NCAA Football Early FanDuel Picks For 9/19

Aug 30, 2014; Fort Worth, TX, USA; A view of the game balls with the Samford Bulldogs logo before the game between the Horned Frogs and the Samford Bulldogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

There are 15 games in the early NCAA Football FanDuel tournaments on Saturday. That leaves us plenty of options to choose from. There are several places to spend your money, but with a strict salary cap, you need to choose wisely!

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To finish in the money, you need to choose the best high priced players, and the best cheap options to let you afford some high priced players. I will give you some of each option at each position and let you choose from there.

Here are my NCAA football early FanDuel picks for 9/19:

Next: Who Will Put Up Big Numbers At QB?

Sep 10, 2015; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers quarterback Brandon Doughty (12) walks onto the field before the first half against Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback:

Best Bets:

Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky ($8.900): Indiana is allowing 347 passing yards per game, which is sixth worst in the nation. The Hilltoppers have a prolific passing attack. Doughty could be the best option at QB by a large margin against the Hoosiers. This will be a shootout, and Doughty should eclipse 400 yards for the second straight week.

Nate Sudfeld, Indiana ($8,300): Did someone mention a shootout in Bloomington this weekend? What WKU taketh, they nearly giveth back. They are 101st in pass defense, and Sudfeld is no stranger to slinging the ball around the yard. Doughty is a slightly better option, but Sudfeld closes the gap in yardage with his ability to run the ball. He racked up two rushing touchdowns last week against FIU. He should come close to Doughty’s point total.

Honorable Mention:

Brad Kaaya, Miami ($7,700): Kaaya has yet to put up big numbers this season, but he hasn’t needed to with Miami running the ball the way they are. Nebraska has given up 692 passing yards in their two games. They are young in the secondary, and both BYU and South Alabama exploited it. Expect the Hurricanes to do the same until Nebraska proves they can defend it.

Brenden Motley, Virginia Tech ($7,300): Motley is the starter with Michael Brewer out. He has a good matchup against a Purdue defense that is in the bottom half in pass defense. The Hokies don’t have an explosive offense, but Motley is a capable passer who could get close to 20 points at a very reasonable price.

Dark Horse:

Jeff Lockie, Oregon ($6,800): Vernon Adams has a broken finger, and Oregon is in absolutely no danger of losing to Georgia State. Adams wants to play, but I am willing to bet that if coach Helfrich lets him, it will be in a limited capacity. Lockie should see at least half of the snaps against a Georgia State team that is 119th in pass defense through two games. Lockie could be a terrific bargain for those willing to roll the dice.

My pick: Doughty

Next: Should You Spend At RB?

Running Back:

Best Bets:

Leonard Fournette, LSU ($8,400): Fournette is an electric running back that is going against an Auburn defense that has given up 399 rushing yards in the first two games. One of those was against Jacksonville State! This is a dream matchup for Fournette, and you are taking a huge risk if you don’t play him. It’s no secret how gouged Auburn has been by the run game. Fournette could have upwards of 30 points again.

Jordan Howard, Indiana ($8,300): Western Kentucky has been punished on the ground as well. They are allowing 198 rushing yards per game on the ground, and Howard is the fifth leading rusher in the nation. He could have a huge day if Nate Sudfeld doesn’t poach more of his touchdowns.

Honorable Mention:

Samaje Perine, Oklahoma ($8,300): Perine holds the single game NCAA rushing record, and Tulsa has allowed 262 yards rushing per game so far this year. Perine could have a monster day against Tulsa even though he has been pretty quiet so far this year. You can attribute that to wanting to get Baker Mayfield comfortable on the field against Akron, and a really good run defense for Tennessee. Perine should be unleashed on Saturday.

Jahad Thomas, Temple ($7,700): UMass is dead last in the nation in run defense after giving up a staggering 390 yards on the ground to Colorado, and Thomas ran for nearly 200 yards against Cincinnati last week. Expect another strong game from Thomas in this one.

De’Veon Smith, Michigan ($7,700): UNLV is 116th in the country against the run, and Michigan trampled Oregon State into oblivion last week at The Big House. Expect Smith to see a heavy workload again against another weak run defense.

Dark Horse:

Joe Mixon, Oklahoma ($6,100): The Sooners have used Mixon in a variety of roles so far this season. His great hands find him in the game a lot on passing downs, and he even takes some snaps in Oklahoma’s “Belldozer” package that is still in use though its namesake is gone. He can do a little of everything, and will see plenty of touches against a soft Tulsa defense. He could perform very well for his price.

My picks: Fournette and Thomas

Next: Who Are The Best Bets At WR?

Sep 10, 2015; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Taywan Taylor (2) runs the ball against Louisiana Tech Bulldogs cornerback Adairius Barnes (21) during the second half at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers won 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receiver:

Best Bets:

Christian Kirk, Texas A&M ($6,300): Kirk has been the best receiver for the Aggies so far this year. The freshman seems to have surpassed Josh Reynolds and Speedy Noil as the favorite target of Kyle Allen. At any rate, there will be plenty of balls to go around against Nevada’s 96th ranked pass defense. Kirk looks to be the safest bet of the bunch so far this year though.

Rashawn Scott, Miami ($6,200): Scott is Miami’s deep threat, and that is where Nebraska’s defense has had problems so far this year. Scott will need to play a big role to help open up running lanes against Nebraska’s solid line. Miami will need to be balanced to win this game, and Scott will have a big role in that.

Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky ($6,100): Doughty has to have someone to throw to, and with Jared Dangerfield still not 100 percent, Taylor is the safest option. That said, there will be plenty of balls to go around in the shootout in Bloomington. Any eligible receiver in a Hilltopper uniform is a solid bet.

Honorable Mention:

Geronimo Allison, Illinois ($5,800): Aside from a great football name, Allison has firmly established himself as the number one receiver for the Illini. With Wes Lunt under center, they are going to throw the ball a lot this season. They have done so with great success so far. North Carolina is going to be a bit of a challenge, but Allison is still going to see a lot of balls coming this way, which is great for someone of his price.

Jordan Westerkamp, Nebraska ($6,700): Westerkamp might have the best hands in college. He can catch anything in his zip code, and Tommie Armstrong has really improved as a passer under Mike Riley. Westerkamp played a big role against BYU, and likely will again this weekend against Miami.

Antwane Grant, Western Kentucky ($5,200): Grant is option number 4 for the Hilltoppers when everyone is healthy, but with Dangerfield being nursed back to health. With as poor as Indiana’s pass defense has been this season, don’t be surprised if Doughty throws 45 times or more. Expecting six catches for the number four option is not out of the realm of possibility, which could make Grant a huge bargain.

Dark Horse:

Johnell Barnes, Duke ($5,000): Northwestern’s defense has been really good through two games, but Barnes has been thrown to an awful lot. He caught 11 balls in the opener against Tulane, and is Thomas Sirk’s favorite target. He will get his chances against Northwestern, and should produce at least 3 points per thousand, which is exceptional.

My picks: Taylor, Westerkamp, and Barnes

Next: Can You Go Cheap At TE?

Sep 3, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers tight end Tyler Higbee (82) scores a touchdown during the second half against Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers won 14-12. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Tight End:

Best Bet:

Tyler Higbee, Western Kentucky ($3,700): Higbee has 11 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown so far this season. He is clearly soaking up a lot of targets that would be going to Dangerfield, but with the way he is producing, I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. If you can afford Higbee, he should be worth the cost. He has been the most reliable tight end so far this year.

Honorable Mention:

Josiah Price, Michigan State ($3,200): With the Spartan receivers still jockeying for position, it has been Price that has been the consistent producer so far. He did against both a really good opponent in Oregon, and a little lesser opponent in Western Michigan. Expect to see more of the same until a favorite from the receiving corps steps up for Connor Cook.

Dark Horse:

Ryan Malleck, Virginia Tech ($2,000): With Bucky Hodges being slowed by a bum hamstring, Malleck has emerged as a great option for Brenden Motley when things fall apart. Malleck is his safety blanket, and should continue in that role for the foreseeable future.

My pick: Malleck

Stay tuned for the picks against the spread and the FanDuel lineups for the rest of Saturday. We also have week 2 of our NFL FanDuel roundtable coming up. You won’t want to miss that!

Next: ESPN College Pick Em Picks For Week 3

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