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Below is our game-by-game previews on which players should be considered on your roster as well as which players you may want to stay away from.
MEMPHIS AT HOUSTON
Kickoff: 7:00PM EST
Spread: Houston -7
O/U: 71
Memphis
Team Expected Points: 32
WR- Phil Mayhue- $4,500
Analysis:
Memphis all season has lacked an identity at the wide receiver position. While Lynch is on pace to throw for over 4000 yards this season, he does not have a wide receiver that is on pace for over 1000 yards. Phil Mayhue has really stepped up over the past three games averaging five receptions for 78 yards per game. While he does not have a touchdown this season, he is someone who is receiving consistent targets in this offense. Houston has really struggled against the pass this season allowing 268 yards per game which is 107th in the nation.
Recommendation:
Mayhue is a great punt play this week as he has been on pace with Mose Frazier the last few games as the top Memphis wide receiver. With how many premiere options there are on this slate, you’re going to have to punt a few positions, and Mayhue gives you the salary relief needed to pay up for some of the top options.
Houston
Team Expected Points: 39
QB- Greg Ward Jr. $9,000
Analysis:
Greg Ward had his six game rushing touchdown streak snapped last week against Cincinnati, but still was able to run for over 100 yards and throw for two touchdowns. Memphis this season has one of the worst pass defenses in the country and had it not been for facing a triple option Navy team last week, they would be allowing on average 315 yards per game through the air. Ward should have plenty of opportunity in what should be a shootout of a game and while he is not the quarterback who is going to throw for 400+ yards like other quarterbacks have done this season against Memphis, he has the opportunity to throw for over 300 yards for the first time this season.
Recommendation:
Greg Ward is one of the premiere options on this slate and is recommended for both GPP’s and cash games. He is not as safe as Kiel in cash games, but does have more upside due to his running ability and the potential to score multiple touchdowns on the ground.
RB- Kenneth Farrow $7,300
Analysis:
Kenneth Farrow is a volume running back who is going to find the end zone on a regular basis. While he does have two games over 150 yards, he also has five games that are under 100 yards, which is how we get to his average of 95 yards rushing per game. Memphis against the run has been much better than the pass, but these numbers are largely skewed as they have faced primarily pass heavy offenses. Last week, Memphis did allow Chris Swain from Navy to run for 108 yards and three touchdowns, and when we look at Farrow, while it is unlikely that he scores three touchdowns in a game he has done it twice this season already, so he has to be in consideration.
Recommendation:
Farrow isn’t a top running back option on this slate, as his price is high enough that he would prevent us from paying up for one of the elite players on this slate. While there is GPP value in Farrow as he has the opportunity in this shootout of a game to score three touchdowns, he is not safe enough for cash games due to his lack of consistent yardage and lack of catching the ball out of the backfield.
ARKANSAS AT LSU
Kickoff: 7:15 PM EST
Spread: LSU -7.5
O/U: 54
Arkansas
Team Expected Points- 23.25
QB- Brandon Allen- $8,400
Analysis:
Brandon Allen is putting up numbers under Bret Bielema that we have never seen before. Last week he had 442 yards passing and four touchdowns in the win over Ole Miss. It is hard to ever recommend a player against LSU, but LSU this season has been very good against the run with the exception being last week. LSU can be beaten through the air, as they have allowed Dak Prescott and Brandon Doughty to throw for over 300 yards, and Treon Harris to have his season high of 271 yards. We fully expect Allen to be forced to throw the ball on the road to have a chance to win this game.
Recommendation:
Brandon Allen is a deep contrarian play based on his price this week, as LSU was embarrassed last week against the run, which statistically was their strength going into the Alabama game. Do not put him in many lineups, but if you want to take a shot with him, it would not be the worst thing as he does have touchdown upside.
LSU
Team Expected Points- 30.75
WR- Travin Dural- $5,600
Analysis:
Arkansas has one of the worst secondaries in the country allowing 283 yards passing per game, which if you adjust it for the quality of quarterbacks that they have faced they are in the bottom five in actual pass defense. Travin Dural should have a great opportunity this week to continue his production this week as he is starting to emerge as the number one receiver for Brandon Harris having caught four or more passes in three of his last four games.
Recommendation:
Dural is a good punt play this week for cash games and a great punt play for GPP’s due to his deep threat ability, as he has a touchdown in three of his last four games, and we expect LSU to be throwing the ball quite a bit this week.
OREGON AT STANFORD
Kickoff: 7:30 PM EST
Spread: Stanford -9
O/U: 69
Oregon
Team Expected Points- 30
WR- Darren Carrington- $6,900
Analysis:
Darren Carrington in his three games played this season has gone over 100 yards in each of them with a touchdown in two of the three games. He has clearly established himself as the premiere option in this passing game and we are starting to see consistency out of an Oregon wide receiver which in previous years would not be something we would ever see under Marcus Mariota. He is facing a tough Stanford defense, but if Stanford has one fault it is giving up big plays to number one wide receivers. So far this year they have allowed six wide receivers to have more than 75 yards receiving against them.
Recommendation:
The matchup is not ideal, as we expect Stanford to shut down Oregon, but Carrington is a great GPP play if you can afford him as he will leaned on again to keep his team in the game. Stanford has shown throughout the past few years that they have the ability to slow down the Oregon running attack, which will force Oregon to stay competitive through the air.
Stanford
Team Expected Points- 39
RB- Christian McCaffrey- $8,700
Analysis:
It is amazing what Christian McCaffrey is doing this season and it is largely coming unnoticed. Over the last seven games McCaffrey has 150+ total yards in six of the games. On a matchup adjusted basis, Oregon struggles against both the pass and the run, and while on paper their numbers say they struggle more against the pass this is mostly due to the nature of the Pac-12 with how pass heavy the league is.
Recommendation:
If there was one knock on McCaffrey it would be that he does not get all of the goal line carries as Stanford loves to bring Remound Wright the senior to get the short yardage touchdowns. If you’re going to pay $8,700 in a cash game you’re going to want reasonable assurances that the player is going to at least find the end zone once, and since we cannot give you those assurances, McCaffrey is a great GPP, but can’t be used in cash games due to his price.
TE- Austin Hooper- $4,100
Austin Hooper has five touchdowns in his last six games which makes him one of the most consistent tight ends in college football. He is a great option in GPP’s as he will be under owned compared to Mark Andrews who is the top play of the day.
TULSA AT CINCINNATI
Kickoff: 7:30 PM EST
Spread: Cincinnati -18
O/U: 76
Tulsa
Team Expected Points- 29
We are recommending avoiding Tulsa in cash games, as their price has not come down based on their recent performance and injury concerns to Zack Langer. In a GPP format, Cincinnati has a fairly balanced defense, but has been exposed against the pass a few times including against Paxton Lynch and Memphis. This provides a great opportunity for Dane Evans and we prefer Joshua Atkinson solely based on his price, as Keyarris Garrett is overpriced on this slate after only having one catch last week.
Cincinnati
Team Expected Points- 47
QB- Gunner Kiel- 8,800
Analysis:
Gunner Kiel is like that long lost friend that you haven’t seen in a while and remember how great of friends you used to be. The reason we say this is that Cincinnati has not been on a DFS slate for a few weeks and the last time that they were on it there was still uncertainty whether Kiel would be the starting quarterback due to his injury status. Over the last three games since returning from injury Kiel has been very impressive averaging 389 yards passing with a total of 11 touchdowns. Two weeks ago, Kiel posted one of the most impressive stat lines we have ever seen going 15 for 15 with 319 yards and 5 touchdowns Fortunately this week, he faces his best matchup yet as he faces a Tulsa team that on average is allowing 303 yards passing per game which is 124th in the country.
Recommendation:
In cash games, Kiel is the top option as he has the lowest floor of any quarterback on this slate. For GPP’s he is still a great start but there are other options that you could consider. The only issue in a GPP is that we typically like to pair quarterbacks up with wide receivers, but Kiel does such a great job distributing the football to all of his wide receivers that it is difficult to just pick one.
WR- Chris Moore- $6,200
Analysis:
Chris Moore is Gunner Kiel’s favorite deep threat, as so far this season, he has caught a touchdown in four of the six games that Kiel has played significant amount of time. Over his last two games, he has gone over 100 yards in each of these games, which presents a great opportunity this week against a Tulsa pass defense that as we mentioned is 124th in the country.
Recommendation:
Moore makes for an outstanding GPP play this week, as he will be under-owned due to other premiere wide receiver options, but he should have a great opportunity to see over 100 yards and multiple touchdowns this week. At $6,200 he makes for a nice value play
WR- Shaq Washington- $6,200
Analysis:
Shaq Washington is Gunner Kiel’s favorite as on the season he is averaging 6.5 receptions per game which leads the team. He is an incredibly safe play this week, as the matchup is a great one going up against Tulsa’s pass defense that is 124th in the country.
Recommendation:
Shaq is a great cash game play only due to being a high volume possession style receiver. He should not be considered for GPP’s.
MINNESOTA AT IOWA
Kickoff: 8:00PM EST
Spread: Iowa -9.5
O/U: 45
We are recommending avoiding this game as while Iowa is a big favorite, they get Jordan Canzeri back from injury which it is always difficult to know how running backs will respond from injury in their first game back. These are two of the slowest paced teams in college football which will limit your upside on the number of possessions that your team will have.
OKLAHOMA AT BAYLOR
Kickoff: 8:00PM EST
Spread: Baylor -3
O/U: 76
Oklahoma
Team Expected Points- 36.5
QB- Baker Mayfield- $9,200
Analysis:
Baker Mayfield is going to need to have a tremendous game this week for Oklahoma to keep up with Baylor in what should be a shootout. Over the last four games, Mayfield has stepped up as he has four or more touchdowns in three of those games, and the only game he didn’t was a Texas Tech game, where the team got off to an early lead and just ran the ball the entire game. Statistically Baylor has a great defense, but they have not played an offense that is comparable to Oklahoma. Baylor allowed 415 yards passing to Patrick Mahomes, so Mayfield should have a tremendous opportunity this week.
Recommendation:
At $7,900, Mayfield is one of the top cash game plays on the slate right behind Gunner Kiel and Greg Ward Jr. He is going to be asked to throw the ball a significant amount of times in order to keep up with Baylor’s high powered offense. We don’t love him in a GPP, as due to Oklahoma’s running offense there are other quarterbacks with more potential this week.
WR- Durron Neal- $4,500
Analysis:
Like most great college quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield does not have just one great receiver. He spreads the ball around to whoever the defense is going to leave open. Last week Durron Neal had a huge game with ten receptions for 75 yards, and scored a touchdown in the previous two games. This game should be a big opportunity for the senior to continue to establish the upward trend he has shown over the last three games, and in a high scoring game getting a piece
Recommendation:
Neal is a cash game play only, as he does not possess the huge upside we are typically looking for in a GPP. We like all three wide receivers in this game, but Neal is our favorite due to being the cheapest as well as having gotten more involved in the offense over the last three weeks.
TE- Mark Andrews- $3,700
Mark Andrews is the top tight end of the day. He has scored six touchdowns in his last six games, and should be in a great position to score another one this week.
Baylor
Team Expected Points- 39.5
WR- Corey Coleman $9,200
We aren’t going to go into any analysis in this one, as at this point we all know how great of a wide receiver Corey Coleman is. He is the premiere option on this slate, and although the matchup is one that is not as easy as it has been so far this season, he is by far the best wide receiver and best non-quarterback on this slate.
QB- Jarrett Stidham- $8,900
Analysis:
If you just look at the stat line of the game against Kansas State last week, you would be impressed by Stidham’s performance. However, if you take a closer look at it, his second half numbers were not nearly as impressive, as the team only scored ten total points against an awful Kansas State defense. There is some general concern from us here that if the Freshman is struggling against Kansas State in the second half, that Oklahoma is going to build a game plan to exploit his weaknesses. This is the same Oklahoma team that held Patrick Mahomes to his worst statistical game this season and they have one of the strongest defenses in college football.
Recommendation:
Jarrett Stidham is going to be popular, but we are recommending avoiding him this week, his price is too high compared to the expected production. His ownership will be high as everyone loves Baylor’s high powered offense which makes Stidham unusable in a GPP.
UTAH AT ARIZONA
Kickoff: 10:30PM EST
Spread: Utah -6
O/U: 62
Utah
Team Expected Points- 34
RB- Devontae Booker- $8,200
Analysis:
Devontae Booker is most likely the most under the radar running back in college football. Booker has accumulated over 100 yards. There have been a few running backs that have done this, but what makes Booker different is his pass catching ability. He is averaging 4 receptions per game which is a tremendous benefit to his fantasy value. Arizona this season has one of the worst run defenses in the Pac-12 ever since they lost Scooby Wright for the season, they showed this last week as they allowed 229 yards to USC on the ground including a huge game from Ronald Jones where he had 177 yards rushing. We expect Booker to have 200 total yard upside as they will lean heavily on him in this great matchup.
Recommendation:
Devontae Booker is one of the best values on the board in this slate, as he is $1,000 cheaper than Fournette and the fourth most expensive running back on this slate. If you’re looking to get a top running back at a discount Booker would by your guy
Arizona
Team Expected Points- 39.5
QB- Anu Solomon- $6,300
Analysis:
Finally we saw Anu Solomon return to his 2014 form last week against USC where he had 352 yards passing and three touchdowns. Solomon has been dealing with health concerns for most of the season, and it looks like he might finally start returning to 100% health. Utah this season has a great defense, but if they have one vulnerable spot it is against the pass. They are allowing 256 yards passing per game, and while a lot of the stats are inflated in the Pac-12 this is not the case as Utah has been very fortunate this season in the quality of quarterbacks that they have faced.
Recommendation:
Anu Solomon is the top punt play this week for GPP’s, as he still has tremendous risk due to his health and how the season is going so far this season. If you’re looking to pair him with someone look at Nate Phillips or Johnny Jackson.
OREGON STATE AT CAL
Kickoff: 10:30PM EST
Spread: Cal -21
O/U: 61
Oregon State
Team Expected Points- 20
Oregon State is an absolute mess right now as Seth Collins is likely going to miss this game, which likely means Nick Mitchell will start again. Over the last three games Oregon State has allowed scored an average of 10 points per game. This is not a situation where you want tos tart anyone from this team.
Cal
Team Expected Points- 41
QB- Jared Goff- $7,300
Analysis:
Jared Goff continues to put up great numbers this season and is likely the most consistent quarterbacks in college football, as he has thrown for 268 yards or more in every single game this season. The issue is that there is not a wide receiver to pair Goff up with, as he distributes the ball across all of his wide receivers. Oregon State has a poor run defense allowing almost 200 yards per game, but the issue is that Vic Enwere and Daniel Lasco are both going to see 10-12 carries per game as Sonny Dykes loves to rotate his running backs this season.
Recommendation:
Goff is a cheaper option compared to Kiel, , but does not have the upside that other quarterbacks have on this slate. We would recommend Stidham over him in cash games if you’re looking to save money, but Goff typically has one or two games where he throws for 400+ yards and 5 touchdowns. We haven’t see that yet this season, but there is value in starting him in a GPP due to being under-owned this week due to so many great options.
WASHINGTON STATE AT UCLA
Kickoff: 10:45PM EST
Spread: UCLA -10
O/U: 65
Washington State
Team Expected Points- 27.5
WR- Dom Williams- $6,800
Analysis:
Dom Williams has turned into Washington State’s big game receiver, as he now has two out of his last four games with over 100 yards and two touchdowns. He is risky, but he provides the upside that you’re looking for at the $5,800 price point. He off sets this risk a little bit by having five or more receptions in every game except for one this season, which makes for his floor while still touchdown dependent better than some deep threats that are out there. UCLA has not allowed a quarterback to throw for over 300 yards, as their secondary is one of the best in the Pac-12 so the matchup is far from ideal, but if there is a quarterback in the Pac-12 who is matchup proof it is Luke Falk.
Recommendation:
Williams makes for a great GPP play and is not really viable for cash.
UCLA
Team Expected Points- 37.5
RB- Paul Perkins- $7,500
Analysis:
Paul Perkins still is not 100% healthy, but he is in an ideal matchup this week as Washington State has allowed 206 yards per game on the ground which is by far the worst in the Pac-12 and one of the worst in the countries when it is matchup adjusted. Perkins did have 23 carries last week, which is a great sign that his knee maybe improving and while he was just able to only have 89 yards he should have a better opportunity and another week to get healthy
Recommendation:
Perkins is a nice option at running back as the matchup is a great one this week. While he is still a little banged up, he should be in position to have a tremendous game and with being $1,700 cheaper than Fournette provides a nice discount from the top end running backs.