CFB DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks For 8/30: Week 1 Playbook

The 2025 college football season rolls on this Saturday, August 30th, with a full Week 1 slate of games. Let’s dive into the top CFB DFS Picks as you build lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. In this article, we’ll discuss the best plays at each position with CFB DFS projections factored in. 

As you read over our CFB DFS Picks, take advantage of Fantasy Alarm’s College Football DFS Ownership Projections for both DK and FD. Plus, you can use our Weekly Player Projections and CFB DFS Lineup Generator. 

CFB DFS Picks, Daily Fantasy Playbook & Schedule: August 30th

Before we discuss top CFB DFS picks this week, let’s take a look at the slate. DraftKings has a 12-game main afternoon slate on Saturday. Meanwhile, FanDuel has a 14-game slate that includes 7 night games in addition to 7 afternoon matchups. For this article, we’ll focus on top players and values for both slates, with an emphasis on DraftKings strategy. But check out some FanDuel core plays below. Here’s a look at the Week 1 DFS schedule with betting lines and odds: 

DraftKings Main Slate: 

• 12 pm ET – Mississippi State (-13.5) at Southern Miss – 60.5 O/U
• 12 pm ET – FAU at Maryland (-14) – 61.5 O/U (DK Only)
• 12 pm ET – Northwestern at Tulane (-4.5) – 45.5 O/U (DK Only)
• 12 pm ET – Syracuse vs. Tennessee (-13.5) – 51.5 O/U
• 12 pm ET – Texas at Ohio State (-0.5) – 47.5 O/U
• 12 pm ET – Ball State at Purdue (-17.5) – 50.5 O/U (DK Only)
• 12:45 pm ET – Toledo at Kentucky (-10) – 47.5 O/U
• 2:30 pm ET – Old Dominion at Indiana (-23.5) – 53.5 O/U (DK Only)
• 3:30 pm ET – Nevada at Penn State (-42.5) – 55.5 O/U
• 3:30 pm ET – Marshall at Georgia (-38.5) – 53.5 O/U
• 3:30 pm ET – Temple (-1.5) at UMass – 48.5 O/U (DK Only)
• 3:30 pm ET – Alabama (-14) at Florida State – 49.5 O/U

FanDuel Night Games: 

• 6 pm ET – Coastal Carolina at Virginia (-11.5) – 57.6 O/U 
• 7 pm ET – UTSA at Texas A&M (-23.5) – 56.5 O/U 
• 7:30 pm ET – Montana State at USC (-35.5) – 59.5 O/U 
• 7:30 pm ET – LSU at Clemson (-4) – 57.5 O/U 
• 7:30 pm ET – UTEP at Utah State (-6) – 60.5 O/U 
• 7:30 pm ET – New Mexico at Michigan (-34.5) – 49.5 O/U
• 7:45 pm ET – Georgia Southern at Ole Miss (-34.5) – 60.5 O/U 
   

CFB DFS Lineups: Top Plays

Arch Manning, Texas QB ($9,000 DK / ($9,000 FD)

Arch season is upon us. After backing up Quinn Ewers last year, Manning is now the guy under center for Texas. It’s a tough matchup against Ohio State on the road to begin the season. Yet, Manning has the talent to put up stats as a top DFS play. There are plenty of playmakers in the Longhorns’ receiving corps at his disposal. Plus, Arch has dual-threat upside to add rushing yards and a score or two on the ground to his fantasy production. 

Ryan Williams, Alabama WR ($9,100 DK / $9,700 FD)

If you’re paying up at wide receiver, Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith are two top options to choose from. Both are among the best wideouts in the country and have the potential to smash any slate. Smith is riskier this week against a tough Texas defense that held him to one catch in the Semifinal last year. As for Williams, he’s the clear top playmaker for an Alabama offense that can score a ton against a subpar Florida State defense. The Tide passing attack should be stronger with Ty Simpson at quarterback and OC Ryan Grubb reunited with Kalen DeBoer. 

Nick Singleton, Penn State RB ($8,800 DK / $10,500 FD)

Nick Singleton is expected to be one of the top running backs in college football this season. Penn State’s talented RB ran for 1,099 yards and averaged a healthy 6.4 yards per carry last year. He can easily rack up 100+ yards with multiple TDs in any given game, and this season opener presents a cupcake home matchup as Penn State is favored by 40 vs. Nevada. The only downside is if Singleton sits in the second half of a blowout win. Yet, he should be productive either way with plenty of GPP upside if he goes off. There are cheaper RBs to roster in cash lineups, but Singleton can crush the slate at his best. 

CFB DFS Lineups: Value Plays

Anthony Evans III, Mississippi State WR ($5,800 DK / $5,400 FD)

One of the highest totals on the slate is Mississippi State’s matchup against Southern Miss. Getting some exposure to this potential shootout is a smart move. The Bulldogs have a couple of value WRs to consider in Anthony Evans and Brenen Thompson. Both can exceed value at their cheap prices. Evans is intriguing as the starting slot wideout, which has been a productive role in head coach Jeff Lebby’s offenses in the past. Evans transfers in from Georgia, where he barely did anything across two seasons. Yet, he could break out with Miss St as the high-target slot receiver. 

Darrell Gill Jr., Syracuse WR ($5,700 DK / $5,500 FD)

Syracuse is a double-digit underdog at Tennessee this week. The expected game script should lead to plenty of passing from the Orange offense. Thus, Darrell Gill Jr. could be a steal at his cheap prices. Syracuse lost its top three pass-catchers from last year’s squad that ranked No. 1 in the country in passing yards per game. Gill was the fourth option with 570 yards on 31 receptions. He’s now expected to be the go-to guy for new starting QB Steve Angeli. The floor seems safe with a positive game script and likely guaranteed targets. 

Parker Livingstone, Texas WR ($3,300 DK / $4,400 FD)

With Arch Manning at quarterback in a potent offense, the Texas pass-catchers will be very relevant in DFS this year. It’s a bit of a mystery as to how the production will shake out, as the Longhorns’ top three yardage guys from last year are gone. Ryan Wingo will presumably be the WR1, while DeAndre Moore Jr. should be a top target as well. Both are GPP options on this slate. One value punt play to consider is Parker Livingstone. He could have a role right away with Emmett Mosley nursing a leg injury. Livingstone has flashed in camp and appears to have a solid connection with Manning, who is actually his roommate. The redshirt freshman is worth a shot as a salary-saver. 
 

Core CFB DFS Lineup Picks: QBs, RBs & WRs