This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.
CFB DFS Picks: DraftKings College Football Week 8 Main Slate Breakdown
Welcome back in for another week on the College Football DFS circuit as we hit Week 8. The season is flying by but luckily that means we're into the meat of conference play and seeing more competitive matchups each week. The marquee game on this slate -- and of the weekend -- oddly doesn't have a ton of appeal for our purposes. That's right -- I'm pretty much out on going after the Ohio State-Penn State showdown in Columbus. The total is just 45.5, Ohio State is a 4.5-point favorite, and the defenses rank #2 and #4 in SP+, respectively. I'll just sit back and enjoy that one while my DFS interests lie elsewhere. Let's dig into the slate and see what stands out this week.
Slate Overview
I love this slate. We're still getting some putrid bottom-tier Big Ten games as filler, but there are a couple of matchups we rarely see on Saturday main slates. UAB-Memphis and Western Michigan-Ohio are two fun offerings on this slate that have plenty of appeal and DFS options if you know where to look. More on that later.
Looking elsewhere, UCF-Oklahoma (-17.5) (66.5) has the highest total on the slate, followed by UAB-Memphis (61.5), Oregon-Washingon State (61.0) and Houston-Texas (61.0). There's nearly a ten-point dropoff after that before we get to the remaining high-scoring games.
As far as units to attack go, the worst pass defenses on the slate are Mississippi State, Arkansas, Houston, WMU, and Oklahoma State. The worst run defenses on the slate are UAB, UCF, Illinois, Houston, and Western Michigan.
CFB DFS Tools
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Quarterback
Bo Nix ($9,800) Oregon 
vs. Washington State
Nix doesn't need much explanation as to what he can do in this matchup. The question is whether he's worth rostering on this slate and paying the premium at quarterback. I believe he is. Washington State gives up the most passing yards per game on this slate and Nix has returned at least 27 fantasy points in four of his last five games. That puts him on the borderline of returning the right point-per-dollar figure, and I think catching Wazzu at home after a tough loss could be just what we need for Nix to have a monster performance Saturday.
KJ Jefferson ($7,600) Arkansas 
vs. Mississippi State 
We'll detail this further in the Wide Receiver section but this is a great setup for Jefferson and the Arkansas passing game. Mississippi State allows 8.3 YPA to opposing quarterbacks, a staggering figure that ranks 118th in the nation. Jefferson has seen his efficiency dip a bit this year -- likely from a dropoff in supporting cast talent -- but still averages 7.7 YPA with a 66 percent completion rate. He can take advantage of a bad pass defense like Mississippi State's, especially at home. Jefferson has the added bonus of having very attainable stacking options to pair him with as well.
Jacob Zeno ($7,100) UAB 
vs. Memphis
Zeno has been on my radar for some time. I (wrongly) thought he would be the heir apparent to Charlie Brewer at Baylor before Blake Shapen burst onto the scene and delivered the Bears to the Big 12 title. Zeno has finally found his footing in Birmingham and is chugging along at a nice clip. He has had five starts with at least 24 DraftKings points, which is all we're looking for from him in this spot. Now, he is coming off a shaky outing vs. UTSA, but that was on the road.
Zeno has solid passing production at 272 yards per game on a 74% completion rate to go with 12 passing touchdowns and, unfortunately, six interceptions. He's also one of the more active runners at quarterback on this slate with 59 attempts for 135 yards and four touchdowns.
In other words, he's the quarterback of the team with the seventh-highest implied total on the slate in a game with the second-highest total overall. With UAB as an underdog, Zeno will be a major factor both on the ground and through the air.
Others to Consider
Kyle McCord, Ohio State ($7,200); Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State ($6,200); Kurtis Rourke ($5,700)
Running Back
Marcus Major ($5,200) Oklahoma 
vs. Central Florida 
This is a really interesting and important game for this slate. It has the highest total (66.0) and Oklahoma has the highest implied total (42.5) as an 18.5-point favorite. That suggests that Oklahoma will win this one by three scores, and therefore getting the right piece(s) of the OU run game is key.
Now, Oklahoma hasn't exactly been explosive on the ground this year. The Sooners average just 4.09 YPC and their 164 rushing yards per game rank 56th in the nation, behind Rutgers and just ahead of Arizona. However, the implied game script with Oklahoma leading for much of this game means there will be plenty of opportunities to go around, and facing the second-worst run defense on the slate (197.5 YPG, 5.0 YPC) should help pump those season-long numbers up for the Sooners.
Let's take a peek at Oklahoma's rushing distribution
I could be wrong here, but it appears that Tawee Walker is the go-to guy in closer and more competitive games. He led the team in carries in the narrow(ish) wins over SMU and Texas. Major, meanwhile, seems to get plenty of run in less competitive situations. He paced the team in carries against Cincinnati and Iowa State, both of which were fairly easy wins. I expect Major to take over once the Sooners are well ahead, especially with Oklahoma's lack of depth behind him with Jovantae Barnes sidelined.
With Barnes ($5,200) and Walker ($5,400) only $200 apart, it makes sense to side with the more productive Walker. However, my point on Barnes is this is the type of game setup where he might lead the OU backfield in carries. Theoretically, you could fit both into your RB slots if you expect Oklahoma to run for 250+ yards Saturday.
Braelon Allen ($7,700) Wisconsin 
at Illinois 
Sometimes targeting a top-of-the-board option isn't as straightforward as it seems. Allen is the top-billed running back on the slate at $7,700. That's an interesting sentence. Usually, a top-priced player at a given position will be at least $8K+, so there's actually some value here despite the optics.
We didn't exactly nail it when it came to targeting the Illinois run defense last weekend -- the Illini bowed up and held the Terps under 100 rushing yards on a 3.21 YPC average. I still don't think Illinois has a good run defense overall and it will be put to the test Saturday.
This can work one of two ways. With Tanner Mordecai (hand) out, Braedyn Locke will be making his first career start. That implies that Wisconsin will go with a ground-heavy approach to take the pressure off, but that of course also means that Illinois will be loading up to slow Allen. I'm just not convinced that Illinois is going to hold up for 60 minutes against 20+ Allen carries. Players like Bucky Irving and Jonathon Brooks might be more popular than Allen with soft matchups and slightly cheaper price tags. We're getting a discount on Allen in a week where his roster percentage might be down and his matchup is favorable. Let's ride.
Emmanuel Michel ($5,800) Air Force 
at Navy 
Air Force should be leaning on its backs this week with starting quarterback out. Michel leads the pack with a 33 percent rushing share. His YPC isn't overly impressive (4.4) but he has the most solid role among the Air Force backfield options and he gets short yardage opportunities with eight rushing scores on 113 carries. Navy obviously practices against the triple option so Air Force's offense won't be as foreign to the Midshipmen as it for AF's Mountain West opponents, but Navy is also one of the worst teams in FBS. You can know the plays but if you don't have the talent to execute and stop it, familiarity means nothing.
If you're looking for riskier exposure to Air Force with a little upside, John Lee Eldridge ($4,900) and Owen Burk ($5,000) have high YPC figures and breakaway ability that may be put on display against Navy. Eldridge is peeling off a ridiculous 10.1 YPC on 33 carries while Burk only averages 6.0 YPC on 48 rushes.
Sutton Smith ($4,000) Memphis 
@ UAB
This play goes out the window if Blake Watson ($7,300) is active and starts, but that feels fairly iffy as of Friday afternoon. We'll get word ahead of kick (hopefully) and this game is in the early window, so there will be plenty of pivot options available whether you're on the Watson or Smith side of the ledger.
If Watson is out, which we'll assume for the purpose of this blurb, Smith looks to be the next man up. Smith has been second in line for carries behind Watson all season as the only Memphis back with more than 11 carries. He has 35 rushes for 169 yards (4.8 YPC) and two touchdowns to go with solid passing game usage (17 targets, 10 catches, 50 yards). Memphis loves throwing to its running backs and though Smith is a few ticks below Watson in that area, he could make up for it with a high target day.
Rounding it out, UAB has the worst run defense on the slate, allowing over 200 rushing yards per game. Keep an eye on things in pregame, but things could be looking really good for Smith this weekend.
Others to Consider
Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State ($7,200); Jonathon Brooks, Texas ($7,400)
Wide Receiver
Mississippi State vs. Arkansas
We get a perfect storm here with two of the worst pass defenses on the slate squaring off. Mississippi State allows a putrid 8.3 YPA (118th) and Arkansas is fractionally better at 8.2 YPA allowed (113th). Unfortunately, neither team has been explosive with their passing game on offense, but that could certainly change here based on the matchup.
On the Miss State side, Lideatrick Griffin ($5,500) and Freddie Roberson ($3,900) have some appeal. They combine for ~35 percent of Miss State's target share over the last three weeks with both of them seeing at least 15 percent of the looks. Griffin is a little more established with 29 catches for 474 yards and three touchdowns on 37 targets this season while Roberson is more of a recent riser with a season-high seven targets in his last outing. Both are worthwhile plays at their respective prices. A potential pitfall for Roberson would be Justin Robinson returning, but there hasn't been much word on that this week so, barring a change, he should be in line for a solid role at a bargain price tag.
For the Hogs, Andrew Armstrong ($6,000) has been excellent this season. He ranks eighth on the slate in targets (47) and has an 82 percent catch rate at 10.3 yards per target. Armstrong likely has the best projection among the pass catchers in this game, and that's more than enough to be interested in him at $6K. Isaac TeSlaa is getting opportunities (38) but not doing much with them as he has 19 catches for 206 yards and a score. He's a cheap volume play at $4,100 but if I'm looking at a receiver in that mold in this game, it's Miss State's Roberson.
Sam Wiglusz ($6,400) and Miles Cross ($5,000), Ohio 
vs Western Michigan 
We gotta get in on some main slate MACtion when it's on the menu. It'd be poor form not to.
Looking at this game, Western Michigan is one of the softer pass defenses on the slate. It allows 8.1 YPA to opposing quarterbacks and has surrendered 16 passing touchdowns over seven games. That should have us gravitating to the Ohio pass-catchers.
Wiglusz is still getting himself into gear after torching last season with 73 grabs for 877 yards and 11 scores. He has not had the same success this season with 29 catches for 285 yards and two touchdowns on 51 targets (5.6 YPT). He's getting targeted at a healthy clip, he's just not converting on those opportunities. Wiglusz should be able to start correcting those statistical inefficiencies in this matchup, and there's a chance there will be low roster percentage with him having a down year while still being priced at $6,4000.
Cross has done well since Jacoby Jones went down for the season. Over the last three games, Cross has caught 13 of 20 targets for 188 yards and three touchdowns. His 125-yard outing against Kent State is doing some of the heavy lifting in that sample, but Kent State is better against the pass than Western Michigan.
Wiglusz has the tournament appeal since he's pricier and a bit riskier based on this year's sample, while Cross works as a solid mid-tier option regardless of contest.
Amare Thomas ($5,100) UAB vs. Memphis
UAB has some intriguing passing options in this game, headlined by Thomas. The freshman leads the Blazers in targets (44) and receptions (35), which immediately puts him on the radar for DraftKings given the PPR considerations. It's also important to note that UAB's offensive philosophy is much different under Trent Dilfer than it was under Bill Clarke. UAB ran the ball at least 60 percent of the time each of the last three seasons under Clarke. This year? UAB is chugging along at a 53% pass play rate. This is finally a UAB passing game with some juice, not to take away from the DeWayne McBride days.
Thomas will be busy against a pedestrian Memphis secondary and he has a high floor for what should be a high-scoring game. If you're looking for the upside play from UAB, it's Tejhaun Palmer, who leads the team in touchdowns (3) and receiving yards (386) despite having 10 fewer catches than Thomas. He averages 11 yards per target and 15.4 yards per catch. A splash play or two from Palmer at $4,500 will get the job done.
Demeer Blankumsee ($4,700) Memphis at UAB
On the other side of this game, the Memphis pass-catchers are of particular interest. With star running back Blake Watson iffy to play, the Tigers may be forced to lean on Seth Henigan and the passing attack. Roc Taylor ($5,800) is the top dog for Memphis and is absolutely playable at that salary, especially as a pairing with Henigan. However, if you're looking for cheap exposure to the Memphis passing game, Blankumsee is your guy.
Blankumsee has at least nine targets in each of his last three games and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns (3). His usage and efficiency (8.7) are to the level you'd expect of a player in the mid-$5000s. In a high-scoring game like this one, it's good to explore all options beyond just the headliners and Blankumsee should be in line to provide a nice return.
Others to Consider
Jalil Farooq ($6,200) and Nic Anderson ($5,200), Oklahoma; Will Pauling, Wisconsin ($4,400); Rashod Owens, Oklahoma State ($4,800)
