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Mike Marteny's DraftKings daily fantasy college football lineup picks for the Saturday (8/30/25) main slate in Week 1. His CFB DFS lineup picks and DFS sleepers will help you win.
We have a dozen games on the Saturday main slate on DraftKings, and boy, do we have some monsters! Ohio State and Texas highlight this slate, but the undercard matchups between Tennessee and Syracuse and Alabama and Florida State aren't bad either. Add in the Misery Bowl between Temple and UMass to go with an underrated matchup between Kentucky and Toledo, and we're in for a fun afternoon!
We have some teams that don't wind up on DFS slates very often, but at least they are all FBS teams. The price is prohibitive on some of these guys, so I'll be playing most of my lineups with mid-range players.
In this article, I will provide you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for the main DraftKings slate on 8/30/25, starting at noon 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
Ty Simpson, Alabama ($8K)
Alabama's offense could look a little different with Jam Miller out. That should mean a few more opportunities for Simpson in this one. FSU reloaded, especially on defense, in the portal again. It's hard to compare how bad their rush defense was last year with this year. That's another reason to use Simpson. He runs a 4.31 40-yard dash. Simpson could be a big part of the run game with Miller out.
If people didn’t know that Ty Simpson is a dual threat QB, they’ll know this season pic.twitter.com/75TU7SlkPA
— 18x National Champions 🐘 (@_Tide18Tymes) August 26, 2025
At any rate, I expect FSU to hang around for a little while. We should see a solid game out of Simpson in his first career start, be it from passing or rushing stats.
Caden Veltkamp, Florida Atlantic ($7.6K)
Veltkamp got tired of the weather in Bowling Green, so he packed up his favorite receiver and headed south. He threw for 3,108 yards last year and 25 touchdowns. The FAU offense might throw even more than Western Kentucky did. Coach Zach Kittley was the architect of the high-flying Houston Baptist offense that Bailey Zappe ran before heading to Western Kentucky.
Joey Aguilar, Tennessee ($6.4K)
Aguilar has the arm talent to succeed in this offense. A lot has changed for Tennessee from last year. I expect the Orange to hang around for a while, which means Aguilar will have plenty of chances to get the Vols fans excited for the season. Aguilar isn't the athlete that Nico Iamaleava is, but he is a better fit for this offense.
Jake Retzlaff, Tulane ($5.5K)
Really? Are we just going to ignore the fact that Retzlaff threw for 2,896 yards in the Big 12 (16) last year? The Northwestern defense wasn't the problem last year, but they weren't that good either. It was the lesser of two evils. I expect Retzlaff to come out swinging in this one. This price is comical.
Also consider: Fernando Mendoza, Indiana ($8.2K); Blake Shapen, Mississippi State ($6.8K); Zach Calzada, Kentucky ($5.3K); Grant Jordan, Massachusetts ($4.8K)
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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Running Backs
Nolan Ray, Maryland ($7K)
There is no official depth chart for Maryland, but with uncertainty at QB, I expect a run-heavy approach in the opener. Florida Atlantic allowed nearly 200 rushing yards per game last season. Maryland's path to a win is paved in rushing yards. He might be my favorite RB play on this slate.
Devin Mockobee, Purdue ($6.3K)
Mockobee, like the rest of the Purdue offense, was a disappointment last year. It's not all his fault. The team couldn't throw, and the line play was atrocious. There is room for optimism here since Ball State allowed 187 rushing yards per game last year. Purdue is going to run the ball because they can. Well, a confident Mockobee will help change the outlook of this team.
Devin Mockobee, the lone bright spot heading into the season for Purdue. pic.twitter.com/N9jP3YFVBX
— Savanah Tujague (@savanah2j) August 20, 2025
There was a mass exodus of players out of Purdue, but Mockobee stayed because he wanted an engineering degree from Purdue. His future was more important than playing for a better college team. That's a rarity in this era, so I'm hoping for a great season out of Mockobee. The talent is there.
Jay Ducker, Temple ($6K)
UMass allowed 212.3 rushing yards per game last year. That was bad enough for 122nd in FBS. Unlike last year at Sam Houston, Ducker seems to be a workhorse back for this Temple backfield. The Owls won't find themselves in many situations where they can run at will this year, but this is one of them. Take full advantage of it in DFS circles.
Rocko Griffin, Massachusetts ($5.5K)
Griffin, like Ducker, was in a crowded RB room last year (at UTSA). Also like Ducker, Griffin has an elite matchup in Week 1. Temple allowed a staggering 226.6 rushing yards per game last year. That was 132nd out of 134 teams. Griffin could be an elite play at this price.
Also consider: Nicholas Singleton, Penn State ($8.8K); DeSean Bishop, Tennessee ($6.4K); Fluff Bothwell, Mississippi State ($5.9K); Dante Dowdell, Kentucky ($5.2K)
DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Wide Receivers
Easton Messer, Florida Atlantic ($7.5K)
Messer followed his quarterback to paradise. Not just weather-wise, but in a pass-happy offense that makes the air raid look like a wishbone. No one on the slate has the guaranteed points that Messer is going to put up in this game.
Jalil Farooq, Maryland ($6.3K)
I like this play a lot more if Malik Washington starts for Maryland, but Farooq should be a strong play regardless. We remember the type of season he had with Dillon Gabriel at Oklahoma in 2023. Last season was an unmitigated disaster for the Sooners, and everyone's numbers suffered because of it.
WR’s will once again be a strength - Oklahoma transfer Jalil Farooq had a nice day - local kid coming home who will be a focal point of the offense pic.twitter.com/9kSMTJg7Ip
— Dave Revsine (@BTNDaveRevsine) August 5, 2025
Farooq lands in a good spot here. FAU's offense looks good enough to keep this game close. If they do, Farooq could be in for a huge day.
Johntay Cook, Syracuse ($5.4K)
Cook toiled away in obscurity in the Texas offense for the last two years. Now he gets the chance to be the alpha in a Syracuse offense that threw the ball around a lot in 2024. The Orange will likely have to throw to keep up on Rocky Top. Cook could be in for a big game in his Syracuse debut.
Jayvan Boggs, Florida State ($3.8K)
Boggs is going to see action in this game. He's an unknown commodity, but Florida State should have to pass to have any chance in this game. Duce Robinson is the guy you really want, but if you need an option with upside on the cheap, Boggs is worth a GPP lottery ticket.
Also consider: Ryan Williams, Alabama ($9.1K); Anthony Evans III, Mississippi State ($5.8K); Duce Robinson, Florida State ($5.2K); Justus Ross-Simmons, Syracuse ($4.3K)
DraftKings CFB Stacks
Temple-UMass game stack
The defense for both teams is downright horrible. Ducker and Griffin will get to run until they pass out. Juwuan Price is listed as the backup for UMass and could get some work on the cheap as well. If Evan Simon starts for Temple, we can include a couple of receivers. Colin Chase and JoJo Bermudez are intriguing options.
Florida Atlantic
I wouldn't touch a running back here, but there are a lot of great plays in the passing game, starting with the Veltkamp-Messer connection. JR Wilson Jr, Jamari Smith, and Dominique Henry are all worth a look as well. I would have an interest in Jayshon Platt if I knew he was starting.
Also consider: Mississippi State, Indiana, Purdue (GPP only)
