Welcome back college football fans! We’ve got a small but fun slate of games this Friday night & it’s time to build some winning lineups to kickoff Week 5. This playbook will only focus on the DraftKings slate in terms of pricing, but feel free to play on FanDuel with the same players as well. 

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 Friday night DFS CFB slate for September 31st! 

THE SLATE (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook): 

7:30 pm ET -- Houston at Tulsa (-5) -- 54.5 O/U

8 pm ET -- Iowa (-3) at Maryland -- 48 O/U

9 pm ET -- BYU (-8.5) at Utah State -- 62.5 O/U

Implied Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)

BYU -- 35.5 points vs. Utah State

Tulsa -- 29.75 points vs. Houston

Utah State -- 27 points vs. BYU

Iowa -- 25.5 points vs. Maryland

Houston -- 24.75 points vs. Tulsa

Maryland -- 22.5 points vs. Iowa

QUARTERBACKS

Quarterbacks
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Jaren HallBYUUTST880022.98  
On this three-game slate, Hall is in a QB tier by himself as the guy leading the best offense in action - and he should be chalky in cash because of that. After missing last week with an undisclosed injury, Hall is expected back under center this Friday. Through three games, he’s rocking a 7:2 TD:INT ratio but the yardage is capped a bit because of how run-heavy the BYU offense can be. Hall, though, provides some dual-threat upside of his own with 166 rushing yards over three contests and racking up 92 in one game. He'll be facing the worst pass defense on this slate and hard to fade in cash.
Taulia TagovailoaUMDIOWA700026.22  
Facing a stout Iowa defense isn’t ideal, but Tagovailoa might be the type of QB who’s matchup-proof and cannot be ignored on a short slate like this. Though the toughest defenses he’s faced thus far are Illinois and West Virginia - Taulia’s numbers are hard to dispute this season and he’s gaining some early Heisman hype. He’s thrown for at least 270 yards with 23 fantasy points every week, boasts a 10:1 TD:INT ratio over four games and has completed 75% of his passes. The Iowa pass defense is definitely a step up in competition, but the Maryland offense is leaning heavily on Tagovailoa’s arm and talent right now - we can expect him to rack up stats once again.
Davis BrinTLSAUH670017.6  
Choosing a Super-Flex is a tough proposition on this slate, but Brin could end up being popular based off his last two games. The Tulsa QB had 428 yards and two TDs vs. Ohio State two weeks ago and then hadd 355 yards and three passing scores last week. The Houston pass defense presents the toughest matchup of his season thus far, but Brin could easily throw for 300+ yards and multiple scores once again. Because of the tough matchup, though, limit exposure to GPP’s with some slightly better Super-Flex options in cash.
Clayton TuneUHTLSA650014.24  
Considering the cheap price tag, Tune could end up being a chalky Super-Flex for cash games. The Houston signal-caller returned last week from a hamstring injury and was very efficient with a 73% completion rate and 250+ yards on 30 attempts. The Tulsa pass defense is among the worst on this slate and Tune could easily throw for 300+ yards and multiple scores, assuming he’s still healthy. The accuracy is what we love to see as he boasts a 71% competition rate this season - though he only has a 5:5 TD:INT ratio. Still, there aren’t many ways to go for your QB2 this slate and Tune might have to play catch-up against Tulsa.

Also Consider: 

Logan Bonner -- Utah State ($7,400) -- GPP

RUNNING BACKS

Running Backs
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Tyler AllgeierBYUUTST710016.05  
Although he splits carries with “co-starter” Lopini Katoa, Allgeier is the de facto lead back of the BYU offense and will get 15-20 touches or more on a weekly basis. While he’s yet to crack 100 rushing yards in a game this season, this matchup could change that as the Utah State rush defense is allowing nearly 200 rushing yards and two rush TDs per game. It’s the best matchup on this short slate and should make Allgeier popular in cash - especially as one of the top TD scorers on the best offense in action.
Tyler GoodsonIOWAUMD680021.12  
If Iowa wants to avoid the road upset at Maryland, it should lean on Goodson and the ground game. The Hawkeyes’ lead back has been getting a healthy amount of work in this offense all season with at least 21 touches in all four games thus far. Outside of a 153-yard, three-TD performance in a soft matchup vs. Kent State, his ypc average and overall yardage hasn’t been great. Still, the workload is what we love in our DFS RB’s for that floor and Goodson provides one of the safest volumes on this slate. The UMD rush defense hasn’t improved much after struggling often last year, so Goodson could easily go for 100+ yards.
Calvin Tyler Jr.UTSTBYU640018.85  
Even though Utah State is an underdog here, we can expect Tyler Jr. to reel off another big stat line in a high-scoring environment. He’s now rushed for 132 and 126 yards in back-to-back games - and last week’s 100+ effort came despite his team scoring just three total points. For the most part, Tyler is getting the lion’s share of carries in this offense and his 6.2 ypc average should help him continue getting close to 20+ touches per game. He’ll face a BYU defense that’s been susceptible on the ground this season and could easily let Tyler rack up 100+ and multiple scores for a third straight. He’s perfectly fine in cash if you can fit him in.
Alton McCaskillUHTLSA580017.82  
The Houston backfield is a bit of a guessing game right now and all three of the top guys are in play for this slate. McCaskill will presumably be the lead back moving forward after he had 17 carries for 74 yards with three catches last week. It was his third straight game with 16+ touches and 90+ total yards - and he has five TDs over the past three weeks combined. Then there’s Ta’Zhawn Henry ($4500), who scored twice last week and had 11 carries for 54 yards as the No. 2 to McCaskill. Finally we have senior Mulbah Car ($4200), who’s been battling a knee injury but could easily return to getting double-digit carries like he did in the season opener. Henry and Car are in play for GPP’s while McCaskill is the safer option in cash.
Shamari BrooksTLSAUH470011.7  
The Tulsa backfield is essentially a split workload between Deneric Prince and Shamari Brooks. Both are firmly in play on this slate as sub-5k values - though it’s hard to trust either one for a decent-enough workload. Brooks is coming off a good game - 22 carries for 155 yards and a TD - but that was with Prince nursing an injury. Even though Prince is reportedly expected to be fully healthy this week, we could see Brooks get the majority of touches once again. The matchup vs. Houston is a bit tough on paper, but Tulsa is a favorite and may lean on the run game more than expected.

Also Consider: 

Tayon Fleet-Davis -- Maryland ($6,100) -- GPP

Deneric Prince -- Tulsa ($4,800) -- GPP

Ta’Zhawn Henry -- Houston ($4,500) -- GPP

WIDE RECEIVERS

Wide Receivers
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Gunner RomneyBYUUTST760019.23  
Since missing the season opener and being limited in Week 2, Romney has been a stud the last two games and should continue to be a top playmaker in BYU’s offense. Over the last two games, he’s totaled 11 catches for 200+ receiving yards and two scores - with at least five grabs, 95 yards and a TD in both. However, this offense does spread the ball around a decent amount and it’s tough to lock in Romney in cash at an elevated price tag. Fire him up in GPP’s, but there’s a more affordable option in the Cougars’ receiving corps for cash.
Deven ThompkinsUTSTBYU730026.45  
As underdogs in the highest total of the night, Utah State will likely be throwing more often than not to keep up with BYU. In that case, Deven Thompkins will see a ton of targets as the offense’s best playmaker. Though he “only” had four catches for 60 yards vs. Boise State last week, the ceiling is always there for him to go off for 30+ fantasy points like he did in the two previous games. This price is actually a bargain considering the lack of top-end receivers on this slate.
Dontay Demus Jr.UMDIOWA660023.9  
If you’re playing Tagovailoa, then pair him up with Maryland’s top receiver. Demus Jr. is a legit NFL talent that should start getting more national recognition soon - and he has the upside to be the highest-scoring DFS WR on any slate. Through four weeks, he’s already got three games with 100+ yards and a TD - and he had posted eight catches for 77 yards in the outlier. The Iowa defense may pose a tough matchup, but Demus Jr. should see a healthy amount of targets to come through in cash games. You can definitely play him as a UMD one-off even if you don’t roster Tagovailoa.
Neil Pau'uBYUUTST630017.26  
Though Romney is the higher-priced BYU receiver this week, Pau’u is actually the slightly better play because of the discount. He still leads the team in all major receiving categories through four games - with 18 receptions, 232 yards and four TDs - and doesn’t deserve to be this much cheaper than his teammate. Romney may have the higher ceiling right now, but Pau’u is the cash play to lock in on this slate for the savings and likely similar production from a floor standpoint.
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Brandon BowlingUTSTBYU570019.15  
While Deven Thompkins is the clear No. 1 receiver for Utah St, Bowling is second in line for targets and pass-catching production. After a quiet season opener, Bowling has come alive over the last three games with a combined stat line of 19 catches for 316 yards and three TDs. With how high-scoring the Utah State offense usually is, there’s enough to go around for Bowling to have a good game even with Thompkins getting his as well. If the Aggies are trailing for most of this matchup, expect Bowling and the pass game to be busy in catch-up mode.
Sam LaPortaIOWAUMD460012.6  
While the Hawkeyes’ offense doesn’t usually pass often, LaPorta is the top target when they do go to the air. The tight end leads the team in receptions (17) and receiving yards (214) through four games and is clearly QB Spencer Petras’ favorite pass-catcher. Over the last two games combined, LaPorta has 11 catches for 110 yards and a TD in both. Outside of a dud effort vs. Iowa State, the guy has provided a safe floor for DFS with his high target share and should see enough volume this week to return value at sub 5k.
JuanCarlos SantanaTLSAUH420012.22  
It’s always tough to pick-and-choose between Tulsa’s receivers - and Santana is the best option right now as long as he remains this much cheaper than his teammates. Josh Johnson ($6000) is coming off back-to-back 100-yard games and is definitely in play here, but the price tag is hard to roster compared to other top receivers on this slate. Sam Crawford Jr. ($5300) is also a good play with a solid floor. Santana, though, has gotten a bump up in value and target share with Keylon Stokes out the last two weeks - and his salary hasn’t increased enough. We might not know Stokes’ status until warmups, but Santana would be very hard to ignore if his teammate is out - as he’s put up seven catches for 78 yards and then five for 99 and a TD in the two games without Stokes.
Jeshaun JonesUMDIOWA41008.78  
Rakim Jarrett is another affordable Maryland receiver to look at, but Jones should not be this cheap. He’s posted five catches and at least 70 yards in back-to-back games - good for 12 fantasy points both times despite not finding the end zone. That’s a really good floor for the guy who’s presumably third in line for receptions on the Terps’ offense - though he’s outperformed Jarrett lately. Tagovailoa is clearly fond of targeting him in the short-to-intermediate routes and the cheap price tag is a great salary-saver in all formats.
Christian TrahanUHTLSA37006.95  
After Nathaniel Dell as Houston’s top wideout, it gets a little murky as to which other pass-catcher to target for DFS in that game. Trahan is a very affordable option and could easily pay off his sub-4k tag. The tight end’s 14 receptions and 138 yards so far are both second among Houston’s receiving corps (behind Dell). In the Cougars’ two closest games this season, Trahan was more involved and had 10 fantasy points in both - with six catches for 42 yards vs. Texas Tech and then four catches for 65 yards last week vs. Navy. He might be the cheapest cash option on this slate with a reasonable floor.

Also Consider: 

Nathaniel Dell -- Houston ($6,900) -- GPP

Josh Johnson -- Tulsa ($6,000) -- GPP

Sam Crawford Jr. -- Tulsa ($5,300) -- Cash

Rakim Jarrett -- Maryland ($4,900) -- GPP/Cash

Puka Nacua -- BYU ($4,300) -- GPP

Justin McGriff -- Utah State ($3,800) -- GPP

Example Lineups:

DK Cash
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBJaren HallBYUUTST23$8,800
Pivot     
RBTyler AllgeierBYUUTST16.1$7,100
Pivot     
RBTyler GoodsonIOWAUMD21.1$6,800
Pivot     
WRNeil Pau'uBYUUTST17.3$6,300
PivotDeven ThompkinsUTSTBYU26.5$7,300
WRChristian TrahanUHTLSA7$3,700
PivotSam LaPortaIOWAUMD12.6$4,600
WRJuanCarlos SantanaTLSAUH12.2$4,200
Pivot     
FLEXCalvin Tyler Jr.UTSTBYU18.9$6,400
PivotShamari BrooksTLSAUH11.7$4,700
S-FLEXClayton TuneUHTLSA14.2$6,500
Pivot     
      
DK GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBTaulia TagovailoaUMDIOWA26.2$7,000
Pivot     
RBAlton McCaskillUHTLSA17.8$5,800
Pivot     
RBTayon Fleet-DavisUMDIOWA21.8$6,100
PivotTyler AllgeierBYUUTST16.1$7,100
WRDontay Demus Jr.UMDIOWA23.9$6,600
Pivot     
WRBrandon BowlingUTSTBYU19.2$5,700
Pivot     
WRNathaniel DellUHTLSA20.2$6,900
PivotJosh JohnsonTLSAUH16.7$6,000
FLEXDeneric PrinceTLSAUH13.7$4,800
PivotRakim JarrettUMDIOWA16.2$4,900
S-FLEXDavis BrinTLSAUH17.6$6,700
Pivot