By Robert Sanchez
Week 1 of college football has officially started and after a crazy first few games, this weekend’s slate is gearing up to be even crazier. There will be conference rivalry games, a couple of top-25 matchups and who knows, perhaps even an upset or two.
With that said, instead of looking at spreads or totals for this weekend let’s do something a little different.
For those who may not know what daily fantasy (DFS) is, it’s a separate section of sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings that offer bettors a chance to set daily lineups in just about any sport with a set budget. Each player costs a certain amount of money and obviously the better the player, the more they cost.
To join and win, bettors must enter different contests (that require entry fees) and go up against different people all over the country. Teams with the most amount of points scored, win.
In college football, rosters consist of a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers (which can include tight ends), a flex which can be either a running back, wide receiver or tight end and a super flex position that can be filled with any position, including quarterback.
The scoring rules are simple. If you’ve ever played fantasy football, it’s quite similar. Rushing yards and receiving yards are 0.1 points while passing yards are 0.04 points. Rushing and receiving touchdowns are 6 points and passing touchdowns are 4 points. Each reception is another 0.5 points but interceptions are -1 point. Fumbles lost are -2 points while successful two-point conversions are 2 points.
Now that you’re all caught up on DFS, let’s look at some options for each position. On DraftKings, because you can only create a lineup from a certain slate of games, I’m choosing only to look at the afternoon games on Saturday (14 games). These are also based on a $50,000 budget which is standard for DraftKings.
Quarterbacks
Drake Maye, North Carolina ($7,100) — After redshirting during his freshman season, the Tar Heels’ new quarterback has some big shoes to fill after Sam Howell left for the NFL Draft and was selected by the Washington Commanders 144th overall. But Maye passed his first test last Saturday, albeit against Florida A&M, by throwing for 294 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 56-24 rout of the Rattlers. Will he duplicate his performance on the road against a solid Appalachian State squad? Probably not as the spread favors the Mountaineers by two points. However, because the game should be close, Maye will be in the game for its entirety which gives him more opportunities to make big plays.
Bo Nix, Oregon ($5,800) — At first glance, you might think this pick is insane. Oregon playing the defending National Champions, who just had a defensive season for the ages, on the road with a new quarterback trying to lead the way? But hear me out. Yes, the Bulldogs had a phenomenal defense last year and enter this season with similar expectations. And yes, after leaving Auburn for the Ducks, Nix is joining a brand new team after middling results with the Tigers. However, Oregon is not Auburn and scores a ton of points, no matter who they face. Nix has also faced Georgia a handful of times while at Auburn and while those results weren’t necessarily the best, he at least has an idea of what they plan to do to him. I also suspect Nix will want to prove that Oregon made the right choice in bringing him in and will have an extra chip on his shoulder to play well. The spread is Georgia -17.5 so at the very least, Nix will likely be playing from behind and have no choice but to air it out.
Running backs
Zach Charbonnet, UCLA ($7,900) — The senior in his second season with the Bruins after transferring from Michigan should be a good bet to go off on Saturday. After rushing for 1,137 yards and adding 13 touchdowns last season, Charbonnet gets a relatively easy task to start the season in Bowling Green who has the 208th worst rushing defense in the country, according to DraftKings. Even as a freshman with the Wolverines, the senior has had a propensity to find the endzone during his college career and should have no problem bulldozing his way for a few scores against the Falcons. He also possesses the ability to catch a few passes from quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson which helps his fantasy value. UCLA is 23.5-point favorites so if the game gets out of hand, expect Charbonnet to get a bulk of the carries. And if it does get out of hand, there’s a good chance Charbonnet had a big reason why.
Blake Corum, Michigan ($7,300) — After posting a 952-yard, 11-touchdown sophomore season while playing behind Hassan Haskins who now plays for the Tennessee Titans, Corum will be given the reigns for the Wolverines running attack this season. Corum helped Michigan win the Big Ten Championship last season and get the Wolverines to the semi-final of the College Football Playoffs. And although he was a non-factor in that game as Michigan was down early and abandoned the running game, the junior should have his hands all over their game against Colorado State. Now the lead back, Corum will get most of the carries on Saturday and likely won’t squander it as the Rams do not have a particularly strong defense this season. Similar to UCLA, Michigan is heavy favorites in this matchup and if staked to a big lead, Corum will undoubtedly get enough carries to have himself a big game.
Wide recievers
Nathaniel Dell, Houston ($7,800) — Dell turned some heads last season, helping Houston finish the season in the top-25. After two seasons of not a whole lot of production, the junior figured things out in 2021 and had himself a monster campaign. He finished with 1,329 yards on 90 receptions and brought in 12 touchdowns, capping it off with 10 catches for 150 yards against Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. He and quarterback Clayton Tune return for another season and should have no problem recreating the success from last season as the Cougars enter this season as the 24th ranked team in the nation. It helps that Houston is playing a poor UTSA pass defense to start, but Dell is the clear number one option on the team and will likely be targeted all season. The Cougars are only 4-point favorites on the road so if the game remains true to the spread, Dell will be involved until the final whistle.
Brock Bowers, Georgia ($7,600) — This list wouldn’t be complete without at least one tight end, right? And Bowers figures to be the best tight end this season after an incredible freshman season with the Bulldogs, one that saw him win a National Title and be named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year as well as the FWAA Freshman of the Year. His accolades were well deserved as he had 56 receptions for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns including one in the National Championship Game against Alabama. With George Pickens gone, expect the sophomore to take another leap in his development as he and Adonai Mitchell become Stetson Bennett’s primary targets. And just because Georgia will be known for their defense this season, this offense has the ability to put up points early and often, especially against an Oregon squad who is always known more for their offense than their defense.
