This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Saturday Main Slate
We head into Week 6 of college football with surprisingly just one ranked head-to-head matchup featuring Texas A&M and Missouri. We still have plenty of premium fantasy matchups om the slate, so without further ado, let's get into the nitty gritty.
College Football DFS Weather (winds 10+ MPH, precip. chance 50-plus percent and hot temps noted)
West Virginia at Oklahoma State - Winds 10-11 MPH, temps high 80s, low 90s
Baylor at Iowa State - Winds expected to sit 14-15 MPH, could have some impact
Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Week 6
QB
Conner Weigman, Texas A&M - Listed as questionable for Saturday
Dequan Finn, Baylor - Listed as backup QB on depth chart
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina - Upgraded to probable after initial questionable designation
Ethan Garbers, UCLA - Considered questionable, has worn boot since Oregon game last Saturday
RB
Nicholas Singleton, Penn State - Was a non-participant during practice Wednesday, but James Franklin seemed to suggest he's expected to play
Henry Parrish, Ole Miss - Listed as questionable for Week 6
Raheim Sanders, Arkansas - Upgraded to probable after initial questionable designation
Maurice Turner, Louisville - Status unclear after missing last week
LJ Johnson Jr., SMU - Expected back this week after missing Week 5
Matt Jones, Ole Miss - Status upgraded to probable after initial questionable designation
Leshon Williams, Iowa - Should be available this week after leaving against Troy in Week 3 and missing Week 4
Darwin Barlow, North Carolina - May have participated in team practices this week
Rodney Hill, Arkansas - Ruled out for Saturday
Richard Reese, Baylor - Status unclear after missing last week
WR
Tre Harris, Ole Miss - Upgraded to probable after initial questionable designation
Antonio Williams, Clemson - Good to go after being termed day-to-day earlier in the week
Cayden Lee, Ole Miss - Listed questionable for Saturday
Jared Brown, South Carolina - Listed probable for Week 6
Kendrick Law, Alabama - Listed questionable
Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, UCLA - Didn't appear to be partaking in drills Wednesday
Romello Brinson, SMU - Game-time call Saturday
Troy Stellato, Clemson - Considered day-to-day
Khafre Brown, Arkansas - Ruled out for Week 6
TE
Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss - Probable to play
Luke Hasz, Arkansas - Listed as questionable
College Football DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
- Advanced Lineups Page
- Stats
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
Week 6 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel
Quarterback
Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh ($11,000) at North Carolina
Holstein took the reins as the starting quarterback for the Panthers to open 2024 and hasn't looked back, completing 67.4 percent of his pass attempts for 1,186 yards and a 12:2 TD:INT ratio through the first four games. He hasn't scored fewer than 24.5 FD points through the first four weeks, and next on the schedule is a Tar Heels defense that saw Alonza Barnett and James Madison rack up 70 points two weeks ago, including 388 passing yards and five touchdowns. The defense did bounce back last week versus Duke, but two of the first four opposing QBs have posted fantasy scores 40-plus percent over average against UNC. Holstein can sling it and should get an opportunity to do so for an offense with an implied total of 33.5, so count me in.
Garrett Greene, West Virginia ($10,200) at Oklahoma State
Greene was among the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks off the board in most season-long formats, but it's been a slightly disappointing start for him and the Mountaineers. Sure, there are questions regarding his abilities as a passer, but he's an elite dual-threat option, making him typically more effective on a per-completion basis. That was finally put on display last week when he chalked up nearly 300 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns on just 15 completions and also ran for 87 yards and a score. The Cowboys' defense has been similarly bad against opposing QBs this season, yielding 13.7 yards per completion and 7.7 yards per pass attempt while also surrendering 186 rushing yards and three scores through five games. I anticipate Greene making some more magic in this one in a game I expect to remain relatively close in Stillwater.
Tyler Shough, Louisville ($9,400) vs. SMU
Through four games, Shough has tallied no fewer than 20.7 FD points and no more than 24.3 FD points. So, we have consistency at the position that gives us a pretty safe floor. What we aren't 100 percent clear on is Shough's ceiling when things go right. It's possible his 24.3 points versus Austin Peay is what his max is, but I think he can reach another level, and we could see it against an SMU defense that seems a bit scarier on the surface than it truly has been. In each of the last two contests, the opposing quarterbacks have finished with over-average fantasy production, including Josh Hoover's 396-yard, three-touchdown effort against the club in Week 4. Jeff Brohm's offenses have the ability to put up similar passing totals, and it wouldn't shock me if Shough at least tops the 300-yard mark in this one.
Another to consider: Jalen Milroe, Alabama ($13,500) at Vanderbilt, KJ Jefferson, UCF ($10,500) at Florida
Running Back
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina ($9,500) vs. Pittsburgh
The options atop the board this week aren't the most appealing, but Hampton stands out as one I could see having a major showing. Pittsburgh has held each of its three FBS opponents this season under average in terms of quarterback production. Running back production has ben similar, except for West Virginia, when the Mountaineers' backfield finished with 28 percent above average production en route to 32 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown and another receiving touchdown. Hampton if fully capable of posting similar numbers to the pair; he's surpassed 100 yards rushing in three of four games this season. Hampton is also a viable option as a receiver out of the backfield, and this is a game I could see easily surpassing the expected point output, given the offensive schemes.
Isaac Brown, Louisville ($7,000) vs. SMU
Louisville has been searching for a lead back following the departures of Isaac Guerendo and Jawhar Jordan, and they may have finally found it in Brown. The true freshman seized his opportunity last week against Notre Dame, turning 13 carries into 72 yards and adding four grabs for 23 yards and a score. While Brown's size (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) may not equate to a workhorse back role, he's amply built to handle 15-plus touches and has proven early in the season he's a reliable option as a receiver, notching eight catches on 10 grabs to date.
Abu Sama III, Iowa State ($6,500) vs. Baylor
Sama hasn't quite lived up to the billing many expected of him coming into the year, but he's also been banged up along the way. He finally showed some signs of life last week against Houston, totaling 101 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. If this game remains within reach, I could see Sama's totals jumping closer to the range of the 17 carries he logged against Iowa in Week 2, and Baylor's defense is far from what the Hawkeyes send out there on a weekly basis. The Cyclones may find themselves ahead in the second half of this game, looking to run the clock, and Sama should be the guy to do it.
Others to consider: Justice Haynes, Alabama ($7,200) at Vanderbilt, Lawrance Toafili, Florida State ($6,000) vs. Clemson
Bargain Bin
Matt Jones, Ole Miss ($4,900) at South Carolina (if Parrish sits)
This pick is contingent on Henry Parrish Jr. (listed questionable above) sitting out the contest, but Jones is second on the team in rush attempts to this point and could handle a heavier volume of carries Saturday should Parrish miss the contest. Jones has few carries to his name leading into this season, so I'm not certain what percent of the totes would go his direction if things go south with Parrish's status, but Jones has performed reasonably well when given the opportunity, averaging 6.3 years per carry on the season.
Rodney Hammond, Pittsburgh ($4,000) at North Carolina
Before I would take Jones, I'd probably give Rodney Hammond a look first if I'm digging deep in the pool of players. Hammond was deemed ineligible leading up to the 2024 campaign after totaling 100-plus carries in each of the last three seasons, but he's apparently been cleared to play the rest of the way. Due to his expected absence the rest of the season, FanDuel has his salary at minimum. Hammond has reportedly been practicing with the team the whole time, so there shouldn't be a need for a ramp-up period. While I'm not sure this will pay huge long-term fantasy dividends, Hammond should have a role of some kind this week alongside Desmond Reid and is worth a shot at minimum salary.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ryan Williams ($9,400) and Germie Bernard ($7,400) at Vanderbilt
Kicking off my tandem of pairings worth keeping an eye on, here is a star freshman in Williams and a sleeper in Bernard. This is a contest that could get out of hand pretty early, and we could eventually see the backups enter the contest, but Williams is a player who doesn't need a ton of touches to put up huge numbers. He's averaging an insane 23.1 yards per target through four games, and Vanderbilt's defense has allowed two of its three power conference opponents' wideouts to produce 32-plus percent above season average. For Williams, that would approximate to around 28 points, which is well worth the investment. Bernard is the name many were expecting to see go off during draft season, and there's still the ability to do so in his bag. I could see it coming together here as a game to get him going.
Tyler Warren ($8,000) and Harrison Wallace ($7,700), Penn State vs. UCLA
Speaking of defense that can't stop opponent wideouts, UCLA is in the same boat and hasn't been able to keep anyone off the board (other than Hawai'i in the opener, yielding 30-plus points to each of its first three power-conference opponents. To be fair, each of those teams is currently ranked in the top 25, but so is Penn State. The Bruins have managed to keep opposing running games in check to an extent, but passing attacks are a different story. Three of the first four opponents' wideouts have turned in 20-plus percent above-average production, and Hawaii's wideouts were a whopping 64 percent above average. That continues a trend from last season, suggesting it's an ongoing problem in the secondary. Warren and Wallace are the team's two most reliable weapons in the passing attack and sport reasonable salaries this week, making them worthy of a look.
Hudson Clement, West Virginia ($5,700) at Oklahoma State
Clement is coming off a massive showing last week against Kansas, posting seven grabs for 150 yards. That makes it more puzzling that his salary sits so low against a Cowboys defense that has allowed three of its five opponents' wideouts to tally 30, 53 and 87 percent above their average production. Utah was the lone power opponent to fall below average, but that was with backup Isaac Wilson under center. This game could feature plenty of scoring, and Clement seems like the best bet to make some splash plays, which has been an issue for the Cowboys' secondary this season.
Eugene Wilson III ($4,100 -if he plays), Elijhah Badger ($7,300 - if Wilson doesn't), Florida vs. UCF
Back to the tandem, though this is more of an injury-related pivot. Wilson has reportedly returned to practice in some capacity this week, so there's at least a hope he could make his return after undergoing meniscus surgery following Week 2. If he manages to suit up, he'll face a UCF secondary that has surrendered a combined 692 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns to its last two opponents. Wilson is the player to command the biggest target share on the team an is worth a shot if he's back, even if it's not quite at 100 percent. If he's out, I'd still take my chances with Badger, who has put up a pair of 90-plus-yard receiving efforts in two different games this season. He's not going to command the same number of targets as Wilson when Wilson is healthy, but Badger could still put up big numbers on a smaller share of looks, and the matchup is certainly a favorable one Saturday. If I was planning for this game, I'm assuming Wilson is most likely out and would target Badger, and make a contingency plan for a swap if Wilson is a go.