My theme for this Saturday main slate is to not forget about the stud guys who can get you there. The “game stack” options are not ideal this week to me and so I’m leaning more to just riding a few studs with some good value in a couple areas.
UCLA vs USC
This is just an ugly slate of games to try and force in some gamestacks. This has kind of been the theme all season as most of the high scoring offenses are in the Pac-12 and this week isn’t presenting us a depth of options there beyond UCLA vs USC, which is not an easy game to peg beyond Caleb Williams and some nice value on the UCLA receivers if you trust them to actually throw the ball much. That said, USC is going to SHRED UCLA this week and so they’re not a bad stack to consider up top.
- USC: Caleb Williams, Brendan Rice, MarShawn Lloyd
- UCLA: Logan Loya
OKLAHOMA ST vs HOUSTON
Oklahoma State vs Houston is likely the best both side game stack spot. Another road game for the Cowboys after a string of home games and they should show up more than they did vs UCF.
- OKST: Alan Bowman, Ollie Gordon, Rashod Owens
- HOU: Donovan Smith, Samuel Brown
CORE OPTIONS
Donovan Smith – Houston – $7900 … This is the best “oh, I gotta have him at that price” consideration. But also factor in that Oklahoma State will control the ball well offensively against Houston’s defense and you probably wont get the same smash area that you saw the UCF offense have last week. I like Smith a good deal, he’s rushed for 341 yards & 5 touchdowns and consistently is called upon to run the ball. That reason alone makes him the CORE play this week, but you can expct some others to contend with QB1.
Jordan McCloud – JMU – 8,300 … My path on McCloud which I’ll roll in a second lineup is only to use him in an AppSt/JMU type gamestack. Both of his primary WR are going to be popular but 70% of the touchdowns vs AppSt have come on the ground and we’ll be locking in his RB situation in the main CORE this week.
Bo Nix – Oregon – $10,800 … Sub 1% ownership and it should be a get in, drop 40 in the first half and get out spot. Nix will account for 4+ touchdowns today and that sounds mighty fine to me.
Caleb Williams – USC – $10,900 … His upside over Nix is that his defense sucks and so he’ll be throwing every 5 minutes.
Let’s not forget about …
Alan Bowman – Oklahoma Sate – $7100
Sam Hartman – Notre Dame … Because he is going up against his former team and will throw for 3 TD today.
I am fading
Dillon Gabriel … Not a fan of this early start time.
CORE OPTIONS
TySon Lawton – James Madison – $4600 … There is heavy value here on a RB thin slate and Lawton is going to get enough workload from the Dukes perspective to smash the lock button on him here. Kaeleon Black has only 8 combined carries over the last two games, but will see some workload as well.
Ollie Gordon – Oklahoma State – $8800 … Get right game for Gordon after last weeks early injury and OKST debacle performance? Maybe, but the flow of being up against a below avg pass AND rush defense should put him into many redzone situations to have a 2+ TD game.
FLEX OPTIONS
Will Shipley – Clemson – $5900 … This is a sneaky good game today and I have fears about the Clemson offense obviously but you can still run on UNC.
Gavin Sawchuck – Oklahoma – $5500 … BYU rush defense has been a problem & if Gabriel is a fade, then rolling Oklahoma’s stable of RB is a no brainer.
CORE OPTIONS
Welcome to the depth on this slate. You MUST have 4 receivers today IMO, if not 5.
Troy Franklin – Oregon – $8700 … There is no Marvin Harrison Jr this week on the main slate, but you can bet your ass that Troy Franklin is going to fill in that stud that nobody has spot. ASU can’t stop the pass and Nix is going to pad his passing stats for the Heisman. All the guy does is top 20-25 fpts each week, and this is a cheaper way to get Bo Nix essentially because Franklin will go over 100 yards and score. Take that to the bank.
Samuel Brown – Houston – $6400 … Favorite game with WR1 for the home team who should get most of their damage through the air. The Cowboys pass defense has given up 264 yards per game over their last 5, second highest on this slate.
Logan Loya – UCLA – $4500 … Great value for an increase in tempo, also the chalky mid range/high value WR.
TIER 2 PICKS
Rashod Owens – Oklahoma State – $5600 … While Ollie Gordon is going to get his, the OK ST passing game must come through and should have an easy time getting a high reception spot again for Owens.
Brenden Rice – USC – $6500
Jahmal Banks – Wake Forest – $6800
Reggie Brown / Elijah Sarratt – JMU
VALUE WR
Chris Tyree – Notre Dame – $4400
Jake Briningstool – Clemson – $4000
Cornelius Johnson – Michigan – $4400
J’Michael Sturdivant – UCLA – $3900
Stephon Johnson – Houston – $3900
DRAFTKINGS CORE OPTIONS
QB: Donovan Smith – Houston
RB: Ollie Gordon – OK State
RB: TySon Lawton – JMU
WR: Samuel Brown – Houston
BETS
USC -5
Arizona -1
OKST/Houston over 58.5
Oklahoma/BYU under 57.5