Welcome back college football fans & DFS players!! The CFB season continues with a full Week 4 Saturday slate - and Fantasy Alarm has you covered! This playbook will cover the early afternoon main slate of games while Pete Cole will have the night slate for you! 

Before we dive in, a quick note that we’re only focusing on the DraftKings slate of games for this playbook, but feel free to play on FanDuel with the same players below. If you have any questions on specific players or lineup builds, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @dan_servodidio or on the Discord and I’ll try to help out! Without further ado, let’s dive into the main early afternoon DFS CFB slate for September 25th! 

THE SLATE (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook): 

  • 12 pm ET -- Missouri (-1.5) at Boston College -- 58 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- Georgia (-35) at Vanderbilt -- 53.5 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- LSU (-2.5) at Mississippi State -- 57 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- Texas Tech at Texas (-9.5) -- 62 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- SMU at TCU (-9.5) -- 65 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- Notre Dame at Wisconsin (-6.5) -- 45 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- Boise State (-9) at Utah State -- 70 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Texas A&M (-4.5) at Arkansas -- 47 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Louisville (-1.5) at Florida State -- 61.5 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Clemson (-10) at NC State -- 48 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Iowa State (-7) at Baylor -- 47.5 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Rutgers at Michigan (-20.5) -- 49.5 O/U

 

Highest Implied Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)

  • Georgia -- 44.25 points vs. Vanderbilt
  • Boise State -- 39.5 points vs. Utah State
  • TCU -- 37.25 points vs. SMU
  • Texas -- 35.75 points vs. Texas Tech
  • Michigan -- 35 points vs. Rutgers
  • Louisville -- 31.5 points vs. Florida State
  • Utah State -- 30.5 points vs. Boise State
  • Florida State -- 30 points vs. Louisville
  • Missouri -- 29.75 points vs. Boston College
  • LSU -- 29.75 points vs. Mississippi State
  • Clemson -- 29 points vs. NC State
  • Boston College -- 28.25 points vs. Missouri
     

QUARTERBACKS

Quarterbacks
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Malik CunninghamULFSU880032.64  
This Louisville/Florida State matchup should feature tons of scoring in real life and DFS - and Malik Cunningham will be the headliner for the Cardinals. First off, we love the dual-threat value of Cunningham as one of the better running QBs in the country and he hasn’t disappointed in that area this season. He’s scored twice on the ground in all three games thus far as he’s totaled 207 rushing yards in the process. Whether he’s throwing or running it, expect Cunningham to be busy in a high total game with two shaky defenses involved. It’s either Cunningham or Duggan as your QB1 in cash this week, and both are solid plays.
Max DugganTCUSMU870025.82  
If you’re not going Cunningham as your pay-up QB, then Duggan is the guy to lock in - and he might be a better play anyway. TCU will face an SMU pass defense that’s statistically the worst on this slate, giving up 317 passing yards per game (ninth-highest in the nation thus far). Then we factor in Duggan’s rushing ability that was on full display in Week 2 when he ran for 71 yards and a TD vs. Cal. This is a guy who’s racked up 1,000+ rushing yards and 16 rushing scores over the past two seasons combined. Even without his dual-threat upside, Duggan gets a very good matchup while headlining one of the highest totals of the slate.
Max JohnsonLSUMSST830028.21  
The theme of this slate is basically offensive shootouts and this’ll be another with Max Johnson leading LSU’s attack. The way to attack the Mississippi State defense is through the air - especially with opposing offenses needing to keep pace with the quick-strike Bulldogs offense - and Johnson should see a high volume of pass attempts in this one. Outside of a blowout win over McNeese State, he put up 700 total passing yards and eight TDs combined over LSU’s two other games this season. You can easily stack up Johnson with a Tigers receiver or two and have plenty of room in your lineup.
Will RogersMSSTLSU780025.47  
On the other side of Max Johnson is Mississippi State’s pass-happy offense against a questionable LSU defense. By now you know about Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense that features tons of pass attempts, yards and DFS opportunities for its QBs to have big statistical games. Rogers has been running the attack pretty successfully this season and now he gets to face a defense that was bad against the pass last year and isn’t much better this time around. He’s averaging 54 attempts and 361 yards through the air so far and has an impressive 8:1 TD:INT ratio - and that’s without facing a cupcake opponent like other schools. For the savings, Rogers is slightly better for cash than Johnson - or you can stack up both in the same lineup and hope this one finishes with 70+ total points.
Hank BachmeierBSUUTST730017.93  
While Georgia is the highest-projected scoring team on this slate, it’s tough to trust the starters for DFS due to the large spread and blowout. The next-highest team total belongs to Boise State, where Hank Bachmeier should find himself in an offensive shootout where he’s needed to pace the offense through the air. It’s been an up-and-down season for Bachmeier so far when it comes to game logs, but he’ll get a favorable matchup here against a shaky Utah State pass defense. Though the Boise offense can tend to be more balanced, Bachmeier may be throwing more often in a back-and-forth contest. The price is very affordable as your Super-Flex for the possibility he provides 25 DK or more.
Connor BazelakMIZZOSU680024.86  
This Missouri/BC matchup could end up being a sneaky spot for DFS with an offensive shootout likely coming. While the Tigers offense is pretty balanced, Bazelak has been very good under center and can easily return value at a cheap price tag for your Super-Flex spot. He has a 9:1 TD:INT ratio through three games and is averaging just under 300 passing yards per contest. Though the BC pass D is a bit tough, Bazelak should see enough volume to rack up stats if Mizzou wants to keep pace in this game - especially since their own defense is shaky. That’s been the case in their games already this year and Bazelak’s been able to pad his stats because of the game flow.

 

Also Consider: 

  • Tanner Mordecai -- SMU ($9,000) -- GPP
  • JT Daniels -- Georgia ($8,100) -- GPP
  • Tyler Shough -- Texas Tech ($6,500) -- Cash
  • Noah Vedral -- Rutgers ($6,200) -- GPP
     

RUNNING BACKS

Running Backs
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Bijan RobinsonUTTTU720029  
With Texas still trying to figure out its QB situation, we should expect Robinson to be leaned on weekly in his workhorse role. Although this matchup vs. Texas Tech isn’t the best on paper, Robinson can easily rack up 100+ total yards and multiple scores in a likely high-scoring game. Last week in a cake matchup, he totaled 137 total yards and three TDs - which is something we love to see from a guy who’s among the early-season Heisman candidates. In the opener vs. Louisiana, Robinson put up 176 total yards and two scores on 24 touches. That’s the type of workload we should see from Robinson this week and he makes for an excellent cash play.
Breece HallISUBAY700021.43  
Though this matchup vs. Baylor isn’t ideal, we at least can expect Hall to get a healthy amount of touches in this Iowa State offense week-in and week-out. That was the case all of last season when Hall quickly became a cash lock for DFS as the Cyclones’ go-to guy. Yards might be tough to come by against a tough Baylor run D, but Hall’s workload is very safe. He’s seen 20+ touches and 90+ total yards in all three games thus far and is poised for a slate-breaking performance like we were used to a year ago. People may avoid him in cash because of the matchup and low-total game, but you know what you’re getting with Hall at this point.
Tyler BadieMIZZBC690034.23  
It’s crazy to think that Badie was $4900 just two weeks ago in a presumed tough matchup vs. Kentucky. What’d he do in that game? Oh, just put up 31 DK points with his 141 total yards and a TD on 24 total touches - including 10 receptions. That came one week after he had 243 total yards and two scores on 28 touches in the season opener. Even last week in a blowout win, Badie scored three times with 95 total yards on 11 touches. It’s clear that Badie will be a focal point on the Mizzou offense all season and he should see a healthy amount of touches on a weekly basis - whether as a ball-carrier or pass-catcher. That’s especially true in this matchup vs. Boston College that could be sneaky good for DFS purposes. It’s tough to fully trust him in cash with some bigger names priced above him, but Badie could easily end up as the highest-scoring DFS RB on the slate.
Chez MellusiWISCND640023.65  
In case you haven’t noticed, teams have been running all over Notre Dame this season as the defense isn’t as strong as the name brand might suggest. The Irish have allowed two 100-yard rushers in three games already and now have to face a Wisconsin offense that loves to pound the rock. Mellusi has supplanted Jalen Berger as the lead RB this year and he could finish with a massive stat line this week in a favorable matchup. The former Clemson transfer had 121 rushing yards on 31 carries vs. Penn State in the opener and then 144 yards on 20 carries the week after - scoring in each game as well. The price is a bit high to lock in for cash, but he could easily win you a GPP or two.
Will ShipleyCLEMNCST580015.4  
We told you last week about a changing-of-the-guard in Clemson’s backfield and Will Shipley now looks to have a firm grasp on lead RB duties. After a demotion, former starter Lyn-J Dixon is now in the transfer portal and out of the picture completely. Shipley, meanwhile, took advantage of his opportunity last week when he ran for 88 yards and two TDs on 21 carries. He’s outperformed Kobe Pace to this point and it should be Shipley getting the majority of touches and red-zone snaps in this backfield moving forward. The true freshman was a highly-touted recruit and may be leaned on more this week and in coming games with the offense looking a bit shaky at times. The NC State rush defense has been pretty tough, though, so limit Shipley exposure to GPP’s.
Calvin Tyler Jr.UTSTBSU550019.93  
First of all, we know this Boise State/Utah State game will be high-scoring with the largest total on the board. Finding any exposure to this matchup could be key to cashing in DFS this week - and Calvin Tyler is way too cheap to ignore. The Boise rush defense is one of the worst in the country, allowing 200 rushing yards per game. Tyler, meanwhile, is the clear lead back in a fast-paced offense that’s actually pretty balanced between the run and pass. He’s coming off a massive performance vs. Air Force when he ran for 132 yards and two scores on 19 carries. In a favorable matchup, don’t be surprised if Tyler smashes value with 100+ yards and multiple scores once again - which we’ll take all day at sub-6k.
Pat Garwo IIIBCMIZZ520012.93  
After beginning the season as the backup, Garwo is now BC’s lead RB with Travis Levy taking a backseat. Garwo broke out for 160 yards on 15 carries for an insane 10.2 ypc average vs. UMass in Week 2 and then saw a team-high 16 carries last week vs. Temple - though the yardage dipped to 49 yards despite finding the end zone. Still, he’s outperformed Levy through three games and should see the lion’s share of carries moving forward. Now he gets to face a Missouri rush defense that’s statistically the worst on this slate - allowing 270 rush yards and three rush TDs per game. There’s clear upside for Garwo in a sneaky high-scoring game - and he’s cheap enough to roll out in cash.

 

Also Consider: 

  • Blake Corum -- Michigan ($6,700) -- GPP
  • Zach Evans -- TCU ($6,200) -- GPP
  • Kyren Williams -- Notre Dame ($5,700) -- GPP
  • Jashaun Corbin -- Florida State ($5,600) -- Cash
  • Jalen Mitchell -- Louisville ($5,100) -- Cash
  • George Holani -- Boise State ($5,100) -- GPP
  • Dillon Johnson -- Mississippi State ($4,600) -- Cash
  • Treshaun Ward -- Florida State ($4,300) -- Cash
  • Tahj Brooks -- Texas Tech ($4,100) -- GPP


 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Wide Receivers
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Deven ThompkinsUTSTBSU800031.93  
It might be crazy to see a Utah State receiver as the most expensive on this slate - but that’s how good Thompkins has been this season. He’s put up at least eight receptions, 94 yards and a TD in every game thus far and has 170+ receiving yards in back-to-back weeks. Expect him to be busy as the Aggies’ top playmaker in a high-scoring game that should feature plenty of offensive possessions for both sides. The price tag is hefty, but Thompkins has been worth every penny.
Kayshon BoutteLSUMSST770027.1  
Outside of Kayshon Boutte, the LSU receiving corps is a complete guessing game right now. Boutte, though, is one of the best DFS WR’s any time the Tigers are in action because of his monopoly on receiving production in an offense that can still light it up. He’s already scored six times through three games and isn’t far removed from putting up nine catches, 148 yards and three TDs in the season opener. That game script vs. UCLA is similar to this matchup vs. Mississippi State - a back-and-forth offensive battle that will feature tons of passing. Don’t be surprised if Boutte ends up as the highest-scoring overall player on this slate with the legit upside of dropping 40-50 DK points.
Khalil ShakirBSUUTST740023.1  
We mentioned earlier how QB Hank Bachmeier is a great play in a high-scoring matchup vs. Utah State’s shaky pass defense - and Shakir should be in line for another big game as well. He’s one of the best fantasy WRs in the country as the clear-cut top playmaker for the Broncos offense and should see a ton of targets in this one. Through three games, Shakir has 20 receptions for 335 yards and two TDs and is a perfectly fine cash play. The Shakir/Bachmeier pairing is a very affordable one and could end up being popular.
Rashee RiceSMUTCU630018.23  
While Danny Gray is also a good play, Rice is a better per-dollar option for similar production in a high-scoring SMU offense. He’s totaled four TDs through three games and is coming off back-to-back performances of four catches and 70+ yards. We’ll get to another member of this receiving corps in a minute, but Rice is the better bargain than Gray right now. Don’t forget that Rice led the team in receptions (48) and yards (683) a year ago. Though that was with a different QB under center, it’s clear that Tanner Mordecai is looking Rice’s way plenty this season.
Marshon FordULFSU550012.53  
We suggested Ford on last Friday’s slate and he came through with eight receptions for 100 yards and a TD at just $3500. Though he gets a sizable price jump this week, he’s firmly in play as Malik Cunningham’s favorite target when Louisville goes to the air. This offense lacks proven pass-catchers with Dez Fitzpatrick and Tutu Atwell off to the NFL, and Ford has quickly emerged as Cunningham’s go-to guy this season. The tight end had four catches for 50 yards in the season opener and that stat line looks like a weekly floor expectation. This matchup vs. Florida State should be high-scoring and Ford is a great cash play at an affordable price.
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Grant CalcaterraSMUTCU490017.43  
There are a number of SMU pass-catchers worth rostering this week in a high-scoring matchup - and Calcaterra is a great value at sub-5k. The tight end has formed an immediate connection with Tanner Mordecai after they both transferred over from Oklahoma this offseason. That familiarity cannot go overlooked and it should make Calcaterra a solid floor play for cash. He had seven catches for 103 yards in a shootout last week and has three TDs already this season. Reggie Roberson Jr. is another value to look at in the SMU offense, but Calcaterra is a very affordable way to get exposure to this attack.
Jaden WalleyMSSTLSU480016.2  
Mississippi State’s pass-heavy, Air Raid offense allows for multiple receivers to post solid numbers in the same game - and we have a few Bulldogs to look at in a favorable matchup vs. LSU’s shaky pass D. You can go with Makai Polk ($6200) or Malik Heath ($5900), but both are a bit too expensive for an offense that spreads the ball around so much. Jaden Walley, though, is much cheaper for possibly similar production in this game as Polk or Heath. He’s caught a TD in all three games so far and has a solid rapport with QB Will Rogers dating back to last season. Though he doesn’t offer the same reception floor as his teammates, Walley is a legit red-zone target for Rogers and is an affordable pairing this week.
Xavier WorthyUTTTU470010.77  
We mentioned Worthy as a value play on a previous slate and he’s still too cheap for his current role in the Texas offense. The true freshman earned a starting spot this offseason as a highly-regarded recruit and he could easily lead the Longhorn receivers the rest of the way. Last week with Casey Thompson starting in place of Hudson Card, it was Worthy who looked like Thompson’s favorite target when he went for seven catches, 88 yards and a TD. He was targeted eight times by Thompson in that game and could see a healthy amount of targets this week too. This may be the cheapest we see Worthy all season if he has another big stat line.
Derius DavisTCUSMU39006.8  
Outside of Quentin Johnston, the TCU receiving production has been pretty spread out to this point. Johnston, though, is way too expensive to play in cash and could bust your GPP lineup if he doesn’t score multiple times. Meanwhile, Davis is very interesting at a cheap price tag in a high-scoring game. Though the senior only has five catches for 86 yards through two games, he did explode for six catches, 139 yards and a TD against Oklahoma State last season. Davis is one of TCU’s big-play threats as a 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 kick returner while returning two punts for scores. In this high-total matchup vs. SMU, Davis could easily smash value in GPP’s if he finds the end zone - whether as a receiver or returner.
Davis AllenCLEMNCST30003.5  
There’s a youth movement going on in Clemson’s offense right now and Davis Allen will be a beneficiary of added playing time moving forward. Though the tight end only has six catches for 45 yards through three games so far, coach Dabo Swinney said this week that Allen will get the start vs. NC State. Despite the limited stats, his 45 receiving yards is actually third on the team after Joseph Ngata and Justyn Ross. It’s clear that Swinney and the Clemson coaches are looking for answers to get this offense back to its dominant ways of past years - and Allen looks like he’ll have an expanded role beginning this week. Who knows what his stat line looks like, but taking a shot at someone at min price is worth it in GPP’s - especially when that guy has the backing of Swinney.

 

Also Consider: 

  • Danny Gray -- SMU ($7,100) -- GPP
  • Erik Ezukanma -- Texas Tech ($7,000) -- Cash
  • Brandon Bowling -- Utah State ($6,900) -- GPP
  • Makai Polk -- Mississippi State ($6,200) -- Cash
  • Bo Melton -- Rutgers ($6,100) -- GPP
  • Zay Flowers -- Boston College ($5,600) -- GPP
  • Jack Bech -- LSU ($5,300) -- Cash
  • Ontaria Wilson -- Florida State ($5,100) -- GPP
  • Reggie Roberson Jr. -- SMU ($4,500) -- Cash
  • Joseph Ngata -- Clemson ($4,400) -- GPP
  • Jalen Wydermyer -- Texas A&M ($4,300) -- Cash

 

EXAMPLE LINEUPS

DK Cash
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBMalik CunninghamULFSU32.6$8,800
PivotMax DugganTCUSMU25.8$8,700
RBBreece HallISUBAY21.4$7,000
Pivot     
RBCalvin Tyler Jr.UTSTBSU19.9$5,500
PivotPat Garwo IIIBCMIZZ12.9$5,200
WRKhalil ShakirBSUUTST23.1$7,400
Pivot     
WRJaden WalleyMSSTLSU16.2$4,800
Pivot     
WRGrant CalcaterraSMUTCU17.4$4,900
Pivot     
FLEXJalen WydermyerTA&MARK8.7$4,300
PivotXavier WorthyUTTTU10.8$4,700
S-FLEXHank BachmeierBSUUTST17.9$7,300
Pivot     
      
DK GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBMax JohnsonLSUMSST28.2$8,300
Pivot     
RBChez MellusiWISCND23.7$6,400
Pivot     
RBWill ShipleyCLEMNCST15.4$5,800
Pivot     
WRKayshon BoutteLSUMSST27.1$7,700
Pivot     
WRDerius DavisTCUSMU6.8$3,900
Pivot     
WRDavis AllenCLEMNCST3.5$3,000
Pivot     
FLEXTyler BadieMIZZBC34.2$6,900
PivotDeven ThompkinsUTSTBSU31.9$8,000
S-FLEXWill RogersMSSTLSU25.5$7,800
PivotConnor BazelakMIZZBC24.90$6,800