It’s bowl season, and the CFB DFS options are abundant on this slate. As always with college football daily fantasy, traditional stacking rules and other general football DFS strategies apply (such as looking at college football ownership projections). With that said, let’s get into the CFB Bowl Season DFS picks and projections for Saturday, Dec. 23.
CFB Bowl Season DFS Picks & Projections | Dec. 23
Quarterback
Jordan McCloud ($4,500): James Madison quarterback Jordan McCloud entered the transfer portal, but decided to play in this game. DraftKings incorrectly assumed he would opt out and priced him at the stone minimum. Even in a poor game environment against Air Force, McCloud stands out as the top price-adjusted option at quarterback. He averages 281.4 passing yards per game on 31.8 attempts, while accounting for 311 cumulative rushing yards.
Levi Williams ($6,400): Originally the third string quarterback, Levi Williams erupted for Utah State in their regular season finale to reach bowl eligibility. Utah State enters this game against Georgia State as a 1.5 point favorite in a game with a 59 total. While the sample remains small, Williams rushed for 153 yards and three scores, while passing for 198 and another two scores in his lone start. Georgia State ranks outside the top 100 in total defense. He can be stacked or played alone today.
Darren Grainger ($7,400): For those looking at pay up quarterback options, Darren Grainger comes in with an elite dual threat skillset. Grainger accounted for 625 cumulative rushing yards this year, while averaging 196.8 as a passer. Utah State ranks outside the top 100 in total defense and has been vulnerable to the pass and run.
Jaylen Raynor ($7,500): Arkansas State enters bowl season as a field goal favorite over Northern Illinois in a game with a 54.5 total. The Red Wolves also rank 27th in pace, while passing 47% of the time against a cupcake Northern Illinois defense. Freshman signal caller, Jaylen Raynor averages 230 passing yards per game on 25.6 attempts. He also accumulated 324 rushing yards, giving him excellent dual threat ability.
Running Back
Braylon McReynolds ($5,100): South Alabama enters their bowl game as a 17 point favorite over Eastern Michigan in a game with a 45 total. Stud running back La’Damian Webb entered the NFL Draft, leaving behind 210 touches and over 1,000 total yards. In the season finale, Braylon McReynolds touched the ball 24 times in a game that Webb missed. It should be noted that Kentrell Bullock also wasn’t healthy in that game. On the year, Bullock has actually out-touched McReynolds. However, McReynolds’ recent performance should give him the edge here.
Quali Conley ($5,500): San Jose State enters their bowl game against Coastal Carolina as a ten point favorite in a contest with a 49 total. The Trojans run a committee at running back, featuring Quali Conley and Kairee Robinson. Both will see work, but Conley has out-touched Robinson in back to back games. With Conley coming in at a cheaper price, he draws a slight edge in a backfield with two quality options.
Kimani Vidal ($8,000): The NCAA’s second-leading rusher, Kimani Vidal looks like he will play in this game. Vidal averages 121.7 rushing and 15.2 receiving yards per game on 23 touches. While the matchup looks difficult on paper, Duke lost over half of their front seven on defense to the transfer portal.
Wide Receiver
Jabre Barber ($4,400): Troy enters their bowl game as a touchdown favorite over Duke in a game with a 44.5 total. While Gunnar Watson doesn’t project as well due to his sack numbers, the receivers still project well here. Specifically, Jabre Barber averaged 67.5 receiving yards per game on 7.7 targets. Behind him, Chris Lewis also makes some sense as a pay-up contrarian spot.
Tailique Williams ($5,400): Robert Lewis entered the transfer portal and Ja’Cyais Credle continues to nurse an injury. This should leave Tailique Williams, Jacari Carter, and Cadarrius Thompson as Georgia State’s top three receivers. Carter projects as the top value after averaging 3.0 targets per game with Lewis in the picture. Williams projects for more raw points, but all three receivers can be used today.
Reggie Brown ($5,700): Elijah Sarratt, Reggie Brown and Phoenix Sproles will function as James Madison’s clear top three receiving options. Brown averaged 84.2 yards per game on 7.3 targets, while Sproles checked in at 32.3 yards per game on 5.3 targets. Both look like excellent stacking options with McCloud. Sarratt did enter the transfer portal, adding some volatility. However, some believe he will play here
Corey Rucker ($4,900): For those looking at stacking options with Raynor, Corey Rucker and Courtney Jackson stand out. Jackson finished with better receiving totals, out-gaining Rucker 658-598. However, Rucker received better opportunity with 71 targets, compared to 61 for Jackson. Both remain solid DFS options in this game.
