Welcome back, college football fans! It’s been a long offseason waiting for CFB DFS to return but we’re glad to say that Saturdays (and Thursdays and Fridays) will again be dominated by college football action. Hopefully you cashed in Weeks 1 and 2, but if not - we’re back for a Saturday night full of intriguing matchups. 

First off, DraftKings and FanDuel have very different slates for Saturday night and lineup construction will be unique to each site. The sites do share some common games, though, and we’ll focus on those players in this playbook. If you want more in-depth breakdown of the players in FanDuel’s extra games, we encourage you to check out Austyn Varney’s Saturday main slate playbook as well.

In this Week 3 Saturday Night DFS CFB Playbook, we’ll break down a few of the top plays at each position by taking into account the price differentials, individual matchups, depth charts and point spreads. Again, we will focus our attention on the players who can be found on both sites - but pay attention to the “Also Consider” section for plays specific to FanDuel.

Now, let’s dive into the specific players that are worth rostering in both cash game and tournament lineups for this Week 3 Saturday night slate!

 

QUARTERBACKS

Jalen Hurts - Oklahoma ($8,500 DK / $10,600 FD)

We all saw what Hurts’ DFS ceiling can be when he exploded for 508 total yards and six touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) in the season opener. Last week, Hurts *only* put up 306 total yards and three scores because he was pulled in the third quarter in Oklahoma’s blowout win. We can reasonably expect him to fall somewhere in between those stat lines here in Week 3 in what should be an easy win over UCLA. The Bruins’ defense is allowing nearly 270 passing yards per game (27th-worst in the country) and that number should rise significantly after this game goes final. Hurts is one of college football’s premier dual-threat QBs who headlines arguably the best offense in the nation. He will provide a safe floor with a massive ceiling in all formats on both sites. 

Bryce Perkins - Virginia ($7,300 DK / $9,600 FD)

We always like to roster quarterbacks against bad defenses and Perkins has one of the best matchups of any QB on this slate - making him very attractive at this price tag, especially on DK. Through the first two weeks, the Florida State defense is giving up 324 passing yards, 196 rushing yards and 40 points per game which bodes well for the dual-threat abilities of Virginia’s Perkins. The offense runs through him - both rushing and passing - and the ball should be in his hands a ton as this game should be close throughout with Virginia currently 7-point favorites at home. You can definitely roster Perkins in your Super-Flex alongside a high-priced QB like Hurts in cash lineups and be good to go. 

Tom Stewart - Rice ($5,200 DK / $6,800 FD)

On every CFB DFS slate, there’s always that one cheap quarterback who can make or break your lineups from the Super-Flex spot - and Stewart is that guy on Saturday night. Rice may be projected to lose by 30 to Texas in this game, but that could mean a ton of garbage-time points for Stewart in the second-half. Plus, the Longhorns’ defense is allowing a whopping 405.5 passing yards per game (4th-worst in the country) while boasting a solid run defense. The game script and matchup in this one calls for Stewart to be passing a ton as the Texas defense will likely shut down Rice’s running game and force Stewart to the air while playing catch-up. Stewart entered the last game after starter Wiley Green left with an injury and went on to throw for 185 yards and a score while adding a rushing touchdown as well. The redshirt senior is a very capable backup to fill-in, though, as he threw for 1,614 yards and 14 touchdowns in eight games last year. 

Also Consider: 

Sam Ehlinger - Texas ($8,800 DK / $10,300 FD)

Tua Tagovailoa - Alabama ($10,200 FD Only)

Feleipe Franks - Florida ($6,000 DK / $8,700 FD)

Adrian Martinez - Nebraska ($9,400 FD Only)

 

RUNNING BACKS

Salvon Ahmed - Washington ($7,200 DK / $9,000 FD)

Ahmed is the bell-cow back for Washington and there’s a chance he could see a ton of carries against a bad Hawaii rush defense. The Huskies are favored by three touchdowns in this game and Ahmed could easily get 20+ touches as the offense looks to run the ball in the second half with the lead. Washington leaned on the junior last week against California as he saw 21 carries and finished with 119 yards and a touchdown. This Hawaii defense is allowing over 220 rushing yards per game this season (9th-worst in the country) as we saw both Arizona and Oregon State torch them on the ground through the first two games. There aren’t many feature backs playing at home as big favorites on this slate - and Ahmed seems to be in a category by himself at a very affordable price tag. 

Cam Akers - Florida State ($6,700 DK / $9,900 FD)

Although Virginia’s run defense is solid, we can’t ignore the massive volume that Akers is getting in this Florida State offense. Akers had 193 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries last week - with five catches for 55 yards and a score - and also put up 116 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in Week 1. The Seminoles are still trying to figure out their offense with James Blackmon at QB, but it seems they are content in giving Akers a huge workload right now. Through the first two weeks, only one other FSU back has seen carries as Akers is clearly the featured rusher. Plus, his use as a receiver out of the backfield is also encouraging. 

Keaontay Ingram - Texas ($5,700 DK / $9,100 FD)

We say it every week, but the price differential for certain players between DK and FD is just too glaring at times and it definitely makes Ingram a value on DraftKings this Saturday. The Longhorns’ back will face a Rice defense that’s allowing 216 rushing yards per game (13th-worst in the country) and he’ll be the go-to rusher for a team that’s favored by 32 points. Oh, and Ingram is basically the only healthy running back for Texas right now as they’re dealing with a ton of injuries behind him and will now use a converted quarterback as the backup this week. Texas should easily win this game and will have the lead for the majority of the contest - allowing Ingram to get a ton of touches against a porous Rice rush defense. He’s priced appropriately on FD but he’s too cheap on DK to not lock him into your cash lineups. 

Also Consider:

Travis Etienne - Clemson ($7,800 DK / $10,200 FD)

Chuba Hubbard - Oklahoma State ($10,000 FD Only)

Vavae Malepeai - USC ($9,400 FD Only)

Trey Sermon - Oklahoma ($5,600 DK / $9,300 FD)

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Rondale Moore - Purdue ($8,100 DK / $10,200 FD)

At this point, we just have to consider playing Moore in all formats on both sites until he proves us otherwise. The sophomore is already one of the more talented receivers in the country and his stats over the first two weeks are pretty much self-explanatory. In Week 1, Moore racked up 11 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown and then followed up with 13 catches for 220 yards and a score last week. Overall, he’s seen a whopping 35 targets in just two games so far - including 21 last Saturday. The only worry for Moore this week is a tough matchup against TCU’s stout pass defense - but he could still return value because of how many targets he’s seeing in this Purdue offense. He’s the clear No. 1 target for QB Elijah Sindelar and even if TCU limits the Boilermakers’ scoring overall, Moore will likely see 10+ targets again with Sindelar forcing the ball to him at times. On DK, he’s actually a bargain because his price would probably be a lot higher if the matchup was better. 

CeeDee Lamb - Oklahoma ($7,500 DK / $9,000 FD)

If you’re playing Hurts, the best receiver to pair him with is Lamb as the No. 1 wideout and big-play threat for Oklahoma. Lamb had a fairly quiet Week 1 but he bounced back for six receptions, 144 yards and a touchdown last week - all coming in just the first half as he was pulled early in the blowout. With his top-end speed and quickness, Lamb can literally take any of his catches to the house as he did in both games this season. The UCLA defense is allowing a ton of passing yards per game and Oklahoma will likely get out to an early lead because of a score or two from the Hurts-Lamb connection. Plus, this game could actually be closer than Vegas is projecting so that would increase Lamb’s time on the field and give him a higher ceiling than usual when he’s leaving the game early in blowouts. 

Tee Higgins - Clemson ($5,600 DK / $9,100 FD)

The Clemson receiving corps is two-headed monster with Higgins and Justyn Ross as the 1A and 1B options for QB Trevor Lawrence. In Week 1, it was Higgins who had the better game with four catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. Although Higgins still had four grabs for 70 yards last week, it was Ross who had the better fantasy stats with seven receptions, 94 yards and a score. FanDuel has appropriately priced Higgins and Ross within $200 of each other but DraftKings definitely overreacted to Ross’ better Week 2 performance as Higgins is $2,000 cheaper on that site. At that price, Higgins looks like a safe cash play and is definitely more viable than Ross with the salary savings. 

TreVontae Hights - TCU ($4,900 DK / $7,200 FD)

Jalen Reagor is undoubtedly the top wideout for TCU, but Hights has emerged as a very solid second receiving option and he comes at a nice discount this week. Purdue’s defense has allowed the 7th-most passing yards this season (357.5 per game) and Hights could put up a similar performance like he had in Week 1. In a blowout win, Hights had eight receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown and he actually outperformed Reagor. At his sub-5k price on DK, this seems like a very safe cash play for a WR who could easily 5x his salary. 

Demetric Felton - UCLA ($4,900 DK / $6,800 FD)

If you’re looking for a wild card tournament play at WR, Felton is your man. Although he’s listed as a receiver on both sites, Felton is actually being used more as a running back in UCLA’s offense. In Week 1, Felton was surprisingly the starting RB with Joshua Kelley sitting out - and he saw 23 carries for 71 yards to go along with 91 receiving yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. With Kelley back for Week 2, Felton only had 10 carries for 28 yards but he was used more as a pass-catcher out of the backfield and in the slot - racking up seven catches for 36 yards. The game script in this week’s matchup could easily favor a larger workload for Felton both as a rusher and a receiver. If Oklahoma is blowing out UCLA in the second half, the team could wind up resting Kelley and looking towards Felton as the better pass-catching back. He’s a Ty Montgomery type of running back who could see a ton of garbage-time receptions. 

Also Consider: 

Devin Duvernay - Texas ($6,900 DK / $9,700 FD)

Cedric Byrd II - Hawaii ($5,800 DK / $10,100 FD)

Brad Rozner - Rice ($5,100 DK / $7,300 FD)

Colby Parkinson - Stanford ($8,000 FD Only)

Jerry Jeudy - Alabama ($10,300 FD Only)

 

Example Lineup on DraftKings:

QB: Jalen Hurts - Oklahoma ($8,500)

RB: Salvon Ahmed - Washington ($7,200)

RB: Keaontay Ingram - Texas ($5,700)

WR: CeeDee Lamb - Oklahoma ($7,500)

WR: Brad Rozner - Rice ($5,100)

WR: TreVontae Hights - TCU ($4,900)

FLEX: Tee Higgins - Clemson ($5,600)

S-FLEX: Tom Stewart - Rice ($5,200)

 

Example Lineup on FanDuel: 

QB: Bryce Perkins - Virginia ($9,600)

RB: Salvon Ahmed - Washington ($9,100)

RB: Keaontay Ingram - Texas ($9,000)

WR: TreVontae Hights - TCU ($7,200)

WR: JD Spielman - Nebraska ($8,300)

WR: Brad Rozner - Rice ($7,300)

S-FLEX: Adrian Martinez - Nebraska ($9,400)