We don’t have the strongest of lineups from a pure game standpoint this weekend, but we always have great DFS action to work with. This weekend’s slate is strong at running back with just enough quarterback options to make it fun. As always, let’s start with the guys under center…
Quarterbacks
Taylen Green ($9,000), Brendan Sorsby ($8,800), Marcel Reed ($8,400)
Green has been super dynamic this season and is one of the best CFF quarterbacks, so this matchup with LSU shouldn’t scare us. LSU is a top-20 scoring defense this season, allowing 20.8 points per game, but has given up 31, 49, and 20 points in its last three games.
Sorsby isn’t the best-looking passer, but he gets the job done. He’s slowed down in the past two weeks, but I think Arizona is a prime matchup for him. Arizona is another scoring defense that rates well, but how have they done against a good offense like Cincinnati? They gave up 39 to Iowa State, 33 to BYU, and 31 to Houston. All three have good-to-great running quarterbacks, with no real superstar at running back or receiver. I like Sorsby a good bit here.
How good of a CFF quarterback would Reed be if the Aggies let him run more? He’s hit double-digit rushing yards just twice on the season, yet he’s averaging 26.4 fantasy points per game. The Missouri game was in hand and under control, which does scare me a little bit here with South Carolina on the docket this weekend. Consider using LaNorris Sellers in Reed lineups because of this.
Jeff Sims ($7,400), CJ Carr ($7,200), Scotty Fox Jr. ($6,500), Mark Gronowski ($6,300), LaNorris Sellers ($6,200)
How are we still talking about Jeff Sims in the year 2025? God is that good, y’all. Sims had a bye week in week 11, which is excellent timing considering he ran the ball 29 times in the win over Iowa State on November 1st. West Virginia has been very good against the run this season, but I really like the potential of another 20+ rushing attempt game out of Sims.
Carr is quite the opposite of Sims in that we’re not going to get much out of him in the run game, but his passing game stuff should be super efficient. What are we going to get out of him when Notre Dame has to push it for four quarters in a high-scoring matchup? The game total sits in the mid-50s, which I feel is low. If this goes over, then Carr could explode.
Fox goes up against Sims and Arizona State in what could be a randomly fun game. The Sun Devils are down one of their best players in this matchup, and Fox has been really pretty good in his three starts. In those games, he has run the ball 38 times for two touchdowns. Combined with his pass game usage, Fox is averaging over 40 total opportunities per game.
Gronowski? Gross! Well, I do think he has some viability in small dosages this weekend. He has a rushing touchdown in every game this season! His passing game production leaves a lot to be desired, but I’ll always get down with someone for cheap if they’re giving me a good floor on the ground. He and Haynes King are the only two quarterbacks to have scored a rushing touchdown in every game this season.
As I mentioned above, LaNorris Sellers is a good play if you’re playing Reed this weekend. It feels hard for him to hit value without the game staying somewhat tight, which means South Carolina has to be doing something right. LaNorris has all the tools and rushing ability to put up a big game. Maybe the play-calling changes spark something here.
Running Backs
Cameron Dickey ($8,100), Nate Sheppard ($8,000), J’Mari Taylor ($7,700), Kaytron Allen ($7,300), Jordan Marshall ($7,100)
This is a pretty deep slate for running backs with plenty of really good options to choose from. I’m ignoring Jeremiyah Love due to price and King Miller due to price plus matchup. Instead, let’s start with Cameron Dickey. When Morton is in at quarterback, Dickey is used a ton. We just saw him get 23 attempts in the win over BYU, and we should expect more of the same against UCF this weekend.
Sheppard has really been a star since he saw RB1 work for Duke. This past weekend, he ran the ball 16 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. The volume isn’t going to be there like with some of these other options, but he’s been so good with his touches and can add pass game production with four games of 3+ receptions on the season.
Taylor is going to get you production thanks to volume and incredible receiving work, which should continue for us with Chandler Morris questionable. If Morris doesn’t play this weekend, we might see another 7-reception game for Taylor. The only negative here would be that Virginia isn’t likely to score a ton with their backup quarterback in.
Allen is another high-volume guy to use this weekend as Penn State takes on Michigan State. He’s seeing a significant uptick in volume in his past four games, rushing 16, 28, 21, and 19 times in those contests. Anyone who watched the Indiana game came away somewhat encouraged about the Penn State offense compared to what we saw against Ohio State and Iowa. Michigan State has given up 18 rushing touchdowns this season and nearly 4.5 YPC.
I’m going to assume Justice Haynes remains out against Northwestern, and if that’s the case, then Jordan Marshall becomes an elite play. In the games Haynes has missed this season, Marshall has seen 25 and 25 rushing attempts. In those two games, he’s scored 4 times and added 318 yards on the ground.
Hollywood Smothers ($6,600), Mike Washington Jr. ($6,000), Diore Hubbard ($5,600), J’Koby Williams ($5,000), Nicholas Singleton ($4,800), Reuben Owens II ($5,500)
Another injury to watch is Hollywood Smothers. He missed their last game but has since had a bye week. If he’s good to go, then I like the potential against Miami. There is definitely risk in this matchup, but Smothers is a big-play threat we’ve seen cross the 50% rush usage mark. This is a big game for the Wolfpack, so it wouldn’t shock anyone to use him to that level again.
If you think Arkansas can put up some points against LSU, but want to fade Taylen Green, then Mike Washington is a great way to do it. The man has gone for 22+ fantasy points in three of his last four games.
Diore Hubbard is really getting some good run game volume recently, making him an option at this price tag. He just caught six passes and ran 16 times in the win over Colorado, and the week before that, that combined touch number was 31. Hubbard has proven to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield and be a guy Rich Rod can lean on. The question is, how much will the Mountaineers score? Their implied team total is just 18, so buyer beware.
J’Koby Williams really has the same story as Dickey. With Morton, we see more consistent J’Koby usage. The matchup plays and his big-play ability are ones you always want to consider, especially with tighter running back pricing.
Singleton has a great run-game matchup against Michigan State, especially after his best game of the year. He scored three times on just 13 touches in the loss to Indiana. I do wonder if this is a great week to fade him, considering the limited touches he’s consistently seeing. Keep in mind that his ownership is likely to be quite high going into this slate.
The usage has been up and down for Owens, but he made the most of it last weekend against Missouri. He put up 28 fantasy points on 15 total touches thanks to two touchdowns. He’s broken the 100+ yard mark just twice in 2025 and only has eight receptions. This too may be a situation to fade, even with the Aggies nearly 3-touchdown favorites and an implied team total of 33.5.
Wide Receivers
Makai Lemon ($7,200), Cooper Barkate ($7,100), Malachi Toney ($6,900), O’Mega Blake ($6,300)
I certainly don’t love the matchup (Iowa) and the fact that he’s been shaky in two of his last three matchups, but it’s hard to fade at this price. He’s seeing nearly 30% of targets in 2025 and has three games of 10+ targets in his past five. I wouldn’t go overboard on ownership, but I certainly would include him in my player pool.
Barkate was underwhelming against UConn, but he’s continuing to lead Duke in target share. He saw seven targets last weekend with another 34 in the three games prior. Duke’s implied team total sits in the low 30s, a prime number for Barkate usage.
The season started with a bang for Toney, but he’s hit a lull in recent weeks. You can likely blame Carson Beck for that — buyer beware here. Toney is the best receiver on the team and brings down nearly everything thrown at him (54 receptions on 68 targets). The lack of touchdowns is underwhelming, but touchdowns are volatile.
Blake makes sense as the stacking option for Green in this LSU matchup. His target share is starting to creep lower, but he still maintains a nearly 28% target share on the season. He has seven targets in every game this season, with three games in double digits.
Malik McClain ($4,400), Andrew Marsh ($4,500), Will Pauling ($4,000), Cyrus Allen ($5,600), Kenny Johnson ($4,900)
If you’re rolling Jeff Sims and feeling super spicy, then why not McClain? Jordyn Tyson has to remain out, but if he does, then you’re looking at a guy who has seen 14 targets in his past two games.
Marsh is another guy attached to a passing attack that won’t sling it nonstop. The receiver group as a whole feels a little underwhelming, so going cheap may not be the worst idea. Consider Marsh, who has really taken over WR1 duties for the Wolverines. If Northwestern can slow down the run game, then we should see Marsh capitalize on a higher-than-normal target share.
Pauling is a touchdown machine that didn’t get his last weekend against Navy. Blame the blowout! Pitt won’t be a game that Notre Dame runs away with, so as long as Jaden Greathouse remains out, then Pauling should hold on to his high snap count. He has five touchdowns on 35 targets this season.
Creeping up to mid-range pricing is Cyrus Allen, who leads Cincinnati with a 19.8% target share with a very respectable 10.4 yards per target. He also has nine touchdowns on 48 total targets. That’s a touchdown rate you love to see. If you’re rolling with Sorsby, then Allen is certainly in play.
I worry a little about the Notre Dame matchup for Pitt’s freshman quarterback, but if you’re confident they can be adequate, then Kenny Johnson is a great option to target. He leads the team with a 19% target share and is the only player on the team with two games of 10+ targets.
