We’re officially back, college football fans! It’s been a long, uncertain offseason but here we are with a CFB DFS to break down on the first Saturday of September! There aren’t any Power 5 schools in action yet, but we still have some high-scoring matchups on the docket with three of the six games having a 67-point total or higher. 

Before we dive into the top DFS plays at each position, let’s first check out the point spreads for the six-game DraftKings slate. At first glance, we definitely want to prioritize the Memphis and SMU offenses overall with a ton of studs and values across all the matchups. 

GAMES ON THE SLATE: 

  • 1:00 pm ET -- Eastern Kentucky @ Marshall (-24.5) -- 52.5 o/u
  • 1:30 pm ET -- Middle Tennessee @ Army (-4) -- 54.5 o/u
  • 4:30 pm ET -- SMU (-22) @ Texas State -- 70 o/u
  • 7:30 pm ET -- Houston Baptist @ North Texas (-27.5) -- 67 o/u
  • 8:00 pm ET -- Arkansas State @ Memphis (-19) -- 74 o/u
  • 9:00 pm ET -- Stephen F. Austin @ UTEP (-8.5) -- 54.5 o/u

QUARTERBACKS

Shane Buechele - SMU ($9,000)

The Mustangs signal-caller is the slate’s most expensive QB, but he should be worth it at the helm of a high-powered offense projected to win by three touchdowns as one of the higher-scoring teams for the day. Last year, Buechele threw for nearly 4,000 yards with a 34:10 TD:INT ratio and 62.7% completion rate across 13 games. He’s definitely the most talented QB on the slate and that puts him firmly in play in all formats because of his upside. However, there are a couple risks with paying up for the SMU passer though. For starters, Buechele only put up 15 DK points last year vs. Texas State because the game was in hand early and his passing wasn’t needed. That could be the case yet again this Saturday with SMU coming in as big favorites. He’s more of a GPP play for me this week. For cash games, I’d rather pay down for two of the cheaper options so you can fit in one for your Super-Flex.

Christian Anderson - Army ($7,400)

Whenever it comes to rostering the Army QBs in DFS, you have to know what you’re getting yourself into. First of all, know that the Black Knights run a triple-option offense with very minimal passing plays. While that obviously limits the usual upside from your QB spot, Anderson will basically act as a starting RB for fantasy consideration because of his involvement running the ball in this offense. Anderson won the starting job after playing sparingly last season behind Kelvin Hopkins. He was solid in his 67 carries throughout the year, though, averaging 6.4 yards per rush and scoring four times on the ground - with some impressive performances when he saw extended run filling in for the injured Hopkins. He’s a really solid cash play on this slate as you’re basically getting an RB1 at a fair price in a good matchup vs. a Middle Tennessee defense that alowed nearly 200 rush yards per game in 2019.

Brady White - Memphis ($7,200) 

It’s a bit odd to see White’s price tag this low - and it could make him fairly popular in cash games. Memphis will be one of the top-scoring offenses on this slate (alongside SMU) and White can easily have a huge game against an Arkansas State defense that allowed 262 passing yards per game last year. The only downside is White’s DFS ceiling is a little limited as he only topped 30 DK points twice in 14 games last season. The Memphis offense uses the run game often, so this is why White’s passing isn’t needed as much as others. Still, he could easily return more than enough value after tossing more than 4,000 yards in 2019 with a 33:11 TD:INT ratio. 

Asher O’Hara - Middle Tennessee ($6,200) 

If you’re new to college football DFS, one thing you’ll quickly learn is the massive value that exists in dual-threat quarterbacks. Not everyone is former Oklahoma stud Jalen Hurts, but a QB who can put up a big statistical performance as both a passer and rusher just cannot go overlooked on these slates. Asher O’Hara is the best dual-threat option in action this weekend and it makes him very attractive from a DFS standpoint, especially at this affordable price tag. He averaged 30 DK points per game last year after totaling 2,616 passing yards and 1,058 rushing yards across 12 games. His outing vs. Western Kentucky in the final game of 2019 tells the whole story. He scored 43 DK points thanks to his 144 rushing yards on 29 carries, 301 passing yards and three passing scores. We could easily get that type of game this weekend and the passing/rushing combo is so hard to ignore on a slate with not many others who provide that at the QB spot. He makes for a great Super-Flex play in all formats. 

RUNNING BACKS

Brendan Knox ($8,000) & Sheldon Evans ($4,200) - Marshall

Against an FCS opponent, Marshall should win this one easily and Vegas agrees by making the home team a three-touchdown favorite. In this type of game script, we should be looking at the Herd running backs and it starts with Knox being one of the best options on this entire slate. Knox was the feature back last year for Marshall, racking up 1,387 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs on a 5.1 yards-per-rush average. He’s on tap to be the workhorse in this offense yet again and likely even more so in this opener against easier FCS competition, especially with a new QB under center in Grant Wells, who’s more of a pocket passer than dual-threat to steal rushing away from Knox. Meanwhile, Evans is the backup RB and reports indicate he’ll actually have a decent sized workload in the offense. Apparently, coaches say Evans and Knox could split carries more evenly this season - which bodes really well for the former’s DFS value considering his much cheaper price. Evans only saw 69 carries for 375 yards a year ago as the backup, but his 5.4 yards per carry was higher than Knox’s. This report of a split workload also makes Knox a little risky this weekend until we see how the carries shake out - however he proved last season how good he can be in a single game. Knox should be fine (even at the expensive price tag), but just be wary that Evans could see more touches than usual in what should be a blowout, making him a solid cheap option at RB. 

TJ McDaniel - SMU ($7,000)

SMU’s two leading rushers from last year are gone (Xavier Jones and Ke’Mon Freeman) and it leaves McDaniel as the starting tailback for a high-scoring offense that loves to run the ball. There’s a chance this could be a running back by committee approach from the Mustangs in the early part of the season for the coaches to see who can be the feature guy in the backfield. However, we know McDaniel is getting the first crack at carries and he could have a massive DFS performance in this matchup with SMU favored by 22 points against a Texas State defense that allowed 217 rushing yards per game last year (ranking 120th out of 130 FBS squads). The only risk here is that he starts the game slow and the coaches go with their committee approach - but the upside is huge for a RB in a great individual matchup with his team projected to score a ton. McDaniel should be safe for cash games. 

Rodrigues Clark - Memphis ($5,200)

With Memphis lead back Kenneth Gainwell opting out of the season, Clark is now the starter in this backfield, and that should result in DFS gold if history is any indication. Memphis starting backs have consistently been very valuable for DFS in recent years because of their huge workloads and usage in both the rushing and passing games. Clark played in eight games last year and logged just 26 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown as he mostly sat behind Gainwell and NFL draftee Antonio Gibson. However, we can’t let last year’s stats cloud our judgement here. This is Clark’s time to shine and he could easily be the highest-scoring RB on this slate with Memphis projected to score a ton. His DK price makes him a huge value in all formats and a near lock in cash games in this matchup vs. an Arkansas State rush defense that allowed over 200 yards per game in 2019, one of the worst marks in the country. 

Sandon McCoy ($4,800) & Artice Hobbs ($4,400) - Army

If you’ve been following college football at all, you know Army’s offense is always run-heavy with a triple-option attack. Connor Slomka was the lead back a year ago, but his graduation has left others to take up the reins in the backfield. McCoy led Army in rushing touchdowns (10) in 2019 while finishing second to Slomka in carries (149) and rushing yards (576). He’s expected to be the first man up to get touches in Week 1. His price makes him a safe cash play. Meanwhile, Hobbs is listed as the lead slotback on the Black Knights’ depth chart and he’s expected to line up on the edges of the line moving across the backfield in motion. Hobbs is shiftier than McCoy and he’s the change-of-pace RB in this triple-option, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and adding 13 receptions for 335 yards last year. If you’re looking for a much cheaper option, Cade Barnard ($3,100) is also expected to take on a larger rushing role with Slomka gone. Barnard and Hobbs are more GPP plays, though, until we see how things shake out this weekend. This Army rushing attack should have some success in a plus-matchup vs. a Middle Tennessee defense that allowed 194 rushing yards per game last year. 

Jamal Jones - Arkansas State ($3,900)

There aren’t a ton of cheap options at RB on this slate, but Jones offers some upside at this sub-4k price tag. Arkansas State starter Marcel Murray is dealing with a leg injury and he could end up being pretty limited this weekend. If his snaps are scaled back, expect Jamal Jones to see a big increase in touches as he’s listed as the co-starter at RB alongside Murray. In nine games last year, Jones saw 84 carries for 375 rushing yards and three scores. At his cheap price with extended usage in Murray’s stead, he could be a great salary-saver in your FLEX spot to win big in GPP’s. Limit your exposure, though, because Arkansas State is a three-score underdog and will likely have to pass more than rush later in the game - putting a cap on Jones’ usage even if he’s the lead guy. 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Reggie Roberson Jr. - SMU ($8,200) 

With James Proche off to the NFL, Roberson is now the de facto #1 WR in this offense and he should be in line for a massive statistical season. Roberson stretches the field with the best in the nation as he racked up 803 receiving yards over just 43 catches in 2019 for a team-leading 18.7 yards-per-reception average. There are a lot of targets and DFS production literally up for grabs in this SMU offense with Proche gone. He led the team in receptions (111), receiving yards (1,225) and receiving scores (15) last year. Roberson will likely be the most popular WR on this slate and he’s safe for cash games with SMU projected to be one of the top highest-scoring offenses on the slate. He’s an expensive pairing with Buechele, but it may be a situation where you don’t want to be left out from the massive games from both connecting for multiple TDs. 

Damonte Coxie - Memphis ($7,700)

Along with Roberson above, Coxie is a safe cash-game WR on this slate as the best pass-catcher for one of the top offenses in action. Coxie led Memphis in all major receiving categories last season as QB Brady White’s top target totaling 76 receptions, 1,276 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s even a solid pivot off of Roberson if you want to save a little salary, but both should have great performances. Pairing Coxie with White is slightly cheaper than the SMU pairing as well, which should make them more popular in cash games. 

SMU Receivers

As mentioned above, Reggie Roberson is the #1 target in this SMU passing game, but there are a trio of other pass-catchers worth looking at in this opening game and for the season in general. Tight end Kylen Granson ($6,000) tied Roberson for second on the team with 43 catches last year and his nine receiving scores trailed only NFL-bound James Proche. With Proche gone, Granson could be the top red-zone option for QB Shane Buechele and he’s the more proven receiver than others on the depth chart (outside of Roberson). Meanwhile, Rashee Rice ($4,800) and Danny Gray ($3,500) are the other names to watch in this receiving corps. After totaling 25 catches for 403 yards last year, Rice steps into a starting WR role now that Proche is gone. Gray is the boom-or-bust GPP flier on this slate because while he’s drawn a ton of camp praise from the coaching staff and earned a starting slot job, we’ve yet to see him do it at the D-I level. The junior was a standout at Blinn College last season before transferring to SMU in the offseason and definitely has the pure talent. At that cheap price tag, he could easily break open the slate with a TD or two, but for cash games it’s a wait-and-see approach for now. 

Drue Jackson - Texas State ($3,000)

At min price, Jackson could be the most underpriced WR on this slate if things are trending correctly. After transferring from Washington State, Jackson has impressed the coaching staff enough this summer to earn a starting WR role on the latest depth chart. The rest of the Texas State receiving corps is young and, for the most part, unproven - so it makes some sense that a Power 5 transfer like Jackson would win over a starting job as his talent is likely a lot better than others. Jackson could wind up with a decent amount of targets and, in turn, receptions with Texas State as sizable underdogs to SMU. At this min price, there isn’t much risk here and Jackson only has to catch a few passes to return value - and there’s a chance he produces 4x or 5x value with his team trailing this weekend. 

Also Consider: 

  • QB Brady McBride - Texas State ($5,600)
  • RB Tre Siggers - North Texas ($7,500)
  • RB Quardriez Wadley - UTEP ($6,500)
  • RB Kylen Watkins - Memphis ($6,300)
  • WR Jaelon Darden - North Texas ($7,300)
  • WR Calvin Austin - Memphis ($5,000)
  • WR Brandon Bowling - Arkansas State ($3,700)

Example Cash Lineup

QB: Christian Anderson - ARMY ($7,400)
RB: Rodrigues Clark - MEM ($5,200)
RB: Brendan Knox - MRSHL ($8,000)
WR: Damonte Coxie - MEM ($7,700)
WR: Rashee Rice - SMU ($4,800)
WR: Drue Jackson - TXST ($3,000)
FLEX: Kylen Watkins - MEM ($6,300)
S-FLEX: Brady White - MEM ($7,200)

Example GPP Lineup

QB: Shane Buechele - SMU ($9,000)
RB: TJ McDaniel - SMU ($7,000)
RB: Rodrigues Clark - MEM ($5,200)
WR: Reggie Roberson - SMU ($8,200)
WR: Drue Jackson - TXST ($3,000)
WR: Jaelon Darden - UNT ($7,300)
FLEX: Jamal Jones - ARST ($3,900)
S-FLEX: Asher O’Hara - MTSU ($6,200)