Welcome back to another season of the CFB DFS Playbook Saturday Night Edition. Today we will dig into the Saturday college football 7pm Week 3 night slate with a focus on the top CFB DFS picks on DraftKings and FanDuel. Some of the top players and teams in action for this Saturday Night CFB Week 3 slate include Quinshon Judkins and Jaxson Dart from #17 Ole Miss taking on Georgia Tech and Joe Milton and #11 Tennessee heading to the Swamp to face the Florida Gators. Check out the college football betting odds, team totals, and over/under's below to get an idea of which games or teams to target in CFB DFS lineups. So now we are ready to dive in and check out my top CFB DFS top picks and plays for Saturday Night, September 16…

 

College Football Week 3 Saturday Night Odds

7p ET Tennessee (-6.5) @ Florida 58.5 O/U

7p ET Northern Illinois @ Nebraska (-11.0) 42.0 O/U

7:30p ET Bowling Green @ Michigan (-40.5) 53.5 O/U FD Only

7:30p ET Georgia Tech @ Mississippi (-18.0) 63.00 O/U

7:30p ET Akron @ Kentucky (-26.0) 49.5 O/U DK Only

7:30p ET Syracuse (-2.5) @ Purdue 57.5 O/U

7:30p ET Pittsburgh @ West Virginia (-1.0) 48.0 O/U

7:30p ET BYU @ Arkansas (-8.5) 47.5 O/U

8p ET TCU (-7.5) @ Houston 64.0 O/U

8p ET Wyoming @ Texas (-29.5) 48.5 O/U FD Only

8p ET Florida Atlantic @ Clemson (-25.5) 51.5 O/U FD Only

 

Top Implied Team Totals 

Michigan 47.0 FD Only

Mississippi 40.50

Texas 39.00 FD Only

Clemson 38.50 FD Only

Kentucky 37.75

TCU 35.75

Tennessee 32.50

Syracuse 30.00

Houston 28.25

Arkansas 28.00

Purdue 26.00

 

CFB DFS Quarterbacks

Donovan Smith, Houston vs. TCU ($8.0K DK/10.2K FD)

Donovan Smith, the first year Cougars QB has all the tools needed to be a star- in college and the NFL. The Clayton Tune era is over, but Houston didn’t miss a beat this spring when they grabbed one of the best quarterbacks in portal. This is the same signal caller that led Texas Tech to an upset over Texas last season as well as helping the Red Raiders defeat his current team, Houston. In those two games Smith threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns. Now the Cougars are using the legs of their new 6’5” 241-pound QB and after adjusting for sacks he has 23 carries for 132 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Smith also put together quite a performance last week in a loss to Rice when they came back from a 28-point deficit to force double overtime. He completed 24 of 42 pass attempts for 260 yards and two touchdowns plus put on an awesome rushing display garnering 57 yards on 16 carries and three scores. The $8K DK salary is one of the top pt/$ quarterback plays of the slate in an expected shootout between the Horned Frogs and Cougars. 

Joe Milton, Tennessee @ Florida ($7.4K DK/10.6K)

We finally get a chance to see what Hendon Hooker’s backup for two seasons truly can do with the football when he faces the Florida Gators at the Swamp tonight. Joe Milton’s super senior season has been mediocre so far- he was solid in their season opening win over Virginia but faltered last week against Austin Peay. After facing two bad run defenses to start the season the Vols game script will be a bit different this week as the hook up with the Gators 23rd ranked rush defense. This is a defense that also allowed Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker to throw for 349 yards and rush for another 122 yards last season. Milton’s rocket arm is the stuff of legend and in Josh Heupel’s offense he has now thrown 239 passes and 16 touchdowns since his last interception (at Michigan in 2020). Nice “get right” spot tonight for Joe Milton III and Tennessee.

Chandler Morris, TCU @ Houston ($7.2K DK/10.5K FD)

Chandler Morris, TCU’s quarterback entered last season as the team's starter, but he was hurt in the opener against Colorado, giving way to Max Duggan's historic run to the National Championship Game. Morris, a sophomore, is back in the saddle this season and has taken the helm of Sonny Dyke’s Air Raid offense. He also has a new OC in run-heavy Kendal Briles and Morris isn’t afraid to run with 93 yards on the ground and two scores in his first two games. TCU went 4/12 on converting third downs last week against Nicholls State and with a solid 26/30, two-touchdown night Morris sets up for a big game tonight against a UH defense that let Rice’s JT Daniels throw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns just a week ago. 

 

Other Top Quarterbacks

Quinn Ewers, Texas ($11.0K FD) - Ewers carved up Alabama for 349 yards and three touchdowns on the road so imagine what he could to Wyoming at home. 

Jaxson Dart, Mississippi ($9.5K DK/10.8K FD) - Dart is the highest scoring QB of the slate but also the most expensive. In play in all formats if you have the funds.

JJ McCarthy, Michigan ($10.4K FD) - McCarthy’s 94.4 QB rating is the highest in the country. 

Garrett Shrader, Syracuse ($7.3K DK/9.8K FD) - Torched Purdue for three TDs in the air and another 83 yards on the ground last season. This year Purdue has been torched for more than 300 yards passing in each of its first two games. 

Jeff Sims, Nebraska ($6.2K DK) - Need to check discord due to questionable tag but if he plays Sims is just too cheap against a bad NIU pass defense and will be low owned due to a poor start to the season.

 

CFB DFS Running Backs

Quinshon Judkins, Mississippi vs. Georgia Tech ($8.5K DK/9.9K FD)

If there is one “must have” on this slate for DraftKings, it’s Quinshon Judkins. Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key was full of praises this week calling the stud back “one of the best running backs in the country.”  As a freshman in 2022, Judkins collected 1,567 rushing yards on 274 attempts with 16 rushing TDs. That was the 7th-most rushing yards in the country and the 10th-most rushing TDs. Judkins was held in check against Tulane last week as he managed only 48 yards on 18 carries, but the breakout game is coming and no better time than tonight against the Yellow Jackets defense that is allowing a slate-high 5.6 yards per carry and 211.5 rushing yards per game. Update: As of Saturday morning, Judkins is doubtful.

Ray Davis, Kentucky vs. Arkansas ($6.8K DK)

Chris Rodriguez Jr has passed down the baton to the next stud Kentucky running back -Ray Davis. In his first two games as a Wildcat, Davis carried the ball 14 and 12 times (26 on the season) and on those carries he has accumulated 164 yards and a couple scores. That’s a huge 6.3 yards per carry! The Vanderbilt transfer is no stranger to Kentucky fans after rushing for 129 yards and one touchdown in Vandy’s upset of the Wildcats last season. This $6.8K tag on DraftKings is just too cheap against Akron.

LeQuint Allen, Syracuse @ Purdue ($5.5K DK/$8.5K FD)

LeQuint Allen showed flashes of what he could do on the ground last year as well as catching balls out of the backfield. In the Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota. Allen finished with 94 yards on 15 carries and caught 11 passes for 60 yards, the only time this past year that a Syracuse player finished with at least 10 catches in a game. Allen opened his sophomore season rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in their 65-0 win over Colgate. Last week he ran for three touchdowns in their 48-7 rout over Western Michigan and comes into this Purdue matchup averaging 21.4 DK points per game. Solid price and a possible core play for me tonight.

 

Other Top Running Backs

Ulysses Bentley, Mississippi ($4.9K DK/4.7K FD)- If Judkins is OUT then Bentley comes into play as one of the top values of the slate

Blake Corum, Michigan ($10.2K FD) - Corum is nearing 100% healthy and has four touchdowns in his first two games. Corum or Judkins is the decision of the day on FanDuel.

Devin Mockobee, Purdue ($6.7K DK/$8.4K FD) - Mockobee is averaging 17.2 DK points per game. Viable in all formats today.

Will Shipley, Clemson ($10.0K FD) - 8.1 yards per carry last week for Shipley plus he is averaging nearly 100 yards per game. The question is how much run will he get in a blowout game?

Emani Bailey, TCU ($6.5K DK/8.2K FD) - Averaging 14.4 DK Points after rushing for 164 yards in week one. In play in all formats. 

CJ Donaldson, West Virginia ($6.2K DK/$5.5K FD) - A top FanDuel value as Donaldson averages 15 carries per game and gets a solid matchup against Pitt. 

LJ Martin- BYU ($4.5K DK/5.4K FD) - The freshman was just named starter against Arkansas. He has rushed for 199 yards on 22 attempts through two games to lead BYU.

Jamal Haynes- Georgia Tech ($4.5K DK) - Coming off a 113 yard and one score against South Carolina State.

 

CFB DFS Wide Receivers

Matthew Golden, Houston ($6.7K DK)

Matthew Golden had to replace one of the best receivers in the country last year, Tank Dell. Now that Dell is a rookie for the Houston Texans, the bigger Golden is taking over as he lines up in the slot and has the ability to take the top off defenses. Golden has seen 20 targets in the first two games, including a slate-best 13 last week against Rice. Even though he only caught five of those targets last week it still resulted in 60 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Teammate Samuel Brown is also in play tonight and one of these two receivers has a good chance of winding up in the optimal lineup by the end of the evening.

Dane Key, Kentucky vs. Arkansas ($5.0K DK)

Dane Key (519 yards and six touchdowns) and Barion Brown (628 yards and four touchdowns) formed one of the country's best freshman receiver duos in 2022, and now as sophomores they could end up being the best duo in the SEC. Key had a big game against Ball State in the opener, catching five passes on five targets for 96 yards and a touchdown (21 DK points). Last week was a bit of a disappointment as he only accumulated 42 yards on four catches. Big bounce back spot tonight against Akron.

Deion Burks, Purdue vs. Syracuse ($4.7K DK)

Coach Walters calls Deion Burks “the fastest guy on the team and a freak athlete.” Entering his third season at Purdue after playing a larger role last season with 15 receptions for 149 yards, big things are expected. It didn’t take long as Burks torched Fresno State in week one with a monster game of 152 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He did come back to earth last week with only one catch for 18 yards, so this is a big week upcoming to show us as to where Burks fits in this high-octane offense. 

Dayton Wade, Mississippi vs. Georgia Tech ($3.8K DK)

With injuries in the Ole Miss receivers room Dayton Wade is almost a free square plus he is a leader and key player on this Rebels team. As productive as Wade has been (seven catches for 106 yards last week), Ole Miss will need him in tonight’s game against Georgia Tech as they will likely be without their top two receivers, Tre Harris and Zakhari Franklin and likely still going to be without starting tight-end Caden Prieskorn. Jaxson Dart will be chucking, and Wade will see enough passes to certainly crush value on DraftKings tonight. 

 

Other Top Wide Receivers

Samuel Brown, Houston ($6.4K DK) - Brown has seen 15 targets and is averaging 22.7 DK points over his first two games and that is without even scoring a touchdown yet. Brown and Matthew Golden both set up as elite plays today for Houston.

Roman Wilson, Michigan ($9.6K FD) - One of the top overall receiving plays on FanDuel. Wilson is having a monster season so far with five touchdowns in his first two games.

Ricky Pearsall, Florida ($6.6K DK) - Strong chemistry is starting to build between Pearsall and Graham Mertz as Pearsall caught six passes for 123 yards and a score last week.

Squirrel White, Tennessee ($5.1K DK) - White is averaging seven targets a game and a breakout game is coming soon.

Xavier Worthy, Texas ($8.3K FD) - Big time NFL draft prospect, Worthy has two straight years with at least 60 receptions, 760 yards and nine touchdowns. He hasn’t missed a beat with 17 targets over his first two games.

Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas ($5.3K DK/7.9K FD) - FCS transfer leads Arkansas with nine receptions and three receiving touchdowns through two games. Solid DraftKings price. 

Isaac Rex, BYU @ Arkansas ($3.9K DK) - If he scores tonight Rex will become the first BYU tight end with 23 touchdown receptions. He was Kedon Slovis’ top target last week, catching four passes for 112 yards and a score yet he is still sub-$4K?

 

DRAFTKINGS CORE

Donovan Smith QB - Houston 

Quinshon Judkins RB - Mississippi

Ray Davis RB - Kentucky

Dane Key WR - Kentucky

 

FANDUEL CORE

JJ McCarthy QB - Michigan

Blake Corum RB - Michigan

CJ Donaldson RB - West Virginia

Donovan Smith QB - Houston