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Mike Marteny's college football DFS lineup picks for DraftKings. Week 1 Friday Slate (9/4/26) CFB daily fantasy lineup picks and DFS sleepers for Friday.
DraftKings took the same approach as the Thursday slate this week and avoided all FBS vs. FCS matchups. I don't blame them. It's hard for them to get accurate pricing on those teams and just as hard for us to pick them. This levels the field a little more.
We have three ranked teams in action on a Friday, so this is going to be a very enjoyable slate! Both Jayden Maiava and Darian Mensah are in our top-25 quarterback rankings, and the hype on John Mateer is every bit as loud as it was in 2025. Who can help us win some cash?
In this article, I will provide you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/4/26, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern. I’ll give multiple player suggestions for players at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, aiming to highlight one option at the salary scale's high, middle, and lower end. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Quarterbacks
John Mateer, Oklahoma ($9K)
TRENDING: John Mateer throws with some of the CRAZIEST HEAT you’ll see on a ball.
Mateer reportedly “worked with” Josh Hess (Josh Allen’s biomechanics coach) to improve his overall mechanics.
The Sooners QB has a DIFFERENT KIND of arm strength ??
(Via Brad Frazier/IG) pic.twitter.com/iYA5euDlnX
— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) August 28, 2026
I know that Maiava looked really good in the opener and Mensah likely has better pieces around him, but Mateer and Oklahoma have by far the better matchup.
UTEP allowed at least 30 points in eight of 12 games last season. Delaware put up 61 on them to put the Blue Hens in a bowl game. When you get whipped by the Blue Hens, it really puts things in perspective.
This game is so, so unappealing that the SEC Network would rather show reruns of its specials than show a live game from a top-10 team. I'm buying the Mateer hype, and I'll pay for it here because the upside is massive.
Darian Mensah, Miami (FL) ($8.2K)
You're not saving a lot by dropping down to Mensah, but that's not the point. The point is finding the best matchups. Hawaii QB Micah Alejado threw 50 times on Stanford and wasn't picked off once.
Miami has the receivers to absolutely torch this secondary. Mensah was second in FBS in passing yards last season. There is a lot to like about this matchup as well, and it is a good pivot off of the high roster percentage of Mateer.
Davis Warren, Stanford ($5.5K)
Warren was the only 300-yard passer in Week 0. Don't expect a repeat performance, but his first outing was impressive enough that I think he can have enough success for the price tag against Miami.
Stanford should be trailing in this game, forcing Warren to throw to try and keep up. He's a good dart throw in this price range.
Also consider: Jayden Maiava, USC ($8.5K); Jayden Mandal, Fresno State ($5.7K)
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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Running Backs
Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami (FL) ($7.5K)
Hawaii barely tried to run the ball on Stanford and had no success doing so (22 carries for 46 yards). Stanford's run defense was one of the few bright spots on the team last season.
That said, Fletcher is the only back on the slate whose workload we can trust. Fletcher won't break the slate, but he had at least 90 rushing yards in all four CFP games last year. He'll get his yards.
Lloyd Avant, Oklahoma ($6.3K)
A little of #Sooners running backs.
Tory Blaylock was not seen at practice.
Lloyd Avant went first in every drill with Xavier Robinson following. pic.twitter.com/U1C44Xmhkz
— Davis Cordova (@byDavisCordova) August 7, 2026
Reading the tea leaves, it looks like Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant is in no worse than a timeshare in the Oklahoma backfield. I wouldn't be shocked to see both Avant and Xavier Robinson have good games here.
I'm taking the slight discount on Avant because the coaches have raved about him this spring and summer. Robinson had several chances in 2025 to prove that he deserved the RB job. He could never shake Tory Blaylock, and Avant is better than Blaylock.
Bryson Donelson, Fresno State ($4.8K)
Fresno wants to slow this game down and keep the USC offense off the field. They have the backs to do it. Rayshon Luke will likely get more carries early on with Donelson having offseason shoulder surgery, but both looked good in camp.
I like the elusiveness of Donelson in this matchup. Don't expect a big game against the USC run defense, but all Donelson needs to do is get loose once, and he'll pay this price off.
Also consider: King Miller, USC ($7.3K); CJ Miller, Toledo ($6.6K); Cam Edwards, Michigan State ($6.2K)
DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Wide Receivers
Malachi Toney, Miami (FL) ($7.2K)
While it is true that Cooper Barkate has the rapport with Mensah after playing with him at Duke in 2025, Toney is by far the better receiver. I love Barkate, but it's not close.
Toney is the matchup nightmare. The Stanford secondary did decent enough against Hawaii, but there is no way they can cover Toney.
Trent Mosley, USC ($5.9K)
USC freshman WR Trent Mosley is having a day
•7 Receptions
•118 yards
•1 TD pic.twitter.com/8BzJ1BarQp— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) August 29, 2026
The true freshman had a monster day in USC's opener with Tanook Hines out. The status of Hines is still uncertain, but why would USC risk him? This should be another easy game for the Trojans, and another big day for the freshman.
Josiah Freeman, Fresno State ($4.6K)
While I do have questions about the quarterback throwing him the ball, I also know that the leash on Mandal could be a short one. Freeman had some big games last year and disappeared in others.
San Jose was able to get deep on USC a couple of times. If Fresno is able to do the same, it will be Freeman on the other end of a deep ball. He's a strong play in this price range.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, USC ($3.9K)
Mosley was the guy who dazzled, but Dixon-Wyatt, another freshman, also caught a touchdown pass. Maiava showed that he trusted both receivers. If Hines is still out, which seems likely, there's room for both USC freshmen in your lineups.
Also consider: Cooper Barkate, Miami (FL) ($6.2K); Adjatay Dabbs, Toledo ($5.3K); Parker Livingstone, Oklahoma ($4.3K); Carver Cheeks, UTEP ($3,600)
DraftKings CFB Stacks
USC
Unlike UTEP, Fresno has enough on offense to hang around for a while. USC's starters were still in the game with the Trojans up 35-3 in the opener. Lincoln Riley will leave them out there.
The only true avoid for me is Waymond Jordan. USC took it easy with him coming off of knee surgery last October, and likely will again. If you're going with a USC stack, run the four-man of Maiava, King Miller, Mosley, and Dixon-Wyatt.
That leaves you $24,400 to fill out the other half of your lineup. If Hines is out again, a minimum-priced Tron Baker is a very appetizing fifth option.
Miami (FL)
I think we'll see some shying away from Miami because Stanford looked solid in the opener. Hawaii's offense is a lot like a Chevy Cavalier. It's reliable, but it doesn't have a lot of top-end speed. Miami is a Corvette with the V12 engine.
Mensah, Fletcher, and Toney will be the go-to Miami stack, but I have no issues adding Barkate. The issue becomes price. Those four cost $29,100, making it nearly impossible to use another top QB.
Also consider: Oklahoma, Fresno State (GPP only), Toledo (GPP only)
