The day slate for this Saturday’s college football games offers many tough choices in the DFS world as offensive powerhouses like Oklahoma and Texas take the field in the Red River Rivalry. Which two quarterbacks should we draft among Sam Ehlinger, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa? Which Crimson Tide receiver will go off this week? How do we fit Wisconsin’s stud running back, Jonathan Taylor, into our lineups if we spend up on the passing game?
There’s a lot to think about in Week 7. Let’s look at some of the high- and low-priced players I plan to target on Saturday.
Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma ($9,000 on DraftKings, $11,500 on FanDuel) – Yep, I’m going back to the well again. While Hurts was outscored by LSU QB Joe Burrow last week, it wasn’t by much – and Hurts still scored 36.8 DFS points. The Oklahoma-Texas Red River Rivalry game is expected to be a track meet, with a projected score by oddsmakers in the neighborhood of 44-33 in favor of the Sooners. The Longhorns have been torched by the air, ranking 292nd in college football against opposing QBs.
Sam Ehlinger, Texas ($8,400 on DK, $10,800 on FD) – Let’s grab both QBs in this game. Ehlinger has been consistent, putting up at least 25.9 points in DFS in every game on DK, and averaging 34.1 on the season. Oklahoma may put up a lot of points, but the Sooners give up a lot, too. The Red River Rivalry should be a battle of gunslingers.
Running backs
Trey Sermon, Oklahoma ($5,500 on DK, $8,800 on FD) – Sermon feels underpriced given the likelihood the Sooners will pile on points, and his usage in the passing game. Last week against Kansas, Sermon rushed 11 times for 71 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for 20 yards and a TD.
Deon Jackson, Duke ($5,400 on DK, Game not on FD) – This Blue Devils running back may be a sneaky, low-priced play Saturday. Duke is expected to put up 34 on Georgia Tech, and Jackson’s running mate, Brittain Brown, is out for the season. Jackson is likely to get more usage, and could be very valuable for his price tag. I’ll probably fade Jonathan Taylor and his high salary against the Michigan State defense, but will definitely consider Travis Etienne for a roster spot in a game where Clemson is expected to put up 43 points.
Wide receivers
Devonta Smith, Alabama ($6,500 on DK, $9,700 on FD) – While Smith has to regress this week – it’s hard to see him catching 11 passes for 274 yards and five touchdowns again – he leads the Tide in receiving yards and TD catches, while Jerry Jeudy leads him in receptions 38-31. Yes, the “whack-a-mole†game of picking Tide receivers isn’t fun, but one of those receivers is bound to have a big day with Tagovailoa chucking them the ball. At an $1,100 salary savings over Jeudy on DK, I’ll take my chances with Smith this week. On FD, with Jeudy only costing $400 more, I may drift toward him.
Deshaunte Jones, Iowa State ($5,400 on DK, $8,200 on FD) – Jones continues to be prolific for the Cyclones, averaging more than seven catches and 88 yards per game. Last week against TCU, he tallied 10 receptions for 110 yards. He didn’t find the end zone, though, and has just two TDs on the year, which is artificially deflating his price. Iowa State is expected to score about 32 on West Virginia this week, so hopefully, Jones finds the end zone a time or two. I’ll also consider pairing Texas WR Devin Duvernay with Ehlinger on Saturday in the Red River Rivalry