NCAA Football FanDuel Picks For Thursday 9/24

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 three games once again in the Thursday/Friday FanDuel tournaments this week. There are some stars available, and a few teams facing uncertainty. Where should we spend our money? I will give you some ideas!

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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 FanDuel picks for Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25:

Next: Who Will Put Up Big Numbers At QB?

Sep 12, 2015; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Matt Johns (15) throws the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback:

Best Bet:

Paxton Lynch, Memphis ($9,100): Lynch is the most prolific passer on display in the light slate of games. Cincinnati is going to have all sorts of trouble trying to stop the high-flying Tiger offense. The one thing that you can count on in this offense is that Lynch will get his touches. The rest of Memphis is kind of up in the air because of the depth of the skill positions. That said, it bodes well that the quarterback has so many weapons to choose from.

Honorable Mention:

Kevin Hogan, Stanford ($8,500): Hogan has put the opening disaster at Northwestern behind him with a combined 48.8 FanDuel points over his last two games against Central Florida and USC. Playing in Corvallis is never an easy task, but with Gunner Kiel questionable and Ryan Finley out, it really limits the choices. Hogan is the next best bet. If he plays, that is. He is now on the injury report as questionable. That would promote Matt Johns to this slot, and likely leave Oregon State’s Seth Collins as the long shot. I don’t like him against the Stanford defense though because he is barely over 50% passing against average teams. Stanford could have a field day with him.

Dark Horse:

Matt Johns, Virginia ($6,800): Johns is one of those “game managers”, but he has racked up 527 yards passing against UCLA and Notre Dame, both of which are pretty good defenses. He is a pretty sure bet for another 200+ yard day and a touchdown or two. He is a much safer option than Seth Collins against Stanford, or freshmen Hayden Moore and Brett Rypien. The latter of which will likely split snaps with Thomas Stuart. If you want to go cheap, Johns is a good option.

My pick: Lynch

Next: Should You Gamble On A Memphis RB?

Sep 12, 2015; Provo, UT, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Jeremy McNichols (13) runs the ball in the third quarter against the Brigham Young Cougars at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Brigham Young won the game 35-24. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Running Back:

Best Bets:

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford ($7,600): Oregon State is not very good against the run, and has given up six rushing touchdowns already this season. That makes McCaffrey a strong bet to find the end zone at least once on Friday, not to mention the yards that he can pick up.

Jeremy McNichols, Boise State ($7,300): The Virginia run defense is not as strong as it has been in the past five years or so. The Cavs have given up over 180 yards on the ground per game so far this year, but have only allowed two touchdowns. Don’t let that be a deterrent. Boise is going to look to take the pressure off of whomever is under center by running the ball early and often. McNichols will see plenty of chances to earn his value.

Honorable Mention:

Tion Green, Cincinnati ($6,800): The same thing is true for Green. If Gunner Kiel is not cleared to play, which seems likely given the short week, then Cincinnati will run the ball more than usual to keep the pressure off of Hayden Moore. Green is involved in a timeshare with Mike Boone and Hosey Williams, but Boone injured his ankle on Saturday, and is considered questionable. This makes Green a much safer play than usual.

Taquan Mizzell, Virginia ($6,700): His value lies as a pass catcher out of the backfield. The only game in which he has averaged more than four yards per carry was last week against FCS William and Mary. That said, Notre Dame and UCLA are very stingy against the run. Mizzell should see a lot more chances against Boise State.

Dark Horse:

Sam Craft, Memphis ($6,200): If you are looking to roll the dice on a Memphis back, it should be Craft because of his pass catching ability. Jarvis Cooper has seen more carries, and Doroland Dorceus was the leading rusher against Bowling Green, but neither of them are the receiver that Craft is. That is what could separate him from the packed Memphis backfield.

My picks: McCaffrey and McNichols

Next: Who Are The Best Receivers?

Sep 12, 2015; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Canaan Severin (9) gestures to the crowd prior to the Cavaliers

Wide Receiver:

Best Bets:

Mose Frazier, Memphis ($7,600): Frazier has been kept out of the end zone so far this year, but he has been targeted more than any other Memphis receiver. He is the next safest bet to Paxton Lynch for Memphis players in fantasy, and he will find the end zone soon. Probably this week.

Shane Williams-Rhodes, Boise State ($6,100): His value takes a bit of a hit without Ryan Finley throwing him the ball, but you can bet that he will be heavily targeted. The senior becomes the leader of the offense, and the Broncos will find ways to get him the ball.

Honorable Mention:

Canaan Severin, Virginia ($5,200): Severin has emerged as Virginia’s go to receiver. Matt Johns found him 11 times for 153 yards against a good Notre Dame defense. Expect Johns to hook up with Severin often against Boise State.

Jordan Villamin, Oregon State ($5,200): Villamin isn’t listed as the number one receiver – that would be Victor Bolden – but he has been far more productive than Bolden. Bolden is worth a flier because he also gets some carries out of the backfield, but for the price, Villamin is a good option.

Dark Horse:

Francis Owusu, Stanford ($4,700): Devon Cajuste is the most targeted Stanford receiver, but if his ankle is still bugging him, Owusu could see an uptick in targets. Nothing is guaranteed, however, if Kevin Hogan is not under center. Owusu is still a high-risk proposition.

My picks: Frazier, Severin, and Villamin

Next: Should You Pay For A TE?

Sep 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal tight end Austin Hooper (18) celebrates with receiver Michael Rector (3) after scoring on a 16-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against the Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Tight End:

Best Bet:

Austin Hooper, Stanford ($4,000): Hooper already has ten catches on the season for 135 yards and a touchdown. He is worth the money if he keeps seeing targets like he is now. With Kevin Hogan likely out, expect Hooper to see at least as many targets as he has been as a safety valve. The only problem is that Stanford might run more, which could limit his touches.

Honorable Mention:

Holden Huff, Boise State ($2,900): Huff is the leading receiver for the Broncos so far this season, and with Ryan Finley out, expect Huff to see as big a role in the offense going forward. A new QB’s best friend is his tight end.

Dark Horse:

Daniel Montiel, Memphis ($2,000): Montiel has caught a touchdown in each of the last two games. He is not a lock to score every week due to Memphis having so many mouths to feed on offense, but he has shown to be a reliable red zone option. He could score big for you. Or he could net you nothing.

My pick: Huff

Stay tuned for all of the picks against the spread, and FanDuel lineups for all of this weekend’s football, college and NFL!

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