Week 8 action kicks off with a Wednesday showdown slate, and DraftKings and FanDuel have great contests for these games. This college football DFS breakdown will look at both teams and provide information about each skill position player of note. Make sure to check out our projections, depth charts and datasheets for more information. With that said, let’s dive into the first iteration of the Week 8 CFB DFS picks for Wednesday’s matchup.
College Football DFS: Week 8 Wednesday CFB Picks
Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina (31.75 Implied Total)
Plays/Game – 64.8 (114th)
Pass Rate – 37.04% (120th)
Coastal Carolina enters this game with a perfect 6-0 record. They have only played one close game this year, 28-25 win over Buffalo. There is a very real possibility that Appalachian State is the best team the Chanticleers have played this year. With that said, they are still the favorite, and they play with a condensed opportunity share. Like last year, they are playing slow, run-heavy football, focusing on power and option schemes.
At quarterback Coastal Carolina has a veteran in Grayson McCall ($17,400). Deservedly the most expensive player on the slate, McCall is an excellent dual threat, though he only has 79 yards rushing this year. However, he had 569 yards rushing as a red-shirt freshman last year. He has been hyper efficient through the air, averaging 246.3 yards per game on 18.3 attempts. He also has completed 79.8% of his passes on 13.6 attempts through six games this year. Even in this low-volume offense, McCall is the safest play on this slate.
At running back Coastal Carolina saw the return of Shermari Jones ($7,200) in Week 6. Now with the bye in between their most recent game, Jones should be closer to full health. The Chanticleers will use Jones in a 50/50 timeshare with Reese White ($10,500) when healthy. Jones has been the more efficient back this year, averaging 100.3 yards per game to 75.8 for White. White has been more active in the pass game, but change-of-pace back Braydon Bennett ($3,300) leads the group with 11 targets. For what it is worth, Jones is the bigger back at 220 pounds to White’s 195. Jones is the better play based purely on price, but both are viable.
At receiver Coastal Carolina uses Jaivon Heiligh ($15,000) as their alpha. He averages 95.5 yards per game on six targets. Heiligh has gotten there off pure efficiency so far. His 36 targets equate to a 26.3% target share. Athletic tight end Isaiah Likely ($8,700) ranks second with 35 targets. He now averages 85.5 yards per game on 5.8 targets after dusting Arkansas State’s non-existent defense for 232 yards on eight catches. The WR2 alongside Heiligh is seven-year veteran Kameron Brown ($12,300). Brown averages 41.3 yards per game on 3.3 targets as the distant third option in the passing attack. Tyson Mobley ($7,500) will split time with Greg Latushko ($3,600) for the WR3 job when they use 11 personnel, but he averages a 24% route rate to Latushko’s 34% on the year.
Appalachian State (28.25 Implied Total)
Plays/Game – 72.6 (47th)
Pass Rate – 45.45% (80th)
After starting the year with four wins and one loss to Miami by 2 points, Appalachian State got blown out by Louisiana by a score of 41-13 last week. They have notable wins over East Carolina, Marshall and Georgia State. Unlike last year, Appalachian State has increased their pace and pass rate over expectation. With that said, these numbers could regress against a ball control Coastal Carolina team.
After a strong start to the year, former Clemson and Duke quarterback Chase Brice ($16,200) regressed sharply last week. Brice has some mobility with 41 yards on the ground this year. He has also been mostly efficient on the year, averaging 249.2 yards per game on 30 attempts. He is currently completing 66.1% of his passes for 8.3 yards per attempt. Unlike McCall, Brice should have the extra volume on his side here. This keeps him viable even in a tough matchup here.
At running back Appalachian State used Nate Noel ($7,800) as a feature back with Camerun Peoples ($11,700) missing his second consecutive game. Peoples has an undisclosed injury, and the Appalachian State beat reporters are among the worst in the country. Consider an update on his status to be unlikely. When healthy, Peoples averages 88 yards rushing per game on 17.5 touches. Even prior to the injury, Noel had been the more efficient back. Noel now averages 92.2 yards rushing per game on 17.3 touches. Appalachian State did return Daetrich Harrington ($2,100) last week after an extended ACL rehab. He still only played eight snaps, with Jahmir Smith ($1,500) also mixing in for four. Noel is the best play here regardless of Peoples’ injury.
At receiver Corey Sutton ($9,600) leads the group with 81.5 yards per game on 9.3 targets. Behind him, Thomas Hennigan ($13,500) and Malik Williams ($8,100) have been heavily involved. Williams has out-targeted Hennigan 34-32, but Hennigan has out-gained Williams 351-334. Williams is the better play based on price, but they have virtually equal usage. Jalen Virgil ($7,200) will rotate in occasionally, but he only has 14 targets on the year. Henry Pearson ($6,000) is technically the team’s tight end, but only has five targets on the year.
Thanks for reading to the end of this article! If you appreciate this free content and want to see more of it every day, you can help us out by sharing this article on social media!
[CFBPAGE]
