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.
Florida State At Georgia Tech
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Florida State -6
O/U: 54.5
Florida State
Team Expected Points- 30.5
QB- Everett Golson- $7,700
Analysis:
Everett Golson has largely been hit or miss so far this season, as he has two great games, one good game, and three sub-par games. Thankfully, three of the four times that Florida State has scored 29+ points Golson had a good game. He is not turning the ball over as much as he did last season at Notre Dame, and is in a good position to have a great game this week. Georgia Tech statistically has a good defense against the pass, but they have played teams who are primarily running teams.
Recommendation:
Golson makes for a good punt play for both cash games and GPP’s this week, as he is one of the cheaper options on the slate if you need to save money at the position. The matchup is neutral, but the price is cheaper than what it should be.
RB- Dalvin Cook- $9,900
Analysis:
Dalvin Cook is in the conversation to be the best running back in college football this season. He has dealt with some injury concerns this season, but has not let that stop him since he has returned. Georgia Tech has allowed 178 yards rushing per game which is 86th in the NCAA. It is a great opportunity for Dalvin Cook to continue his great success this season.
Recommendation:
Cook is expensive, but is one of our favorite plays for GPP’s this weekend as he will be under-owned and has one of the highest ceilings on this slate. For cash games, the issue is that Fournette is only $500 more and McNichols is $2,400 cheaper, both of which are better plays.
WR- Jesus Wilson- $4,500
Analysis:
Jesus Wilson has been extremely consistent this season. He is not the most talented wide receiver on Florida State, but college football is all about finding consistent values. Wilson is at a great price this week in an average matchup and should be safely used in this matchup as his floor is higher than other cheap receivers on this slate.
Recommendation:
At this price, he is a good punt play for cash games. He is not recommended for GPP’s, as he does not have the upside that you are going to be looking for.
Georgia Tech
Team Expected Points- 24
Georgia Tech is a triple option team which means that there are no consistent players in this offense. Georgia Tech is primarily a running team and they are facing a Florida State defense that is only allowing 113 yards rushing per game, this is not a matchup to target.
Texas A&M At Ole Miss
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Ole Miss -6
O/U: 62
Texas A&M
Team Expected Points- 28
WR- Christian Kirk- $7,400
Analysis:
Christian Kirk has been one of the best freshman in the country this season, so far this season he has 6+ catches in five of the six games so far this season. The issue is that he has only scored a touchdown in three of the six games. Ole Miss has one of the best defenses in the country, but if they have a weakness they have been susceptible to wide receivers having a big game.
Recommendation:
Christian Kirk is a GPP play only. He is not scoring touchdowns on a consistent basis to justify his price.
Ole Miss
Team Expected Points- 34
WR- Laquon Treadwell- $8,200
Analysis:
Laquon Treadwell over the last two games has been a completely different player than then player he was earlier in the season. Over the last two games he has 22 receptions and 280 yards with three touchdowns. The difference in those games and this game is that in those games he was playing two horrible defenses in New Mexico State and Memphis. Texas A&M has one of the best pass defenses in the country only allowing 183 yards passing per game, which severely decreases Treadwell’s floor, and we do not expect him to have the same production that he previously has had over the last two games.
Recommendation:
Treadwell is a good GPP play, as he has the upside to continue the trend that he is currently on where he has scored over 27 points in each of the last two games. However, his floor is not high enough to justify his price in a cash game. The price is expensive, but it certainly can be fit in if you fade the top running backs.
Western Kentucky At LSU
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: LSU -16
O/U: 67
Western Kentucky
Team Expected Points- 25.5
Western Kentucky is facing one of the best defenses in the country. The other issue is that Western Kentucky has some major injury concerns that they have in this game. Both Tyler Higbee and D’Andre Ferby are questionable for this game, which is never a great situation for daily fantasy purposes. There are better teams to target in this slate.
LSU
Team Expected Points 27
RB- Leonard Fournette- $10,400
Analysis:
Leonard Fournette has the best matchup he will have all season when you factor in both the ability for Western Kentucky to keep this game close, as well as the poor defense of Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky has faced two good running backs so far this season allowing an average of 186 yards to them. Leonard Fournette is an elite running back instead of a good running back, so he is in a position to far exceed 186 yards as long as the game stays competitive.
Recommendation:
We are going to be starting most of our rosters with a combination of J.T. Barrett, Jeremy McNichols and Leonard Fournette and then figure the rest out with lower tier cheap guys. He is the best running back on this slate and in a great spot to carry your lineup to victory.
WR- Malachi Dupre- $5,800
Analysis:
Malachi Dupre is starting to finally emerge as the number one receiver that LSU has been looking for throughout the course of the season. In three of his last four games he has 4+ catches, 70+ yards and a touchdown. The one game he did not do this, LSU was facing Eastern Michigan so there was not a need for them to throw the ball. This is a matchup that as long as the game stays competitive he should be heavily involved in the offense.
Recommendation:
Malachi Dupre is a great punt play for GPP’s based on his ceiling being higher than other wide receivers at his current price. His price is a little bit too high for cash game plays as you aren’t getting the consistently that we typically look for in a cash game play.
Kentucky At Mississippi State
Kickoff: 7:30 PM EST
Spread: Mississippi State -12
O/U: 56
Kentucky
Team Expected Points- 22
RB- Stanley Boom Williams- $6,500
Analysis-
Stanley Williams is coming off a great game in which he had 16 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Over the course of the six games this season, 16 carries is the most action that he has seen which unfortunately hinders his upside so you are going to be banking on a long run for Stanley which he had a 60 yard touchdown against Auburn.
Mississippi State has been susceptible to the run so far this season allowing 162 yards rushing per game, and they have been great against the pass only allowing 202 yards passing per game. This bodes well for Kentucky to try to establish the run early and often in this game. However, there is always the inherent risk that Kentucky falls behind early and abandon’s the run which limits Stanley’s upside on this slate.
Recommendation:
Stanley should be used as a contrarian GPP play only. While the matchup is nice, he does not get enough volume as a running back to warrant the price that he is going to cost you. He just does not see enough volume in order to justify using a running back slot on him when there are so many great running backs in this slate such as Fournette, Dalvin Cook, and Jeremy McNichols.
WR- Dorian Baker- $5,200
Analysis:
Dorian Baker is another wide receiver who is consistently safe which is what you’re looking for in a cheap wide receiver. So far this season the worst game that he has had was in week three in a very difficult matchup against Florida where he had four receptions for 38 yards. He also has a 28 point game this season in a very easy matchup against Eastern Kentucky.
This week the matchup is difficult, as Mississippi State has only allowed 202 yards passing per game, which while it is not as difficult as the Florida defense, it still should be factored in when considering whether to start Baker.
Recommendation:
Baker is a decent punt play if you’re looking lineup as you’ save money on this slate. There are better options due to the matchup, so he should not be your primary punt play, but if you’re looking for a few wide receivers to punt with in a cash game or a GPP he is one of those guys who can be rostered.
Mississippi State
Team Expected Points- 34
QB- Dak Prescott- $9,200
Analysis:
After some early season struggles, Dak Prescott is finally adjusting to the new teammates around him after losing most of his team last season due to graduation. Dak has been incredibly efficient this season as he has yet to throw an interception. The problem with Dak is that his running game has been largely inconsistent, as he has ran for 72, -19, 54, 14, 96, 3, 34 yards in his seven games this season which make predicting when he is going to have a big game very difficult.
Even though this matchup on paper seems as if it could be difficult, Kentucky has not played a strong offensive team outside of Louisiana-Lafayette who they allowed 33 points to in week one. Dak should have plenty of opportunity in this game, and with Mississippi State expecting to score 34, Dak should play a major role in this.
Recommendation:
While we like Dak as a cash game play this week, we prefer J.T. Barrett due to his floor being higher due to Dak’s running volume being inconsistent. Dak makes for a great GPP play, as his ceiling is as high as anyone as when he has a running game, his upside is as high as anyone in this slate.
Utah At USC
Kickoff: 7:30 PM EST
Spread: USC -4
O/U: 60
Utah
Team Expected Points- 28
WR- Kenneth Scott- $5,500
Analysis:
Early on in the season there were a significant amount of hype around Kenneth Scott and a potential breakout season this year. Those talks stopped very quickly when he only had a total of six receptions for 49 yards in his first three games this season. Since those first three games this season a light bulb has come on for Scott and he is starting to become the player that we thought he could be as he has 15 receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns over his last three games, which is what we are going to continue to look for in Scott going forward. Utah is going to need another fantasy relevant player besides Devonta Booker, so Scott should be given every opportunity to do so.
The matchup is a good one, as USC has allowed 235 yards passing per game which is 82nd in college football. Utah is a surprising underdog in this game, so they’re going to need to establish a passing game in order to beat USC this week.
Recommendation:
There is a high level of riskas Scott could revert to being the player that we saw early on in the season, but he is playing well and the team desperately needs a wide receiving threat. If you’re looking to punt the position, we could see you taking Scott in both cash games and GPP, but understand that this is his floor is lower than other players at this position, so he may be best suited for a GPP.
USC
Team Expected Points- 32
WR- Juju Smith-Schuster- $8,400
Analysis:
Even though the matchup looks great on paper this week as Utah has allowed 256 yards passing per game, they have faced a some high volume passing offenses in the Pac-12 that have artificially inflated that average. If anything this is probably a neutral to below average matchup as Utah is going to be looking to continue to dominate the time of possession game which limits the number of possessions that USC will have in this game.
Juju Smith-Schuster has shown that he is largely matchup proof and continues to show why he is to be considered the next great USC wide receiver. Having scored a touchdown in five of the six games so far, and going over 100 yards four of those six games, he is a guy who is incredibly consistent this season. USC is going to need to lean on him this week if they’re going to pull off the victory.
Recommendation:
Juju Smith-Schuster is expensive, but he should be considered for GPP’s as he has the highest ceiling on the board for this slate. For cash games, it is going to be difficult to fit him in if you are going to be spending up on a running back in this slate. If you can afford him he is a great start.
Ohio State At Rutgers
Kickoff: 8:00 PM EST
Spread: Ohio State -21
O/U: 64
Ohio State
Team Expected Points- 42.5
QB- J.T. Barrett- $8,300
Analysis:
Urban Meyer is hoping this is the last quarterback decision that he will have to make now that he has made a change at quarterback to go back with J.T. Barrett which is great news for us fantasy players. Rutgers is ranked 125th in college football in passing yards allowed having allowed 321 yards per game through the air. This is an ideal matchup for J.T. Barrett and the coaching staff are going to want to get him as much volume as they can to make up for some of the lost game time that he did not have earlier in the season. Barrett possesses a unique running/passing ability that is ideal for fantasy production and has a history of having big fantasy games against inferior opponents.
Recommendation:
J.T. Barrett is the top cash game option, and likely the top GPP option due to the matchup as well as the combined running/passing ability. The only worry would be that this game gets out of hand quickly which would limit Barrett’s upside.
Rutgers
Team Expected Points- 21.5
Ohio State has a top 5 defense in the country this season. This is not a situation that you want to target especially when Leonte Carroo who is Rutgers’ best player is questionable for this game.
Wyoming At Boise State
Kickoff: 10:15 PM EST
Spread: Boise State -35
O/U: 56
Wyoming
Team Expected Points- 10.5
Wyoming’s in a very difficult situation on the road against Boise State. We recommend avoiding this team and going with some of the other great options in this slate.
Boise State
Team Expected Points- 45.5
RB- Jeremy McNichols- $7,300
Analysis:
Jeremy McNichols is probable for this game, so make sure that he is playing prior to paying up for him. In his six games that he has played this season, he is averaging 2.3 touchdowns per game and while he is not a guy who is going to have a significant amount of yardage, his ability to find the end zone makes him an elite fantasy option. He also has a unique ability to be involved in the passing game as he is averaging 3.3 receptions per game which is a key stat that is often undervalued with running backs.
The matchup is absolutely ideal, as Wyoming is allowing 214 yards per game rushing. The only concern would be the injury that McNichols has as he sat out last week, if he sees a normal amount of volume this is the best spot he will be in all season.
Recommendation:
All signs are pointing towards McNichols playing, which unless that changes he is a must start in both GPP and cash games due to his price and his touchdown upside.
TE- Jake Roh- $2,400
Analysis:
Jake Roh is not the best tight end on this slate, as he has yet to find the end zone so far this year. He has had a consistent number of catches each week, which is all you’re looking for in a tight end as the touchdowns can be random at time due to game flow. The tight end often times has to be put into position to score a touchdown so even the best tight ends are not a lock to score on a weekly basis.
Recommendation:
Jake Roh is a great punt play this week which while he has not found the end zone so far this year he gives you the flexibility to spend up at other positions. Getting Barrett, Fournette, McNichols may require you to go with Roh.
Colorado At Oregon State
Kickoff: 10:30 PM EST
Spread: Colorado -1
O/U: 59
Colorado
Team Expected Points- 29.5
WR- Nelson Spruce- $6,400
Analysis:
With Shay Fields likely to miss this game, it will be all Nelson Spruce in this game. This is an Oregon State team that gave up over 400 yards passing last week, which presents a great opportunity for Colorado to throw the ball at a high volume to stay in the game. So far this season, Spruce has been consistent, but hasn’t exceeded 100 yards, with Fields out his number of targets should increase and he should have a great opportunity to break through that 100 yard mark.
Recommendation:
Nelson Spruce is a great cash game play due to his consistency on a weekly basis. He is not a great GPP play as he has not shown the ability to put up the huge fantasy games that he did last year.
Oregon State
Team Expected Points-28.5
QB- Seth Collins- $7,400
Analysis:
Seth Collins is showing that he is one of the more exciting fantasy quarterbacks in college football. However, like most freshman, he has been very inconsistent so far this year especially with his legs, as he has three games with 100+ rushing yards, but also has two games with less than 30 rushing yards this season. The good news for Collins is that Colorado has an inability to stop the run, allowing 211 yards rushing per game, which since Oregon State does not have a traditional running back, they are going to want to lean on Collins to beat Colorado on the ground.
Recommendation:
Collins is in a great matchup this week and is one of the top GPP plays on the board this week due to his rushing ability combined with Colorado’s inability to stop the run. He should not be considered in cash games as there is significant risk involved if he does not run in this game.
Washington At Stanford
Kickoff: 10:30 PM EST
Spread: Stanford -16
O/U: 48
Washington
Team Expected Points 16
TE- Joshua Perkins- $3,000
Analysis:
Joshua Perkins production is a negative correlation to Jake Browning’s success. The worse that Browning has done over the last few weeks the more he has looked to his tight end. Fortunately for Perkins, this presents a good opportunity for him this week as Stanford is going to present Browning issues, so he will continue to look to his tight end
Recommendation:
Perkins is a great play if you’re looking to differentiate yourself from Hooper, or if you’re looking to save salary cap space..
Stanford
Team Expected Points- 32
TE- Austin Hooper- $3,600
Analysis:
Austin Hooper is starting to develop as the number one receiver/tight end at Stanford. In the last three games that he has played he has scored 13 or more points. Washington has a top 25 run defense which should put some pressure on Christian McCaffrey, so Stanford is going to look to their big tight end to produce especially in the red zone.
Recommendation:
Hooper is the top tight end play on this slate.
