona State football history, a true freshman, Jayden Daniels, started for the Sun Devils from day one this season. Although his numbers have not been eye-popping, considering the schedule Daniels has faced, he has been impressive in his first year under center for head coach Herm Edwards. Aside from games against Michigan State and California, two of the nation's strongest defenses, Daniels averages over 24 DraftKings points per game this year. As a dual-threat quarterback, Daniels has a much higher ceiling than he has displayed through the first five games of his collegiate career. Daniels tallied 84 rushing yards on 12 rushing attempts in his last outing against Cal- a total that would have almost certainly cleared the 100-yard mark without the 6 sacks he suffered on the day. This weekend, Daniels and the Sun Devils host the Washington State Cougars' reeling defense. After allowing 68 points to UCLA and 38 points to Utah, Washington State head coach Mike Leach fired the team's defensive coordinator over the team's bye week. The Cougars' defense has been an issue for years, and it is unreasonable to expect Roc Bellantoni and Darcel McBath, the team's co-defensive coordinators, to transform this unit from a glaring weakness into a strength. This weekend's matchup against Washington State's 84th-ranked defense, according to SP+, is the perfect opportunity for Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils' offense to light up the scoreboard and build some momentum after their bye week. At just $6,300, Jayden Daniels' ceiling of production, which he has yet to display fully, far outpaces the expectations of his price point. It would come as no surprise for Daniels to set new career-highs across the board in what is expected to be a tightly-contested matchup of PAC 12 foes. Daniels is the second-best salary-saving option at quarterback on the DraftKings main slate of games here in week seven (behind Tyrrell Pigrome), and he is viable in both cash and tournaments.
RUNNING BACK
Deon Jackson, Duke, $5,400
So far, in 2019, Deon Jackson has yet to run for more than 100 yards in a game for the Duke Blue Devils. However, Jackson has still managed to score at least 24.7 DraftKings points in each of the team's last 2 games, and at least 14.4 DraftKings points in 3 straight games. This season, without Daniel Jones, the Duke offense is dramatically different than what the team ran in 2018. Quentin Harris, Duke's new quarterback, has run for at least 100 yards or a touchdown in every game this year except the season opener against Alabama. In 2019, with the tandem of Jackson and Harris in the backfield, Duke's offense is far more run-heavy than it has been in years past. This weekend, the Duke Blue Devils play host to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech, in their first season under head coach Geoff Collins, is in the midst of a full-program rebuild following the Paul Johnson era. Georgia Tech's run defense has been a glaring weakness for the team to open the season. Through 5 games this season, the Yellow Jackets' defense has allowed 7 different players to run for at least 90 yards or a touchdown. In week seven, Deon Jackson is set up perfectly to find the end zone once again and hopefully eclipse the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. At just $5,400, Jackson's price is far too low, given his consistency both on the ground and through the air for the Blue Devils. At running back, it is difficult to find a more secure option than Deon Jackson to build a cash lineup around.
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State, $7,500
Eno Benjamin burst onto the scene in 2018 with over 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns on over 5.5 yards-per-carry. In 2019, his efficiency has understandably dropped, as the Arizona State Sun Devils have played a notably difficult schedule to open the season. Through five games, Benjamin has only mustered 3.7 yards-per-carry, but he has still found the endzone 6 times, including 3 times last game against California's strong defense. This weekend, Benjamin faces off with Washington State's bottom-tier defensive front. Through four games against FBS competition, the Cougars' defense has only held one starting running back to less than five yards-per-carry. Eno Benjamin is one of the few bell-cow running backs in all of college football. Benjamin rarely leaves the field, and he averages over 20 carries and 2 receptions per game in 2019. Aside from a week three matchup against Michigan State's top-ranked run defense, Benjamin has scored at least 22.3 DraftKings points in every game so far this season. His impressive volume outweighs the lack of efficiency this year, and this matchup against a struggling Cougars' defense is the perfect opportunity to return to his remarkable ways of yesteryear. At $7,500, Benjamin grades as the best running back on the slate here in week seven. Confidently roster Benjamin in both tournaments and cash games in week seven. A stack with quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is worth consideration in tournaments this weekend.
Zach Charbonnet, Michigan, $5,500
The Michigan Wolverines' first six weeks of the 2019 season have been tumultuous, to say the least. The team's offense has been disappointing to this point in the season, considering the hype surrounding Michigan's new-look spread offense under Josh Gattis. Throughout their first five games this season, the Wolverines have faced two of the nation's strongest defenses: Wisconsin and Iowa. Michigan struggled to move the ball down the field in both games, but last weekend Zach Charbonnet separated himself from the pack in the backfield. Charbonnet, a highly-touted freshman, had nearly three times as many touches as any other Michigan running back in last week's 10-3 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. In what was previously an evenly-split running-back-by-committee situation, Charbonnet's emergence as the top-dog in the Michigan backfield is notable leading up to a matchup with Illinois' weak run defense. Just last weekend, Illinois allowed Minnesota's top two running backs to combine for over 300 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. If Charbonnet continues to see a plurality of touches in Michigan's backfield going forward, especially this week in such a favorable matchup, he will warrant a price upwards of $6,000 on DraftKings. This weekend, priced at $5,500, Charbonnet is set up for a true break-out performance for the Michigan Wolverines. As 23-point favorites, Michigan will likely turn to a run-heavy gameplan, maximizing Charbonnet's opportunity and value in the team's offense. The combination of a matchup against an outmatched Fighting Illini defense and increased volume for Zach Charbonnet make him a viable option at running back for just $5,500 in week seven. While a tier below Deon Jackson at a similar price, Charbonnet is viable in all formats this weekend against Illinois' struggling defense.
SECONDARY OPTION
Travis Etienne, Clemson, $7,100
Aside from a 200-yard and 3-touchdown performance in week one against Georgia Tech, Travis Etienne's numbers this season have been far from impressive. Etienne has not rushed for more than 100-yards in a game aside from week one, and his season-high fantasy performance since then is just 14.5 DraftKings points. This weekend, however, the Clemson Tigers play host to the Florida State Seminoles in a game they are favored to win by nearly four touchdowns. As such a heavy favorite, Clemson will likely turn towards a run-heavy approach, which should mean an increased workload for Etienne this weekend. Florida State also runs one of the nation's fastest-paced offenses, which maximizes the snap counts for both offenses in their games. Given the increased opportunity and likely efficiency against the 78th-ranked defense in the country, according to SP+, week seven is shaping up to be a perfect game for Clemson's star running back to get back on track in 2019. Clemson's star-studded offensive line should dominate Florida State in the trenches. Come Saturday afternoon, Etienne should see some of the best running lanes he has had to run through all season. Travis Etienne is one of the biggest home-run-threats on the slate. He can break a slate with just a few carries, as shown by his 41.8 DraftKings points in week one on only 12 carries. At $7,100, Etienne will not come cheap this weekend, and given his lack of consistent production in 2019, he is tough to stomach in cash games. However, in tournaments, Etienne's big-play ability, coupled with an elite matchup against Florida State, makes him one of the highest upside players on the slate.
WIDE RECEIVER
CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma, $7,200
Although CeeDee Lamb's yardage totals in Oklahoma's passing attack has been highly volatile through the first five games of the season, his nose for the end zone has prevailed with seven scores already in 2019. Lamb leads Oklahoma in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2019. He has led the team in targets in four out of five games to open the season, and this weekend Oklahoma's passing volume should increase dramatically. Oklahoma has not truly been tested yet this season, with their closest game being a 49-31 victory over the Houston Cougars in week one. This weekend, in the Red River Rivalry against the Texas Longhorns, the Sooners are just 10.5-point favorites in what will likely end up as their most important game of the entire regular season. In Oklahoma's five blowout victories, quarterback Jalen Hurts has attempted no more than 24 attempts in any single game. Expect head coach and play-caller Lincoln Riley to unleash Jalen Hurts and this passing attack in a way unlike anything they have shown yet this season. Texas' secondary is plagued with injuries across the board, turning what was supposed to be a strength to a defensive weakness for the Longhorns. Over the course of his tenure as Oklahoma's play-caller, Riley has proven to be one of the brightest offensive minds in football. It would come as a great surprise to see him not exploit Texas' weakness on the back end of their defense. Expect CeeDee Lamb to be the prime beneficiary of a higher-volume Oklahoma passing attack. At $7,200, Lamb is pricey, but he makes for a strong pairing with quarterback Jalen Hurts in fantasy lineups.
Collin Johnson, Texas, $5,200
After missing the previous three games due to a hamstring injury, Collin Johnson is expected to make his return to the lineup this weekend as Texas takes on Oklahoma in Red River Rivalry. Johnson entered the 2019 season with high expectations following a strong 2018 campaign as well as the departure of Texas' number-one receiver, Lil'Jordan Humphrey. Johnson opened the season with two respectable, but not stellar performances. Johnson commanded eight and six targets, respectively, in the first two games of the season, but he hasn't seen the field since. Johnson's price this weekend is a $1,600 decrease since his last appearance for Texas, and in a game projected to total approximately 75 points, his ceiling of production is as high as ever. The Red River Rivalry is projected to be the highest-scoring game on the DraftKings main slate of games. Even if quarterback Sam Ehlinger tends to run the ball more in high-profile games, a clash with the Oklahoma Sooners should lead to an up-tempo game on both sides of the ball. As a 10-point underdog, the Texas Longhorns will likely be playing catch up with a pass-heavy offense trying to put points on the board as fast as possible. Collin Johnson's price has fallen down to just $5,200 after watching from the sidelines for three weeks as he recovered from a hamstring injury. Johnson was Texas' second-most targeted wide receiver when healthy to start the season, and the senior should immediately return to his spot atop the depth chart here in week seven. Johnson's price is far too low for his role in this Longhorns offense, especially in an expected shootout. Collin Johnson is a strong way to gain exposure to an impressive Texas offense in all contests this weekend.
David Bell, Purdue, $4,700
In the absence of Rondale Moore, arguably the most electric playmaker in college football, Purdue has relied heavily upon David Bell and Jackson Anthrop to pick up the slack in the passing game. Bell, Purdue's second-highest ranked recruit in the 2019 class, has impressed in a more significant role in the Boilermakers' offense. Since their bye week in week four, Bell has commanded 22 targets over Purdue's last 2 games. In the first of these two, against Minnesota, David Bell finished with 8 receptions for 114 yards. In the second game, Bell tallied 3 receptions for 56 yards against Penn State's top-ranked defense. This weekend, Purdue plays host to the Maryland Terrapins as 3.5-point underdogs. Purdue is one of the nation's most pass-happy offenses, and as slight underdogs, they will likely increase their volume through the air. David Bell has ascended to prominence in Purdue's offense since Rondale Moore went down with an injury before the bye week. Bell came out of the bye week and made his presence felt immediately against Minnesota, but followed that up with an understandably rough day against Penn State. This weekend, against a defense that resembles Minnesota far more than Penn State, Bell has another opportunity to prove himself with a high-volume day through the air. At just $4,700, Bell doesn't need to match the volume of his first two starts, although he likely will, to reach value and be a strong candidate for both cash and tournament lineups here in week seven. Expect David Bell's price to rise sharply in the ensuing weeks if the rest of the DFS community catches wind of his combination of talent and volume in a pass-heavy attack for Purdue.
Deshaunte Jones, Iowa State, $5,400
Deshaunte Jones has led the Iowa State Cyclones in targets in three out of five games so far this season. Jones averages over 9 targets-per-game in 2019, and he has converted these targets into over 20 DraftKings points per game. Iowa State's top playmaker is a perfect model of consistency with no less than 12.84 DraftKings points in any game so far this season. The Cyclones make an obvious effort to get the ball into Jones' hands in space through the use of jet sweep passes, swing routes, and swing passes. Typically, downfield targets are more valuable for fantasy purposes. However, in Iowa State's offense, Jones' volume is so high on these high-percentage throws that his floor of fantasy production is amongst the highest of any receiver. Iowa State's schedule has not been easy by any means throughout the first six weeks of the season. The Cyclones' schedule has included games against 3 top-32 defenses through the first five weeks of the season: Iowa, Baylor, and TCU. None of Iowa State's toughest opponents have found a way to shut down Deshaunte Jones thus far, and West Virginia's 62nd-ranked defense is unlikely to be the first to do so. At $5,400, Jones' consistently-high target numbers stick out like a sore thumb in his price range. There is little reason to believe that Deshaunte Jones' numbers will regress this weekend. Iowa State is projected by the betting market to score over 30 points against West Virginia's middle-of-the-road defense. Jones should be heavily-involved in the Cyclones' offense once again in week seven, and at just $5,400, he is as reliable as any wide receiver on the slate. Jones' floor is substantially higher than many wide receivers that are more expensive on this slate, but his ceiling may be limited by his average-depth-of-target. Prioritize Deshaunte Jones in cash games rather than tournaments this weekend against the West Virginia Mountaineers.