Another interesting week has come to pass for the SEC Conference. We had four teams on a bye this week but the ten teams that took the field more than made up for their absence and treated us to some great action on the field. There’s plenty of news swirling around the conference as well that could have a big impact on the landscape for the rest of the season. We’ve got you covered with what it means from a DFS perspective. Our game-by-game recap kicks off with a thriller between two SEC East rivals.
Georgia @ Tennessee
Game Recap: Tennessee rallied to defeat Georgia 38-31 behind the strong play of quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
Team News: Georgia running back Nick Chubb was lost for the season after suffering a horrific knee injury on the Bulldogs first offensive play.
Key Players: Georgia – Greyson Lambert rebounded from a rough game last week against Alabama to perform pretty well on Saturday but still struggled with accuracy. He completed 15 of 32 for 279 yards and two touchdowns, but the numbers could have been even better if not for a crucial drop late in the game. Wide receiver Reggie Davis was unable to haul in a 56-yard strike from Lambert that hit him squarely in the hands and would have been a surefire touchdown. Davis would finish with three catches for 101 yards and a touchdown and also add on a 70-yard punt return touchdown. Malcolm Mitchell had another productive day by catching five passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. Sony Michel assumed lead back duties with the injury to Chubb. He carried the ball 22 times for 145 yards and also caught three passes for 26 yards. Keith Marshall had five carries for 24 yards.
Tennessee: Joshua Dobbs had a stellar day in leading the Volunteers to victory. He threw for 312 yards, three touchdowns and a pick and added on 18 carries for 118 yards and two more touchdowns. Even more impressive, Dobbs posted his career-high in passing yardage without a true go-to receiver. Passes were completed to eight different receivers, with Josh Malone and Alvin Kamara leading the way with five receptions each. Two of Kamara’s catches were for touchdowns. Josh Smith was the recipient of the third touchdown pass from Dobbs. Jalen Hurd was held relatively in check by the Bulldogs and finished with 95 combined yards.
Key Injuries: Georgia running back Nick Chubb is out for the season after suffering a left knee injury.
Players to Watch: Georgia – The devastating loss of Chubb is somewhat cushioned by the depth of the backfield. Michel becomes a clear must-start for DFS purposes, but temper expectations for the Bulldogs next two games. The team faces Missouri next week followed by a week off and then a date with the Florida Gators on October 31. Marshall should also see more work in the backfield as he moves into the primary backup role. After the Florida game, the last four games of the season could be very strong matchups for the Georgia running game. Michel could still be an appealing play against Missouri or Florida depending on how he is priced each week. It was encouraging to see Lambert bounce back from the rough game against Alabama. If he continues with some steady play during the next two tough matchups, he could be an interesting DFS target down the stretch run. Mitchell remains the top target to pair with Lambert and deserves DFS consideration on his own as well. Through six games, Mitchell has 28 receptions for 456 yards and four touchdowns.
Tennessee: Dobbs was an absolute DFS stud last week, but temper expectations for his next game. The team has the week off before traveling to Alabama for a date with the Crimson Tide on October 24. He still deserves consideration for GPPs, but there is a bunch of risk depending on which Alabama team shows up. We saw what they did to Greyson Lambert a few weeks back. Lambert came into the game on fire and struggled through his worst game of the season. Behind Dobbs, Hurd remains the only other DFS-relevant player for the Volunteers. While Kamara’s two touchdown game is intriguing, we need to see more before we can consider him a reliable target.
LSU @ South Carolina
Game Recap: LSU put together their most complete offensive performance of the season as they rolled over South Carolina 45-24.
Team News: South Carolina had coach Steve Spurrier resigned on Monday.
Key Players: LSU – Sophomore Brandon Harris put forth his finest effort of the season and showed that there is more to the LSU offensive attack than just the vaunted running game. Harris completed 18 of 28 to seven different receivers for 228 yards and two touchdowns. He also chipped in 11 yards on the ground. Leonard Fournette had an average game by his standards while rushing for 158 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown play was an 87-yard run in the third quarter. Derrius Grice actually led the LSU backfield in yards with 161 on 16 carries and also ran for a touchdown. Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre continued to be the top two receiving options for Harris. Dural caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown while Dupre hauled in six for 74 yards and a score.
South Carolina: Perry Orth performed admirably considering the running game was nonexistent. He completed 14 of 28 for two touchdowns and a pick. As a team, the Gamecocks ran for 74 yards, led by Shon Carson’s six carries for 26 yards. Pharoh Cooper put together another solid performance considering the offensive limitations of the team. He caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown and also carried the ball twice for seven yards.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: LSU – A date with Florida is up next for LSU and perhaps they will be the first to hold Fournette in check. Not likely, but Fournette’s salary in a tough matchup will likely point us in another direction for running back production. Harris is coming into his own as a quarterback. The constant threat of Fournette is allowing him more time to develop and to make things happen on the field. He remains an intriguing option on 2 QB sites. Dupre and Dural have the talent to break long plays at any given time, but are not the most reliable options for DFS. However, their typically affordable salaries make them intriguing punt options either paired up with Harris or on their own for GPPs.
South Carolina: Interim coach Shawn Elliott has his work cut out for him with a struggling offense. Perry Orth and the lack of production from the running game do not strike fear into the hearts of opponents or inspire a lot of confidence for DFS purposes. Vanderbilt comes to town next week for what will actually be a pretty tough matchup for the Gamecocks. Cooper remains the only player worthy of consideration for DFS purposes, but his upside is limited until we see some more life out of the Gamecocks as a whole.
Arkansas @ Alabama
Game Recap: The Tide came alive after struggling in the first half and rolled to a 27-14 victory over Arkansas.
Key Players: Arkansas – The Razorbacks were mostly held in check by a swarming Alabama defense. Brandon Allen still managed to throw for 176 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. The normally potent running game was stymied on Saturday. The team combined for only 44 yards rushing on 25 carries. Dominique Reed and Drew Morgan were the recipients of Allen’s touchdown passes.
Alabama: Jake Coker and the offense couldn’t get much going offensively in the first half, but were able to turn it on in the second to pull away with the victory. He finished the day completing 24 of 33 for 262 yards, two touchdowns, two picks and 17 yards rushing. The Razorbacks held the running game pretty well in check. Derrick Henry led all backs with 27 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Calvin Ridley had his second consecutive 100-yard receiving day and scored a touchdown for the third straight week. Ridley finished with 9 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Arkansas - The Razorbacks have a much needed bye week next week before welcoming Auburn to town on October 24. Perhaps they can use the time off to sort through their offensive issues. The traditionally run-heavy team began the season in pass-happy mode before reverting back to a more run-oriented attack. In between, they have struggled with offensive balance. Brandon Allen has the talent to produce as evidenced by throwing for 720 yards over the first two games of the season. Alex Collins remains the top option in the backfield. He’s had some solid games so far this year, but his price is typically too expensive to make him trustworthy as a top-tier option. Receivers have been too unpredictable thus far to deserve consideration for DFS.
Alabama: The Tide have a huge road game with Texas A&M up next. Coker should be on the radar for what could be a high-scoring affair. Henry deserves consideration each week and this week is no different. He has quietly produced 665 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns this season. If Ridley was not already on your radar after the game on Georgia, Saturday’s performance against Arkansas should have set off some sirens. The freshman looks to be the next big threat in a long line of productive Crimson Tide receivers in recent years.
Florida @ Missouri
Game Recap: A strong day from the defense led Florida to a 21-3 victory over Missouri.
Team News: Florida quarterback Will Grier has been suspended for one year due to a PED violation.
Key Players: Florida – Will Grier completed passes to eight different receivers en route to throwing for 208 yards but was unable to find the end zone. Demarcus Robinson led all receivers with six catches for 79 yards. Kevin Taylor received a heavy workload on his way to a productive game. He carried the ball 28 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns and also caught three passes for 25 yards.
Missouri: When the lone points for a team come from a single field goal, chances are that it wasn’t a day to remember for DFS purposes. Drew Lock struggled against the Gators defense, completing only 16 of 39 for 151 yards and two picks. Russell Hansbrough was the most productive running back while carrying the ball nine times for 74 yards. Eleven different Tigers caught passes, led by Wesley Leftwich’s three catches for 39 yards.
Key Injuries: Florida quarterback Will Grier is out for the year after being suspended.
Players to Watch: Florida – With the loss of Grier, the team will turn the reins over to Treon Harris. He has thrown for 269 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. A tough matchup with LSU is up next. We may want to take a wait and see approach on the passing game to see how Harris settles in as starter. Taylor remains a strong target for DFS, but temper expectations for the matchup with LSU. He should continue to see a heavy workload and remain the focal point of the offense.
Missouri: A tough matchup at Georgia to face a team that desperately needs a win is up next for the Tigers. Lock showed promise in his first start but regressed this week. We’ll see if he can bounce back against the Bulldogs, but he would be a pretty big risk for DFS until we see a little more. The receivers are way too unpredictable to be considered viable DFS targets. Hansbrough is the top player in the offense, but will continue to be held back until we see more from the passing game.
New Mexico State @ Ole Miss
Game Recap: Ole Miss returned to the bakery aisle and rebounded in a big way from last week’s disappointing loss against Florida, defeating New Mexico State 52-3.
Key Players: Chad Kelly returned to his productive ways in throwing for 384 yards, three touchdowns, one pick, 32 rushing yards and one rushing touchdowns. Six different Rebels accounted for 265 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the blowout win. Laquon Treadwell was the big standout at wide receiver as he caught eight passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
Key Injuries: Running back Jaylen Walton and wide receiver Damore’ea Stringfellow missed the game due to injury.
Players to Watch: The Rebels have a game at Memphis up next. Memphis can be exposed through the air as they have surrendered 1,534 yards and 10 touchdowns so far. Kelly and the loaded corps of wide receivers deserve strong consideration this week. Treadwell has a healthy lead in receptions so far with 35. Quincy Adeboyejo is second with 18 receptions and also leads the receivers in touchdowns with five so far this year.
Troy @ Mississippi State
Game Recap: Mississippi State defeated Troy 45-17 behind three total touchdowns from backup quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.
Key Players: Dak Prescott exited the game early due to a stomach virus and handed the reins over to backup quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, who went on to contribute three total touchdowns. Fitzgerald threw for 141 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 29 yards and another score. Dontavian DaShun Lee led the backfield with five carries for 44 yards. De’Runnya Wilson paced all receivers with three catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: The Bulldogs welcome Louisiana Tech to town this week for what could be a high-scoring affair. Prescott remains a top option, assuming he is 100% following last week’s stomach bug. Louisiana Tech has been decent against the run but can be targeted through the air. They have given up 1,495 yards and 11 touchdowns to the passing game this year. Wilson and Fred Ross remain the top options for a stack with Prescott.
Other SEC Teams: Auburn, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt were off this week.
