The Saturday afternoon college football DFS slate is lacking the firepower we’re used to seeing. There is no Oklahoma or LSU on the schedule. There are also no powerhouse appearances from schools like Alabama, Clemson, or Ohio State. The lower salaries on the slate make more lineup concoctions possible, with UCF’s Dillon Gabriel worth a long look. Let’s dig into the possibilities.
Quarterbacks
Dillon Gabriel, UCF ($7,500 on DraftKings, $9,400 on FanDuel) – Gabriel isn’t a great quarterback, but he’s good enough on a team with speed and a weak schedule. Last week against Temple, for example, Gabriel completed less than half of his passes, but gained 200 yards and three touchdowns on those throws. He will face a Houston defense this week that ranks 292nd in college football against opposing QBs in DFS.
Max Duggan, TCU ($6,300 on DK, $8,400 on FD) – Duggan seems to be improving as the season goes along, completing 19 of 27 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw a pick, which he offset while running for 72 yards and another TD as the Horned Frogs upset Texas. He will face an Oklahoma State defense that’s softer than what the Longhorns put up, so I love Duggan at this price.
Running backs
Hassan Haskins, Michigan ($4,000 on DK, $6,400 on FD) – In a game against Maryland where the Wolverines should roll, we should see plenty of Haskins as Michigan attempts to bleed the clock. Haskins actually out-carried No. 1 running back Zach Charbonnet last week against Notre Dame, 20 to 15, as he gained 149 yards. Haskins’ usage continues to increase, making him an excellent value at his low salary.
AJ Dillon, Boston College ($7,800 on DK, $9,500 on FD) – Although Clemson bottled Dillon up last week, holding him to 76 yards on 19 carries, he has been a beast most other weeks, averaging nearly 25 carries and 130 yards per game. Look for a return to his high-scoring form this week against a Syracuse team that ranks 229th against opposing running backs in DFS.
Wide receivers
Gabriel Davis, UCF ($7,600 on DK, $9,600 on FD) – If we’re lucky, Davis’ mediocre game last week against Temple (three catches for 83 yards and no end zone trips) will scare DFS players away this week. In the four prior games, Davis nabbed 37 receptions for 604 yards and seven TDs. Though Davis caught just three balls against Temple, he was targeted 10 times by quarterback Dillon Gabriel. He should post big numbers against a Houston defense that is particularly deficient against the pass.
Jalen Reagor, TCU ($5,800 on DK, $7,500 on FD) – For another quarterback-receiver pairing, I’m playing a fair amount of Reagor with Max Duggan. Although Reagor had just two catches for 55 yards last week against Texas, he had eight receptions in the previous game against Kansas State, and three TDs in his past three games.