College Football DFS: Friday Slate, Week 3

We're presented with very few games outside of the normal Saturday schedule in Week 3, but the major sites are moving forward with a two-game slate for Friday night.  Let's begin by looking at the vegas numbers, as per usual.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Central Florida (-6.5) @ Louisville O/U: 66.5

Maryland (-7) @ Illinois O/U: 61.5

For a two-game slate, our options are quite favorable, considering the high game total potential along with a relatively narrow spread. Of the two games, the roster for Maryland has the goods to be the more unique FP producer. They're playing an Illinois team that's given up over 1,000 yards of total offense over two losses to UTEP and Virginia. Meanwhile, the Terps enter Big 10 conference play with a 2-0 record and some of the best offensive totals in the conference. On the other end of the docket, the outcome depends on which version of the Louisville Cardinals will show up against UCF. While the Cards blew out an FCS opponent last week, they were destroyed by Ole Miss and will face neven stiffer opponent this week. Due to the small player pool, we will only present recommendations to fill a standard roster.

QUARTERBACK

Dillon Gabriel, UCF (DK $8,600, FD $11,400) @ Louisville

This selection should come as no surprise. Gabriel tops the list and is an obvious anchor for tonight's slate.  He currently ranks 11th in the nation in passing yards and has an outstanding corps of receivers to choose from. If UCF's defense can get back to its tendency for takeaways, it could be a long night for Louisville. However, if the Knights underperform defensively, the game could come down to who scores last. As is the usual case for UCF, they can rack up massive totals quickly, and it's advisable to stack depending on which quarterback you choose.

Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland (DK $8,000, FD $10,800) @ Illinois

Tagovailoa boats the best passer rating in the Big 10 currently and ranks second in touchdown passes. The fortunes for the Terps ride on his shoulders, and so far, he's done an excellent job handling the duties under center. He squares off against an Illinois defense that is at the bottom of the Big 10 in pass defense, so in short, it's a great position for him to take advantage. The Maryland supporting cast isn't quite as strong as UCF's, but QB/WR stacks are still recommended for this spot.

It goes without saying that these two quarterbacks are the best combination, but they'll obviously be trendy. If you choose to venture beyond these two signal-callers, be aware that Illinois will be going back to Brandon Peters this week over Artur Sitkowski.  Malik Cunningham is a true talent and one of the ACC's most promising quarterbacks, and if you choose to go contrarian, it would probably be here.

RUNNING BACK

Isaiah Bowser, UCF (DK $5,900, FD $10,000) @ Louisville

The running back pool is weak, and there's really no one better than Bowser, who comes in at a ridiculously good price on DraftKings. In fact, Bowser is one of the best scoring backs in the nation, with five touchdowns to his credit over two games. He also can rack up the rushing yards, and he'll be a huge problem for Louisville as they try to curb Dillon Gabriel's passing attack and contain the running game simultaneously.

Tayon Fleet-Davis, Maryland (DK $5,300, FD $8,500) @ Illinois

I need to relieve any shame I might feel for making all very obvious picks here, but Fleet-Davis and Bowser are even more of an obvious duo than we had at quarterback, and there really isn't any comparison worth mentioning. If we are thinking blowout, there might be some merit to pivoting with Isaiah Jacobs (DK $3,700, FD $5,500), and I will probably fill out some rosters with him in place of Fleet-Davis. If the game does happen to get out of hand, there's evidence from the blowout against Howard that he'll take a back seat. Illinois' defense certainly offers the possibility of a lopsided affair, but it's down to your own judgment about the winning margin here when selecting between the two.

WIDE RECEIVER

Dontay Demus, Maryland (DK $7,200, FD $9,700) @ Illinois

We can get a little fancier at wideout, but there's no need to get too cute if we can afford a guy like Demus, who has easily been Tagovailoa's top target in the passing game over the first two contests. However, he stands to lose some targets to Rakim Jarrett (DK $5,500, FD $9,000). I have no issue with going whole-hog and stacking Tailua, Jarrett and Demus, hoping that the Illini's defense will fold.

Ryan O'Keefe, UCF (DK $6,300, FD $6,700) @ Louisville

We face a similar issue with UCF, although the big headliner is obviously Jaylon Robinson (DK $8,100, FD $9,500), one of the best wideouts in the country.  Of all the quarterbacks on the slate, I have the most faith in Gabriel when it comes to spreading the wealth, which is why I like O'Keefe at a significant discount on both sites. It's worth noting that O'Keefe is currently besting Robinson with 11 catches, three more than his counterpart. Robinson did find the end zone against Boise State, and there is no denying his potential tonight, but if you're in a GPP, I would roll with O'Keefe as the lesser-rostered target.

Isaiah Williams, Illinois (DK $4,700, FD $7,000) vs. Maryland

In targeting an underdog wideout, I'm more inclined to go with Illinois on the chance that Brandon Peters will rise to the occasion. Malik Cunningham usually gets more done with his feet than his arm, and his complement of wideouts carries a bit more risk. With that logic, I think Williams makes the most sense as a player who could benefit if Illinois is playing from behind. He has put together an excellent campaign so far, and his 19 receptions over three games rank among the best on the slate. The Illini's offensive line needs to make more time for Peters, but we could see a generous total from Williams if they can steady that ship.