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Mike Marteny's college football DFS lineup picks for DraftKings. Week 1 Saturday evening Slate (9/5/26) CFB daily fantasy lineup picks and DFS sleepers for Saturday's prime time slate.
DraftKings' night slates often feature the marquee prime-time matchups in a standalone slate. FanDuel adds them all to the main slate and leaves off other good games in the afternoon. DraftKings setting up the slates like this is part of the reason that I play almost exclusively on DK now. Most of the good games get covered.
For the first time on this huge college football weekend, DK gave us some small schools to choose from. Sam Houston, Troy, Missouri State, Western Michigan, and Louisiana-Monroe are all on here. They stand beside the big draws like Texas A&M, LSU, Clemson, and Michigan. What more can you ask for?
In this article, I will provide you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for the DraftKings Saturday Night slate on 9/5/26, starting at 7 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
Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State ($8.8K)
KAMARIO TAYLOR MADE 'EM MISS AGAIN AND AGAIN ?@HailStateFB x ? ABC pic.twitter.com/njd9nFZxod
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 28, 2025
There are good options at the top, but I'm going with Taylor over Marcel Reed because Mississippi State needs him to win. Texas A&M will likely ease the rushing load on Reed, especially early in the season.
Taylor ran for 236 yards between the Egg Bowl and the bowl game against Wake last year. There's far more rushing upside here, and he's cheaper than Reed.
Michael Van Buren Jr., South Florida ($7.5K)
Michael Van Buren has juice pic.twitter.com/5WOcVTJTNT
— Boppa ?♂️ (@ihatebbls) September 28, 2025
There is an alternate universe where LSU aren't the biggest morons in college football. Lane Kiffin is never hired. Van Buren takes over as the starting QB for LSU, and now everyone is hoping for a Clemson win.
Lost in the case of Van Buren is how much promise he showed both with Mississippi State and LSU. Now, he gets to showcase his talent led by one of the most sought-after offensive minds of this era. Van Buren is finally going to make good on everything this year.
Caden Veltkamp, Florida Atlantic ($5.9K)
Veltkamp led FBS with 17 interceptions last year, which is not a quality you want when he's facing a team like Florida. That said, is Florida really going to be that much better than the 2025 version?
Was Billy Napier really everything that was wrong with the Gators? Veltkamp threw for 3,641 yards last year. If he can keep the interceptions to one or two, he can be a solid play at this price.
Also consider: Marcel Reed, Texas A&M ($9K); Goose Crowder, Troy ($7.7K); Aidan Armenta, Louisiana-Monroe ($5.2K)
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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Running Backs
Jadan Baugh, Florida ($8.7K)
FAU was absolutely abused on the ground last year. They allowed 35 rushing touchdowns in 12 games and an average of 201.3 yards per game. This game is going to get out of hand, but I'll be shocked if Baugh doesn't put at least two in the end zone.
Jalen Buckley, Western Michigan ($5.8K)
This is a terrible matchup, but Buckley is a true battering ram for the Broncos. He scored eight touchdowns in the last six games of the 2025 season.
The success of Buckley hinges entirely on Western Michigan's ability to keep this game close. He was a non-factor in a blowout loss to Illinois last year, but I have a feeling that WMU hangs around for a little while. Long enough for Buckley to be a solid play.
Alton McCaskill, Sam Houston ($5.3K)
McCaskill, the once-promising Houston back, will once again be in a timeshare with Landan Brown. Brown was the more successful runner overall last year, but McCaskill showed some of the flashes of his 2021 freshman season at Houston.
Former Houston Cougar, Colorado Buffalo, and Arizona State Sun Devil RB Alton McCaskill showing flashes of his old form tonight vs. Western Kentucky. ? #GoCoogs #SkoBuffs #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/qiawSewKuG
— Ossacin’s Ducktail (@OssacinDucktail) August 24, 2025
He's a cheap flier at this price, especially in a timeshare situation, but few backs come close to the potential of McCaskill. If he could only tap into it...
Also consider: Fluff Bothwell, Mississippi State ($8.2K); D.J. Crowther, South Florida ($6.1K); Harlem Berry, LSU ($5.5K)
DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Wide Receivers
Dallas Wilson, Florida ($6.4K)
dallas wilson touchdown pic.twitter.com/HF5oHRv1PZ
— ◇ (@F0RGIAT0) October 4, 2025
Wilson had a big game against Texas last year, but that was the only game in which he was a major contributor as a freshman. The poor quarterback play had a lot to do with that.
Honestly, both Wilson and Auburn transfer Eric Singleton Jr. are strong plays against FAU. Florida is going to run more than usual, but the Gators still want to see what they've got in new QB Aaron Philo.
Anthony Evans III, Mississippi State ($5.8K)
Evans caught 67 passes for 831 yards last year on a team that struggled to move the ball. Jeff Lebby got creative with ways to get Evans the ball because he was the best playmaker on offense.
The offense looks much improved heading into 2026. If Evans can put up numbers like that in a struggling offense, the sky is the limit in 2026.
Easton Messer, Florida Atlantic ($5.3K)
Messer caught 104 passes for 1,052 yards in this offense last year. At this price, he's one of the better plays on the entire slate. Messer is a giant target hog. He brings all of the upside of Veltkamp with none of the turnover risk.
Messer caught at least four passes in every game last year, including a ridiculous 15 receptions against Maryland. He's going to get a ton of targets in this one as well.
T.J. Moore, Clemson ($4.6K)
Moore caught 52 passes for 837 yards last year. There's no reason for him to be this cheap. LSU is not only dealing with the biggest distraction in college football history, but this is essentially a team of mercenaries with an egotistical maniac as a coach.
2026 LSU is giving off serious 2024 Florida State vibes. I'm a big fan of both Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. at their respective prices.
Also consider: Mario Craver, Texas A&M ($7.4K); Jackson Harris, LSU ($5.6K); Nic Trujillo, Louisiana-Monroe ($4K); Salesi Moa, Michigan ($3.8K)
DraftKings CFB Stacks
South Florida
Just because Alex Golesh took his entire toybox (offense) to Auburn with him doesn't mean this team will struggle. Brian Hartline is going to do great things with this team.
FIU allowed 445.8 yards per game last year. South Florida should hit the ground running here. Van Buren and Crowther are the easy plays. The receivers are tough.
Mudia Rueben and Bryson Rodgers are my top two targets in that order. If you want a fifth, Ahmad Branch looks to be the third receiver, but I'm going with shares of RB Jason Collins Jr. where I can afford him.
Mississippi State
This is the perfect place for Jeff Lebby to show off his offense behind budding superstar Kamario Taylor. Taylor/Fluff/Evans is going to be the very popular Mississippi State stack.
I'll get different by adding Marquis Johnson. Right now, I don't see a fifth option that I'm crazy about. Sanfrisco Magee is enticing, but his role isn't clearly defined yet.
Also consider: Florida, Clemson (GPP only), Sam Houston (GPP only)
