College Football DFS: Friday Slate Week 9

The slates differ a bit between the two major sites for Friday's college football action. DraftKings adds a Mountain West tangle between Hawaii and Wyoming to their docket, so we'll concentrate our focus on the two shared games and offer additional options for the outlier contest.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Minnesota @ Maryland (+19.5) O/U: 61

East Carolina@ Tulsa (-17) O/U: 61

Hawaii  @ Wyoming (-1)  O/U; 60 (DRAFTKINGS ONLY)

It's a shame that the Rainbows and the Cowboys aren't on both slates because it has the best overall potential for DFS production.  The three games offered are all projected to have similar game totals, and due to the size of the slate, there isn't a particular game to fade, especially in FanDuel's case.  The best methodology for this slate is to stack a QB/WR stack for the underdog team and correlate it with the favorite's running back corps. The ideal contrarian route is to give the same stack to Tulsa, who will need to get most of its production done in the air. While As for the outlier DK contest, you can bet that Hawaii will follow their usual game script and throw the ball often, and the Cowboys will do most of their damage on the ground.

QUARTERBACK

The only team I won't touch at QB is Maryland, as the Terps will likely use a committee approach after a lackluster start for transfer Taulia Tagovalioa. It's undoubtedly a contrarian way to go but in the spirit of building with the best available talent, it's best to steer clear at this position.

Chevan Cordeiro, Hawaii (DK $8,400) @ Wyoming (DK ONLY)

Hawaii's bread and butter come through the passing game, and they demonstrated some of that that in their thrashing of Fresno State, where Cordiero threw for 229 yards and added 116 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. His rushing efficiency is something that Cole McDonald always lacked, so moving from a traditional pocket passer to a more mobile quarterback has served the team well since Cordeiro took over after McDonald's knee injury last season.  He'll be an extremely popular player on the DraftKings slate, and you can expect some heavy stacking with his receivers as well.

Zach Smith, Tulsa (DK $7,300, FD $9,400) vs. East Carolina

The Pirates are giving up over 300 yards per game against opposing quarterbacks, and I don't expect Tulsa to take the gas off in the air, as that's where they excel. Smith's best game came against UCF, where he threw for three touchdowns, but he performed below his projections in his other two outings. I think the ideal contrarian pivot off of Smith would be to opt for Holton Ahlers (DK $6,300, FD $8,600), who will no doubt need to air it out against Tulsa. Of the games listed, I think Tulsa has a lower probability of covering the line. If Ahlers can keep the game competitive, Smith will need to get his engine going as well. On a slate where Cordiero is the obvious play, I'm only looking at these two quarterbacks in the flex positions on DraftKings, but on FanDuel you'll be forced to go with Smith and/or Ahlers.

Tanner Morgan,  Minnesota (DK $7,800, FD $10,000) isn't a guy I want to leave out altogether, but in a 20-lineup build, he may only get into one or two rosters for me. The potential for the running game to dominate and a prohibitive price are the determining factors here.

RUNNING BACK

Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota (DK $8,900, FD $10,800) @ Maryland

No need to get cute at this position - Ibrahim should have 100% exposure in your lineups. Ibrahim will get the ball early and often, and Tanner Morgan also seemed to make him an integral part of the passing game in their loss to Michigan. The lopsided line leads me to think that other backs might get an opportunity, but only Treyson Potts (DK $3,700, FD $6,600) has enough of a resume to warrant further consideration.

Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming (DK $7,200) vs. Hawaii (DK ONLY)

Valladay enters this season as one of the Mountain West's premier rushers, and he's the cornerstone of Wyoming's offense. Again, you don't want to get too cute at this position, and at least for the DraftKings builds, you want an Ibrahim/Valladay tandem in a significant number of lineups. Valladay opened the season with a bang against Nevada, providing 131 yards of total offense in the matchup.

Rahjai Harris, East Carolina (DK $5,200, FD $7,600) @ Tulsa

The freshman took over the starting gig after two straight 100-plus yard games, including a stellar 172-performance in a loss to Navy. The Pirates are excited about their new addition and we should expect to see plenty of him in this matchup.  Even if the Pirates may be playing catch-up, I'm happy to use Harris in a flex position or as a primary back in FanDuel builds.

The Tulsa running back situation is a bit of a mess.  We aren't yet sure about the status of T.K. Wilkerson (DK $6,000, FD $8,900), but he warrants serious consideration if his personal issue is resolved.  If he can't go, then Deneric Prince (DK $5,700, FD $8,100) will assume the bull of the carries for Tulsa.

WIDE RECEIVER

Jared Smart (DK $6,400) and Rico Bussey (DK $6,700), Hawaii @ Wyoming (DK ONLY)

Consider a full Hawaii stack of these two wideouts with Cordiero in your DraftKings builds.  The duo combined for almost 30 DKFP in their first outing, and if you're looking for a safe (albeit popular) bet at these positions, the Rainbows are the way to go.

Rashod Bateman, Minnesota (DK $7,500, FD $9,300) @ Maryland

Bateman is atop the WR list for a good reason, as he and Tanner Morgan have a fantastic rapport that has only grown over their long tenure as starters for the Gophers.  While I didn't give Morgan an emphatic add, he's on a torrid touchdown streak, and the chances are high that they'll connect on a score in the first half.  Bateman caught nine passes for 101 yards in the loss to Michigan and is a heavy favorite to find the end zone this week.

Josh Johnson, Tulsa (DK $5,300, FD $8,300) vs. East Carolina

Zach Smith spreads the ball around a lot, but Johnson has caught more passes than Keylon Stokes, who is usually the primary target for the Hurricane. I like Sam Crawford (DK $5,700, FD $7,400) in a Tulsa stack, especially on FanDuel, where his price is reasonable, but I think Stokes is a bit too expensive despite his explosive potential. If you roster Smith, consider Johnson or Crawford as stackable options.

Jeshaun Jones, Maryland (DK $4,300, FD $6,700) vs. Minnesota

The Terps will have to throw the ball to stay competitive, and Jones saw one more catch than counterpart Danny Demus in an opening game that the team would like to forget.  Their fortunes aren't likely to improve against Minnesota, but if Tagovailoa can get hot,  Jones could be an effective budget option.

The biggest variable on the slate is the Tulsa RB situation, so I'd check in on the status of their rushers before locking in your lineups today.  Since the uncertainty will result in a popularity drop, a late swap based on Wilkerson's status will be a smart play.