Welcome back, college football fans and DFS players! How’d you do with your Week 10 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 and later. 

DraftKings has an 11-game main slate that includes all of the matchups from 12 ET to 3:30 ET. FanDuel, meanwhile, has an early-only slate with the nine noon games and then a larger main slate with matchups that stretch into the evening. For the purposes of this playbook, though, we will break down the top plays from all price ranges for the common matchups between DK and FD’s early main slates. Keep in mind, though, that roster construction on the main FD slate will be vastly different because of the inclusion of those night games. 

Let’s take a quick look at the projected top-scoring offenses to target on Saturday, according to Bovada’s spreads. 

Teams To Target (By Implied Point Totals):

  1. Ohio State -- 53.25 Points vs. Maryland (63.5 Total)
  2. SMU -- 45.75 Points vs. ECU (72 Total)
  3. Florida -- 37.25 Points vs. Vanderbilt (48 Total)
  4. Alabama -- 35.25 Points vs. LSU (65 Total)

Now, let’s dive into the specific players that are worth rostering in both cash games and tournament lineups for this Week 11 Saturday main slate!

QUARTERBACKS

Justin Fields - Ohio State ($9,000 DK / $10,800 FD)

This is a notable salary jump for Fields from what he’s usually priced at, but he’s still worth every penny going against a porous Maryland defense when Ohio State is projected to score a slate-high 53 points. Fields, a legit Heisman candidate, isn’t throwing for a ton of yards this season but he is getting into the end zone often. He has a 24:1 TD:INT ratio through eight games and has added nine rushing scores. The only worry for Fields this week is how productive he can be before the Buckeyes have a big enough lead and opt to either run out the clock or bring in back-ups. However, this has been a concern all year with Ohio State in DFS and Fields has still been able to put up solid statistical games. He’s had at least three total touchdowns in every game this season and there’s the upside he scores four or more times this week against Maryland at home off a bye week. 

Shane Buechele - SMU ($7,700 DK / $10,200 FD)

We just saw SMU’s offense rack up 48 points last week despite the loss to Memphis. In that game, Buechele racked up 456 passing yards and three touchdowns while throwing it a season-high 54 times. Although we can’t expect a repeat performance, the Mustangs quarterback should still have a big game against an East Carolina defense that’s allowing a ton of yards and points per game. SMU may utilize the run game more than last week, but Buechele should still do his part in getting them an early lead with his sharp passing. In the past three games, Buechele has twice tossed for at least 450 yards and three scores and he’s averaging over 300 passing yards and two touchdowns per game on the year. We’ll get to his wide receivers in a minute, but you can easily stack Buechele and one or two SMU receivers to maximize your exposure to the offense projected to score the second-most points on the whole slate. 

Skylar Thompson - Kansas State ($6,300 DK / $9,400 FD)

This is the ideal price range we like to target for our super flex quarterbacks, and Thompson seems like a safe play with many signs for upside. First off, it’s important to understand how high Thompson’s DFS floor is because of his rushing ability lately. With Kansas State dealing with some injuries in their backfield, Thompson has basically been the best red zone rusher on the team recently with seven rushing touchdowns over the last two games and racking up 127 rushing yards on 17 carries last week vs. Kansas. In this matchup vs. Texas, though, Thompson could do a ton of damage with his arm because the Longhorns’ defense is allowing a slate-worst 296 passing yards per game. We’ve seen opposing quarterbacks have massive passing performances against Texas all season. Although Thompson doesn’t throw for a huge volume, he can easily take advantage both through the air and on the ground.

Jayden Daniels - Arizona State ($6,200 DK / $9,300 FD)

We’ve suggested Daniels as a cheap quarterback option numerous times this season and we can safely go right back there this weekend. The ASU freshman has gotten better each week and he’s shown he can put up big games in easier matchups, like he did last game vs. UCLA and three games ago vs. Washington State. Now, Daniels will face a USC defense that has holes in it and is allowing 226 passing yards and 411 total yards per game this season. Plus, Daniels brings some upside as a dual-threat with two rushing touchdowns in his last three games to go along with six passing scores in the same span. 

Also Consider: 

  • Jamie Newman - Wake Forest ($8,400 DK / $10,400)
  • Joe Burrow - LSU ($8,100 DK / $10,100 FD)
  • Holton Ahlers - East Carolina ($6,700 DK / $8,600 FD)
  • Quincy Patterson - Virginia Tech ($5,900 DK / $8,500 FD)

RUNNING BACKS

Cam Akers - Florida State ($7,800 DK / $9,700 FD)

The number one thing we love for our DFS running backs is volume, and Cam Akers definitely provides that. He’s had at least 22 touches in each of the last three games and he’s the focal point in this Florida State offense that doesn’t have many playmakers besides him. We’re also hoping for a nice bounce-back game from Akers, who was bottled up for just 66 rushing yards on 22 carries last week vs. Miami. In the two games beforehand, though, he racked up 157 yards on 30 carries vs. Wake Forest and 144 yards on 20 rushes vs. Syracuse. Plus, Akers has been used more in the passing game lately with nine catches and two receiving scores over the last three games. The volume is there for Akers to do damage against a Boston College defense that’s allowing 185 rushing yards per game. 

Xavier Jones - SMU ($7,200 DK / $9,500 FD)

Another running back who should bounce back after a below average last game is Jones. The SMU lead back was held to just 22 rushing yards on 11 carries last week vs. Memphis, but Jones has shown he’s capable of a lot more than that. Before that loss last Saturday, Jones had over 100 rushing yards in the previous four games and in six of seven games. SMU had to pass more often than usual last week as they faced a deficit to Memphis, but Jones should get back to his usual 20+ carries with the Mustangs favored by three scores, and facing an East Carolina defense that’s allowing 207 rushing yards per game this season. This is the ideal bounce back for Jones and he’s really not priced like that, especially on DK. 

Lamical Perine - Florida ($5,900 DK / $8,300 FD)

Just by looking at Perine’s game logs this season, you might be turned off by him for DFS purposes. However, there are reasons for optimism this week for Florida’s lead back in an easy matchup vs. Vanderbilt. The Commodores’ defense is allowing over 200 rushing yards per game and they’ve gotten torched by SEC backs throughout conference play. Perine is set up to be the latest and this matchup could give him his first 100-yard rushing day since Week 6 when he racked up 130 yards and a touchdown vs. Auburn’s tough defense. With Florida favored by more than three scores, they may lean on Perine to run out the clock in the second half, which may be after he already scored a couple times and has 100+ on the ground. 

Ta’Zhawn Henry - Texas Tech ($4,800 DK / $6,300 FD)

With Armand Shyne now out for the rest of the regular season, Henry will slot in as one of the lead backs for Texas Tech moving forward. SaRoderick Thompson ($5,700 DK / $8,400 FD) is also in play because he was seeing consistent volume even when Shyne was healthy, but Henry gets the biggest boost in DFS value with this news. Henry will definitely see an increase in workload this week as Thompson is dealing with an ankle injury, and Texas Tech likes to rotate multiple backs in anyway. The sophomore only has 265 rushing yards and a touchdown on 50 carries this season, but his yards-per-carry average has risen to 5.3 from 4.0 last season. West Virginia’s defense is allowing 177 rushing yards per game and there should be enough carries available for Henry to return value as a nice mid-range running back in your cash lineups. 

Tony Mathis - West Virginia ($3,000 DK / $4,000 FD)

Mathis could wind up being the smash value play on this slate because his cheap price really opens up your lineup construction, and he has a decent chance at returning solid production. West Virginia lead back Kennedy McKoy got banged up last week and although he’s slated to play, Mathis is still expected to get some carries off the bench. The true freshman has yet to appear in a game this year, but Mountaineers’ head coach Neal Brown has told reporters this was the plan all along. Mathis can play in the final four games and still maintain redshirt status for next year. Brown also said earlier this week that Mathis will definitely play on Saturday. Mathis also benefits from Martell Pettaway choosing to sit the rest of the year to ensure his own extra year of eligibility next season. If you believe all the reports are true surrounding Mathis’ potential increase in playing time, then he makes for a cash and GPP lock at running back this week with minimal price salary on both sites. 

Also Consider:

  • AJ Dillon - Boston College ($8,700 DK / $9,900 FD)
  • J.K. Dobbins - Ohio State ($7,400 DK / $10,000 FD)
  • Eno Benjamin - Arizona State ($6,800 DK / $8,800 FD)
  • David Bailey - Boston College ($4,700 DK / $7,700 FD)

WIDE RECEIVERS

SMU WR’s

We mentioned earlier how we definitely want exposure to the SMU offense on this slate and they have a trio of wideouts that are DFS-viable this weekend. With Reggie Roberson expected out for a second straight game, a couple value plays are firmly in play. James Proche ($7,300 DK / $9,400 FD) headlines the receiving corps, though, as the number one wideout and target hog for quarterback Shane Buechele. Proche racked up 13 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown with Roberson out last week and he should continue to see a ton of passing targets as the most talented receiver for Buechele. 

If you don’t want to pay up for Proche, though, definitely look at the two cheaper options among SMU’s pass-catchers. Kylen Granson ($4,600 DK / $7,300 FD) is the tight end in this offense but he’s starting to become more involved lately. Granson has 10 catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns over the last two games and he’s clearly benefited from Roberson’s absence. Then there’s Rashee Rice ($4,200 DK / $6,900 FD) who saw the biggest boost in value last week starting in place of Roberson. The true freshman had seven grabs for 122 yards last game and he was the clear second wideout behind Proche. He should maintain that role again this weekend which makes him a massive value, especially on DK. 

Justin Jefferson - LSU ($7,000 DK / $9,100 FD)

How have we gotten this far in the Playbook and not mentioned the biggest game of the day? Yes, LSU-Alabama will be a super fun matchup to watch on TV, but the expensive price tags for all the quarterbacks and wide receivers on both sides makes them tough to pay up for and game stack. Instead, you can roster Justin Jefferson as a nice one-off play as he should continue to see solid receiving volume from Joe Burrow. Jefferson has at least seven catches in four straight games and is averaging over 100 yards and a touchdown per contest. The Alabama defense may look to shut down the speedy duo of Terrace Marshall and J’Marr Chase, which should open up plenty of reception opportunities for Jefferson as Burrow’s safety blanket in the short and intermediate routes. 

Devin Duvernay - Texas ($6,500 DK / $9,500 FD)

We mention price differential between sites each week in CFB DFS and Duvernay is the guy that’s clearly mispriced on DK. Despite coming off back-to-back games of 34 DK points, Duvernay’s price on that site is oddly the lowest it’s been since Week 2. Meanwhile, he’s the third most-expensive wide receiver on FD, and yet he’s still in play over there because of his insane production lately. When Colling Johnson got hurt, Duvernay took over as Texas’ top wideout. Yet, he’s still very good despite Johnson being back because quarterback Sam Ehlinger clearly targets him often and in the red zone. Through eight games, Duvernay is averaging 8.5 catches, 100 yards and nearly a touchdown per game, and he’s coming three straight outings of at least eight grabs. He’s a clear value on DK this weekend but is still very viable on FD as well.

C.J. Johnson - East Carolina ($5,500 DK / $8,300 FD)

While the SMU offense should score a ton of points, we can also look on the other side of that game for value on East Carolina’s team. As the Pirates’ number one receiver, Johnson is seeing a ton of target volume lately and his DFS floor will remain high because of that. He had 20 targets last week alone and put up 12 catches for a whopping 283 yards and a score. Johnson is averaging over ten targets per game over his last five contests, and has racked up at least eight grabs and 100 yards in three of the last four. ECU will have to pass a ton in the second half to keep up with SMU in this matchup and it could result in a ton of catches yet again for Johnson. 

Dalton Schoen - Kansas State ($4,500 DK / $6,900 FD)

If you’re playing Skylar Thompson in your super flex, consider pairing him with Schoen as the most productive Kansas State receiver lately. The Texas defense has given up a ton of passing yards to every team they’ve faced this year and it likely won’t stop this week. Schoen doesn’t have any mind-blowing performances this year with K-State going with a run-heavy offense, but he does get a boost in value because of this easier matchup than usual. He has at least 65 receiving yards in three of the last four games and had at least five catches in two of those. There’s upside there for Schoen and he can easily get into the end zone against this porous Texas pass defense. 

Also Consider: 

  • Jerry Jeudy - Alabama ($6,500 DK / $9,300 FD)
  • Tamorrion Terry - Florida State ($6,100 DK / $8,000 FD)
  • Kendall Hinton - Wake Forest ($5,700 DK / $8,100 FD)
  • Tyler Vaughns - USC ($5,300 DK / $8,400 FD)
  • Taye Barber - TCU ($4,200 DK / $6,600 FD)

DraftKings Example Lineup (1st Option):

QB: Justin Fields - OSU ($9,000)

RB: Cam Akers - FSU ($7,800)

RB: Xavier Jones - SMU ($7,200)

WR: Devin Duvernay - TEX ($6,500)

WR: C.J. Johnson - ECU ($5,500)

WR: Dalton Schoen - KSU ($4,500)

FLEX: Tony Mathis - WVU ($3,000)

S-FLEX: Skylar Thompson - KSU ($6,300)

DraftKings Example Lineup (2nd Option):

QB: Shane Buechele - SMU ($7,700)

RB: Cam Akers - FSU ($7,800)

RB: Lamical Perine - UF ($5,900)

WR: James Proche - SMU ($7,300)

WR: C.J. Johnson - ECU ($5,500)

WR: Rashee Rice - SMU ($4,200)

FLEX: Tyler Vaughns - USC ($5,300)

S-FLEX: Jayden Daniels - ASU ($6,200)

FanDuel Early Example Lineup:

QB: Justin Fields - OSU ($10,800)

RB: Cam Akers - FSU ($9,700)

RB: Tony Mathis - WVU ($4,000)

WR: James Proche - SMU ($9,400)

WR: C.J. Johnson - ECU ($8,300)

WR: Kylen Granson - SMU ($7,300)

S-FLEX: Shane Buechele - SMU ($10,200)

FanDuel Main Example Lineup:

QB: Jalen Hurts - OU ($12,000)

RB: Cam Akers - FSU ($9,700)

RB: Tony Mathis - WVU ($4,000)

WR: Devin Duvernay - TEX ($9,500)

WR: Tyler Vaughns - USC ($8,400)

WR: Dalton Schoen - KSU ($6,900)

S-FLEX: Skylar Thompson - KSU ($9,400)