College Football DFS: Friday Bowl Game Picks for DraftKings

Although five bowl games are scheduled for Friday, DraftKings' featured slate has excluded the Armed Forces Bowl between Oklahoma and Navy. As a result, the first bowl game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET with the Birmingham Bowl (VAN/GT), followed by the Liberty Bowl (ARK/TTU), the Holiday Bowl (SYR/WSU) and the Las Vegas Bowl (USC/TA&M).

SLATE OVERVIEW 

Most of these metrics are less dependable due to the number of transfers and opt-outs, Syracuse and Texas A&M's numbers are the most reliable, while Arkansas, Washington State and USC should receive significant downgrades based on their depleted rosters.

NOTABLE TRANSFERS AND INJURIES

Georgia Tech

Transfers

WR Eric Singleton (starter)

LT Corey Robinson (starter)

OLB Romello Height (starter)

S Taye Seymore (starter)

LT Jordan Brown 

WR Leo Blackburn 

OLB BJ Diakite 

Injuries

CB Rodney Shelley

LB Kyle Efford

Singleton is a huge loss for the offense and eliminates a primary target for Haynes King.  The defense is also significantly weakened.

Vanderbilt 

Transfers

OT Giunnar Hansen (starter)

Texas Tech 

Transfers

T Ty Buchanan (starter)

OT Dalton Merryman 

OLB Harvey Dyson 

DT Trevon McAlpine 

WR Jordan Brown 

CB Jalon Peoples 

WR Micah Hudson (87 snaps; signed with Texas A&M)

Injuries

QB Behren Morton is out. Freshman Will Hammond will likely start for the Red Raiders.

WR Josh Kelly is opting out of the bowl game, and standout RB Tahj Brooks may also opt out, although this decision may not be known until game time.

Arkansas 

Transfers

C Addison Nichols (starter)

LG Andrew Kutas (starter)

G Joshua Braun (starter)

WR Isaiah Sategna (starter)

TE Luke Hasz (starter)

S TJ Metcalf (starter)

LB Brad Spence 

DE Nico Davillier

RB Rashod Dubinion 

TE Ty Washington 

C Amaury Wiggins 

CB Jaylon Braxton 

TE Var'Keyes Gumms 

To add to the misery, WR Andrew Armstrong and RB Ja'Quinden Jackson are opting out. The defense is also losing two starters (DE Landon Johnaon and DT Eric Gregory due to an opt-out decision. The Razorbacks will be a shell of themselves for the bowl game.

Washington State 

Transfers

QB John Mateer (starter) - Zevi Eckhaus is the projected starter

RB Wayshawn Parker (starter)

WR Kris Hutson (starter)

RT Fa'alili Fa'amoe (starter)

CB Ethan O'Connor (starter)

CB Stephen Hall (starter)

LB Taariq Al-Uqdah (starter)

S Adrian Wilson (starter)

DT Ansel Din-Mbuh (starter)

DT David Gusta (starter)

P Nick Haberer (starter)

S Jackson Lataimua 

DL Khalil Laufau 

WR Tre Shackelford 

CB Jamorri Colson 

CB Warren Smith 

With 10 starters and one skill position player absent, the Cougars will look nothing like their regular-season selves. They also lost head coach Jake Dickert and offensive mastermind Ben Arbuckle.

Syracuse

The Orangemen enter the bowl season as one of the most complete non-playoff teams available. There are no opt-outs, and CB Jayden Bellamy is the only notable transfer.

Texas A&M 

Transfers

WR Cyrus Allen (starter)

iOL TJ Shanahan 

OG Kam Dewberry 

DE Malick Sylla 

QB Conner Weigman 

The Aggies will also be without their best defender, Nic Scourton. He'll opt out of the bowl game along with DE Shemar Stewart and DT Shenar Turner.

USC 

Transfers

RT Mason Murphy (starter)

WR Kyron Hudson (starter)

WR Duce Robinson (starter)

R Zachariah Branch (starter)

RB Quinten Joyner 

TE Kade Eldridge 

S Zion Branch 

OLB Sam Greene 

DL Elijah Hughes 

OG Amos Talalele 

QB Miller Moss 

The DL Bear Alexander

The Trojans are absolutely gutted for this bowl game, and Woody Marks' decision to opt out leaves the backfield in tatters after Quinten Joyner's departure.

CFB DFS Tools

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Quarterback

Kyle McCord, Syracuse ($9,000) vs. Washington State

McCord is an obvious addition due to several contributing factors. Syracuse will field a complete team that played the spoiler for Miami at the end of the regular season. Meahwhile the portal has gutted the Cougars on both sides of the ball. Washington State's pass-first offense has lost its quarterback, several receivers, and Ben Arbuckle, the team's offensive architect. I will roll with several Orangemen in my endorsements for these reasons as well, but taking McCord will be essential.

Marcel Reed, Texas A&M ($6,400) vs. USC

I wanted to take Haynes King in the S-FLEX, but salary limitations forced me to look elsewhere. Reed was a pleasant surprise at this salary, and I think he has a clear advantage over USC's depleted roster in Vegas.  Losses at wideout and running back will keep USC's streaky defense on the field. Although the Aggies have their own set of transfers and opt-outs, they look deep enough to account for what's missing defensively. USC has also struggled against dual-threat quarterbacks this season.

Also consider: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt ($6,100) vs. Georgia Tech

Running Back

LeQuint Allen, Syracuse ($8,600) vs. Washington State

It looks like Allen will stick around for his final season of eligibility, and he'll be part of Syracuse's 'no opt-put' policy that has been mentioned in the media since their selection to the Holiday Bowl.  With two starting defensive tackles, two starting cornerbacks, and a starting safety all absent for Washington State, the Cougars look ripe for the taking by Syracuse in all aspects of the offense. Allen will be critical in opening up the passing game for McCord, and the Orange will utilize him early and often.

Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech ($5,900) vs. Vanderbilt

Haynes followed up an excellent sophomore campaign with an equally productive junior year, with 808 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns to his credit. While Vandy played the giant killer this season, their defense has still struggled throughout, and it's unlikely that they will contain Haynes after allowing an average of 136.7 yards to opposing rushers this season. Without Eric Singleton, look for OC Buster Faulkner to draw up more rushing plays. Checking on Faulkner's status for the game is critical, as he's currently on several short lists for coaching positions at other schools. He runs a tight leash on the play calling, and the Yellow Jackets may have trouble pivoting if he misses the game.

Also consider: Bryan Jackson, USC ($3,000) vs. Texas A&M

Wide Receiver

Trebor Pena, Syracuse ($6,000) vs. Washington State

I'll continue my Syracuse stack and pair McCord with Pena, who had an excellent season as his top target. He logged 79 receptions for 871 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. Although elite tight end Oronde Gadsden ($5,600) also deserves a look, Pena owns better YAC numbers and is only $400 more. I wouldn't rule out going all-in with both wideouts, but we have other worthwhile budget candidates who warrant serious consideration. If you want to get unique at this spot, consider Jackson Meeks ($5,800), who came on strong at the end of the season.

Makai Lemon, USC ($5,200) vs. Washington State

Once Jayden Maiava took over at quarterback, Lemon emerged as his preferred target. Although he found the end zone just three times, he figures to be one of Maiava's top options against the Aggies. With Zachariah Branch gone, Lemon becomes the swiftest pass-catcher remaining on the squad. Despite his smaller stature, Lemon finds several ways to get open and should be a challenge to defend. Ja'Kobi Lane ($5,700) is another player to consider in this spot.

Avery Boyd, Georgia Tech ($3,800) vs. Vanderbilt

Amid the opt-outs, portal departures and injuries, Boyd is one of the last receivers standing, and the roster losses won't deter King from airing it out. Although King can be a little reckless, Vanderbilt has a shaky secondary that surrendered big numbers to SEC quarterbacks. King is one of the best signal-callers the ACC can offer. Boyd carries some risk, but if the depth chart holds, he should be set for a productive day.

Also consider: Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech ($5,000) @ Arkansas