CFB DFS Playbook & Example Lineups: Week 11 (Saturday Slate)

Published: Nov 12, 2021

Welcome back college football fans & DFS players!! The CFB season continues on with an entertaining Week 11 Saturday slate! This playbook will cover the early main slate of games while Pete Cole has the night slate for you!

Before we dive in, a quick note that we’re mainly focusing on the DraftKings slate of games for this playbook, but the FanDuel prices are included as well for their all-day slate. Below, we’ll have DK example lineups and then core plays for FD. If you have any questions on specific players or lineup builds, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @dan_servodidio or on the Discord and I’ll try to help out! Without further ado, let’s dive into the main early afternoon DFS CFB slate for Saturday, November 13th!

(NOTE: USC vs. California has been postponed)

THE SLATE (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook):

12 pm ET -- Michigan (-1) at Penn State -- 48.5 O/U
12 pm ET -- Oklahoma (-5.5) at Baylor -- 62 O/U
12 pm ET -- Mississippi State at Auburn (-5.5) -- 50 O/U
12 pm ET -- Northwestern at Wisconsin (-24) -- 41 O/U
12 pm ET -- West Virginia at Kansas State (-6) -- 47 O/U
12 pm ET -- UCF at SMU (-7) -- 61.5 O/U
12 pm ET -- Rutgers at Indiana (-7) -- 42.5 O/U
3:30 pm ET -- Georgia (-20) at Tennessee -- 56 O/U
3:30 pm ET -- Purdue at Ohio State (-21) -- 63 O/U
3:30 pm ET -- Minnesota at Iowa (-4.5) -- 37.5 O/U
3:30 pm ET -- Miami FL (-3) at Florida State -- 61 O/U
3:30 pm ET -- Iowa State (-10.5) at Texas Tech -- 58.5 O/U
4 pm ET -- Maryland at Michigan State (-12) -- 60.5 O/U

Top Implied Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)

Ohio State -- 42 points
Georgia -- 38 points
Michigan State -- 36.25 points
Iowa State -- 34.5 points
SMU -- 34.25 points
Oklahoma -- 33.25 points
Wisconsin -- 32.5 points
Miami FL -- 32 points
Florida State -- 29 points
Baylor -- 27.75 points
Auburn -- 27.75 points
UCF -- 27.25 points
Kansas State -- 26.5 points
Indiana -- 24.75 points
Michigan -- 24.75 points
Maryland -- 24.25 points
Texas Tech -- 24 points
Penn State -- 23.75 points
Mississippi State -- 22.25 points
Purdue -- 21 points
Iowa -- 21 points
West Virginia -- 20.5 points
Tennessee -- 18 points
Rutgers -- 17.75 points
Minnesota -- 16.5 points
Northwestern -- 8.5 points

QUARTERBACKS

Quarterbacks
Player	Team	Opp.	DK $	DK FPPG	FD $	FD FPPG
Caleb Williams	OU	BAY	10000	22.62	11800	24.33
The price tag is hefty for Williams, but the OU dual-threat has a massive ceiling whether it’s on the ground or through the air. Williams has put up 31, 40, 27 and 43 DK points in his four games under center for the Sooners and will bring along a solid DFS floor with the rushing. As the most expensive QB on the slate, he could end up less popular in cash but there aren’t many guys with the same floor/ceiling combo like Williams.
Tyler Van Dyke	MIA	FSU	8000	21.73	9700	20.33
Van Dyke has looked more and more comfortable running the Miami offense with each game and now gets to face a weak Florida State defense. Over the last three games, the Canes’ QB has three TDs in each contest and a 10:1 TD:INT ratio while the offense has scored 30+ in four straight. This game could easily turn into a shootout and Van Dyke will likely play a key role in that. He could be popular in cash at an affordable price point.
Gerry Bohanon	BAY	OU	7200	21.9	8700	19.50
You can realistically stack up Bohanon and Williams opposing each other in the OU-Baylor game that could end up being a back-and-forth offensive shootout. On his own, though, Bohanon has the DFS upside against a Sooners defense that’s allowing nearly 300 passing yards per game during conference play. Baylor will also likely have to throw more to keep pace with the OU offense. Bohanon even brings some dual-threat ability with seven rush TDs this season.
Taulia Tagovailoa	UMD	MSU	5900	20.66	7700	18.14
A week ago, Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell lit up the Michigan State pass defense for 536 yards and three TDs to smash the DFS slate. We’ll get to O’Connell in a minute, but Tagovailoa could easily have similar success in this matchup against one of the worst pass D’s in the country. The UMD offense has struggled in recent weeks with some key injuries to receivers, but it’s still a pass-first attack centered on Tagovailoa’s arm talent. Expect him to be busy either way with the Terps likely trailing Sparty on the road here. Don’t be surprised if Taulia ends up as the chalky Super-Flex in cash this week.
Aidan O'Connell	PUR	OSU	5400	15.87	7000	14.62
Despite putting up 35 DK points with his monster performance a week ago, O’Connell is still very cheap. The matchup vs. Ohio State is definitely tougher than Michigan State was, but there’s a clear path for O’Connell to return value. We know Purdue will need to throw more often than not to keep pace with OSU and O’Connell could easily rack up 300+ yards with a TD or two - even if his team loses by multiple scores like Vegas expects. He simply shouldn’t be this cheap still and presents a nice salary-saver in cash or GPP.

Also Consider:

C.J. Stroud -- Ohio State ($9,400 DK / $10,400 FD)
Tanner Mordecai -- SMU ($8,700 DK Only)
Will Rogers -- Mississippi State ($7,400 DK / $9,200 FD)
Brock Purdy -- Iowa State ($6,800 DK / $8,800 FD)
Bo Nix -- Auburn ($6,100 DK / $8,400 FD)
Sean Clifford -- Penn State ($5,800 DK / $7,600 FD)

RUNNING BACKS

Running Backs
Player	Team	Opp.	DK $	DK FPPG	FD $	FD FPPG
Breece Hall	ISU	TTU	9500	29.8	11000	27.02
It should be clear by now that Breece Hall continues to be a very safe RB play every week no matter what defense he’s facing. Outside of being held to “only” 70 rushing yards and 18 DK points by Oklahoma State a few weeks ago, Hall has put up at least 100 yards and 26 DK points in six of the last seven games. We can basically pencil those numbers in this week against a poor Texas Tech rush defense that’s allowing 5.39 ypc and 187 rush yards per game during conference play. It’ll be hard to go away from Hall in cash despite the expensive salary.
Kenneth Walker III	MSU	UMD	8900	29.18	10500	26.51
In a perfect world, we fit in both Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker in cash lineups and figure out the rest. Obviously that’s tough to do and forces you to find plenty of value at every other spot. So if you don’t want to play Hall, then Walker should provide very similar production in cash and he might even claim a higher DFS ceiling for GPP’s - like when he exploded for five TDs and 56 DK points two weeks ago. He should have a ton of success against a subpar Maryland rush defense that’s been getting gashed nearly every week by opposing backs.
Braelon Allen	WISC	NW	8200	16.71
Allen may have been flying under-the-radar for DFS lately, but it’s about time we take him seriously as a legit RB1 option in all formats. He’s now rushed for 100+ yards in five straight games despite being a backup at the beginning of the year. This week, expect plenty of carries and a big yardage total from Allen yet again with Chez Mellusi now out for the season. The matchup vs. Northwestern, meanwhile, is the best on this slate with the Huskies giving up 267 rushing yards per game and 5.9 ypc during Big Ten play. Cash or GPP, he’ll be a nice contrarian option for those who don’t go with Hall or Walker.
Jaylan Knighton	MIA	FSU	7900	23.96	9200	21.86
Knighton has been very productive for DFS lately with 24+ DK points in four straight games since becoming Miami’s de facto lead back. He’s seeing a ton of work as both a rusher and pass-catcher with Cam’Ron Harris done for the year and basically no competition in the Canes’ backfield. In turn, the DFS sites have raised his salaries to the current level - making him the lower-owned GPP play who could break the slate. Knighton will face a soft Florida State rush defense in a game that claims one of the highest totals of the afternoon.
Chris Childers	IU	RU	4500	2.84
With Stephen Carr possibly being out after suffering an ankle injury last week, we could get Childers as a lead back for a favorite at sub-5k on the DK slate. If we get official word that Carr is out before this 12 pm ET kickoff, then Childers might be a cash lock honestly. He’s facing a Rutgers defense that’s allowing 186 rush yards per game and 4.6 ypc during conference play. Childers could see a ton of work as the lead back as the Indiana offense will likely be run-heavy once again with the uncertain QB situation. Last week in relief of Carr, he had 34 yards and a TD on 11 carries - though that came against a tough Michigan defense.
Dillon Johnson	MSST	AUB	3900	13.24	5900	10.52
Though he’s a backup, Johnson’s DFS floor is actually higher than you’d think because of his consistent role as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. In Mississippi State’s pass-heavy Air Raid attack, the RBs are used plenty as receivers for quick and easy completions. Starter Jo’quavious Marks is also catching a ton of passes, but Johnson is much cheaper. He’s already racked up 47 receptions through nine games and has at least five catches in six of the last eight contests. This involvement keeps his floor just high enough to trust in cash at some cheap salaries.
Ulysses Bentley IV	SMU	UCF	3700	11.51
We’ll have to check warmups and injury news beforehand, but Bentley could be an extremely nice value on DK if he’s playing. Though he warmed up before last week’s game, Bentley actually didn’t end up taking the field as he returns from an ankle injury. Hopefully we get a clear answer on his status and, thankfully, it’s an early kickoff. Before getting hurt, Bentley was SMU’s lead back and had 140+ rushing yards and a TD in two of the first four games this year. He’s a fun talent and would have a smash matchup vs. a subpar UCF rush defense.

Also Consider:

TreVeyon Henderson -- Ohio State ($8,500 DK / $9,500 FD)
Hassan Haskins -- Michigan ($7,500 DK / $8,200 FD)
Zamir White -- Georgia ($6,800 DK / $7,500 FD)
Jo’quavious Marks -- Mississippi State ($6,700 DK / $7,600 FD)
Tank Bigsby -- Auburn ($5,800 DK / $7,700 FD)
Trestan Ebner -- Baylor ($4,000 DK / $5,600 FD)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Wide Receivers
Player	Team	Opp.	DK $	DK FPPG	FD $	FD FPPG
Charleston Rambo	MIA	FSU	8000	20.61	8700	17.42
We already mentioned Van Dyke as a great DFS option this week vs. FSU’s poor pass defense - Rambo is right there as the Canes’ top receiver. The price tags are definitely a lot, but he’s been a stud lately with at least seven receptions and 100+ yards in three straight games. Not to mention 36 DK points in two of those contests and 210 yards just a week ago. He’s getting a ton of targets from Van Dyke and FSU likely won’t be able to cover him.
Ryan O'Keefe	UCF	SMU	7200	19.43
Even with Dillon Gabriel out lately, O’Keefe continues to be a DFS stud with at least 26 DK points in three straight and 17+ DK points in five straight. He’s clearly a favorite target for QB fill-in Mikey Keene and the reception volume puts him firmly in play this week on the DK slate. Apparently there’s a chance Gabriel returns, but it really doesn’t matter for O’Keefe. He could be a lower-rostered contrarian play with so much top-end WR talent on the board.
David Bell	PUR	OSU	6700	26.56	8700	20.69
Bell is arguably the best WR in college football and he continues to put up big numbers every week. He’s coming off a monster outing of 11 catches for 217 yards and a TD for 41 DK points as the Michigan State defense failed to contain him. Bell owns one of the best floor/ceiling combos of any DFS receiver weekly and we know the Purdue offense will likely be throwing a ton to keep up with Ohio State in this matchup. On DK, this is a nice buy-low opportunity at a season-low price point.
Chris Olave	OSU	PUR	6600	22.04	9100
While Smith-Njigba stole all the headlines last week with Garrett Wilson out, Olave was still a very solid DFS play with his seven receptions for 61 yards and a TD. He’s now racked up 10 TDs over eight games and remains one of the most talented receivers in the country. With Wilson expected back this weekend, Olave could stand to benefit with defenses having to account for multiple Buckeye pass-catchers.
Player	Team	Opp.	DK $	DK FPPG	FD $	FD FPPG
Key'Shawn Smith	MIA	FSU	5100	10.28	6400	8.21
While Rambo is the top Miami receiver to pair with Van Dyke, a cheaper avenue to this offense is Smith. He’s been a better DFS option than Mike Harley for weeks now and has caught TDs in back-to-back games. Smith has put up at least seven DK points in seven games this season and has double-digit PPR in three of the last four. He's a solid cash salary-saver if you don't pay up for Rambo.
Reggie Roberson Jr.	SMU	UCF	4800	13.41
DK has priced Roberson down after he only had three catches a week ago, but that’s an overreaction for a guy who could easily put up 20+ DFS points in any given game. Though he hasn’t put up as good of numbers as teammates Rashee Rice or Danny Gray lately, Roberson is still one of the top targets in the SMU offense. There’s GPP potential for him in a high-total game where we could see tons of scoring on both sides.
Charlie Kolar	ISU	TTU	4500	11	6500	8.94
Not to sound like a broken record, but Kolar continues to be a very solid cash play because the sites refuse to raise his price tag. On DK, especially, there’s no reason for the Iowa State tight end to be sub-5k right now. He’s coming off a five-catch, 73-yard performance last week and has at least four grabs in seven of the last eight games. Now Kolar and Iowa St will face a bad Texas Tech pass defense? Sign me up yet again.
R.J. Sneed	BAY	OU	4500	12.38	6900	10.36
We mentioned above how Bohanon could be a nice DFS option on this slate with Baylor likely passing more often to keep pace with OU. As for the Bears’ pass-catchers, it’s still Thornton and Sneed who dominate the targets and receiving production. On DK, Sneed is priced down after a poor showing last week and shouldn’t be sub-5k at this point. This is a good buy-low opportunity for a guy who had eight catches for 94 yards and a TD with 23 DK points just two weeks ago.
Keyshawn Helton	FSU	MIA	4300	6.43	5900	5.49
All the Florida State receivers are worth a look in GPP’s as cheap fliers who could easily return value. The high-scoring environment with plenty of offense on both sides helps, but then there’s this matchup vs. Miami’s shaky defense that’s allowing 289 passing yards per game to ACC opponents (112th in FBS). Though the QB situation is still up in the air, Helton has been the most consistent Noles receiver lately and he’s coming off arguably his best game of the year.
Michael Woods II	OU	BAY	4100	9.49	6000	7.68
After sitting out the last few games, Woods will apparently return to the OU offense after he tweeted out as much earlier this week. It was an undisclosed injury for Woods and, unfortunately, we won’t know if he’s playing or not until warmups. At least this is an early kickoff so well get an answer before the noon games. It remains to be seen how much rapport Woods will have with Caleb Williams compared to the other OU receivers, but he did have three catches for 75 yards in the game before he got hurt. The prices are too cheap for the talent level of Woods in a high-total game and he makes for an interesting GPP value.
Marcus Fleming	UMD	MSU	4000	8.08	5300	6.38
This is now the third straight week we’re suggesting Fleming as a value and he remains way too cheap on both sites. The freshman has been much more involved lately with Dontay Demus and Jeshaun Jones suffering season-ending injuries and he’s become a reliable target for Taulia Tagovailoa. He has at least four receptions and eight DK points in three straight games and should see plenty of targets against a bad Michigan State pass defense. You can also look at Rakim Jarrett, Carlos Carriere or Chigoziem Okonko as value UMD receivers.

Also Consider:

Jahan Dotson -- Penn State ($8,800 DK / $8,900 FD)
Tyquan Thornton -- Baylor ($6,800 DK / $8,000 FD)
Jadon Haselwood -- Oklahoma ($6,000 DK / $6,200 FD)
Bo Melton -- Rutgers ($5,000 DK Only)
Rakim Jarrett -- Maryland ($4,500 DK / $6,500 FD)
Myles Price -- Texas Tech ($4,200 DK / $5,800 FD)
Ben Sims -- Baylor ($4,000 DK / $5,800 FD)

EXAMPLE LINEUPS

DK Cash
Pos.	Player	Team	Opp	FPPG	Salary
QB	Tyler Van Dyke	MIA	FSU	21.7	$8,000
Pivot
RB	Breece Hall	ISU	TTU	29.8	$9,500
Pivot
RB	Kenneth Walker III	MSU	UMD	29.2	$8,900
Pivot
WR	Charlie Kolar	ISU	TTU	11	$4,500
Pivot
WR	R.J. Sneed	BAY	OU	12.4	$4,500
Pivot	Key'Shawn Smith	MIA	FSU	10.3	$5,100
WR	Marcus Fleming	UMD	MSU	8.1	$4,000
Pivot
FLEX	Chris Childers	IU	RU	2.8	$4,500
Pivot	Dillon Johnson	MSST	AUB	13.2	$3,900
S-FLEX	Taulia Tagovailoa	UMD	MSU	20.7	$5,900
Pivot

DK GPP
Pos.	Player	Team	Opp	FPPG	Salary
QB	Caleb Williams	OU	BAY	22.6	$10,000
Pivot
RB	Braelon Allen	WISC	NW	16.7	$8,200
Pivot
RB	Jaylan Knighton	MIA	FSU	24	$7,900
Pivot	Zamir White	UGA	TENN	13.3	$6,800
WR	David Bell	PUR	OSU	26.6	$6,700
Pivot
WR	Michael Woods II	OU	BAY	9.5	$4,100
Pivot
WR	Ben Sims	BAY	OU	10	$4,000
Pivot	Keyshawn Helton	FSU	MIA	6.4	$4,300
FLEX	Ulysses Bentley IV	SMU	UCF	11.5	$3,700
Pivot	Rakim Jarrett	UMD	MSU	13.7	$4,500
S-FLEX	Aidan O'Connell	PUR	OSU	15.9	$5,400
Pivot

FanDuel Cash Core Plays from Early Games

(check Pete Cole’s night slate playbook for others)

QB Tyler Van Dyke -- Miami ($9,700)

RB Kenneth Walker III -- Michigan State ($10,500)

RB Chris Childers -- Indiana ($4,500)

WR Charlie Kolar -- Iowa State ($4,500)

FanDuel GPP Core Plays from Early Games

(check Pete Cole’s night slate playbook for others)

QB Caleb Williams -- Oklahoma ($11,800)

RB Jaylan Knighton -- Miami ($9,200)

WR David Bell -- Purdue ($8,700)

WR Marcus Fleming -- Maryland ($5,300)