THE SLATE (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook): 

  • 2:15 pm ET -- UTEP vs. Fresno State (-11.5) -- 52 O/U (in Albuquerque, NM)
  • 3:30 pm ET -- UAB vs. BYU (-6.5) -- 54.5 O/U (in Shreveport, LA)
  • 5:45 pm ET -- Eastern Michigan vs. Liberty (-10) -- 58.5 O/U (in Mobile, AL)
  • 7:30 pm ET -- Utah State vs. Oregon State (-7) -- 67.5 O/U (in Inglewood, CA)
  • 9:15 pm ET -- Louisiana (-4) vs. Marshall -- 55.5 O/U (in New Orleans, LA)

 

Implied Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)

  1. Oregon State -- 37.25
  2. Liberty -- 34.25 
  3. Fresno State -- 31.75
  4. BYU -- 30.25
  5. Utah State -- 30.25
  6. Louisiana -- 29.75
  7. Marshall -- 25.75
  8. Eastern Michigan -- 24.25
  9. UAB -- 23.75 
  10. UTEP -- 20.25


 

QUARTERBACKS

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Malik WillisLIBEMU870029.361130028.61
Willis is by far the most talented QB in action on this slate and this bowl game presents one of the last chances for the Liberty dual-threat to show off his NFL-ready talents before the Draft. Whether he pulls it down and runs wild against a poor EMU rush defense or tosses 300+ yards and 3-4 TDs, Willis has a strong chance at being the top-scoring QB and is hard to fade in cash in a high total matchup.
Jake HaenerFRESUTEP790025.981000021.76
One of the big situations to monitor is who starts at QB for Fresno State. Haener has been the guy and would be a top play, but there’s a real question of whether or not he’s playing in this bowl game. After the Fresno head coach left, Haener entered the transfer portal and then announced his return to the team - but not after the interim coach said that backups Fife/Henderson would battle for starting QB duties this weekend. Now the coach is being coy about who the QB will be, so it’s anyone’s guess whether Haener plays or not. At least it’s the early game so we’ll know.
Logan BonnerUTSTORST770022.921100021.67
Bonner looks like a great cash or GPP option as he’ll benefit from facing a below-average Oregon St pass defense in a high total matchup. The Utah St gunslinger has at least four pass TDs and 25 DK points in five of the last six games while headlining a pass-centric offense. He makes for an attractive SuperFlex in mid-range at QB and you can easily pair him with Thompkins or another Utah St receiver.
Chance NolanORSTUTST700018.16900017.49
On the other side of Bonner in that high total game, Nolan is very interesting at a cheaper price point. He’s been a bit up-and-down this season from a DFS perspective, but there’s a decent possibility at 20+ DK points here - especially if he runs one in like he’s done in three straight games.
Dylan HopkinsUABBYU550014.4680014.15
The two cheapest QB options for Super-Flex are either Hopkins or UTEP’s Gavin Hardison. Both are gambles - hence the discounted tags - but Hopkins is the slightly better play as he’s been more consistent DFS-wise this season and gets a better matchup vs. BYU’s below-average pass defense.

Also Consider: 

  • Jaren Hall -- BYU ($7,300 DK / $9,800 FD)
  • Levi Lewis -- Louisiana ($7,100 DK / $8,800 FD)
  • Gavin Hardison -- UTEP ($5,600 DK / $6,300 FD)


 

RUNNING BACKS

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Tyler AllgeierBYUUAB860026.591050025.05
Allgeier is the best DFS RB on this slate but the tough matchup and expensive price tag may keep people away. Even still, we should expect the BYU lead RB to get heavy volume and plenty of touches in the red zone to anchor your cash lineups. Very rarely did we see Allgeier get held to less than 20 DFS points and/or 100 rushing yards, so bank on him eclipsing both with a big ceiling too.
Rasheen AliMRSHLULL750028.83980026.16
Like Allgeier above, Ali also has a tough matchup and expensive tag that could make him less popular than usual. However, Marshall’s bellcow role with heavy volume as a rusher and pass-catcher will keep him very much in play for DFS. Outside of Allgeier, it’s Ali who boasts the best floor/ceiling combo at a RB position without many top-tier plays on this slate. He’s better suited for GPPs than cash though.
B.J. BaylorORSTLIB670019.27880017.35
Baylor could end up being a popular pay-up RB in cash. We know the volume will surely be there for Baylor as Oregon State’s workhorse back who just took home All-Pac 12 first team honors. Now he gets a favorable matchup against a below-average Utah St rush defense in a high total game. Sign me up!
Emani BaileyULLMRSHL520011.85800011.70
With Chris Smith out, Bailey is likely locked in as Louisiana’s lead back as he has been in recent weeks. Since returning from injury, Bailey put up 16, 15 and 26 DK points in the final three games with double-digit touches and a TD in each. In a smash matchup vs. a poor Marshall rush defense, expect him to be chalky as a cheaper RB on this slate - especially on DK in the 5k range.
Shedro LouisLIBEMU42009.2465008.03
Statistically, the Liberty backfield has the best matchup on this slate against the terrible rush defense of Eastern Michigan. Unfortunately, though, these RBs split the workload and we can’t trust any for cash. In GPPs, Louis is the most interesting upside-wise as he’s been outperforming Joshua Mack more often than not lately. It’s worth a shot as a contrarian value in tournaments.
Montrell JohnsonULLMRSHL400012.26670012.18
Though Bailey is the first guy up for Louisiana, we should see Johnson get a decent amount of work in the Louisiana backfield as the No. 2 with Chris Smith out. He’s actually listed as a co-starter on the depth chart as this offense routinely likes to rotate multiple backs in a run-heavy scheme. Johnson can easily return value if he finds the end zone or racks up just enough yardage with a bigger workload than the price tags indicate.

Also Consider: 

  • Ronnie Rivers -- Fresno State ($6,100 DK / $9,200 FD)
  • Jordan Mims -- Fresno State ($5,900 DK / $7,800 FD)
  • Calvin Tyler Jr. -- Utah State ($4,900 DK / $7,000 FD)
  • DeWayne McBride -- UAB ($4,800 DK / $7,400 FD)


 

WIDE RECEIVERS

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Deven ThompkinsUTSTORST750025.82980020.28
Thompkins is the best WR talent on this slate and he’ll likely want to show out this weekend in front of NFL scouts. With that in mind, pairing him up with Bonner in a high-total matchup could be a popular way to go in cash or GPP with the Utah State offense likely involved in a shootout here. Thompkins, specifically, has been relatively quiet (for his standards) in recent weeks - but the massive ceiling is there and waiting.
Jacob CowingUTEPFRES640023.27840019.31
Cowing was statistically one of the best college WRs this season with his 1,330 receiving yards ranking sixth in the country. He’s no Deven Thompkins, but Cowing is a star for UTEP and he’ll also be ready to show out on the national stage. He’s put up at least 18 DK in all but two games this season and can easily end up as the highest-scoring WR on this slate. The Fresno St pass defense is about middle-of-the-pack, but Cowing is a strong play in all formats.
Derek WrightUTSTORST570014.74820012.78
Though Deven Thompkins is the clear headliner, the other Utah State pass-catchers are firmly in play on this slate - especially in a pairing with Bonner. We have Brandon Bowling and Justin McGriff as decent plays for their respective prices, but Derek Wright has been a TD machine lately with nine total scores over the last seven games to end the season. He’s a favorite red-zone and deep-ball target for Bonner and could easily score once or twice this week.
Tanner KnueEMULIB540016.92730012.68
Since making his season debut in Week 10, Knue was arguably Eastern Michigan’s best receiver over the final stretch of the season. He totaled 28 receptions, 307 yards and one TD over four games and was clearly a favorite target of QB Ben Bryant. Chances are the EMU offense will have to throw more often to keep up with Liberty, and Knue should see plenty of volume to return value in cash.
Josh KellyFRESUTEP530012.962008.51
While Jalen Cropper is the most talented Fresno State receiver, Kelly has actually been the better DFS play recently for the savings and similar (or sometimes better) production. Outside of a poor effort in a blowout win in the season finale, Kelly had at least five catches and 75 yards in three straight games prior - and found the end zone in two of those. That stat line would be a nice bargain in these price ranges on both sites for cash. Obviously the murky QB situation is a factor, though.
CJ DanielsLIBEMU500012.46760010.69
Unfortunately Willis spreads it around too much to trust any Liberty pass-catcher for cash, but they’re all in play for GPPs. Daniels might be the best per-dollar option for the big-game upside he’s already shown. He ended the season with eight catches for 118 yards and 22 DK in the season finale but has been inconsistent otherwise. Earlier this year, though, he had a 35 DK performance with seven grabs for 130 yards and two TD. The GPP upside is there.
Puka NacuaBYUUAB490016.58770012.84
The BYU receiving corps is a key situation to monitor to see who plays and who sits. As of this Friday evening, it seems like Romney will play while Pau’u is doubtful. As for Nacua, he’s been more involved later in the season with Romney, Pau’u and Isaac Rex out. Even if Romney plays, Nacua should still see plenty of targets as a go-to for QB Jaren Hall. The value is really nice here for cash.
Errol Rogers Jr.ULLMRSHL33004.4953003.29
Even in Louisiana’s run-heavy offense, Rogers has had four receptions in both of the last two games. We can’t expect a safe floor for him, but his volume of targets in this offense is better than most in this price range. Plus, Peter LeBlanc being out helps Rogers have a bigger share of the targets.

Also Consider: 

  • Jalen Cropper -- Fresno State ($7,000 DK / $9,200 FD)
  • Brandon Bowling -- Utah State ($6,100 DK / $8,100 FD)
  • Trevon Bradford -- Oregon State ($5,600 DK / $7,500 FD)
  • Gerrit Prince -- UAB ($5,200 DK / $6,800 FD)
  • Justin Garrett -- UTEP ($4,700 DK / $6,100 FD)
  • Samson Nacua -- BYU ($3,000 DK / $5,100 FD)


 

DraftKings Core Plays 

  • Logan Bonner -- Utah State ($7,700)
  • B.J. Baylor -- Oregon State ($6,700)
  • Puka Nacua -- BYU ($4,900)

 

FanDuel Core Plays 

  • Malik Willis -- Liberty ($11,300)
  • B.J. Baylor -- Oregon State ($8,800)
  • Deven Thompkins -- Utah State ($9,800)