Week 10 of college football is here! FanDuel's college football main slate on Friday includes two games.
In case you're unfamiliar with how it works, you can check out the rules and scoring. You can check the lobby link above to see the full array of slates and contests being offered.
As for the basics, your roster consists of a quarterback slot, two running back slots, three wide receiver slots (tight ends are included in this group), and one "Super FLEX" slot. In the "Super FLEX", you can insert one player from any position, including quarterbacks.
Here, our goal is to help you field a roster full of fantasy goodness, and in true numberFire fashion, we'll use our in-house game projections as well as betting totals and advanced statistics to tackle as many slates as possible in the lead-up to the College Football Playoff. This week, we are only breaking down Friday's main slate, which locks at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Let's break down which star players are in great spots, as well as identify some players with lower salaries who will provide value to get to them.
Quarterbacks
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati ($12,000) - Ridder will be very chalky at quarterback on Friday night. He provides a safe floor and a sky-high ceiling. We could see a ceiling game as the Cincinnati Bearcats face off with the South Florida Bulls. The Bulls defense has struggled mightily this season. They rank 125th in total defense (allowing 486.1 yards per game) and have surrendered an eye opening 40 touchdowns to opposing offenses. Meanwhile, Ridder has accounted for 24 touchdowns through nine games.
Levi Williams, Wyoming ($8,000) - Williams was named the Wyoming Cowboys starting quarterback two weeks ago. He is an inconsistent passer but provides dual threat upside. Williams has tallied four touchdown passes in his two starts. He also has racked up 151 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in those two starts.
Timmy McClain, South Florida ($6,500) - The freshman quarterback has been one of the few bright spots for South Florida this season. He is coming off his best college game. McClain threw for 289 yards, tallied 46 rushing yards, and recorded three total touchdowns in South Florida's 54-42 loss to the Houston Cougars last week. Obviously, a matchup with Cincinnati's defense isn't ideal. However, Cincinnati has quietly allowed 20-plus points to three out of their last four opponents.
Running Backs
Jerome Ford, Cincinnati ($11,000)/Ryan Montgomery Cincinnati ($8,500) - The reason I've listed both Bearcats running backs is due to Ford's health. Ford is questionable after leaving the Bearcats last game due to an injury. If Ford plays, he will be the chalk running back on the slate. However, if he is out, Ryan Montgomery would likely start. Montgomery out-snapped (22 to 12) and out-carried (6 to 5) Charles McClelland with Ford sidelined (left in the second quarter).Furthermore, the matchup with the South Florida Bulls is a home run spot. South Florida ranks 120th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (213). They've surrendered 20 rushing touchdowns through nine games.
Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming ($9,000) - Valladay is operating as a workhorse for the Wyoming Cowboys. The Cowboys running back has recorded at least 21 touches in two straight games. Through nine games this season, Valladay is averaging 18.1 touches (rushing attempts/receptions) and 108.1 total yards per game.
George Holani, Boise State ($7,800) - Holani has dealt with injuries for most of the season. However, he appears to be finally healthy this season. Consequently, it's not a surprise to see that Holani is operating as the Broncos lead running back. The junior set season highs in rushing attempts (21) and rushing yards (117) in the Broncos last game.
Others to Consider: Charles McClelland ($7,300 - great GPP play if Ford is out), Jared Mangham ($6,800)
Wide Receivers
Khalil Shakir, Boise State ($10,000) - Shakir will be very popular due to his enormous role in the Broncos offense. The senior has racked up 56 receptions, 844 receiving yards, and five touchdown receptions through nine games. He has drawn an eye opening 82 targets this season. Additionally, Shakir is occasionally utilized in the running game. He has carried the ball 18 times for 90 yards this season.
Alec Pierce, Cincinnati ($8,700) - Pierce the Bearcats deep threat and most targeted pass catcher (20.9% target share). He also owns an impressive 17.2 aDoT (average depth of target). We could see a massive game as the speedster squares off with South Florida's porous pass defense. The Bulls are allowing 273.1 passing yards per game which ranks 114th nationally. They've surrendered 20 touchdown passes through nine games.
Xavier Weaver, South Florida ($6,800) - The matchup with the Bearcats is brutal. However, Weaver has established a solid rapport with quarterback Timmy McClain. Over the last two games, Weaver has recorded 11 receptions, 196 receiving yards, and one touchdown on 22 targets. Despite missing one game this season, Weaver has drawn 38 more targets than the second most targeted South Florida pass catcher.
Octavius Evans, Boise State ($6,200) - Evans is operating as the number two wide receiver for the Broncos. The senior has only run two less routes than teammate Khalil Shakir over the last two games. Additionally, Evans has drawn 34 targets over the last five games. He provides access to Boise State's sturdy 31-point implied team total in an inexpensive way.
Jimmy Horn Jr., South Florida ($4,600) - Horn Jr. could very well airball on Friday night. However, he is locked into a near full-time role at wide receiver. The freshman led the Bulls in routes run in the team's last game (41). He ranks second amongst all Bulls in targets this season (30). Most importantly, Horn Jr. provides an enormous amount of salary relief.
Others to Consider: Isaiah Neyor ($8,400), Tyler Scott ($7,000), Josh Whyle ($6,100), Michael Young Jr. ($6,000), Joshua Cobbs ($5,700)
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.