DraftKings College Football: Value Plays Week 13

This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.

QB: JT Barrett, Sam Richardson
RB: Akeem Hunt, Kenneth Farrow
WR: Ty Montgomery, Allen Lazard, Michael Thomas
TE: EJ Bibbs
Flex: DeAndre Washington

The original lineup is below for anyone who would like to use it.

While generally cooperative, this week's cap for the early college football slate on DraftKings is by far the most confusing I've seen this year. There is a curious deflation evident in the second tiers at RB and WR, almost as if done deliberately to force DFS players to choose from a wide variety of equally viable lineups rather than a narrowed list of possible positive outcomes.

In short, while I really like the lineup I've put together here, I have to say that I don't think it's as uniquely good as most of the other lineups I've made. This might be a high-scoring week, or at least a week where a lot of entries score more similarly than usual. No matter what way you go, you're going to have to make some fades you don't like.

In any case, make sure to click here to check out the many slates and game combinations offered by DraftKings this week, and feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Quarterback

Taylor Kelly - Arizona State vs. Washington State ($7,700)

It would be reassuring if Jaelen Strong (concussion) suited up for this one, but even if he doesn't, I think Kelly is tough to pass on at this price. He's facing off against a profoundly weak Washington State pass defense, yet the Sun Devils could play aggressively all game to hold off a Cougars passing game that has thrived under replacement quarterback Luke Falk.

Sam Richardson - Iowa State vs. Texas Tech ($7,700)

Richardson was kept out of his last game due to a shoulder injury, but he looked sharp in practice this week and is set to return to the starting lineup against the Red Raiders. Richardson makes up the majority of Iowa State's rushing attack, and he leads an active, productive passing game with a trio of excellent pass catchers in Allen Lazard, D'Vario Montgomery and E.J. Bibbs.

QB Alternatives: Shane Carden - East Carolina vs. Tulane ($8,200), Luke Falk - Washington State at Arizona State ($8,000), Justin Holman - UCF vs. SMU ($5,700)

Running Back

Justin Jackson - Northwestern at Purdue ($6,400)

He hasn't gotten much attention for it, but Jackson has been one of the nation's very most productive running backs in the last two months. In his last six games he has 676 yards (4.8 YPC) and four touchdowns while facing a generally tough slate of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan and Notre Dame, adding 11 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. He gets a Purdue defense this week allowing 210 yards (4.8 YPC) on the ground per game to Big Ten teams, as well as 15 rushing touchdowns in six games.

For the record, I'm going with Jackson over Samaje Perine ($6,700) for two reasons. First, Jackson is a clear workhorse for Purdue, whereas Oklahoma seems to manage its backfield in a Belichickian way, and I can see Perine getting 20 carries just as easily as 10. Incumbent starter Keith Ford and Alex Ross combined for just 12 carries last week, and I think they'll combine for closer to 25 this week. I love Perine this week and he's probably the single greatest reason why I'm more uneasy this week than usual, but I just can't convince myself to take him over Jackson. I'm sure he'll score you plenty of points if you roll with him, though.

Akeem Hunt - Purdue vs. Northwestern ($5,100)

Yeah, I'm going with both backs in the Northwestern/Purdue game. Hunt is very cheap at this price, and I'm assuming it's because Northwestern is perceived as a good defense. But the Wildcats are allowing 176 yards (4.7 YPC) and two rushing touchdowns per game to Big Ten opponents, and they allowed a combined 432 yards and three touchdowns to Northern Illinois and Notre Dame. Hunt has quietly proven to be one of the most matchup-proof PPR backs in the nation, averaging 21.4 DraftKings points per game against Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota and Michigan State. He's one of the most underrated players in the country, and the fact that he leads Purdue in receptions gives him a high floor.

RB Alternatives: William Stanback - UCF vs. SMU ($4,600), Ameer Abdullah - Nebraska vs. Minnesota ($7,300), D.J. Foster - Arizona State vs. Washington State ($7,200), Samaje Perine - Oklahoma vs. Kansas ($6,700), Jeremy Langford ($7,400), Akeel Lynch - Penn State at Illinois ($4,200), Bill Belton - Penn State at Illinois ($4,000)

Wide Receiver

Tony Lippett - Michigan State vs. Rutgers ($5,500)

This is the only pick I'm willing to call a 'must play.' Lippett has had two down weeks while Connor Cook completed barely over 50 percent of his passes, but he's been heavily targeted all year and remains one of the nation's most efficient per-target receivers. The Rutgers pass defense has good year-long numbers, but I think this is just the result of facing weak passing teams like Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, Navy and Nebraska.

Ty Montgomery - Stanford at California ($5,400)

The Stanford offense is foul, but the California defense has a way of curing that. I really like Montgomery as a PPR option this week - he has one of the nation's highest usage rates among receivers, catching six passes per game and receiving 2.3 carries per game, and he might post some of his best per-play numbers of his career against a California defense allowing 375 yards and 3.7 touchdowns per game through the air.

Allen Lazard - Iowa State vs. Texas Tech ($3,900)

Lazard is too cheap at this price. He, D'Vario Montgomery and E.J. Bibbs receive nearly every target in Iowa State's passing game, and they're going against a Texas Tech team both vulnerable to the pass and shootout prone. Lazard has 26 receptions in his last four games despite facing two relatively tough pass defenses in Oklahoma and Texas.

WR Alternatives: Breshad Perriman - UCF vs. SMU ($4,600), Deontay Greenberry - Houston vs. SMU ($4,700), Devin Funchess - Michigan vs. Maryland ($3,800), Michael Thomas - Ohio State vs. Indiana ($4,100), Isaiah Jones - East Carolina vs. Tulane ($3,900)

Tight End

E.J. Bibbs - Iowa State vs. Texas Tech ($3,900)

As you might have picked up on by now, I love the Iowa State passing game, especially this week. It's not known as one of the most productive in the nation, but it just might be the most predictably useful fantasy passing game in the nation. Bibbs, Lazard and Montgomery split the targets almost 33/33/33 in an offense attempting 42.3 passes per game, making each player a strong PPR option at prices like these.

Flex

DeAndre Washington - Texas Tech at Iowa State ($4,200)

Washington is too tempting for me to pass up at this price. Particularly with Davis Webb potentially making his first appearance since suffering an ankle sprain, I think Washington has a strong chance of outperforming his price tag. His price tag is only so low because of his improbably weak touchdown percentage - he has 852 yards on 153 carries (5.6 YPC) but just one touchdown. That's an unsustainably low touchdown rate for a player with such a good rushing average, and I think he has a great chance to find the end zone at least once against an Iowa State defense allowing 244 yards and over three touchdowns per game on the ground.