College football Week 2 continues with a 13-game Saturday slate. CFB DFS differs from traditional NFL DFS in a few key areas. Rosters do not require a defense and instead incorporate a superflex 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 get into the CFB Week 2 DFS picks and projections for Saturday, Sept. 9.
CFB Week 2 DFS Picks and Projections | Saturday
Quarterback
Brennan Armstrong ($9,200): DraftKings priced up all the quarterbacks despite the slate consisting almost entirely of lackluster or unproven options. One such player, North Carolina State’s Brennan Armstrong, played a tumultuous Week 1 against UConn. While Armstrong reunited with his old offensive coordinator Robert Anae, that only resulted in 155 passing yards on 26 attempts. Armstrong did rush 19 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns, but 10 of those attempts came on scrambles. North Carolina State will also face a tougher opponent in Notre Dame. While the rushing upside provides a path to a ceiling, Armstrong’s horrifying floor makes him more of a GPP play. Here you can find a full Notre Dame-NC State picks and preview post.
Michael Pratt ($8,800): The top range for tournaments looks like the $8,000 range, where Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt resides. In Week 1, Tulane knocked off a quality South Alabama team 37-17 behind an efficient performance from Pratt. He completed 14 of 15 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns. Pratt also displayed his mobility with 11 carries for 39 yards. Tulane will face a tougher opponent in Ole Miss, and Pratt has missed a little practice time this week. However, he doesn’t look likely to miss this game, making him one of the better quarterback plays on the slate.
Jeff Sims ($7,200): As scary as it sounds, Jeff Sims projects among the top price-adjusted quarterbacks on the slate. Colorado plays horrific defense, and Sims’ rushing ability gives him one of the safest floors on the slate. Sims rushed 19 times in Week 1 for 91 yards, and 14 of those were designed runs. Colorado just allowed 7.1 yards per carry to TCU, setting up Sims for efficiency. This game also has a 59 total, which ranks among the highest on the slate.
Hudson Card ($6,000): The bottom end of quarterback looks a bit brutal this week. However, a few interesting GPP options like Hudson Card, Sawyer Robertson ($6,600), Jordan McCloud ($5,000) stand out as potential options. Card looks potentially intriguing for a Purdue offense that ranked 24th in seconds per play last week. He also played well in Week 1 against Fresno State. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns while rushing six times for another 29 yards. Virginia Tech’s defense should not provide too much resistance, making Card a solid price-adjusted play.
Running Back
Ray Davis ($7,700): Kentucky absolutely slaughtered Ball State last week, and Ray Davis still touched the ball 19 times. He handled 73.68% of the team’s touches and participated in 69% of the routes. Eastern Kentucky got demolished 66-13 by Cincinnati last week, and this game projects similarly.
Audric Estime ($7,500): Notre Dame will face its first real opponent in North Carolina State after coasting through Navy and East Tennessee State. With that said, it is still a 7.5-point road favorite against a North Carolina State defense that lost its best defensive lineman to the NFL. Making matters worse for the Wolfpack, they allowed 6.2 yards per carry to UConn last week. Notre Dame running back Audric Estime plays behind one of the best offensive lines in college football. He already has 31 touches through two cupcakes games, setting him up for an even larger workload.
Donovan Edwards ($6,800): Like last week, Michigan will split Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum for as long as this game stays relatively competitive. Michigan is a 37-point favorite in a game with a 57 total. Much like all of Michigan’s non-conference games in recent memory, the starters will not be needed for full action. With that said, Michigan still gave Edwards and Corum 16 and 13 touches last week. That is more than enough to get there for DFS, and Edwards has a cheaper price.
Rasheen Ali ($4,800): The biggest pricing error on the slate, Rasheen Ali is the single best price-adjusted play this week. Marshall is a 3-point favorite over East Carolina, and Ali just touched the ball 19 times last week. He only saw one target, but he participated in 72% of routes. Outside of a fade in massive tournaments, lineups should start with Ali this week.
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
Xavier Weaver ($7,200): Colorado’s defense has major problems. On top of allowing 7.1 yards per carry, it allowed 6.6 yards per pass attempt and will now play without nickel Myles Slusher. Bookmakers also expect touchdowns, with the total sitting at 59 points. Colorado struggled to run the ball, averaging 1.6 yards per carry average. However, it carved up an elite TCU secondary for 10.9 yards per attempt. While much of that came through phenom Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., Xavier Weaver looks like a supreme buy-low. Weaver out-gained Horn 718-551 at USF last year. Hunter also runs the risk of playing fewer snaps in non-competitive games. Ultimately, this is a solid passing attack to target for DFS.
Barion Brown ($5,600): Despite demolishing Ball State, Kentucky threw the ball 61.5% of the time and ranked 39th in seconds per play. This team returned former offensive coordinator Liam Coen and added North Carolina State transfer Devin Leary under center. It also returned its top three receivers, including last year’s top pass catcher Barion Brown. He only turned six targets into 39 yards last week, but this puts him in buy low territory ahead of Week 2.
Ainias Smith ($5,500): Coming off a season-ending injury last year, Ainias Smith returned to Texas A&M’s lineup and participated in 54% of the routes. He only turned three targets into 40 yards, but this could put him into GPP leverage territory. Smith previously functioned as Texas A&M’s WR1, but injury allowed Evan Stewart to emerge. With Stewart and Noah Thomas playing well in Week 1, there is a chance that Smith will fly under the radar in Week 2.
Deion Burks ($4,800): Despite Jeff Brohm leaving for Louisville this offseason, Purdue still passed 50% of the time and ranked 24th in seconds per play in Week 1. With Graham Harrell taking over as offensive coordinator, it appears Purdue will still play uptempo and pass-heavy football. This offense immediately contributed to a Deion Burks breakout game. Burks turned nine targets into 152 yards, showing off his explosive ability. He now faces a Virginia Tech defense that was untested in Week 1 as a 3-point underdog.
Chris Brazzell II ($4,100): One of the sneakiest games of the week, Tulane takes on Ole Miss as a touchdown underdog in a game with a 66.5-point total. Even as the underdog, Tulane pass catchers are underpriced across the board. Specifically, Chris Brazzell II is one of the top receiving options on the slate after seeing four targets and participating in 77% of the routes. While Lawrence Keys III and Jha’Quan Jackson deserve consideration too, Brazzell is one of the top price-adjusted receivers on the slate.
