By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter/LineStar Chat.

• Rate LineStarApp on the App store and get a shoutout on Twitter from @LineStarApp official account!

• Have questions? Check out the LineStar Tutorial Wiki.

^{Must be 18+ (some states may require 21+) and be present in an eligible state; if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.}

Main Slate Rundown 🏈

Time really does fly during football season, and we’ve already arrived at week eight! Another pivotal CFB Saturday awaits, with several top-25 matchups on deck and plenty of other ranked teams facing competent opponents.

As per usual, the focus for this newsletter is directed toward the DraftKings main slate, which is slimmed down to 11 games this week and will kick off at noon ET on Saturday. FanDuel’s 14-game main slate differs slightly in structure. Still, with nine games overlapping, much of the analysis in this newsletter will apply to both sites (but be mindful of player salary discrepancies). Let’s dig in and find the best angles for building our week eight approach. Best of luck!

To begin, let’s get a look at the 14 teams with a 24.5+ implied point total on this slate. The majority of our preferred DFS plays will be found on these rosters:

Next up, we’ll generally want limited-to-no exposure to teams that are expected to struggle to score 20+ points. These teams generally either find themselves completely out-matched versus their upcoming opponent, they don’t possess a capable offense, their matchup is expected to be a slow and low-scoring affair, or it’s some combination of those factors. Unless a specific player is priced down, has near-matchup-proof talent, and is guaranteed high volume, we should lean toward avoiding these two teams on the slate:

Obligatory: Vegas spreads and totals aren’t the be-all, end-all but they do give us a solid amount of information to use as our research ‘jump-off point’ on any given slate.

Main Slate Match-Ups

Week Eight Core Targets 🎯

QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech | $8,300 | at DUKE

As is often the case, there is no shortage of viable QBs to consider on this week’s slate, so spreading QB exposure around is always a recommended approach. But there’s no question that Haynes King should be one of the top QB options to target. DraftKings often makes some head-scratching decisions in their CFB pricing. Dropping King’s price tag down by over $1,000 from last week, even after he put up another 30+ DKFP performance, and making him the seventh-most expensive QB on the board is certainly one of those odd pricing decisions. For comparison, King is the most expensive player on the 14-game FanDuel slate, regardless of position, at a hefty $12,500 salary.

King leads all players on this slate in both LineStar and consensus projections. He has essentially been putting up strong RB numbers with his passing stats simply being a plus. Across his five games (he sat out in week two), King is averaging 17.4 rush att/gm for 88.0 YPG, and he has scored a rushing TD in every game, including three multi-touchdown games on the ground, along with three 100+ yard rushing performances. He’s averaging just under 200 passing YPG across only 26.4 att/gm, but while the passing volume has not been immense, he has been efficient when throwing it with a 71.2% comp% on the season. I’m also not too worried about King and the Yellow Jackets being on the road, as he has posted his two best DFS scores on the road this season, averaging 39.8 DKFP/gm. This game is also one of the most appealing DFS environments on the slate, given its 60.5 over/under (2nd-highest) and narrow 1.5-point spread.

RB Adam Randall, Clemson | $6,700 | vs. SMU

Randall has made a few appearances as a core play this season and, at a fair $6,700 price point, I’m down to roll him out again. He has found the endzone in every game this season, and the converted wide receiver has at least four targets in four of the last five games. Starting QB Cade Klubnik (ankle) also seems to be on the wrong side of his “questionable” designation. That could lead to a spot start for backup sophomore QB Christopher Vizzina, who has a grand total of 48 pass attempts at the collegiate level (all in mop-up duty during blowouts late in games). If Vizzina is the starter, that may result in more simple dump-offs to Randall out of the backfield in order to get the inexperienced QB into a rhythm with some easy yards. The SMU run defense has been solid, but they also haven’t faced a ton of talented RBs. Clemson (-5.5) is a home favorite in this one, so we should expect Randall to be heavily featured in this game, especially if Klubnik is unable to suit up.

RB Kevorian Barnes, TCU | $4,900 | vs. BAY

With a slate-high 65.5 over/under and a close three-point spread (in favor of TCU), it’s safe to say that we’ll want some exposure to this potential shootout. Kevorian Barnes missed a couple of games with a lower leg injury, but he is the lead back in a very capable offense. $4,900 is a very soft price point, likely driven down by his two missed games and the fact that he hasn’t found the endzone in his two games since returning. He was $7,800 back in week one, and he has averaged an excellent 5.8 YPC on the season while also being involved as a receiver. Baylor owns a talented offense, but their defense has not been great, or even good. They’ve also allowed 41.4 FPPG to RBs in their two road games this season. We can expect around 15-20 touches out of Barnes in this game, and I like his chances of getting back into the endzone for the first time since week one.

WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State | $7,700 | vs. TTU

Barring a major surprise, Jordyn Tyson is going to be the first wide receiver off the board in next year’s NFL Draft. He is praised for his fluid route-running, separation, contested catch ability, explosiveness, and tracking deep balls. Tyson is the clear focal point in the ASU passing game, garnering a monster 37.7% Target% and 12.3 Targets/gm. He will get a QB upgrade after starting quarterback Sam Leavitt sat out last week with an injury, but is now listed as “probable” this week. Tyson still saw a whopping 17 targets from backup QB Jeff Sims last week, and he found the endzone for ASU’s lone touchdown, but all of that volume only resulted in eight catches for a lackluster 40 yards. The targets, particularly the ones further downfield, should be more precise with Leavitt back under center. Tyson is also averaging 34.1 FPPG at home this season. The Sun Devils (+7) are touchdown home underdogs, and Texas Tech’s pass defense has been fairly stout. But, in a likely trailing or, at worst, neutral game script, Tyson is a virtual lock for 10+ targets, and he has scored a touchdown in every game this season. $7,700 for one of the best high-volume receivers in the country is a fair price to pay, even if it’s not an ideal spot.

WR Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma | $3,600 | at SCAR

Sategna has been Oklahoma’s top receiver this season, and $3,600 is a price too cheap to ignore. He has been particularly effective over the last four games, averaging 8.8 targets/gm for 90.0 YPG, 3 TDs, and 20.2 DKFP/gm. The Gamecock secondary has been stingy, but John Mateer will be the best pure passer they’ve faced this season, and I’m sure this offense will want to get back on track after their dud versus rival Texas last week.

DraftKings Week Eight CFB Cheat Sheet 📝

Click the cheat sheet above to view a higher quality direct image.

Alternative Cheat Sheet Direct Image Link

🏈 Best of luck this Saturday! 🏈