College Football DFS: Conference Championship Slates

Championship weekend is upon us! DraftKings and FanDuel share identical slates with all of the major conference action. There are no major weather concerns afoot tomorrow, so let's go right to the oddsmakers for their take on the games.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Oklahoma State (-6) vs. Baylor O/U: 46

Kent (-3.5) vs. Northern Illinois O/U: 74.5

Pittsburgh (-3.5) vs. Wake Forest O/U: 71.5

San Diego State (-6) vs. Utah State O/U: 50

Appalachian State (-2.5) vs. Louisiana O/U: 52

Georgia (-6.5) vs. Alabama O/U: 49.5

Cincinnati (-10.5) vs. Houston O/U: 53

Michigan (-10.5) vs. Iowa O/U: 43.5

Right off the bat, we see that the KENT/NIU and PITT/WAKE games hold the highest projected totals, and all four teams will be incredibly popular. The best value comes from a couple of teams with high totals that don't jump off the page. Appalachian State is a good example, and I also like specific targets from Utah State as well.

QUARTERBACK

Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh (DK $9,700, FD $11,000) vs. Wake Forest

I am endorsing Pickett first, but Pickett and Sam Hartman (DK $9,500, FD $11,500)are viable targets in this matchup. Pitt passes the ball about 54 percent of the time, which gives Pickett plenty of opportunity to air it out and prove his Heisman worthiness. Pickett is not just a pocket passer, either. He's converted four rushing touchdowns on the season and can scramble with the best of them. With the second-highest projected total on the slate, both quarterbacks are going to give you a floor of 25 FP and an unlimited ceiling.

Dustin Crum, Kent (DK $8,300, FD  $10,700) vs. Northern Illinois

Crum tracks as a much better value on DraftKings, as it seems FanDuel didn't miss the voluminous game total for this contest. Crum is the best dual-threat signal-caller available on the slate, with 11 rushing touchdowns to his credit. He's also an adept passer, averaging 234 passing yards per game. Combine his rushing scores with TD passes, and he's responsible for a total of 26 touchdowns. 

Chase Brice, Appalachian State (DK $6,600, FD $8,100) vs. Louisiana

It's hard to find value with so many expensive quarterbacks on the slate, but I like Brice as a less-popular option in this matchup. Brice went from flashes of brilliance at Clemson to disaster at Duke, but he's found a secure home with the Mountaineers, quietly putting up decent numbers that consistently keep them in contention. His stellar QB rating of 151.3 is among the best on the slate, and although he makes some mistakes with his 22/10 TD-to-iNT ratio, he converts almost 64 percent of his passes.

Also consider: Logan Bonner, Utah State (DK $7,900, FD $8,700).

BAYLOR INJURY PIVOT: Keep an eye on Baylor's Gerry Bohanon(DK $6,200, FD $7,600)  and Blake Shapen(DK $6,100, FD $7,600). Whoever starts for the Bears could emerge as an excellent contrarian play.

RUNNING BACK

Marquez Cooper, Kent (DK $6,500, FD $8,800)vs. Northern Illinois

Cooper probably won't surprise many people, but he might be a good value amidst the more popular names at the position. When he last faced Northern Illinois, he went off for 173 yards and two scores, so we already have some reliable metrics for Cooper's potential.  The huskies are abysmal against the run, and they could end up on the wrong side of the time of possession clock if Rocky Lombardi doesn't suit up.

Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State (DK $4,000, FD $6,900) vs. Louisiana

One aspect of this game that I didn't mention with Brice is the status of Billy Napier, who is departing Louisiana to become the new head coach at Florida. He won't even be around for the presumed bowl appearance. This intangible scenario has to play some role in how Lousiana plays, and I believe the effect will be negative. While Peoples' salary has dipped after two pedestrian performances to end the season, he's shown massive upside through his career and could catch the Ragin' Cajuns on their heels in a gDFSame where they might be fighting team morale.

Blake Corum, Michigan (DK $4,300, FD $7,500)  vs. Iowa

The public is high on Hassan Haskins, and I don't blame them. He was so good against Ohio State, many forget that the Wolverines probably wouldn't be where they are now if Corum wasn't around to bail them out earlier in the season. Corum demonstrated that he's good to go, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the team give Corum more to chew on. The eventual result will still be an even split with Haskins, but Corum is worth the risk at this reduced salary.

Zamir White, Georgia (DK $5,800, FD  $7,300) vs. Alabama

Can Alabama stop Georgia's rushers? Recent history casts some doubt on that prospect, as the Crimson Tide has recently struggled against opposing running backs. Injury and uninspired play reveal some serious holes in Alabama's recipe on defense, and we'll see the first indication of that in the trenches. We'll need increased touches for White to be worth it, but there's no point resting the standout running back now.

Also consider: Jay Ducker, Nothern Illinois (DK $5,600, FD $7,100), Jaylen Warren, Oklahoma State (DK $6,600, FD $8,200)

WIDE RECEIVER

A.T. Perry, Wake Forest (DK $7,700, FD $9,500) vs. Pittsburgh

Wake has a fighting chance in this game because the Panthers struggle against opposing pass offenses, and you can't find a better air attack on the slate. Perry is a frequent target of Hartman's, showcased against the Wolfpack when he was targeted an eye-popping 20 times. He's been very reliable over the past month and should be a cinch to pay off his salary in this fast-paced affair.

John Metchie,  Alabama (DK $7,200, FD $7,800) vs. Georgia

Metchie will be frequently clicked based on name recognition alone, but FanDuel is offering him at a good discount, so he should get a good amount of exposure from me on that site. It might be incredibly foolish to focus on anyone against Georgia's defense, but there isn't a single receiver on the docket that can match Metchie's opportunities - he gets almost 10 targets per game. 

Keshunn Abram, Kent (DK $5,400, FD $6,700) vs. Northern Illinois

We can't fade Dante Cephas (DK $7,100, FD$8,800) altogether, but Abram offers us a less expensive way to stack with Crum. He had his best game of the season against Miami(OH) last week, grabbing seven passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. 

Jared Wayne, Pittsburgh (DK $4,400, FD $6,600)

Like Abram and Crum, Wayne offers a cheap way to get involved in Pickett's output without spending up for Jordan Addison, Picket's favorite target. Despite Addison's obvious value, Wayne has 43 catches for 605 yards and five touchdowns, and if Taysir Mack is out again, Wayne will be the clear second target for Pickett. 

Corey Sutton, Appalachian State (DK $4,900.FD $7,500)

Don't make the mistake of clicking on Coen Sutton, who is Corey's brother and hasn't played a snap this season. Thomas Hennigan and Malik Williams are also capable targets for Chase Brice, but Sutton has found the end zone twice in his past three games, which offsets the excellent yardage that Hennigan and Williams usually provide. If you find yourself with some extra coin, pivoting to Hennigan for a $700 differential on DK is fine, and you can get Hennigan for $300 cheaper on FanDuel, making him the better option there.