DFS College Football 101: Tuesday Night Picks

DFS College Football 101: Week 13 Tuesday

Here we go with a pair of MAC games for this College Football DFS Tuesday slate. Take note that Ball State QB Riley Neal is highly questionable, and it appears that Drew Plitt will make his third straight start for the Cardinals. We'll want to confirm that as we move closer to kickoff, but definitely pay attention to that situation. Also, the weather doesn't look great for Northern Illinois and Western Michigan tonight. It will be cold (30 degrees) with 10+ mph winds and light snow showers. That certainly plays into Northern Illinois' run-heavy approach … Meanwhile, here are the odds attached to these Tuesday matchups:

Northern Illinois (-5.5) at Western Michigan – Total: 51
Ball State at Miami Ohio (-17) – Total: 54.5

Looking within that, I'll highlight the best fantasy selections on FanDuel & DraftKings while also touching on some situations to monitor for your DFS squads.

QUARTERBACK

Gus Ragland – Miami Ohio (FanDuel $8,200 / DraftKings $6,300)

Miami Ohio checks in with the highest scoring projection of the night, and I'm thinking QB Gus Ragland will play a significant part in that. He's coming off back-to-back tough outings, but last week's blunder could've been expected against one of the best defenses in the conference. Ragland is looking at a much more favorable draw in this home matchup vs Ball State, who has allowed 42, 52, 45 and 41 points respectively over their past four games. The Redhawks offense is in an excellent spot to takeover on Tuesday, and Ragland should be able to rekindle his 20-30 fantasy point upside from earlier in the season.

Also Consider: Marcus Childers of Northern Illinois is my next favorite quarterback option, and I'll be looking towards him in the Super FLEX spot. You never know how the workload will be split in Northern Illinois' offense, but Childers finds himself in a favorable matchup against a Western Michigan defense that ranks 81st vs the run and 113th against the pass … As mentioned in the introduction, Drew Plitt could earn another start for Ball State if Riley Neal is not ready to return. Plitt would deserve tournament consideration if that's the case, as there's some shootout potential in this Ball State-Miami Ohio tilt.

RUNNING BACK

Tre Harbison – Northern Illinois (FanDuel $8,800 / DraftKings $6,500)

Tre Harbison is the best running back in this slate. His carries have stabilized in the second half of this season, as the coaching staff has slowly built more trust in him. The key to Harbison's value revolves around whether he reaches the end zone or not. He only has one rushing score over his past five games. However, Harbison has been a solid fantasy producer despite that, and there's a great chance he'll find pay dirt against a bad Western Michigan defense that ranks 81st in rushing defense while allowing nearly 5 yards per carry. Roster Harbison with confidence!

Alonzo Smith – Miami Ohio (FanDuel $8,100 / DraftKings $5,300)

As mentioned earlier, Miami Ohio should be able to post some points in this matchup vs Ball State. That puts both Redhawks' running backs in fantasy consideration; I'm talking about Kenny Young and Alonzo Smith. Young sees more receptions out of the backfield, while Smith is the traditional runner who has seen 18+ carries in each of his past two games. Smith has also scored four touchdowns over his past three games, and game flow is certainly in his favor. Smith is also cheaper than his teammate, Young, on both sites. He should be able to do some damage against a Ball State team that ranks 117th in rush defense.

Also Consider: I touched on him in the previous write-up, but Miami Ohio RB Kenny Young is another strong play in this generous matchup. I'll be looking towards combining him with Harbison and Smith as a FLEX play on DraftKings, where his receiving prowess translates to more fantasy points … Marcus Jones is a tournament pivot away from teammate Tre Harbison. He'll probably have a lower ownership rate, and you are hoping Jones can steal away some touchdowns while seeing less carries than his counterpart from NIU.

WIDE RECEIVER

Riley Miller – Ball State (FanDuel $9,100 / DraftKings $6,100)

This is a tough matchup, but Riley Miley is the top target for a Ball State offense that may need to pass the ball with regularity on Tuesday. After all, the Cardinals check in as 17 point underdogs, so game flow suggests that there will be plenty of pass attempts on that side of the ball. Miller has stepped up with a touchdown in six of his past seven games, occasionally reaching upside with 90+ yards in three of those. He should see plenty of targets to keep the momentum in this one.

Jayden Reed – Western Michigan (FanDuel $9,300 / DraftKings $5,600)

Let me start this write-up by saying that Jayden Reed is overpriced on FanDuel at $9,300. However, I'm looking towards him with a mid-range $5,600 price point on DraftKings. Western Michigan will likely have trouble establishing their running game against a Northern Illinois defense that ranks fourth in opponent yards per carry. That could lead to more targets, receptions, yards, and scoring opportunities for the Broncos' top receiver. Reed has been quiet over his past two games, but he has flexed some impressive fantasy upside several times this season. Some may attribute his recent downtick to the change in quarterback, but Reed actually posted a solid 6-103-2 with Eleby under center three weeks ago.

Also Consider: I believe that Riley Miller is the most reliable receiving option from Ball State, but teammate Justin Hall deserves a look in DFS due to the aforementioned game flow. He's cheaper than Miller on FanDuel, making that the best place to take advantage of diversifying the Cardinals' pass catchers … Northern Illinois doesn't pass the ball much, but D.J. Brown is their top receiver when turning to the air. He's also good for a couple rushing attempts here and there. Brown's salary has dropped due to a lack in recent production, but there's a chance he could bounce-back against a Western Michigan defense that ranks 113th against the pass … If you are looking for a cheap way to round out your FanDuel lineup, consider Western Michigan TE Giovanni Ricci ($5,700). The big man led WMU with a 7-65-1 line last week, and he could see more targets as QB Kaleb Eleby's safety valve against a tough pass defense.