DraftKings CFB DFS Lineup Picks: Daily College Fantasy Football (10/5/23)

by Mike Marteny

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Mike's DraftKings daily fantasy college football lineup picks for Thursday (10/5/23). His CFB DFS lineup picks and DFS sleepers will help you win.

The first week of October brings us some more mid-week games, and therefore, more mid-week DFS tournaments! I'm all for that! We don't even have to wait for MACtion this year!

Instead, it's Conference USA Thursday. We begin in Lynchburg, Virginia with Sam Houston heading to take on Liberty. An hour later, the nightcap takes the Hilltoppers from Kentucky down to Reston, Louisiana. This is going to be a good one!

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy college football lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/5/23, locking at 7 PM Eastern. I’ll provide multiple player suggestions 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.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Quarterbacks

Austin Reed, Western Kentucky ($8,800)

Reed bounced back last week against Middle Tennessee State and put up numbers that we have come to expect. The two touchdowns were a bit of a disappointment, but he ran for another and nearly had 300 yards passing. Only North Texas has thrown for three Benjamins on La Tech this year, but SMU was the only other team that really tried to pass on them. Reed is likely going to throw 50 passes. That leaves a lot of upside for us in DFS tournaments.

Jack Turner, Louisiana Tech ($5,400)

Hank Bachmeier is going to practice this week, but we likely won't get an update on his status until right before kickoff...if we're lucky. Last week, we didn't find out until kickoff, which means that it was too late for DFS purposes. I will use Bachmeier if he plays. He's a little bit more expensive, but he brings a little more to the plate than turner does. Neither are very accurate, but Bachmeier is more mobile.

Also consider: Kaidon Salter, Liberty ($8,000)

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DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Running Backs

Tyre Shelton, Louisiana Tech ($5,900)

Marquis Crosby did make his season debut last week, so he is going to take some carries away from Shelton. I'm not that concerned. The Bulldogs have given Shelton 15-20 touches when he's healthy. He can put up big numbers on that many touches. He has back-to-back 100-yard games and only carried 16 times in each one. Shelton should hit triple digits again in this one. The Hilltoppers are giving up 205.1 rushing yards per game this season.

John Gentry, Sam Houston ($5,200)

Gentry logged 30 carries last week against a good Jacksonville State defense in the absence of Zach Hrbacek. There has been no word on Hrbacek's status yet, and much like the Louisiana Tech quarterback situation, we may not get one before kickoff. That said, Gentry has 11 receptions in four games, so he's worth using anyway even if Hrbacek is in.

Also consider: Quinton Cooley, Liberty ($5,300); Davion Ervin-Poindexter, Western Kentucky ($4,800)

DraftKings CFB DFS Picks - Wide Receivers

Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky ($7,700)

Corley has at least eight receptions and 80 yards in each of the last three games. That's a 16-point floor. Louisiana Tech's pass defense hasn't been that bad because teams run on them, but they can be had through the air as well. North Texas is the only other pass-first team they have faced. The Mean Green don't have anyone near the duo of Reed and Corley. I expect a big week from both of them here.

Easton Messer, Western Kentucky ($5,900)

If you want to be a second receiver, make sure it's in a good passing offense. Messer has been good in every game aside from the Ohio State game and the opener against South Florida where he wasn't the starter yet. He has 10 receptions for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the last two weeks since the stomping by the Buckeyes.

Noah Smith, Sam Houston ($5,000)

I'm not sure how much of an anomaly the Jacksonville State game was, but we saw a side of the Sam Houston offense that didn't exist for the first month. Smith hauled in 10 passes against the Gamecocks. They only went for 97 yards, but 10 catches and a touchdown is a hell of a floor. He also ran the ball six times! Smith is going to be heavily involved in the Sam Houston offense, no matter how good or bad they look.

Also consider: Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech ($7,300); Treon Sibley, Liberty ($5,000); Bentley Hanshaw, Liberty ($4,000)

DraftKings CFB Stacks:

Western Kentucky

The only player in the stack that is a risk is Davion Ervin-Poindexter, and only because he gets few carries. You're essentially relying on him to catch passes. That's entirely possible when the team throws more than 50 times. I won't be gambling on a WKU back, but Reed, Corley, and Messer will be in every build. I might even add in a little Dalvin Smith for good measure. USC transfer Markese Stepp is a good way to get different, but he only has 27 carries in four games. Is the Bulldog defense really that bad?

Also consider: Liberty, Louisiana Tech

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