The 2024 college football season gets underway this weekend, with four games to whet our appetites in week 0. Three will be part of the noon DFS slate: Georgia Tech vs. Florida State in Dublin, Ireland, New Mexico vs. Montana State, and Nevada vs. SMU.
Despite only three games on the week 0 early slate, several players offer opportunities to help you win those DraftKings tournaments. With three non-Power 4 Conference teams in action, we will take you through some players to play or avoid that you may not be aware of.
DFS Start ‘Ems
Here are a few of the players that we are leaning on heavily in this game. These players are in a good spot to put together a solid performance and have a favorable matchup.
Tommy Mellott, Montana State, Quarterback ($7,000 DK)
Week 0 allows college football fans to watch players they may not usually see. Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott started six games last season, and in his final 2023 game, he acquired a whopping 45.4 fantasy points. Mellott is a dual-threat quarterback who comes up against a favorable opponent to build up his fantasy points. Montana State is a top FCS side, with New Mexico allowing 172.2 rushing YPG last season.
Malik Benson, Florida State, Wide Receiver ($7,000 DK)
The talk out of the Florida State camp is that Malik Benson is the top wide receiver on the depth chart. With new quarterback DJ Uiagalelei prominently a pocket passer, Benson looks set to be his top target in the Seminoles’ passing game. In his minimal production at Alabama last season, Benson showed upside and should be a good pick in DK.
Jaylan Knighton, SMU, Running Back ($6,600 DK)
SMU will come up against a Nevada team that allowed 187.8 rushing YPG last season. The problem is which running back to start, with Jaylan Knighton and LJ Johnson Jr. sharing the backfield for the most part last season. Knighton had a bit more work the previous season than his counterpart and had more touchdowns.
DFS Sit ‘Ems
On the flip side of things, here are a few of the players we are sitting in this one.
Eli Sanders, New Mexico, Running Back ($5,700)
New Mexico lost its leading 1,000-yard running back from 2023. They brought Iowa State transfer Eli Sanders to lead the room potentially. New Lobos head coach Bronco Mendenhall is looking to turn the program around, which is tipped to be one of the worst teams in the FBS this season. Expect teething problems early, with plenty of falling behind in games, which could mean ditching the running game, which could happen in week 0.
Eric Singleton Jr., Georgia Tech, Wide Receiver ($5,300 DK)
Eric Singleton Jr. was the leading wide receiver for Georgia Tech last season, but not by a significant amount over Malik Rutherford. Singleton Jr. averaged 13.3 FPPG the previous season but only averaged 8.0 fantasy points against Clemson, Miami, and Georgia last season. Despite losing players, FSU has a strong defense, and it could be another struggle for him in week 0.
DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State, Quarterback ($9,000)
After an impressive season with Oregon State, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei heads back to the ACC, this time with Florida State. The pressure of playing for one of the best college teams in the nation looked too much pressure for him last season. However, he could hold a different mentality, but there are other questions around him to fade. He is the most expensive player on the slate and only averaged 20.0 FPPG last season.
Total Apex Stud of the Day/Week
Ty McCullouch, Montana State, Wide Receiver ($4,900 DK)
Ty McCullouch missed six games last season and half-featured in another with an injury. In the other seven games, he averaged 15.7 FPPG, with a high of 31.5 in one game. Despite missing half the season, he still leads the team in yards. Stacking him with quarterback Tommy Mellott is a good move for the slate.
Total Apex Dud of the Day/Week
Lawrance Toafili, Florida State, Running Back ($7,700 DK)
The third most expensive player on the slate and the highest non-quarterback, you would expect Lawrance Toafili to be the leading running back on the team. Well, it’s likely he is not, with Alabama transfer Roydell Williams looking to be the No.1 running back at $600 cheaper. In the best case, he splits the carries with Williams, and for $7,700, that is not a good move.
Stack of the Day/Week
Jaylan Knighton & LJ Johnson Jr., SMU Running Backs ($6,600 & $5,500 DK)
Conclusion
With such a small slate, finding differential picks from other fantasy players is much more challenging. However, with several unknown players in week 0, you may need to take a few dart throws alongside picking the players you expect to do well.
I would suggest that you go for the players at the top of the depth charts who you know will play significant snaps. All three games have teams who are significant favorites; target those teams, as Vegas very rarely gets its odds wrong.
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