19 (Early Slate)

5 months ago by Austyn Varney

Welcome to Week 4 of the college football season! After three extremely fun weeks of football, this fourth week is looking like the best one yet. FanDuel and DraftKings have given us very different slates and while we'll be focusing on DraftKings, I'll do my best to throw in some FanDuel plays as well.

It's certainly a fun slate and we have plenty to dive into. I think QB may be as cut and dry as we've seen to this point, but there's plenty of other spots to get weird and different in tournaments. Let's dive in!

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 9/21/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.

Editor's Note: Get any rest-of-season NFL Premium Pass for 50% off. Our exclusive DFS Tools, Lineup Optimizer and Premium DFS Research through the Super Bowl. Sign Up Now!

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

Joe Burrow - LSU - FD $10,200 DK $8,500

With a 62 point over/under and LSU favored by 24, we can expect at least 40 out of the Tigers here. Vanderbilt has been absolutely terrible against the pass, allowing Elijah Sindelar to throw for 504 yards in their last game. Joe Burrow will continue climbing the Heisman ladder and I could see him throwing for five touchdowns with ease. If Orgeron doesn’t let off the peddle or if Vandy can muster together a couple scores, Burrow could throw for even more. He has three deadly weapons on the outside and an extremely efficient offense. Burrow is the easy cash game morning QB.

Kelly Bryant - Missouri - FD $9,300 DK $7,500

Missouri is a nine-point favorite at home against South Carolina, who was just pummeled by Alabama. It’s not fair to judge a team by their performance against Bama, but the line more so has to do with Jake Bentley remaining out and the Gamecocks defense struggling. Kelly Bryant hasn’t been needed much in the last two weeks, but he showed what he’s capable of in week one. The hype has cooled back down and we’ll be able to get him for under 10% like we did in the opening slate. I expect this game to be close and South Carolina is a lot better against the run than they are the pass. Bryant is a dual-threat option with a ton of GPP upside.

Also Consider - Kellen Mond (TAMU), Dillon Gabriel (UCF)

FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Running Backs

Cam Akers - FSU - FD $9,800 DK $7,800

Akers has been a volume hog for FSU, and you can expect him to keep eating this week. Excluding a tough week one match-up against Virginia, Akers has 58 touches in two games for 376 yards and four touchdowns. It doesn’t get any tougher this week, as FSU hosts a cupcake Louisville defense that’s given up 100 yards to the only offense that tested them. Akers gets involved through the air as well, so the floor and ceiling are just so high. In cash games, Akers is the highest priced back I’m paying for.

Lamical Perine - UF - FD $8,800 DK $6,500

We got Ty’Son Williams a couple weeks ago for 1% owned against the Tennessee defense and it brought me to the top of a few tournaments. I doubt Perine is less than 10% here, but he’s a great play nonetheless. Malik Davis hasn’t been involved all that much and Perine has been getting all of the red zone work. Tennessee ranked in the bottom 10 of the entire nation last season against the run and they haven’t gotten off to any better of a start. Florida is still figuring out the QB situation with listed co-starters, so expect them to establish the run game early and often. Perine is a lock for a score.

Greg McRae - UCF - FD $7,900 DK $6,100

UCF is a solid 12-point favorite, meaning the game script sets up perfectly for these running backs. I don’t have much of a preference between Killins Jr. and McRae, but McRae is cheaper and has been getting a few more carries. I do expect a fair share of points to be scored through the air in this one, but the running game is something UCF never forgets about. McRae is too cheap on both sites and an excellent play in both formats.

Also Consider - Isaiah Spiller (TAMU), John Emery Jr. (LSU), Jonathan Taylor (WISC)

FanDuel, DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers

Justin Jefferson - LSU - FD $10,000 DK $7,600

This LSU WR trio is extremely talented and you really can’t go wrong. Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall Jr. are the two top guys and both should have great games. If I’m picking between the two, I still think Justin Jefferson is the number one option and will end up having the best season. We already touched on this Vanderbilt pass defense that looked anemic against Purdue just a week ago. Jefferson is expensive on both sites, but I’m willing to pay up as I think 150 yards and a touchdown isn’t unlikely.

Darrell Stewart Jr. - Michigan State - FD $8,600 DK $6,300

I know the total isn’t great in this game, but I really don’t care at this point. Until I see Brian Lewerke throw the ball to anyone else, Darrell Stewart Jr. has 25 catches through three weeks, with Cody White second at 12. This Northwestern defense is a good one, but it mostly relies on the pace of their offense. Michigan State will shut them down and the Northwestern defense will get worn down. Stewart Jr. will get leaned on heavily and you can expect another 8-10 catches and 15 targets.

Bryan Edwards - South Carolina - FD $7,400 DK $6,300

While I talked down a bit on South Carolina, Ryan Hilinski did fill in last week and threw for over 300 yards against Alabama. A lot of it had to do with playing from behind and throwing the ball every time, but you will still see plenty of guys fail to eclipse 200 yards - even in a blowout. Hilinski and South Carolina now draw a Missouri defense that’s far from scary and as a nine-point underdog, they should be throwing a lot. If we’re expecting another 250+ yards out of Hilinski, Bryan Edwards is too cheap. He’s going to see double digit target and he has as much talent as any of these corners. I’m hoping Edwards flies under the radar here.

Also Consider - Jerry Jeudy (BAMA), Aaron Fuller (UW), Tamorrion Terry (FSU)