Welcome back, college football fans and DFS players! How’d you do with your Week 7 DFS CFB lineups? We had a very interesting and exciting slate of football last Saturday with big performances from some offenses and duds from others. It’s time now to look towards the Saturday main slate of games kicking off at 12 pm ET. 

Before we get into any specific players and pricing, it’s imperative to understand the early Saturday slates a site perspective. DraftKings, per usual, have an 11-game slate that includes all of the 12-3:30 ET kickoffs. FanDuel, however, has an early only slate with just the 12 ET games and then a separate main slate that goes all day long with some night games thrown in.

For the reasons above, this playbook for the Saturday main slate will focus mainly on the games that are common on both DK and FD. However, all the night games that are FD’s main slate are covered in our night playbook by Austyn Varney, so be sure to read that to get the full breakdown on those top plays. Still, we included some DK Only and FD Only plays in the “Also Consider” sections below to give you an idea on each slate overall.

Now, let’s dive into the specific players that are worth rostering in both cash game and tournament lineups for this Week 8 Saturday main slate!

QUARTERBACKS

Jalen Hurts - Oklahoma ($9,000 DK / $11,800 FD)

We find ourselves saying this every week Oklahoma is on the slate, but Jalen Hurts is a near-lock whenever he’s in the player pool. He’s a legit Heisman candidate for a reason and his DFS ceiling and floor are both regularly high because of his elite dual-threat ability and tendency to be involved in all facets of Oklahoma’s offense. Through the first six games, Hurts is averaging nearly 300 passing yards per contest with a 17:3 TD:INT ratio, plus he’s added eight rushing scores thus far. He also has had at least 47 rushing yards in every game, including 130 or more in three different weeks. He’s the catalyst to the Sooners’ offense and he should put up another massive performance against a West Virginia defense that’s allowing 30 points and 365 total yards per game this season. 

Joe Burrow - LSU ($8,500 DK / $11,000)

If for some reason you’re fading Hurts this weekend, then Joe Burrow is your next-best option at the top tier of quarterback on this main slate. The LSU offense has been so pass-dominant this season and it’s resulted in some massive performances from their quarterback. Through six games, Burrow is averaging 360 passing yards per outing with a 25:3 TD:INT ratio. He’s thrown for multiple touchdowns in every game this year and has four or more passing scores in four of six games. Burrow has a decent matchup this week against a Mississippi State defense that’s allowing 220 passing yards per game - but he’s already proven to be matchup-proof because of how efficient he’s been through the air. 

Trevor Lawrence - Clemson ($7,300 DK / $9,500 FD)

Clemson’s offensive players are all pretty underpriced on this slate and it’s resulted in Trevor Lawrence being a solid bargain play for the second week in a row. Lawrence began the year priced in the Jalen Hurts range at quarterback, but he’s since seen a discount because of his inconsistency week-to-week as Clemson blows out its opponents and the passing game isn’t needed as much. The Tigers have a strong running game too, which has resulted in Lawrence’s decrease in usage (and DFS production) this season from what was expected. Even with all that being said, we can definitely target Lawrence at this price tag for our super flex positions. Last week, we saw him at only $7,200 on DK and he went out and accounted for four total touchdowns and put up 28.8 DK points to return value. He could easily replicate that performance this week against a Louisville defense that’s allowing 251 passing yards per game and has been involved in high-scoring games all season. 

Dennis Grosel - Boston College ($5,900 DK / $7,700 FD)

There aren’t many viable cheap quarterbacks on this slate to pair with Hurts or Burrow, but Dennis Grosel is probably the best point-per-dollar play in the lower range of the position. Grosel is starting in place of the injured Anthony Brown, who has been ruled out for the year. In BC’s last game against Louisville, Grosel came in after Brown went down and was fairly impressive as he tossed three touchdowns, added 47 rushing yards and brought the Eagles within two points of pulling off the road win. In this week’s matchup against North Carolina State, Grosel may be leaned on more than expected because although Boston College will want their star running back A.J. Dillon to get a ton of touches. The Wolfpack defense is very good against the run and may bottle up Dillon and force an inexperienced quarterback to beat them. NC State is allowing just 67 rushing yards per game but, on the flip side, they’ve given up 231 passing yards per outing. 

Also Consider: 

Sam Ehlinger - Texas ($10,700 FD Only)

Brock Purdy - Iowa State ($8,100 DK / $9,800 FD)

Charlie Brewer - Baylor ($7,900 DK / $10,000 FD)

Kelly Bryant - Missouri ($6,900 DK Only)

RUNNING BACKS

Chuba Hubbard - Oklahoma State ($8,300 DK / $10,500 FD)

One of the main things we look for in our DFS running backs is volume and involvement in the offense. Chuba Hubbard has arguably the largest weekly volume of any running back in college football this season and it makes him an elite play any time Oklahoma State is on the slate, no matter how expensive he seems. Hubbard has gotten 32 or more carries in three of the past four games and the one time he didn’t, in Week 5 against Kansas State, he racked up nearly 300 rushing yards on 25 carries for an outstanding 11.8 yards per carry. Hubbard is the top option in this Cowboys offense and he’ll be fed the ball all game long, even in a tougher matchup against Baylor’s run defense. When Hubbard faced a tough run defense earlier this season (against Texas in Week 4), all he did was rush for 121 yards on 37 carries with two rushing scores. One thing we can definitely count on from Hubbard is the volume he’ll get in this OK State offense, which keeps his DFS floor extremely high compared to other top running backs on the slate. 

Travis Etienne - Clemson ($7,000 DK / $8,700 FD)

We mentioned earlier how Trevor Lawrence is still underpriced and the same could be said about Travis Etienne as Clemson’s lead back. Etienne began the year in the same salary tier as Chuba Hubbard and Jonathan Taylor, but he’s since seen a significant price decrease. Clemson destroys teams on a weekly basis, and simply doesn’t need to give the ball to their lead back with the game in hand early. However, this is the buy low opportunity for a guy as talented as Etienne who can easily smash value with a performance like he had in Week 1 when he ran for 205 yards and three touchdowns against Georgia Tech. Etienne is still a value even if we get a similar game like last week’s when he ran for 127 yards with a receiving touchdown against Florida State. Louisville’s defense, like FSU, is allowing 174 rushing yards per game and this is the type of matchup that running backs have had big games against. 

Breece Hall - Iowa State ($5,600 DK / $6,000 FD)

One of the top running back values on this slate comes to us from the Iowa State backfield, but he pretty much came out of nowhere last week. Breece Hall barely got carries in the Cyclones’ offense over the first six weeks of the season, but he exploded for 132 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries in the win over West Virginia last Saturday. As we said, the performance was not expected in the least because Johnnie Lang was the starting back in the game while Hall only had 18 carries in four games previously this season. Yet, we saw Iowa State look towards Hall as the lead rusher throughout the game once they had the lead early and looked to run the clock out. Although Hall’s price tag has jumped up $2,400 on DK from last week, it’s very possible we see another high-usage game from him again as Iowa State are seven point favorites over Texas Tech, and the Red Raiders’ defense is giving up 185 rushing yards per game. 

Kam Martin - Auburn ($4,600 DK / $7,700 FD) & Shaun Shivers - Auburn ($3,900 DK / $6,500 FD)

The best source for value at running back is clearly in this Auburn backfield. Tigers lead back JaTarvious Whitlow is out for four to six weeks following knee surgery. This leaves Kam Martin and Shaun Shivers as the main ball-carriers for the time being. Both have been priced like backups and both could easily smash value at their cheap salaries. Choosing between the two is the only issue, though. Martin was already involved in the Auburn offense before Whitlow’s injury, getting five to ten carries per game, and he should start the game as the lead back because of his familiarity with the offense. Martin has been good when given the chance, averaging 5.1 yards per carry this season with two rushing scores. Meanwhile, Shivers should still see an increased workload even if Martin starts over him. Auburn has utilized multiple backs in every game thus far, and they’ll likely do the same now that Whitlow is out. Shivers has 27 rushes for 144 yards on the season (5.3 yards per carry) and he broke out for 102 yards in Week 3 when he got more playing time in a blowout win over Kent State. It remains to be seen how Auburn will split the workload between Martin and Shivers this week, but both are very attractive cheap plays who can both have big games against an Arkansas defense that’s allowing 175 rushing yards per game. 

Also Consider:

Jonathan Taylor - Wisconsin ($10,800 FD Only)

Cam Akers - Florida State ($9,400 FD Only)

Larry Rountree III - Missouri ($6,700 DK Only)

Jordan Houston - North Carolina State ($4,900 DK / $6,500 FD)

WIDE RECEIVERS

CeeDee Lamb - Oklahoma ($7,800 DK / $9,600 FD)

Similar to his quarterback, CeeDee Lamb needs to be in consideration any time Oklahoma is on the slate. Obviously the price tag is expensive, but Lamb has already proven just how valuable he can be if you shell out the salary for him. The Sooners’ wideout has caught a touchdown in every game this season. In fact, he has put up a pair of three touchdown games this year, including last week when he went wild with 10 catches for 171 yards. That threat to have a monster effort makes him worth paying up for, especially if you pair him with Jalen Hurts. However, he’s only a GPP play this week due to the depth at wide receiver on this slate. That is ecause there is the weekly risk that he only gets one or two catches and doesn’t return value, which is a definite possibility this week if Oklahoma is blowing out West Virginia early and brings in their backups in the second half.  

Justin Jefferson - LSU ($7,300 DK / $9,700 FD)

Many may look to Ja’Marr Chase as the top LSU receiver, but Justin Jefferson has proven in the last two games he shouldn’t be overlooked in our DFS lineups. Jefferson was Joe Burrow’s top receiving target early in the year before he missed a couple games due to injury, and he’s gotten right back on track in both of the last two outings. Jefferson had nine catches for 155 yards and two scores in Week 6 and then followed up with ten grabs for 123 yards and a touchdown last week against Florida. Chase has emerged as a big-play threat for LSU lately, but it hasn’t affected the numbers for Jefferson as he’s back to full strength. We also get a bit of a discount on Jefferson this week because he’s cheaper than Chase on both sites and could very easily finish as the highest-scoring WR on this slate. 

Justyn Ross - Clemson ($5,800 DK / $8,000 FD)

Not to sound like a broken record here, but Justyn Ross is another of the Clemson players who seem underpriced on this slate. At the beginning of the year, Ross was priced among the top tier of wideouts but a couple down weeks statistically and a brief injury has sunk his salary down to the bargain range now. It’s time to buy low on him while we have the chance. Ross returned to form last week against Florida State when he caught two touchdowns on a 5-for-61 stat line. Louisville’s defense is allowing 251 passing yards per game and Ross should be Trevor Lawrence’s top receiving target once again. The other thing going in his favor this week is the health status of Clemson’s other top wide receivers. Tee Higgins is dealing with a hamstring strain, and although he may suit up on Saturday, the Tigers could easily limit his snaps this week if the game is in hand early, which is likely as Clemson are 24.5-point favorites over Louisville. 

Kyle Pitts - Florida ($5,100 DK / $7,400 FD)

Although he’s a tight end in Florida’s offense, Pitts is the number one pass-catcher for the Gators and is the top target for quarterback Kyle Trask right now. Even if he doesn’t find the end zone, Pitts’ DFS floor remains fairly high because of his high target share and consistent reception volume. He has at least four catches in each of the last five games. Two games ago, he racked up eight receptions for 65 yards and followed up with five catches for 108 yards at LSU last week. He didn’t score in either of those games, but Pitts was still a safe cash play because of his high involvement in the Florida attack. If you’re looking to fill out your lineup with a wide receiver in this price range, Pitts looks like the safest bet to return value with upside for more if he scores a touchdown. 

Mycah Pittman - Oregon ($4,200 DK / $5,900 FD)

One of the big injury situations on this slate involves the Oregon receiving corps, and it puts Mycah Pittman as a very nice value at a cheap price point. The Ducks’ leading receiver, Jacob Breeland, is out for the season with a knee injury and his absence opens up a ton of targets and yards in this offense. Jaylon Redd will also certainly see an uptick in targets and red zone opportunities, and he’s also a nice value this week. However, it is Pittman who should see the bigger jump in snaps, targets and yardage compared to his very low salary. Pittman missed the early part of the season with a shoulder injury but he’s returned the last two games and was immediately involved in the Ducks’ first-team offense. He had four catches for 43 yards in his first game back and then had three grabs for 57 yards last week. Quarterback Justin Herbert is starting to trust Pittman more (he targeted him in the end zone a couple times last game), and he should be the second or third receiving option moving forward. 

Also Consider: 

Tylan Wallace - Oklahoma State ($7,400 DK / $8,900 FD)

Elijah Moore - Mississippi ($8,300 FD Only)

Deshaunte Jones - Iowa State ($5,800 DK / $7,700 FD)

Chatarius Atwell - Louisville ($5,500 DK / $8,600 FD)

Jaylon Redd - Oregon ($5,300 DK / $8,300 FD)

R.J. Sneed - Baylor ($4,100 DK / $6,900 FD)
 

Example Lineup on DraftKings (1st Option):

QB: Jalen Hurts - OU ($9,000)

RB: Chuba Hubbard - OKST ($8,300)

RB: Kam Martin - AUB ($4,600)

WR: Justyn Ross - CLEM ($5,800)

WR: Mycah Pittman - ORE ($4,200)

WR: Kyle Pitts - UF ($5,100)

FLEX: Breece Hall - ISU ($5,600)

S-FLEX: Trevor Lawrence - CLEM ($7,300)

 

Example Lineup on DraftKings (2nd Option):

QB: Joe Burrow - LSU ($8,500)

RB: Larry Rountree III - MIZZ ($6,700)

RB: Shaun Shivers - AUB ($3,900)

WR: Justin Jefferson - LSU ($7,300)

WR: Jaylon Redd - ORE ($5,300)

WR: R.J. Sneed - BAY ($4,100)

FLEX: Travis Etienne - CLEM ($7,000)

S-FLEX: Kelly Bryant - MIZZ ($6,900)


Example Lineup on FanDuel (Early):

QB: Jalen Hurts - OU ($11,800)

RB: Jonathan Taylor - WIS ($10,800)

RB: Shaun Shivers - AUB ($6,500)

WR: Justyn Ross - CLEM ($8,000)

WR: Kyle Pitts - UF ($7,400)

WR: Deshaunte Jones - ISU ($7,700)

S-FLEX: Dennis Grosel - BC ($7,700)

 

Example Lineup on FanDuel (Main):

QB: Jalen Hurts - OU ($11,800)

RB: Chuba Hubbard - OKST ($10,500)

RB: Breece Hall - ISU ($6,000)

WR: Justyn Ross - CLEM ($8,000)

WR: Mycah Pittman - ORE ($5,900)

WR: Elijah Moore - MISS ($8,300)

S-FLEX: Trevor Lawrence - CLEM ($9,500)