Week 3 is already here in this fast and furious season of College Football. Let’s get ready for the DraftKings Saturday Main Slate with this week’s overview:
Quarterbacks
John Mateer ($9,400), Jayden Maiava ($8,900), Cade Klubnik ($8,700)
The high prices at Quarterback are sometimes hard to stomach but John Mateer’s ultra-pricey salary this week does seem like there’s a path to paying off. He’s put up 38 and 32 point weeks back-to-back against high-end and low-end defensive play, so the path to 35- 40+ points is absolutely there against middling Temple. You need the Owls to score 10-17 points to keep this one interesting and keep Mateer in the game, as well as the offense pressing. It’s a possibility.
While USC hasn’t faced tough competition, Maiava has quietly put up very solid numbers this season. Against Montana State, he posted 26.7 points and then 35.98 points last week against Georgia Southern. The hype train shouldn’t end this week, though, as they face Purdue in West Lafayette. Expect for more of the same from this offense and a potential for more passing yards from the Trojans.
We’re going full bounce-back narrative this week for Klubnik against a solid Georgia Tech team. He’s disappointed against both LSU and Troy but this seems like a winnable game that Clemson will need top-end production from their star QB. There’s advantage here, too, with a consolidated target share at WR to stack him with.
Haynes King ($7,800), Eli Holstein ($7,400), Behren Morton ($7,300)
Clemson’s defense no longer gives me a ton of pause after seeing Troy have decent success through most of the game last week. Haynes King should return this week from injury and be able to play his typical dual-threat style in attacking the Tigers. This game has sneaky shootout potential, and Georgia Tech is licking its chops seeing a down Clemson team early in the season.
Pitt goes into the Backyard Brawl smelling blood in the water against a Mountaineers team that’s battered and bruised and without many options at RB. I think they take the opportunity to send an all-out offensive attack and try to run things up against West Virginia this Saturday. If you’re fading Desmond Reid for any reason, there’s eve more reason to lean heavily into Holstein’s upside.
Despite the Red Raiders scoring 60+ each of the first two weeks of the season, Morton still hasn’t been asked to fully rip it with great volume. He launched 20 passes in week one and 26 in week two but had good efficiency scoring four and three touchdowns each week, respectively. Oregon State is a significant enough step up that this should require four quarters of pay and a full distribution of pass attempts for Morton to attack. This one could be fun in Lubbock.
Gunner Stockton ($6,000), Malik Murphy ($5,000)
This seems like the first glaring error in pricing, in my opinion, on this season. Stockton has faced low-level competition this season in Marshall and Austin Peay, however he’s shown the ability to absolutely tear things up on the ground (73 yards on 10 carries against the Thundering Herd). This should be the first week Georgia truly unleashes their offense and while the Volunteers are solid, there’s no reason Stockton can’t replicate the 274 yards Steve Angeli scored on the Vols in week one. Add in a few touchdowns and the possibility for some production on the ground, and he’s got a clear path to upside while still being cheap.
I don’t love rolling Malik Murphy out here, but he’s too cheap and has two clear, cheap stacking options available as well. Play at your own risk, but he’ll likely be a popular choice, I fear, in a game where his team will be chasing for the majority of the time.
Running Backs
Desmond Reid ($8,500), Waymond Jordan ($7,600), C.J. Baxter ($7,500)
Desmond Reid is a true do-it-all RB and on DraftKings that pays off big time. He can catch, he can run, and he has such high upside, knowing Pitt should be playing with the lead and looking to send a message against the Mountaineers in this rivalry matchup. It’s easy to see why he’s top-dog on this slate.
USC are road-favorites this week against the Boilermakers and leaning on a solid ground game to get out of this one unscathed seems like an easy consideration. They don’t have the downside of an 11 am kick after traveling cross country, so I think there’s little reason to doubt the Trojans. Eli Sanders is worth considering at the lower pricing if you want to pivot.
The late scratch of Tre Wisner last week surprised some of us in the CFF world but this week we have some heads up. Wisner is doubtful as of Wednesday, and by the weekend, we should look towards Baxter for production out of the backfield. Now, will Sark actually give Baxter a full load, or will we get Gibson and Clark mixing in for significant play? That’s the million-dollar question.
Justice Haynes ($7,400), J’Koby Williams ($7,000), Jamal Haynes ($6,700), Cameron Dickey ($6,600)
Despite modest offensive production last week against Oklahoma, Justice Haynes still proved to be the motor behind the Wolverines offense and the reason they’re still formidable opponents. He has surpassed 100 yards in both outings this season, and against Central Michigan, there’s no reason he can’t make it three in a row. Roll with confidence.
Once again, there’s a lack of true separation between the Red Raider RBs. Both Williams and Dickey have utility on this slate as Tech is heavily favored and could run things late. Dickey has led in the usage category with 20 carries through two weeks but Williams is still seen as the more versatile and explosive option. There’s room for both to eat this week, but more than likely, pick your favorite from this duo and say a prayer.
The other J. Haynes on this slate (Jamal) should have decent usage if Georgia Tech leans on him like they did against Colorado (16 carries and a catch). Once again, this Clemson defense isn’t the same as in years past. I like his chances to be utilized in the passing game as well as contributing a good deal on the ground.
Terrez Worthy ($3,300), Tye Edwards ($3,100)
Heads up — you should look for value at WR before going bargain shopping at RB this week. But if you REALLY want to, Terrez Worthy is the lightning to Jay Ducker’s thunder in the Temple backfield. He’s gotten modest work the past two weeks with decent production. Maybe he breaks a big one against the Sooners? You’ll need it for him to hit.
In this week’s blind dart throw, we have the formerly ineligible, now-eligible Tye Edwards, who may finally get his shot at a P4 program with Jahiem White’s injury. Edwards has had hype before but this is a tough draw for him to seize the moment.
Wide Receivers
Ryan Williams ($8,300), Malachi Toney ($7,700), Deion Burks ($7,500)
WR write-ups are 95% the same for the top-priced options it seems. Ryan Williams is that dude and if he’s cleared to play following his concussion in Week One, then this is the chance for him to ball out and prove it. He’s expensive, and there are better values, but Williams’ chances of going nuclear always keep him in play.
Carson Beck’s freshman security blanket is a secret no more! After leading the Hurricanes in targets each week, Toney is a certified target-monster. He’ll be leaned upon underneath (especially if USF can handle Miami’s run game as well as they did Boise State’s and Florida’s). He’s pricey but there’s a chance he gets double-digit catches. He’s got an insane floor.
Makai Lemon ($6,700), Coy Eakin ($6,400), J’Kobi Lane ($6,400), T.J. Moore ($5,700), Bryant Wesco ($5,600)
USC Receivers – Lemon and Lane have separated themselves at the top of the receiver pecking order and are averaging seven and four targets per game, respectively. Purdue should allow plenty of points and yardage to these guys. The game script is tricky, but they could thrive on early-game production alone.
Texas Tech Receivers – Caleb Douglas ($6,500) and Reggie Virgil ($5,400) join Eakin in this recommendation and honestly, Virgil has been the most-targeted WR in the group so far this year. The question becomes, does the distribution of targets change now against a more formidable opponent? I lean yes, slightly; however, Eakin seems the most durable/trustworthy week-in and week-out for this grouping.
Clemson Receivers – Wesco and Moore are too dang cheap here. Tyler Brown ($3,800) will be listed in the following category, too. But if we get a 2024-esque Klubnik game this week, then both of these guys could explode. I also appreciate the narrow target distribution between these three. You know where the ball is going.
Cam Vaughn ($4,700), Chris Brazzell II ($4,500), Tyler Brown ($3,800), Taz Reddicks ($3,700)
Cam Vaughn’s usage here could see a significant increase, given that Jahiem White is out and the RB room was already thin before his injury. Maybe we get a pass-heavy attack, and Vaughn can have a blow-up spot. He saw eight targets in week one and five last week, so he’s entrenched as a meaningful weapon already.
If Vegas is right about this game, the Vols will need to be able to move the ball and Brazzell has proven to be an explosive piece of this offense with his second year in the system. I don’t trust Joey Aguilar, but maybe he can find Brazzell enough to make this hit. Brazzell’s explosiveness means it just takes one or two connections to find paydirt.
Taz Reddicks had 15 targets last week. That’s crazy, especially considering Trent Walker still had nine of his own. I think Walker retains alpha status in this offense, but Reddicks, at this price, is still great, even if that target number is cut in half.
