By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter/LineStar Chat.

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Main Slate Rundown 🏈

A loaded college football weekend awaits and we’ll get to enjoy the first major CFB Saturday slate of the season! Before diving into this huge day of games, here is just a reminder that these newsletters are geared toward the DraftKings Saturday main slate which will feature 14 games and kickoff at noon ET. The FanDuel Saturday main slate also consists of 14 games but will only contain six mutually shared match-ups with the DK slate. So, there will be some info and recommended plays that FanDuel players should find useful in this newsletter. Most weeks moving forward should feature around eight or nine mutually shared main slate games between the two major DFS sites.

It’s been a hot start to the CFB DFS season for LineStar users so let’s see if we can keep the momentum going! Best of luck!

Main Slate Match-Ups

Quarterbacks to Consider

QB options at various price points.

Joe Milton III, TENN | $8,700 | vs. UV

Few players in the country have as much hype surrounding them heading into this season as Tennessee’s new gunslinger, Joe Milton III. He has made many “darkhorse Heisman winner” lists ahead of the season with his +2500 odds to win college football’s most prestigious individual award. Milton enters his sixth collegiate season and has modest experience, having appeared in 31 combined games for Michigan and Tennessee, accumulating 2,540 yards passing and a 17:6 TD:INT ratio while averaging 8.6 YPA. He has also tacked on 362 yards rushing (3.8 YPC) and five additional TDs. Those numbers and relative lack of experience for a sixth-year player may not inspire much confidence, but the upside is certainly there for Milton to have one of the best seasons of any QB in the country. Much of it has to do with the high-octane system that Milton plays in. Tennessee led the entire FBS last year in offense (525.5 YPG) and points (46.1 PPG) which helped then QB Hendon Hooker to finish 5th in Heisman voting. As many have probably seen on social media, Milton has perhaps the biggest arm in the country and, in his limited work in this Tennessee offense last season, he averaged an impressive 11.8 YPA while passing for 10 TDs and zero INTs on 82 overall attempts. The Vols bring a huge 41.8 implied team total to their week one match-up and stand as -28 point favorites over Virginia. Despite their 3-7 record, Virginia did boast a solid overall defense in 2022, however, they’re retooling in some key defensive areas and will be taking on their toughest challenge of the season right out of the gates in week one. At $8,700, Milton looks like a strong high-end QB target for this slate.

Michael Penix Jr., UW | $8,400 | vs. BSU

Penix enters his senior season off of a stellar 2022 campaign where he put up 4,641 yards passing with a 31:8 TD:INT ratio and 65.3% comp% across 13 games. His 357.0 passing YPG led all FBS QBs and the majority of Washington’s offense from last season returns intact for 2023. Washington was the 6th most pass-heavy team in the country in 2022 and, given Penix’s arm talent and extensive experience, not much should be expected to change in that regard. He does not offer much in the way of rushing upside, but he did punch in four rushing TDs last year, so a random rushing TD to put his fantasy score over the top isn’t out of the question with him in any given game. There are plenty of blowouts expected on this week one slate but this game against Boise State does feature a fairly close 14-point spread, with Washington being the home favorites and possessing a strong 36.0 implied total. Unlike other top QBs, Penix should be going all out for all four quarters of this game and he’ll provide one of the highest floors at the position while also possessing slate-breaking upside.

Chandler Morris, TCU | $6,900 | vs. COL

With the exodus of QB Max Duggan to the NFL, Chandler Morris will take over the reins of a potent TCU offense that ranked 9th in the FBS a season ago in scoring offense (38.8 PPG). In limited work at TCU, Morris has completed 66.0% of his passes for 862 yards, 8.4 YPA, and a 4:0 TD:INT ratio. He flashed some major upside when he started in a 2021 game against Baylor where he threw for 461 yards and two touchdowns while adding 70 yards rushing and an additional score -- a performance that earned him 44 DKFP. TCU heads into week one with a huge 42.3 implied total in a home match-up with Colorado, which ranked dead last in the FBS in scoring defense last season (44.5 PPG) and 112th in pass defense (264.7 YPG) and allowed the third-most passing TDs (31). Of course, new Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has created a ton of off-season buzz around the program and brought in plenty of new talent. With that said, no one is expecting this new-look Colorado team to be anything close to a top-flight defensive team. This match-up currently holds a slate-high 64.0 over/under so points should be plentiful, mostly in the direction of TCU’s offense, in this one. Consider Morris to be one of the best sub-$7k QB options on the slate.

Other QBs to Consider

Bo Nix, ORE | $10,100 | vs. PORST

Quinn Ewers, UT | $7,700 | vs. RICE

Emmett Morehead, BS | $7,600 | vs. NIU

Jaxson Dart, MISS | $7,200 | vs. MERC

Wide Receivers to Consider

WR options at various price points.

Marvin Harrison Jr., OSU | $9,100 | @ IU

Talk about an absolute stud. Marvin Harrison Jr. leads all non-QBs in college football with +2000 Heisman odds and will look to build upon a stellar 2022 season where he hauled in 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 TDs, averaging 9.1 targets/gm and 97.2 YPG. CJ Stroud is, of course, now the new starting QB for the NFL’s Houston Texans, so there will be some concerns surrounding Harrison’s QB play. OSU currently plans to split time between QBs Kyle McCord and Devin Brown, so we can’t exactly run out a QB/WR stack with Harrison… or, at least, we can’t feel good about it on the QB side of things. But both of those QBs were four-star recruits that ranked in the top 50 overall players in the country coming out of high school, so they’re no slouches. One thing is certain -- Ohio State should have no issues scoring in this game against Indiana and the sportsbooks are pinning the Buckeyes with a 44.8 implied total. Indiana was 119th in the FBS in pass defense a season ago and, in this match-up last year, Harrison racked up seven catches on 12 targets for 135 yards and a touchdown en route to a 56-14 win.

You likely can’t go wrong with the other star OSU receiver, Emeka Egbuka ($7,400), who posted 1,151 yards on 74 receptions and 10 TDs in 2022. Egbuka offers similar upside as Harrison at a much cheaper price point.

Rome Odunze, UW | $7,300 | vs. BSU

Jalen McMillan, UW | $6,900 | vs. BSU

We spotlighted Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. above, college football’s leading passer in 2022 (357.0 passing YPG). Whether you’re looking for stack candidates with Penix or simply want a piece of an explosive Washington offense, there are two excellent WRs to target with Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. Both guys posted 1,000+ yards and 75+ receptions last season while combining for 17 TDs. When it comes to college football, it isn’t often that you’ll get a talented QB + WR duo as productive as this one that returns to light up opposing defenses in consecutive seasons. Both guys are very worthy DFS targets -- McMillan was a bit more consistent on a week-to-week basis last season but Odunze showed a higher overall ceiling.

Ryan O’Keefe, BC | $6,100 | vs. NIU

Boston College lost their leading receiver from 2022, Zay Flowers, to the NFL and their second-leading receiver, Jaelen Gill, to the transfer portal. Ryan O’Keefe comes over from UCF where he was a sure-handed receiver, racking up 157 receptions across the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Boston College was the 14th most pass-heavy offense last season (57.6% pass play%) and NIU ranked 100th in pass defense, including an 8.4 YPA average, the 9th highest average in the FBS. O’Keefe sets up as an excellent option with DraftKings’ full PPR scoring format so whether you’re looking to stack with QB Emmett Morehead, or just roll him solo, he’s a strong option at this $6,100 price point.

Bru McCoy, TENN | $4,800 | vs. UV

By now, you’ve probably noticed a running theme in these early-season CFB newsletters -- replacing lost 2022 production. There’s a significant hole that must be filled in the Volunteers’ passing game with the departure of 2022 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt, who was recognized as the best receiver in college football after amassing 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns a season ago. Hyatt is now a member of the New York Giants, leaving Bru McCoy as the most likely successor as Tennessee’s WR1. Even with Jalin Hyatt stealing the show, McCoy was able to carve out a strong role in the offense, catching 52 passes for 667 yards (55.6 YPG) and four TDs in 2022. We aren’t going to assume that McCoy will be nearly as dynamic as Hyatt was in this offense, but he is certainly underpriced at $4,800 given his expected role.

Ramel Keyton ($4,100) and Squirrel White ($5,500) are two other Vols receivers that we’ll want to keep on the DFS radar as well. Both guys have big play ability with QB Joe Milton slinging the ball -- these WRs impressed with 18.1 YPR (Keyton) and 16.0 YPR (White) averages in 2022.

Ja’Tavion Sanders, UT | $3,700 | vs. RICE

As most are aware, tight ends receive WR eligibility in CFB DFS and tend to be priced way down. Sanders racked up five TDs and 613 receiving yards last season, which trails only UGA star Brock Bowers among returning power five TEs. At 6’4” and 240 pounds, Sanders is a match-up nightmare, particularly when facing far less talented teams like this week one match-up against Rice. Sanders may not be a major threat to go for 100+ yards but he has a great chance of finding the endzone a time or two and should be a solid bet for 5+ receptions and 50-75 yards receiving. At $3,700, that would be an easy return on value.

Other WRs to Consider

Troy Franklin, ORE | $7,700 | vs. PORST

Xavier Worthy, UT | $6,600 | vs. RICE

Tre Harris, MISS | $6,100 | vs. MERC

Chimere Dike, WISC | $5,400 | vs. BUFF

Trayvon Rudolph, NIU | $4,600 | @ BC

Luke Lachey, IOWA | $3,800 | vs. UTST

Warren Thompson, TCU | $3,200 | vs. COL

Running Backs to Consider

RB options at various price points.

Blake Corum, MICH | $6,900 | vs. ECU

With so many blowouts expected on this slate, spending up on RBs who likely won’t handle a full workload will bring some considerable risk to the table. With that said, Blake Corum could have easily been listed as the most expensive RB on this slate, and yet, his $6,900 DK salary makes him the 6th most expensive RB -- he reached a season-high $8,600 DK salary last season, so this is an absolute bargain for an RB of his caliber. Corum found the endzone at least once in every one of his 11 healthy games last season and he went on to pile up 1,463 yards and 19 total TDs, averaging over 120 YPG. He’s a true bellcow back in a run-heavy offense (Michigan: 60.8% rush play% in 2022, ranked 12th) and, most weeks, he is going to handle 20-30 carries. Michigan is a major 37-point favorite over ECU this week, so Corum’s day may be cut short and not extend far into the second half. Even so, Corum can still return value in a blowout situation -- perhaps the best example of that would be the week three 59-0 drubbing of UCONN last season where Corum had just 12 carries for 71 yards… but scored FIVE touchdowns and 37.1 DKFP.

Quinshon Judkins, MISS | $6,600 | vs. MERC

This slate is chock full of some uber-talented RBs and Judkins is certainly a guy we’ll be playing plenty of in CFB DFS this year and it should probably start right away in week one. In the SEC, it takes a special kind of talent to rack up the amount of yardage (1,567) and touchdowns (16) that Judkins had in 2022… and he did that as a true freshman! He had a five-game stretch against SEC opponents last season where he put up at least 29.4 DKFP each game and he’ll certainly put up some massive performances throughout this year. Like most of these high-end RBs that play on teams with soft week one match-ups, there will be some blowout concerns. But 100+ yards and a couple of touchdowns is a fairly likely outcome for Judkins to begin his 2023 campaign.

Bucky Irving, ORE | $6,100 | vs. PORST

There aren’t many RBs in college football that run the ball AND routinely contribute as a receiver, but Bucky Irving is one of those rare pass-catching college RBs that we can trust to take advantage of the full PPR scoring on DraftKings. Irving put up a 1,000-yard season on the ground while averaging an impressive 6.8 YPC and 81.4 rushing YPG. Through the air, he brought in 31 receptions for an additional 299 yards (23.0 YPG). Oregon will move the ball with ease against their FCS opponent, Portland State, and Irving may return value on this $6,100 salary before things get too out of hand.

Jonathan Brooks, UT | $5,300 | vs. RICE

Talk about some big shoes to fill. Texas loses their top two rushers from a season ago -- All-American, and now lead Atlanta Falcons RB, Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, now a member of the Chicago Bears. Combined, Robinson and Johnson produced 351 carries, 2,134 rushing yards, 33 RB receptions, 442 receiving yards, and 26 total TDs for the 2022 Texas Longhorns. Jonathan Brooks was the third-leading Longhorns rusher in 2022 and, in very limited work, he posted a 6.6 YPC average on 30 rush attempts. He’s listed atop the depth chart and will get the first crack at lead RB duties in what is a very valuable role for DFS purposes. Rice ranked 103rd in the FBS in rush defense last season and allowed 5.4 YPC. It’s hard to imagine Brooks failing at this $5,300 price point, even in an eventual blowout (UT: -35 favorites).

Five-star true freshman RB CJ Baxter ($5,500) should also be in the mix for this Longhorns backfield. Baxter was the No. 1 overall running back recruit in the 2023 cycle and has the build/skillset of a true workhorse RB.

Tawee Walker, OU | $3,700 | vs. ARST

In somewhat of a surprise, Marcus Major ($6,300) and Tawee Walker are listed as Oklahoma’s co-starters out of the backfield to begin the season. Jovantae Barnes ($7,000) and Gavin Sawchuk ($4,300) were believed to be the two candidates to lead the Sooners backfield this season but, for the time being, that does not seem to be the case. It could just be some early-season gamesmanship by head coach Brent Venables but there should be ample work to go around for multiple OU RBs against Arkansas State. Oklahoma owns a massive 47.0 implied total as -36.5 point favorites to open the season, so even if Walker only handles around 12-15 touches, that may be enough to pay off this bottom-of-the-barrel $3,700 salary.

Other RBs to Consider

TreVeyon Henderson, OSU | $7,800 | @ IU

Ray Davis, UK | $7,100 | vs. BALL

Braelon Allen, WISC | $6,700 | vs. BUFF

Donovan Edwards, MICH | $6,200 | vs. ECU

Jabari Small, TENN | $5,800 | vs. UV

That will do it for this week’s CFB DFS rundown! We’ll get a better grasp on things as the season progresses but, for now, let’s all just rejoice in the fact that football is back in full swing! Best of luck!