College football Week 1 continues with a five-game Friday slate. CFB DFS differs from traditional NFL DFS in a few key areas. Rosters do not require a defense and instead incorporate a Super-Flex where a second quarterback can be rostered. With the exception of short slates, using a second quarterback generally makes the most sense. From there, traditional stacking rules and other general football DFS strategies apply (such as looking at college football ownership projections). With that said, let’s dive into our CFB Week 1 DFS picks, projections and more.
CFB Week 1 DFS Picks and Projections
Quarterback
Jalon Daniels ($9,000): With a slate full of projected timeshares on the depth chart at the quarterback position, Jalon Daniels stands out. Kansas is a 20-point favorite over Missouri State in a game with a 58 total. Daniels averaged 223.8 passing yards per game in nine games, in some of which he missed time. He also has elite mobility, with 425 yards on 77 carries (5.5). Expect heavy ownership, with Daniels coming in as the clear top quarterback. For reference, the teams with quarterback questions include Central Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri State and Stanford.
Haynes King ($6,200): Georgia Tech named Haynes King its starter. King has a 56.6% career completion percentage for 7.0 yards per attempt, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also has 150 yards on 41 carries (3.7 yards per attempt. He will face a rebuilt Louisville defense as a 7.5-point home underdog.
Tyler Van Dyke ($7,600): Now healthy and playing in a new offense under former Houston offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, Tyler Van Dyke comes in as a middling play on this slate. Miami is a 16.5-point favorite over Miami Ohio, giving the Hurricanes the second-highest implied team total. Van Dyke does not have any mobility, but he has solid efficiency metrics through the air to this point.
Jack Plummer ($7,300): After previously playing with Jeff Brohm at Purdue, Jack Plummer spent last season with Cal. This air raid offense has provided DFS viability in the past, but Plummer offers no mobility. He has a 63.7% completion percentage for 6.9 yards per attempt, 47 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in his career. He will need to get there with his arm, but Louisville is a touchdown favorite.
Running Back
Devin Neal ($6,500): On top of a slate-leading team total, Kansas only passes 46.8% of the time. As the clear starter, Devin Neal comes in significantly underpriced. Last year, he rushed 180 times for 1,090 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 21 passes. Daniel Hishaw is interesting for GPPs, but Neal deserves cash consideration.
Tylan Hines ($5,400): After dealing with cramps in the opener against Vanderbilt, Tylan Hines will reportedly play. Despite the cramps, Tylan Hines out-snapped Landon Sims 26-24. Hines carried nine times for an inefficient 15 yards, but he registered 7.6 yards per carry and nine receptions last year. This could be a nice buy-low spot on last week’s chalk.
Jawhar Jordan ($6,900): Pegged as the Louisville starting running back, Jawhar Jordan led the team with 142 carries for 815 yards last year. He also caught 10 passes, which could increase in a pass-friendly offense. Maurice Turner also offers GPP consideration as the projected backup.
Henry Parrish ($6,200): Henry Parrish sits atop the Miami running back depth chart. Last year, he led the team with 130 carries and 616 rushing yards while catching 17 passes in just 10 games. Now healthy, he should play ahead of Donald Chaney and freshman Mark Fletcher.
Jacardia Wright ($3,000): Jacardia Wright is listed as the clear starter for Missouri State, and he led Grizzlies with 711 rushing yards on 156 attempts while catching 23 passes. He is more of a price play but offers salary relief.
Editor Note: Looking for more 2023 college football predictions? Experts are to break down this college football season — make sure to check out the rest of OddsShopper’s’ college football articles. If you still need more picks, our market-based betting model might just be for you — or try it out now!
Wide Receiver
Luke Grimm ($6,500): Kansas returns all three of its top receivers, with Luke Grimm and Lawrence Arnold highlighting this list. Arnold caught 44 passes for 716 yards last year, while Grimm checked in with 52 receptions for 623 yards. Grimm came on strong down the stretch and narrowly edges Arnold in terms of raw projection. Both are elite options, along with WR3 Quentin Skinner.
Benjamin Yurosek ($3,800): Benjamin Yurosek is technically a tight end but operates as more of a big slot. He caught 49 passes for 445 yards last year but comes in as the only Stanford pass catcher without an “or” on the depth chart.
Pofele Ashlock ($4,900):Â A breakout redshirt freshman, Pofele Ashlock led Hawaii in receiving with seven catches for 127 yards in Week 0. Kansas transfer Steven McBride still out-snapped Ashlock 56-42, but this difference is reflected in price. Both are elite plays in Hawaii’s run-and-shoot offense against the pitiful Stanford defense.
Xavier Restrepo ($6,900): Xavier Restrepo was injured for most of last year but caught 21 passes for 240 yards. Miami’s depth chart is unsettled at receiver, and the team failed to post an official depth chart. With that said, he projects to lead the team ahead of the season.
Jamari Thrash ($6,700): Louisville now moves to the air raid offense and lost a majority of its top pass catchers. It did add Georgia State transfer Jamari Thrash, who caught 61 passes for 1,122 yards in the Sun Belt. He projects to lead this group ahead of Ahmari Huggins-Bruce and Chris Bell.
Alante Brown ($3,000): Alante Brown enters a completely unsettled Michigan State depth chart due to the loss of Keon Coleman. Career underachievers Tre Mosley and Montorie Foster are his only competition. At the minimum price, he can be used as a GPP dart.
Joe Wilkins Jr. ($4,500): Joe Wilkins Jr. should be the most talented receiver on this Miami (Ohio) team. As 16.5-point underdogs, Miami should be throwing early and often.
