Quarterbacks
Dequan Finn, Toldeo ($7,800) vs. EMU: Finn has taken over as the Toledo starting QB in the past few weeks and he offers a skillset that is very fantasy friendly. He will give you at least 20 yards on the ground with the ability to break a long one to the house. The issue with Finn is over the last 3 games he’s completing only 45% at a paltry 7.2 yards per attempt. The Eastern Michigan defense is not too formidable but I don’t think Finn should be the most expensive quarterback on the slate.
Brett Gabbert, Miami OH ($7,400) @ Ohio: I don’t understand Gabbert’s pricing here. He’s a decent option but as the QB2 in salary I’m probably out. Everything about Gabbert is fine, but that’s all it is. Miami OH has the third highest team total and third highest percent of yards gained via the pass. But I don’t see why he should be the second highest priced signal caller.
Drew Plitt, Ball St ($7,100) @ Akron: This one is almost too easy. Plitt is the quarterback to the team with the highest implied team total on the slate by a full touchdown. Additionally, the Cardinals’ offense is pass happy, gaining 69% of team yards through the air. Plitt is a slam dunk choice on this short slate.
Ben Bryant, EMU ($6,500) @ Toledo: Bryant came in as a transfer from Cincinnati and eventually overtook Preston Hutchinson as QB1. He’s played well in the Eagles system completing nearly 70% of his passes and throwing 10 touchdowns in 6 games as the primary quarterback. At $6,500 I like the price given his offense which throws for a slate-high 73% of the team’s production. Additionally, he has the highest yards per attempt number on the slate. I shy away because the matchup with Toledo is the toughest of the evening, as reflected in his team’s 5th lowest point total.
Kurtis Rourke, Ohio ($6,200) vs. Mia OH: Rourke looks to have won the starting job back after Armani Rogers was generally ineffective outside of his big rushing day against Buffalo. The price isn’t bad for Rourke who can give some points on the ground in his own right. The issue for any QB on this team is that the volume for Ohio is a slate low at 64 plays per game, with passing yards only accounting for 46% of the Bobcats’ offensive output. The next closest team on the slate gains 57% of their yards through the air. I don’t think Rourke runs enough to offset this sluggish offense.
DJ Irons, Akron ($5,000) vs. Ball St: I think I will roll out quite a bit of Irons on this slate. He’s just too dang cheap at only 5K and frankly has a similar upside as the $7,800 QB1 Finn. He is a limited passer but will offer approximately 50 yards on the ground and did complete 13 of 13 passes against No. 12 Auburn back in September. He is coming off a very poor performance against Buffalo but otherwise has acquitted himself well, scoring 21 and 16 Draft Kings points against Ball St-esque teams Ohio and Temple. Given the fact that on this slate you may not lose a ton of points from Irons to the best QB, the savings is impossible to ignore. EDITORS NOTE: There appears to be some uncertainty as to who will start at QB for Akron tonight. If not Irons, it’s likely Zach Gibson who is also $5000. He won’t offer rushing upside but has shown to be a good passer, touching Mia OH for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns earlier this year. I’d be happy to play either in a tournament, but beware a timeshare is not out of the question.
Running Backs
Bryant Koback, Toledo ($7,900) vs. EMU: Koback is the only true bellcow on the slate, and therefore almost a must play. Accounting for over 75% of Toledo’s backfield work, you can’t afford to fade Koback with only 3 games on tap. They really could have priced him up to $9,000 and my advice would have been the same. The matchup against EMU isn’t even concerning. Koback’s salary should be at even more of a premium, so take this free square and move on.
De’Montre Tuggle, Ohio ($6,600) vs. Mia OH: A feature back in 2020, Tuggle’s role has devolved into more of a timeshare this year. He’s never been used much as a receiver and this season he’s ceded both pass game work and even carries to O’Shann Allison (more on him later). In a game where Ohio is projected to be trailing, he’s not very appealing especially at the second highest salary among running backs.
Carson Steele, Ball St.($6,000) @ Akron: The true freshman Steele has come on of late and over the past 3 games has logged 41 touches vs. Will Jones’ 28. Jones started the year as the incumbent but is now trending down. Akron is a pristine matchup for any running back but even with his mini breakout, Steele is only seeing 13.7 touches per game over his last 3. I don’t love the price tag for under 14 touches as I think that kind of volume can be had at a discount. However the matchup with Akron could prove to be a coming out party for Steele.
Keyon Mozee, Mia OH ($4,800) @ Ohio: The transfer from Kansas State has been the de facto lead back for the Redhawks but that has not yielded exceptional stats. Despite a 5’7″ 179 pound frame, he leads the team in carries and rushing scores with 3. He makes the short list of targets because the matchup is juicy against Ohio who is the second worst run defense on the slate. After doormat Akron, the Bobcats allow the most yards per carry and the highest percentage of yards against on the ground. I’m not thrilled to roster Mozee but he’s worth considering if you like attacking matchups.
O’Shaan Allison, Ohio ($4,500) vs. Mia OH: Finally, we get to my preferred value back in Allison. As mentioned above, he has earned a much bigger piece of the pie for the slate’s most run heavy offense. Ohio feeds both Tuggle and Allison but the kicker is that Allison gets pass game work with 15 receptions in 8 games. He can be expected to chip in about 2 receptions but has shown a high ceiling, catching 7 balls in their last game. I think he’s a great play given likely game script and value pricing.
Receivers:
Jack Sorenson, Mia OH ($8,400) @ Ohio: The 6th year senior is enjoying another campaign as the Redhawks primary receiver. He has averaged nearly 6 receptions a game over the past 2 seasons and is a PPR dream. I think it is a wise move to pay up for Sorenson on this slate as he has seen a production boost with Brett Gabbert under center over the last few weeks.
Justin Hall, Ball St. ($8,100) @ Akron: Wide receiver is definitely the position to splurge on this slate. Like Sorenson, Hall is a featured weapon on his team and touches the ball in a variety of ways. He has seen 25 carries in addition to a team high 48 receptions, and returns both kicks and punts. He is a no brainer play especially against Akron’s horrible defense.
Konata Mumpfield, Akron ($7,200) vs. Ball St.: Akron’s leading receiver comes in a bit pricey for my liking. Yes, the game will be loose and has the highest total but Akron actually has the lowest team total on the slate. I like Irons because he’s priced way down and offers rushing production but I can’t advocate for a premium salary for a receiver in this offense.
Dylan Drummond, EMU ($6,800) @ Toledo: I love Eastern Michigan’s pass offense but Drummond is sitting at an odd number. He is second in receptions and yards on his own team but priced $1,000 more than teammate Hassan Beydoun. Drummond has seen the end zone more often, but that’s not a good reason to have such a salary discrepancy.
Jayson Jackson, Ball St. ($6,100) @ Akron: Transferring in from Cincinnati, Jackson has jumped into the WR2 role for Ball St. He leads the primary receivers in yards per catch and is a fine play against Akron. Messing around with some lineups, I have not liked cramming him in but really any Cardinal is an option this week.
Hassan Beydoun, EMU ($5,800) @ Toledo: As mentioned above, Beydoun is the true WR1 at EMU. He does not score many touchdowns (2 in 23 career games) but catches a ton of passes. Over the last 13 games he has averaged an exceptional 7.6 receptions per game. He’s a discount Sorenson given the volume of receptions he should see. The matchup isn’t ideal but he is the preferred Eagles receiver for me.
Yo’Heinz Tyler, Ball St. ($5,300) @ Akron: The curious case of Yo’Heinz Tyler has seen his yards per catch shrink from about 15 over his first 3 seasons to a paltry 10.7 in 2021. The loss of volume with Jackson coming in is one thing, but it’s been shocking to see the drop in efficiency. Nevertheless, I do like him at cost against Akron on this slate. You have to find savings somewhere so might as well target the team with the highest total.
Michael Mathison, Akron ($5,100) vs. Ball St.: Akron’s second receiver is a decent value as he is averaging only 0.6 less receptions per game than Mumpfield. His discount is because he gains less yards per catch and has scored only a third as many touchdowns. However, I do like him as a stack with Irons as the quarterback seems to distribute primarily to the two receivers.
Devin Maddox, Toledo ($5,000) vs. EMU: Maddox has all the makings of a good DFS play: a cost effective receiver who leads his team in receptions, yards and scores. My concern stems from the fact most of his production came with Carter Bradley at quarterback. DeQuan Finn has not shown an ability to support a fantasy receiver to date.
Mac Hippenhammer, Mia OH ($4,900) @ Ohio: Miami’s second target is on the radar this week. He’s priced down so much that despite being the clear WR2, he’s in consideration. Ohio is an unappealing matchup for the Miami passing game, and I don’t feel compelled to fit him in.
Bryson Cannon, EMU ($4,100) or Zach Westmoreland, EMU ($3,700) @ Toledo: The third and fourth options for the Eagles are in play given their extreme discount. Eastern Michigan has the highest passing volume and efficiency on the slate so I like getting a piece of their offense at a low cost. Westmoreland is preferred for me as he has more receptions per game and a than Cannon and leads the team in yards per catch.
