The first Saturday of the College Football season is upon us and along with that comes the first of many huge afternoons of DFS action over at FanDuel. Things are kicking off in a big way this week, highlighted by the $200K SAT CFB Hail Mary for the early slate of games. This GPP has a $25 entry fee and pays out the top 1,755 places, with 1st place taking home a cool $20,000.
This tournament and all of the early slate action kicks off at noon and includes ten games. Let’s take a look at some plays that could make a difference and should definitely be kept in mind while building your rosters.
Quarterbacks
Taysom Hill, BYU, $9,900 vs. NEB
The second most expensive QB for the early slate, you’ll want to consider paying up for one of the top dual-threats in the nation. Hill was out for the remainder of 2014 after suffering a knee injury in Week 5 against Utah State. He’s back, ready to go and will be the focal point of the Cougars offense. Hill put up several strong performances before going down to injury, including Week 1’s 405 combined yards and 5 total TDs against Connecticut. While Nebraska finished 2014 at 25th in the nation in terms of passing yards allowed, this is not your father’s Nebraska defense. They can be exposed for huge days by opposing quarterbacks – see Miami’s Brad Kaaya and USC’s Cody Kessler both throwing for 300+ yards and 3 TDs against them in 2014. The oddsmakers have installed Nebraska as a 6 ½ point favorite with an over/under of 60. We like Hill to provide a nice return on investment while potentially playing catch-up in this season opening road game.
Matt Johnson, BGSU, $6,600 vs. TENN
A little further down the salary scale, we have another QB returning from injury. Johnson threw for 3,467 yards and 25 TDs in his last full season at the helm, highlighted by a 393 yard, 5 TD performance in the MAC championship game. James Knapke, last year’s starter, filled in admirably and the offense continued to operate at a high level. Bowling Green’s offense remains efficient and returns a ton of talent at the skill positions. Tennessee’s passing defense was pretty solid last year but can be exposed by a talented quarterback like Johnson. This game features one of the day’s highest over/unders at 69 and Tennessee is a 21 ½ point favorite. High scoring game plus an efficient quarterback playing from behind? Yes, please!
Running Backs
Nick Chubb, UGA, $10,900 vs. ULM
Rostering one of the nation’s top RBs will not come at a discount, but Chubb makes a worthy exception to the rules of budgeting. Chubb shared duties in the Georgia backfield but still came away with 1,760 combined yards and 16 TDs. It’s his show this year and he is a potential Heisman candidate. ULM finished last season 85th in the nation in rushing yards allowed and with a record of 4-8. The danger in this matchup is the huge spread as Georgia is a 35 ½ point favorite for their season opening trip down the bakery aisle. This game should be over by halftime, but Chubb could do a full game’s worth of damage in what will probably only be 2 quarters of action for him. He’s expensive and limits your flexibility for the remainder of your roster, but if you’re going the multiple entry route then Chubb should find his way onto at least one of your teams.
Travis Greene, BGSU, $6,500 vs. TENN
We return to the Bowling Green game mainly because of the value potential of Greene. At this price point, he has a legitimate shot at returning 3x value. For 2014, Greene had nine games in which he scored at least 15 fantasy points and four 20+ point performances. Even with Bowling Green expected to be playing from behind, Greene will still be a factor in the offense and had eight games with multiple receptions last season. For a price of $6,500, Greene provides tremendous value and should be firmly on your radar while constructing lineups.
Wide Receivers
D’haquille Williams, AUB, $7,500 vs. UL
Williams is the top receiving target for the Auburn passing attack. The senior wideout snagged 45 receptions for 745 yards and 5 TDs last season, highlighted by four 100+ yard performances. He should produce at an even higher rate in 2015 and we like his chances for Week 1. Auburn has a new quarterback at the helm in Jeremy Johnson, who is certain to lean on his top target especially in the early part of the season. The game is projected to be a high scoring affair with an over/under of 57 ½ and Auburn a 10 ½ point favorite. Look for Williams to do his part to help Auburn build their lead on Saturday.
Jordan Westerkamp, $5,000, NEB vs. BYU
Westerkamp is the top receiving option for a Nebraska team that lost last year’s top RB, Ameer Abdullah, to the NFL. This being Nebraska, the running game will be just fine on a long-term basis. However, Nebraska may choose to air it out a bit more while the backfield depth shakes out. BYU is a high scoring opponent and we have one of the higher over/unders of the early slate set at 60. Westerkamp presents a good opportunity for 3x value and is one of the finer low-cost WR options for the early slate of games.
The games kickoff at noon and there is a huge selection of games available for every budget over on FanDuel. What better way to enjoy a Saturday afternoon than with wall-to-wall games complemented by some DFS action? Get your lineups ready and best of luck this weekend!
