RADIO
Welcome to our first real slate of Week 5! Navy and Memphis faced off last night, and showdowns are always fun, but they don't compare to a nice four-game Friday night slate. It's a fun one, with all four games being in play. There isn't a west coast 70+ total or a team favored by 30. We have four fun games to analyze and there's definitely an edge to be had on this slate.
Let's dive right in and get to it!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for the early slate of games on FanDuel and DraftKings on 9/26/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
It's an extremely fun slate ahead of us, with more than enough offense to go around. I'll be breaking down the later slate in a different article, so make sure to keep an eye out for that as well. Let's dive into some of the top plays at each position. You can follow me on Twitter @VarneyDFS. I will be around all day to answer questions.
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks
Sean Clifford - Penn State - FD $10,000 DK $7,900
This game between Penn State and Maryland is expected to be the highest-scoring on the slate. With a 60 over/under and Penn State favored by seven, that puts an implied total of 34 on the Nittany Lions. They've transitioned to a pass-first team this season, throwing the ball 75 times through three games. Clifford has some trouble against the tough defense of Pittsburgh, but it's the same defense that stifled UCF a week later. Penn State still slipped by their rival and they go into this contest 3-0 after a bye. Expect Clifford to find the end zone at least twice and he should get over 250 yards with ease. Maryland is better against the run and their defense hasn't been tested much. If Penn State scores 30+, you'll want Clifford.
Donald Hammond III - Air Force - FD $9,000 DK $6,900
Hammond III isn't priced like it, but I have him slated as my top point per dollar QB on this slate. Air Force is a twenty point favorite against San Jose State, so they should be putting up at least 35-40 points. They're a team that only throws it out of necessity, so don't be surprised to see just two or three passes all game long. With that being said, Hammond is just as involved in this running game as Remsberg and Birdow. He hasn't seen nearly as many carries, but he has five touchdowns to their combined three. They lean on him in the red zone and it's hard to believe he doesn't find the end zone a couple more times on the ground here. San Jose State doesn't have a defense to not and Air Force should have their way on the ground. Hammond III will be in most of my super flex spots.
Also Consider - Ryan Willis, Josh Jackson, Chase Garbers
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Running Backs
Kadin Remsberg - Air Force - FD $8,700 DK $6,400
Both Remsberg and Birdow are great plays here, but salary isn't too much of a challenge on this slate, so we'll go with Remsberg. He's the leading back for Navy and I don't think he's even gotten started yet. He has three touchdowns on the young season, but he's been stopped at the one multiple times and has been vultured by Hammond. If Air Force does score close to 40 points like Vegas expects, I have a hard time believing San Jose State keeps Remsberg out of the end zone. He will be in every lineup of mine and I could easily see him score two or three touchdowns.
Journey Brown - Penn State - FD $8,200 DK $5,200
Journey Brown has taken over the lead-back role, and we know how valuable that is in this offense. He's no Miles Sanders or Saquon Barkley, but you will likely see this name on Sundays in the future. Journey Brown is a huge prospect out of high school and if you watched that game last week, you know he can run with any college football running back. This Maryland defensive line isn't terrible, but they're also way overrated with three relatively easy match-ups so far. Brown will see another 10+ carries and he could see even more if Penn State grabs the early lead. Brown is a great cash game play with plenty of upside.
Also Consider - Keshawn King, Anthony McFarland Jr., Deon Jackson
FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers
K.J Hamler - Penn State - FD $8,600 DK $6,100
This is a pretty weird slate of receivers. There's no superstar that is priced above the rest and an easy 20+ fantasy points. Maybe Tre Walker, but that offense isn't in a great spot. We do have about 10 guys that are relevant and five or so stand out. If we like Sean Clifford at QB, we have to like his top option in K.J. Hamler. Hamler hasn't found the end zone since week one when he was there twice, but he's seen 5+ targets in every game and Clifford relies on him heavily out of the slot. He's one of the more electric players in the conference and a guy that is implemented heavily into the offense in any game script. Hamler is the safest receiver play on the slate.
Aaron Young - Duke - FD $7,600 DK $8,300
Aaron Young is the clear number one receiver on this Duke team, and they should be throwing for most of the game against Virginia Tech. Young is a six-foot-four dream red-zone target, so it's no surprise to see him score three times in just two games. Quentin Harris has looked pretty good up to this point and he's leaning on Young when it matters. This game will be close and I could easily see Young have a huge game. There are some other Duke WR's to consider if you need to go cheaper. Jalon Calhoun and Scott Bracey are both starting and are former four-star recruits.
Tre Walker - San Jose State - FD $9,200 DK $6,000
San Jose State is going to lose this game by a few touchdowns, but that's not necessarily bad for Tre Walker. He's probably going to be the most productive receiver on this slate at the end of the season. He returned just last game from injury and saw 12 catches on 17 targets for 161 yards. Go watch his high school highlights first if you want to lock him in everywhere. This Air Force defense is a lot tougher than Arkansas, but Walker should still see double-digit targets and you can fit him in on both sites.
Last week it was Cole Fotheringham I had a feeling on. He went into the game with zero catches on the season and came out with 3 catches and a TD for minimum price and 0.2%. On this slate, it's Justin Shorter. He has immense talent and I think he makes a difference on this slate. To be completely clear, this is an off the wall GPP play.
Also Consider - Brandon Aiyuk, Dontay Demus Jr., Geraud Sanders
