DFS College Football 101: Bowl Slate for New Year's Day

Here we go with a five-game bowl slate on Tuesday, Jan. 1. There's not a ton of injury news to consider on this slate other than Iowa TE Noah Fant sitting out in anticipation of the NFL draft. As always, you'll want to scan the Rotowire CFB Injury Feed for any surprise scratches leading up to kickoff. Otherwise, here are the odds attached to each Tuesday matchup:

Mississippi State (-7) vs. Iowa – Total: 40
LSU (-7) vs. UCF – Total: 57.5
Kentucky vs. Penn State (-6) – Total: 47
Washington vs. Ohio State (-6.5) – Total: 57
Texas vs. Georgia (-12) – Total: 58.5

Looking within that, I'll highlight the best fantasy selections on FanDuel & DraftKings while also touching on some situations to monitor for your DFS squads.

QUARTERBACK

Dwayne Haskins – Ohio State (FanDuel $10,500 / DraftKings $10,500)

I'm siding with talent over matchup with this recommendation. There aren't any quarterbacks looking at promising draws on this slate, so paying up for Haskins seems like the best move. He's a dual-threat quarterback who has posted 38+ fantasy points in three straight games. That includes a remarkable 43 FP effort against Michigan's top-notch defense. Washington ranks in the top 25 for most critical defensive categories, but I believe Haskins can still come away with a solid performance in the Rose Bowl. He's playing with a ton of confidence right now.

Also Consider: Sam Ehlinger (TEX) is another quarterback we can look towards as talent over matchup. He has a strong fantasy profile with rushing upside, but the matchup looks tough against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. I'm more interested in his $7,800 salary on DraftKings as a Super-Flex play … Looking on the cheaper side of things, Darriel Mack Jr (UCF) and Jake Fromm (UGA) are reasonable fillers at the position. Mack finds himself in a difficult draw while stepping up in class against LSU. Still, he's a dual-threat guy who could make enough noise through the air and ground. Fromm is the only quarterback who is looking at a nice matchup, facing a Texas team that ranks 112th in pass defense. Having said that, I'm not sure how much Georgia will pass the ball if game flow holds true (UGA favored by 12). Consider Fromm a tournament choice while hoping he can notch 23+ fantasy points for the third straight game.

RUNNING BACK

Myles Gaskin - Washington (FanDuel $10,000 / DraftKings $7,900)

Gaskin could legitimately see 30+ touches in this game as Washington will try to control the tempo and keep Ohio State's dangerous offense off the field. The Huskies' running back has taken his heavy workload and produced 21+ fantasy points in four of the past six games. That's a reasonable expectation against a subpar Buckeye run defense that has allowed 4.6 yards per carry this season (ranking 82nd in the country).

Nick Brossette - LSU (FanDuel $9,100 / DraftKings $7,300)

Brossette has been a beast as LSU's lead back with 14 touchdowns in 12 games this season. We can expect a run-heavy approach with the Tigers stepping in as 7 point favorites over UCF. It just so happens that UCF is susceptible on the ground, ranking 115th in rushing defense while yielding 5.0 yards per carry on the year. In other words, this is an excellent matchup play for Brossette. You'd be wise to target him through all formats.

Also Consider: You could look towards Benny Snell (UK) as a tournament diversifier, but I'd rather have Gaskin and/or Brossette in cash games … The Iowa-Mississippi State game isn't expected to feature many points in a draw between two stout defenses. However, both teams deploy a run-heavy approach to consider running backs like Kylin Hill (MSST) and Mekhi Sargent (IOWA) if you need value. Hill is especially cheap on DraftKings at $4,900.

WIDE RECEIVER

Collin Johnson - Texas (FanDuel $8,600 / DraftKings $6,200)

Texas checks in as 12 point underdogs in the Sugar Bowl, which means they could fall into pass-heavy mode through the second half. Collin Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey represent the top pass catchers for the Longhorns, and you could seemingly flip a coin to predict which one will come away with the better stat-line. Johnson is reasonably cheaper on both sites, making me look that way. He's coming off a momentum-building 8-177-1 line at Oklahoma for 27.7 fantasy points.

Johnnie Dixon – Ohio State (FanDuel $8,300 / DraftKings $5,500)

I mentioned how Ohio State QB Haskins was on fire to end the season. WR Johnnie Dixon stepped up as a direct beneficiary through that hotstreak, and there's a good chance it will continue in the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes love to spread out the ball, but Dixon has stepped up as a legitimate receiving threat while ranking second on the team in targets (behind Campbell) with 18 looks over the past three games. Dixon has hauled in four touchdowns over his past five games while topping 95 yards in three of those. I'm expecting another solid performance from the senior.

Also Consider: If I'm being completely honest, there aren't many confidence value plays at wide receiver on this slate. We'll need to take a chance on some borderline unproven guys in reasonable situations. Washington checks in as 7 point underdogs, meaning they could turn to the air more than usual. If that's the case, Andre Baccellia (WAS) could benefit as their de-facto top receiver down the stretch … Texas ranks 112th in pass defense, which could open the door for Riley Ridley (UGA) or Mecole Hardman (UGA) if the Bulldogs choose to exploit that susceptibility. They make for great tournament picks who are borderline cash playable as fillers … C.J. Conrad (UK) is cheap on FanDuel ($6,100) while hauling in two touchdowns over his past three games. He could benefit from game flow if Kentucky finds themselves in catch-up mode against Penn State … K.J. Hill (OSU) is another big-play receiver from Ohio State who is way too cheap on DraftKings at $5,200. Go ahead and give him a strong look over there as a stacking extension of QB Haskins … Speaking of cheap on DraftKings, T.J. Hockenson (IOWA) is only $4,500 over there, making him one of my favorite value receivers. I already mentioned how fellow IOWA TE Noah Fant was sitting out this game, which could result in more targets for Hockenson. You can look to him on FanDuel as well, but the $8,200 salary over there is tougher to blend into a solid lineup.