Early DraftKings CFB DFS Lineup Picks: Daily College Fantasy Football (9/16/23)

September 14, 2023

Mike's DraftKings daily fantasy college football lineup picks for the early slate on Saturday (9/16/23). His CFB DFS lineup picks and DFS sleepers will help you win.

The last great college football season rolls into Week 3 this week. We have a huge slate with 14 games on tap for the early main slate on DraftKings. There is only one game featuring an FCS team when Weber State visits Utah, but we still have some projected lopsided games such as Central Michigan visiting Notre Dame and Western Kentucky visiting the Shoe.

We start this off with some fun ones. Georgia Southern heads to Madison to take on the Badgers. Florida State climbs Chestnut Hill. Louisville heads up to Bloomington to take on the Hoosiers. K-State heads to Columbia for the first time since 2010. LSU heads to StarkVegas to take on the Cowbells. Illinois hosts Penn State to finish off the nooners. The afternoon starts with the Nerd Bowl in Durham between Duke and Northwestern. Oregon State hosts San Diego State. South Carolina heads to Athens for what once-upon-a-time looked like a good game. Alabama heads down to Tampa to take on the Bulls. We close this out with Tulane heading to Hattiesburg to take on Southern Miss.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/16/23, locking at noon Eastern. I’ll provide multiple player suggestions for players at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, aiming to highlight one option at the high, middle, and lower end of the salary scale. Good luck, RotoBallers.

DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Quarterbacks

Jayden Daniels, LSU ($8,600)

Despite the loss to Florida State, Daniels still had a really good game. Even though he didn't run much against Grambling, he still threw five touchdowns before becoming a spectator. There's a lot to like about Daniels in DFS circles. The opportunistic Mississippi State defense did a number on Jayden de Laura last week, but Daniels is a better decision maker. This should remain a competitive game all the way through, so expect Daniels to have at least 30 DraftKings points again.

Tayven Jackson, Indiana ($7,100)

His first career start against the Sycamores was a good one. Jackson completed 18 of 21 passes for 236 yards but failed to throw a touchdown. He did add one on the ground before he departed. This promises to be a much closer game against Louisville. The Louisville defense was eaten alive by Haynes King in the opener. Jackson's arm is similar, and he has better running ability. Jackson should be in for a nice game against Louisville.

Austin Reed, Western Kentucky ($5,500)

This is going to be the best defense that Reed has ever faced. Ohio State's secondary is going to trick Reed into making mistakes and that defensive line is going to be all over him. That said, this price is low enough that Reed might be worth the risk. The Hilltoppers throw a lot in the normal flow of their offense, so Ohio State shutting down their run game won't throw things off kilter. Reed will turn it over a few times, but I can see him throwing for 300 yards here. That's great output in this price range.

Also consider: Jalen Milroe, Alabama ($9,100); Will Howard, Kansas State ($8,200); Davis Brin, Georgia Southern ($6,900); Riley Leonard, Duke ($6,700); Ben Bryant, Northwestern ($5,400)

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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Running Backs

Audric Estime, Notre Dame ($7,800)

Estime's low mark on the season is 95 yards against Navy in the opener. He has scored four touchdowns on the ground so far and hauled in five passes. He does a little bit of everything. There are a lot of teams splitting carries now, but the splits for the Irish are still overwhelmingly in Estime's favor. He's worth paying up for here.

Jo'Quavious Marks, Mississippi State ($6,800)

This is going to be a tough game for Marks, but he has 250 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to go with eight receptions for 91 yards in two games. He is the largest piece of the offensive puzzle for the Bulldogs, and I expect him to be busy in every facet of the game. His workload should prevent a lineup-killing score and the upside is there with all of the passes he hauls in.

Jaylin Lucas, Indiana ($4,700)

Josh Henderson is still getting a few more carries than Lucas, but Lucas is doing a lot more with his touches. This will likely continue to be a murky situation, but I trust the more explosive player. Lucas also got some work in the passing game against the Sycamores, giving him a little added upside.

Also consider: Ja'Quinden Jackson, Utah ($6,700); Nicholas Singleton, Penn State ($6,300); Jordan Waters, Duke ($5,700); Frank Gore Jr., Southern Mississippi ($5,000); Kye Robichaux, Boston College ($4,700)

DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Wide Receivers

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State ($9,100)

Kyle McCord remembered that he had the best receiver in the country last week and it resulted in him finally winning the starting quarterback job for the Buckeyes. Harrison hauled in seven passes for 160 yards and scored the first two Ohio State touchdowns last week. There is a small chance that Western Kentucky finds a way to hang around in this one. If they do, Harrison could be in for a ceiling game. At any rate, I still expect him to be heavily featured while this game is still close.

Keon Coleman, Florida State ($6,500)

Coleman has four touchdowns already in just two games as a Seminole. The Michigan State transfer has been the perfect complement to Johnny Wilson on the other side. Wilson was hurt early in the same against Southern Miss, but he appears to be in line to play this week. Even if he does, I prefer Coleman for $700 less.

Luther Burden III, Missouri ($5,900)

Burden has been the only bright spot for Missouri for DFS purposes. Brady Cook has been average, and the backfield is mired in a committee. Meanwhile, Burden has hauled in 15 passes for 213 yards and a score in the first two games. He has set a new career high in receptions and yardage in the first two weeks of this season. A third such increase isn't out of the question in a game where the Tigers will have to pass to keep up.

Jaden Greathouse, Notre Dame ($4,000)

With Sam Hartman trying to put together a Heisman campaign, the Irish should keep throwing the ball around. Greathouse has scored three times in three games. He's not the best deep threat that the Irish have, but Hartman obviously looks towards Greathouse in the red zone. Something can be said for those kinds of targets.

Also consider: Malik Nabers, LSU ($7,300); KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Penn State ($6,400); Jha'Quan Jackson, Tulane ($6,300); Phillip Brooks, Kansas State ($5,700); Jamari Thrash, Louisville ($5,300); Omar Cooper, Indiana ($4,100)

DraftKings CFB Stacks:

Alabama

It's a get-right game for the Tide and South Florida, despite all fun on offense, are one of the worst defensive teams around. Milroe is a good target. Both Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams could be strong plays as well. I'm not sure how much Alabama is going to throw here, but tight end Amari Niblack has found the end zone in each of the two games so far.

Notre Dame

Central Michigan has struggled defensively, and Sam Hartman has been the model of efficiency for the Irish so far. Audric Estime has been outstanding out of the backfield and they all play behind a really good offensive live. Hartman and Estime feel like a necessary start to this stack. Greathouse is a great price and Holden Staes is making his case as the next great Notre Dame tight end.

Also consider: Ohio State, Georgia

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