College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 10/22/20 Single-Game Slate
Week 8 of the college football season continues Thursday night as the Appalachian State Mountaineers play host to the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.
MVP Consideration
Jonathan Adams Jr., Arkansas State ($15,000) - The star wide receiver has been targeted 65 times, per Pro Football Focus, which ranks second nationally. The senior has caught at least six passes in all five games this season. Additionally, he has multiple touchdowns in three out of those five games. Adams Jr. is one of the top wide receivers in the country and will be playing on Sundays in the near future.
Zac Thomas, Appalachian State ($14,500) - After accounting for 35 total touchdowns in 2019, the Mountaineers signal-caller is off to a bit of a slow start this season (accounting for three touchdowns through three games). However, a matchup with Arkansas State represents a major opportunity for the senior quarterback. Arkansas State is allowing 306.4 passing yards per game. Moreover, three out of the four Division One FBS quarterbacks that Arkansas State has faced off with this season have accounted for four or more touchdowns.
Thomas Hennigan, Appalachian State ($12,500) - Hennigan leads Appalachian State in targets (22), receptions (13), and receiving yards (275), per Pro Football Focus. The Mountaineers' best wide receiver is in a tremendous spot as he encounters an Arkansas State defense that has been flamed for 16 touchdown passes in five games. Two different receivers have scored three touchdowns against the Red Wolves.
Daetrich Harrington, Appalachian State ($10,000) - Harrington is a part of Appalachian State's three-man running back by committee backfield. The junior turned in a career game in his last outing with backfield mates Marcus Williams Jr and Cameron Peoples sidelined due to Covid-19 concerns. Harrington ran for 211 yards and 4 touchdowns on 32 carries in Appalachian State's 52-21 beatdown of Campbell. While Williams Jr. and Peoples are likely to return against Arkansas State, Harrington is still a great play. He ran for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns in the season opener, which is the only game that all three talented runners have played in together this season.
Others to consider: Logan Bonner, Layne Hatcher, Marcus Williams Jr., Malik Williams, and Dahu Green
Value Plays
Brandon Bowling, Arkansas State ($9,500) - Bowling is the Red Wolves starting slot wide receiver, and he's emerged as one of the team's top playmakers in recent weeks. Over the last three games, the senior has piled up 18 receptions, 239 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns. With Arkansas State quarterbacks averaging 44.4 passing attempts per game, there are plenty of opportunities for Bowling and the Arkansas State wide receivers to make plays.
Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State ($9,000) - As mentioned above, Peoples is one of three running backs utilized by Appalachian State. The sophomore has received at least 12 carries while also rushing for 50 plus yards in the two games that he's played in this season. He makes for a fine play against an Arkansas State defense that is allowing a crisp 4.08 yards per carry.
Lincoln Pare, Arkansas State ($8,000) - Pare could play a major role in the Red Wolves backfield if Marcel Murray is sidelined for the second consecutive game. The freshman turned 12 touches into 52 total yards and 2 touchdowns in last week's 59-52 loss to Georgia State. Throw in a matchup with an Appalachian State defense that is significantly easier to run on than throw against, and Pare becomes one of the better sources of salary relief on Thursday night. The Mountaineers have surrendered one touchdown pass in three games. However, they're allowing 157.3 rushing yards per game, and they've ceded 5 rushing touchdowns.
Jalen Virgil, Appalachian State ($7,000) - Virgil is expected to start on Thursday night after missing the Mountaineers' last game due to Covid-19 concerns. The senior wide receiver was Appalachian State's third-leading returning wide receiver from 2019. In two games of action this season, Virgil has 5 receptions for 62 yards and 1 touchdown on 10 targets, per Pro Football Focus. His salary is simply too low for his role and the matchup with Arkansas State on Thursday night. As mentioned above, Arkansas State has one of the nation's worst pass defenses.
Others to consider: Marcel Murray (if he plays), Jamal Jones (if Murray is out), Reed Tyler, Giles Amos, and Mike Evans.
Matthew Hiatt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Hiatt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username easternmh. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
