This article is part of our College Football DFS: Weekday Slate series.
It's Wednesday in November, which means it's MACtion time for DFS. We'll give you all the top play for this three-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Let's get to it!
SLATE OVERVIEW
Toledo (-10.5) @ Bowling Green O/U: 49.5
Ball State (-2.5) @ Northern Illinois O/U: 61.5
Central Michigan (-2.5) vs. Kent State O/U: 75
The point value is obvious - we want to load up on CMU and Kent tonight. When trying to deduce between two close calls, default to this game.
WEATHER
BSU/NIU: 14 m.p.h. Winds, 40% chance of rain, 53 degrees
KSU/CMU: 10 m.p.h winds, 30% chance of rain, 41 degrees
QUARTERBACK
The top two selections on DraftKings are reasonable but a bit inflated on FanDuel today. We won't get tricky with the first two, but we will reach for value with the third pick. The big question at the position is NIU's Rocky Lombardi, who took a hit to the head last week and is questionable. He will work as a game-time pivot if he plays.
Dustin Crum, Kent State (DK $7,900, FD $11,500) @ Central Michigan
With the high O/U total and narrow spread, this pick is pretty much a no-brainer at the QB position. While the Chippewas have only allowed 21.4 points per game, the Golden Flashes possess a prolific offense that rarely turns the ball over. Crum hasn't thrown a pick since Week 1, and in his last game, he threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns against NIU. He's also
It's Wednesday in November, which means it's MACtion time for DFS. We'll give you all the top play for this three-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Let's get to it!
SLATE OVERVIEW
Toledo (-10.5) @ Bowling Green O/U: 49.5
Ball State (-2.5) @ Northern Illinois O/U: 61.5
Central Michigan (-2.5) vs. Kent State O/U: 75
The point value is obvious - we want to load up on CMU and Kent tonight. When trying to deduce between two close calls, default to this game.
WEATHER
BSU/NIU: 14 m.p.h. Winds, 40% chance of rain, 53 degrees
KSU/CMU: 10 m.p.h winds, 30% chance of rain, 41 degrees
QUARTERBACK
The top two selections on DraftKings are reasonable but a bit inflated on FanDuel today. We won't get tricky with the first two, but we will reach for value with the third pick. The big question at the position is NIU's Rocky Lombardi, who took a hit to the head last week and is questionable. He will work as a game-time pivot if he plays.
Dustin Crum, Kent State (DK $7,900, FD $11,500) @ Central Michigan
With the high O/U total and narrow spread, this pick is pretty much a no-brainer at the QB position. While the Chippewas have only allowed 21.4 points per game, the Golden Flashes possess a prolific offense that rarely turns the ball over. Crum hasn't thrown a pick since Week 1, and in his last game, he threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns against NIU. He's also excelled in the ground game, finding the end zone eight times with his feet. You'll discover quarterbacks on the slate with better passing totals, but the sheer amount of points they generate make up for that.
Dequan Finn, Toledo (DK $7,700, FD $10,000) @ Bowling Green
If you're a fan of recent totals, then Finn is your guy. The redshirt freshman destroyed Eastern Michigan's secondary last week, tossing 461 yards and three touchdowns. He's only had the starting job for the Rockets for a few weeks, but Bowling Green is another weak opponent for him to tackle, and his showing against Eastern Michigan should give him an added jolt of confidence in this matchup.
Matt McDonald, Bowling Green DK $5,100, FD $6,900) vs. Toledo
I struggled between McDonald and Daniel Richardson (DK $6,600, FD $8,300) for my third endorsement. While I think Richardson is a fine selection, McDonald's favorable salary, steady production and recent success eventually won me over. He will face a tough test against Toledo, as they lead the conference in passing defense. One feather in Mcdonald's cap is the team's last game against Buffalo, where he tossed four touchdown passes and 263 yards. Richardson might be a slightly better choice for cash games, but I am willing to take a chance on McDonald in hopes that he can build on the success of his last outing.
RUNNING BACK
Lew Nichols, Central Michigan (DK $7,900, FD $11,200) vs. Kent State
There's really no way around this pick, and I think he should be a lock in all of your lineups due to all of the checked boxes in this matchup. Both of these offenses depend on big-play scenarios to score, and Nichols is usually one of the guys who will make a breakaway play. Nichols has 11 carries of 20-or-more yards. He leads the MAC in rushing with 1,082 yards on the ground and is coming off a two-touchdown game against Western Michigan.
Carson Steele, Ball State (DK $6,000, FD $8,100) @ Northern Illinois
Steele has rushed for 100 or more yards in two of his last three games. Steele's appeal in this matchup is NIU's porous defense, which ranks 252nd nationally against the run. The Huskies also tend to surrender big plays, so a breakaway run could be in Steele's future if he can find a significant gap in NIU's defensive front.
Jay Ducker, Northern Illinois (DK $4,900, FD $8,200) vs. Ball State
Although any number of running backs could hit for the Huskies, Ducker has been the primary playmaker while Harrison Waylee has been absent. A question mark at quarterback and the potential absence of Tyrice Richie spells possible lousy news for NIU's passing offense, so I suspect they will lean on the run more than usual without their star wideout to bail them out. Ball State may try to force NIU to beat them through the air and bottle up the run, but Ducker's stock goes way up if Lombardi can play.
Also consider: Bryant Koback, Toledo (DK $7,600, FD $11,000) @ Bowling Green
WIDE RECEIVER
Kalil Pimpleton (DK $6,400, FD $8,400) and JaCorey Sullivan (DK$6,300, FD $8,000) Central Michigan vs. Kent State
If you choose to roster Richardson, I have no problem going all-in with a triple stack against Kent State's defense. Sullivan can be acquired with less cash on FanDuel, but their differential on DraftKings is negligible. It's too tough to predict who will win out between these two wideouts, but they will fuel the bulk of Richardson's numbers, and if you believe in him, you should consider at least one of them for correlation.
Dante Cephas, Kent State (DK $7,100, FD $9,000) @ Central Michigan
Like the two receivers above, the same holds for Dustin Crum and Cephas. This QB/WR combo is my favorite stack of the evening, mostly because of Cephas. Few receivers can equal Cephas' totals over the past month. He's totaled 32 receptions, 509 yards and five touchdowns over his past four games.
Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois (DK $7,000, FD $8,700) vs. Ball State
If Rocky Lombardi can't go, I would be more inclined to fade Rudolph, but with Tyrese Richie out, whoever throws the ball will have to rely on Rudolph to get open. Rudolph pasted an insane 309-yard receiving game with three touchdowns in Richie's absence last week, so he is more than capable of shouldering the load.
FINDING THE VALUE
Due to the slim slate, I am fully aware that I've left you with no avenue to field a valid lineup with these high-cost options, which is why I'm providing a list of value options at running back and wide receiver.
RB Micah Kelly, Toledo (DK $3,500, FD $5,900)
RB Xavier Williams, Kent State (DK $4,300, FD $6,800)
WR Nykeim Johnson, Kent State (DK $5,100, FD $6,900)
WR Isaiah Winstead, Toledo (DK $4,600, FD $6,300)