This article is part of our College Football DFS: Night Slate series.
FanDuel College Football DFS: Week 4 Night Slate Breakdown
FanDuel's ten-gamer for Saturday night features some red-hot matchups with many DFS opportunities to comb through. The action begins at 7:00 p.m. ET, and the site's top contest is the $9 CFB Wishbone, offering a $20,000 prize pool with 5k for first place.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Oregon State (-3) @ Washington State O/U: 58.5
LSU (-17.5) vs. Arkansas O/U: 54.5
South Carolina (-6) vs. Mississippi State O/U: 46.5
Georgia (-40.5) vs. UAB O/U: 54.5
Missouri (-6.5) vs. Memphis O/U: 51.5
Texas (-15.5) @ Baylor O/U: 49.5
Ohio State (-3.5) @ Notre Dame O/U: 55.5
Penn State (-14.5) vs. Iowa O/U: 39.5
North Carolina (-7.5) @ Pittsburgh O/U: 39.5
Kansas State (-4.5) vs. Central Florida O/U: 52.5
In our quest for high totals and narrow spreads, OSU/ND might be the most obvious choice. Interestingly, we stayed away from this game in our endorsements, and bought more action with UCF/KSU and MSST/SOCAR. I may have given too much love to Washington State, but I like to live dangerously.
WEATHER
Iowa @ Penn State - 85 percent chance of rain, 15 mph winds
CFB DFS TOOLS
- New FanDuel College Football Optimizer
- Weekly CFB Matchup Info
- CFB Targets
- CFB Stats
- CFB Team Trends
- CFB Advanced Team Stats with Plays per Game, Pass %, Run % and more
CFB DFS SATURDAY NIGHT PICKS ON FANDUEL FOR WEEK 4
Quarterback
Let's dispense with the pleasantries and assume quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye will put up good numbers. I'm actually a bit leery of Maye due to Pitteburgh's secondary, but both quarterbacks are prohibitively expensive. I risk losing a lot of value elsewhere if we blow $11k on one guy. There is one quarterback who will be worth his cost…
Cameron Ward, Washington State ($10,600) vs. Oregon State
We hear a lot about how great Oregon State's defense is, but who have they actually played? Giving up over 200 passing yards to San Jose State and San Diego State doesn't sound all that great. The Beavers are much more effective against the run, but that doesn't matter much to the Cougars. OC Ben Arbuckle has installed one of the best passing attacks in the country, and Ward has been nothing short of spectacular. This pick goes entirely against the experts, but I'm sticking with it. Ward will be good for 275 yards and a few touchdowns.
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina vs. Mississippi State
Mississippi State's passing defense has been abysmal to begin the season. The Bulldogs had to face Jayden de Laura and Jayden Daniels over the past month, and both quarterbacks destroyed them. I wouldn't put Rattler in the same tier, but aside from a couple of careless mistakes, Rattler posted excellent stats against UNC and Georgia, teams with much better pass defenses. Over three games, Rattler has posted 954 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and an additional rushing score. That's good enough to be ranked sixth in the country, ahead of guys like Caleb Williams, Bo Nix and Drake Maye. Add in a game at Williams-Brice Stadium, and Rattler checks all the boxes against the Bulldogs.
Timmy McClain, UCF ($7,200) @ Kansas State
While John Rhys Plumlee's (leg) injury stings a bit, McClain took the field against Villanova and eased the pain, throwing for 321 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcats represent a much stiffer test for McClain, but there's a bit of relief if we drill down a bit. Over three games, Kansas State's defense has recorded only one interception and allowed Missouri to post 356 yards and two touchdowns against them. The Wildcats are much better against the run, which leads me to believe that McClain will lead his host of quality playmakers through the air.
Running Back
Daijun Edwards, Georgia ($8,500) vs. UAB
Kendall Milton and Roderick Robinson are banged up. It's a weak opponent between the hedges, and Edwards is at a salary that can't be beaten. Edwards ran for 118 yards in his first game of the year against the Gamecocks, taking a significant leap to the top of the depth chart. I see little reason to risk Milton and Robinson in this matchup. I anticipate that Cash Jones ($5,000) might play a role if the game gets out of hand, but at $8,500, it's hard to fade a Georgia rusher who will get the bulk of carries in a blowout scenario.
AJ Green (pivot to Raheim Sanders), Arkansas ($6,900) @ LSU
Sanders has made significant progress but may miss another game, leaving the running game open for Green. I would keep tabs on Sanders' status and get him for $6,000 if he feels well enough to play in this key SEC matchup. LSU's rush defense has displayed some issues so far this season. Florida State and Grambling were both successful against them on the ground. Although they were able to contain Mississippi State somewhat, the Razorbacks have a better offensive line than the Bulldogs. Arkansas' best chance to win will likely come from a well-established running game, and I'm okay with either option.
Jonathon Brooks, Texas ($8,600) @ Baylor
The Utes ran all over Baylor two weeks ago, and although they had more some success defending the run against subpar opponents, Texas will be the Bears' most challenging test of the year. My only hesitation about Brooks is the potential return of CJ Baxter, but if Brooks can establish the run game early, I doubt that the team will risk further injury. Although Brooks has yet to find the end zone, he's rushed for 273 yards and has caught three passes for 45 yards through three games.
Also consider: Nicholas Singleton, Penn State ($7,400) vs. Iowa
Wide Receiver
Xavier Worthy, Texas ($8,500) @ Baylor
I will continue to bang the Worthy drum until proven otherwise. Quinn Ewers ($10,100) was a bit too expensive for my taste, but he's incredibly effective in getting the ball to Worthy, and the stack has served me well. We've yet to see a blowup game, but he's put up a significant number in all three games this season.
Xavier Legette, South Carolina ($8,500) vs. Mississippi State
As some of you know, I'm a Clemson fan born and raised in the Upstate, so endorsing South Carolina makes my skin crawl, but the first rule of DFS? Don't let bias influence your selections. I'll gladly stack Rattler and Legette, especially because the McCord/Harrison and Maye/McCollum stacks will be much more popular. With every pass, I like this spot for the Gamecocks more and more. With Antwane Wells (foot) out, Legette should be Rattler's go-to target.
Washington State receivers vs. Oregon State
FanDuel's notes are powered by us, and sometimes the notes look very familiar because I wrote them! That's the case with these Cougar receivers, and it's tough to pick among this group. Lincoln Victor ($8,700) had the most recent success, but Kyle Williams ($7,200) also has three touchdowns to his credit, and Josh Kelly ($7,500) has pitched in as well. The problem with stacking both quarterbacks is the risk-reward issue, so I would diversify more if you're only playing one lineup. Mix-and-matching Ward's targets is acceptable if you are going MME this week.
Also consider: Kobe Hudson, UCF ($6,600) @ Kansas State