We had a nice little appetizer last week, with week 0 of college football. The main course begins with 14 helpings across the regular season, starting with week 1. Thursday sees 21 games, which means a nice DFS slate to get your teeth into before Saturday. Here are some of the best and worst plays for the Thursday games in the early nine-game window.
DFS Start ‘Ems
Here are a few of the players that we are leaning on heavily in this college football game. These players are in a good spot to put together a solid performance and have a favorable matchup.
Brady Cook, Quarterback, Missouri ($8,500 DK)
Several top quarterbacks will face lesser teams on Thursday, so expect some of them to come out of the game if their team runs up a big lead. Missouri’s Brady Cook is cheaper than other QBs and averaged 23.9 FPPG last season. Cook could run up the fantasy points against the FCS team, Murray State, which won just two teams last season.
Sieh Bangura, Running Back, Minnesota ($5,100 DK)
We will need to monitor this pick until a few hours before game time. Reports are that starting running back Darius Taylor could be on a snap count or not feature after leaving practice Tuesday with an unknown injury. It’s not said to keep him out long-term, but it could affect his status on Thursday. Sieh Bangura is RB2 and had two good seasons with Ohio before transferring in. He would also free up plenty of money to use elsewhere.
Kevin Concepcion, Wide Receiver, NC State ($7,700 DK)
At $7,700, Kevin Concepcion looks like a steal at the wide receiver position. He averaged 20.0 FPPG last season in his freshman college football season. Concepcion never had a game with just one touchdown, having a brace five times in 2023. He also showed rushing upside down the stretch, with 314 rushing yards in his last seven games. NC State has a nice match-up, facing Western Carolina from the FCS.
DFS Sit ‘Ems
On the flip side of things, here are a few of the players we are sitting in this one for college football.
Max Johnson, Quarterback, North Carolina ($8,300 DK)
The past two quarterbacks at North Carolina have put up good fantasy numbers. Unfortunately, the new starter in Max Johnson has never shooed anything in his small sample size to suggest that this trend will continue. He surpassed 20.0 fantasy points in one of the eight games he featured in 2023. He may go off in a pass-friendly offense, but he is a risky play with the Tar Heels, who also will have two quarterbacks dressed for the game.
Micah Bernard, Running Back, Utah ($5,800 DK)
If Micah Bernard were guaranteed to be the Utah running backroom leader, he would be a solid pick. However, head coach Kyle Whittingham has spoken about using a running back by committee alongside Jaylon Glover and Mike Mitchell. If that is the case, there are much better value picks who will harbor much more production.
Travis Hunter, Wide Receiver, Colorado ($9,200 DK)
Travis Hunter is undoubtedly a talent on both sides of the ball. On offense, he averaged 18.6 FPPG last season, but take away the 42.0 points he had against Stanford, and he averaged 15.6 FPPG. If I’m using $9,200 of my bank on Hunter, I want to be sure he is hitting above 20 points. With more talented wide receivers on the roster, we don’t know how many targets he will see this season.
Total Apex Stud of the Day/Week
Devin Neal, Running Back, Kansas ($7,900 DK)
One of the best running backs in college football, Devin Neal, is a must-play on the slate. Averaging 22.7 FPPG last season, he had 29.7 and 33.8 fantasy points in the Wildcat’s first two games in 2023. Neal also had six 100+ rushing yard games and 16 touchdowns. It would be a massive surprise if Neal did not put up big fantasy numbers in this game.
Total Apex Dud of the Day/Week
Max Brosner, Quarterback, Minnesota ($7,500)
The dud of the day is strong, but it would cost $7,500 for a transfer quarterback who played five seasons with the FCS college football team in New Hampshire. Max Brosner could be better than expected, but he has a challenging task in his first game, playing a Power 4 team in North Carolina. He is one of the cheaper options, but there are safer selections for the money.
Stack of the Day/Week
Utah Stack: QB Cam Rising, WR Dorian Singer, and TE Brant Kuithe
Conclusion
Several of the nine college football games could be lopsided scores, with starters being brought out of the games if the scores are run up. Trying to target potential close games, such as Minnesota vs. North Carolina, could be more beneficial. Mix in players who will see plenty of carries and targets early, with the hope they take advantage of their time on the field.
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