DraftKings College Football Picks For October 15-16

Sep 26, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars fans cheer before a game against the Texas State Bobcats at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

If you want to play a combined Thursday-Friday college football game this week, you have to do it on DraftKings. FanDuel split up the Thursday and Friday sets. DraftKings did not. I usually won’t do a separate DraftKings lineup since the players I pick are essentially the same. Here, however, they will be different since the contests are different enough.

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I like the DraftKings setup for football. You get to choose two quarterbacks instead of just one. Also, all tight ends are listed at WR, and you have two flex positions instead of the tight end slot. It is harder to afford as many studs, so it is very important to find the bargains. Let’s try to do just that!

Here are my DraftKings college football picks for October 15-16:

Next: Can You Afford Two Top Tier QB's?

Sep 19, 2015; Bloomington, IN, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers quarterback Brandon Doughty (12) throws a pass in the second half of the game at Memorial Stadium. The Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 38 to 35. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback:

Best Bets:

Greg Ward, Houston ($10,000): Tulane’s defense has left a lot to be desired, especially against the pass. The Green Wave are 97th in the country against the pass. Ward has managed to run for 554 yards in six games, scoring 11 rushing touchdowns. That doesn’t even account for his 1,301 passing yards and eight touchdowns through the air. Ward is a great runner and a scoring machine, two things that make him a valuable asset in fantasy. Ward has only been held under 40 fantasy points once. That was when Louisville held him to 30.2 in week 2. He is essentially bust-proof.

Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky ($9,700): As conference play rolls on, The Hilltoppers’ schedule just gets easier. It won’t get any easier than North Texas, who might just bet the worst FBS team. The not-so-Mean Green are 114th in total defense. The Hilltoppers are going to roll in this game. There is a good chance that Doughty only plays three quarters, but 300 yards and at least three touchdowns are not out of the question in that span. That should be better than Kevin Hogan against UCLA’s 30th ranked pass defense or Josh Rosen on The Farm. That said, if you can’t afford him and Ward, it’s worth spending the extra $300 on Ward because of his rushing ability.

Honorable Mention:

Gunner Kiel, Cincinnati ($7,300): The whole Cincinnati QB situation is frustrating for us fantasy players. BYU has the 92nd ranked pass defense, so whomever the Bearcats have under center is a good play. That said, there is no guarantee that whoever starts will finish the game. This situation is a fantasy nightmare. Despite the seemingly good matchup against BYU, it’s hard to count on either Cincinnati quarterback. Whoever earns the start should be a solid play though.

Tanner Mangum, BYU ($7,000): Cincinnati is allowing 230 passing yards per game, which is 74th in the nation. Mangum has proven to be an above average passer who throws a good deep ball. He is going against a slightly below average pass defense. He is a solid bet if you would rather have two mid-tier options than spend big at quarterback.

Dark Horses:

Kilton Anderson, Fresno State ($4,000): Zack Greenlee has been benched in favor of Anderson. Anderson was only 10 for 20 in his first start, but there is reason for optimism against UNLV’s 90th ranked pass defense. If you want to roll the dice, Anderson is like playing with weighted dice.

Damarcus Smith, North Texas ($5,100): Smith is price higher than still incumbent starter Andrew McNulty. North Texas earned themselves a new head coach after being blown out by FCS Portland State. There is strong belief that Smith will be the starter come tonight. If he is, he is a decent flier considering Western Kentucky’s below average defense.

My picks: Ward and Anderson

Next: Lots Of Good Options At RB

Sep 19, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Peyton Barber (25) runs against the LSU Tigers during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Running Back:

Best Bets:

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford ($7,400): The Cardinal figured out that their offense runs more smoothly when McCaffrey takes the pressure off of Kevin Hogan and the passing game. Who would have thought? McCaffrey has three straight 100 yard rushing games. That streak is all but certain to get to four when UCLA’s 105th ranked rush defense comes to town. Remound Wright continues to steal his touchdowns at an alarming rate (Wright has eight TD’s in the last three weeks to McCaffrey’s one), but McCaffrey will rack up enough yards to make him virtually bust-proof.

Peyton Barber, Auburn ($7,200): Barber was the only glue holding the offense together with Sean White under center. He ran for 284 yards in those two games, and got into the end zone an impressive five times against San Jose State. Kentucky has given up 170 rushing yards per game so far this year. Expect Barber to be somewhere around his 142 yard average for the last two games.

Boom Williams, Kentucky ($5,200): Williams is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, and gets to take on the 108th ranked Auburn run defense. Jojo Kemp will likely see some carries, but Williams is supposed to be fully cleared to play after missing the last game against Eastern Kentucky for “personal reasons.” It doesn’t appear to be anything that will affect his standing with the team, so expect Williams to get around two thirds of the carries, which is his season average.

Honorable Mention:

Kenneth Farrow, Houston ($6,900): Tulane has a decent run defense (69th in the nation), but Farrow has scored five touchdowns in the last two games. Houston will find a way to get him touches in favorable situations.

Anthony Wales, Western Kentucky ($4,800): Wales seems to have supplanted D’Andre Ferby as the feature back for the Hilltoppers, but Ferby is still getting the bulk of the touchdowns on the ground. North Texas is 122nd against the run, allowing 257.6 rushing yards per game. Both Wales and Ferby are suitable options for Thursday, but Wales will see a higher percentage of the work. The prospects of this being a blowout should mean ample work for Ferby as well.

Marteze Waller, Fresno State ($4,700): Waller has faced some really tough competition and has very little help around him, yet he has still managed to rack up 12.6 fantasy points per game. Expect Waller to come up with his best game of the season against UNLV’s 83rd ranked run defense.

Dark Horses:

Remound Wright, Stanford ($4,900): I mentioned Wright’s eight trips to the end zone over the last three games. He is also in the game a lot on passing downs, further increasing his value. He is still somewhat touchdown-dependent, but UCLA has had issues stopping the run game this year. Wright will see plenty of work on Thursday.

Keith Whitely, UNLV ($4,100): Fresno State boasts the 117th ranked rush defense in the country. Despite the relative ineffectiveness of the UNLV offense, Whitely has still put up decent numbers so far. Expect a lot more than decent against the Bulldogs.

My picks: Williams, Wright, Waller (Flex), and Whitely (Flex)

Sep 19, 2015; Bloomington, IN, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Taywan Taylor (2) runs the ball after catching a pass during the first quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receiver:

Best Bets:

Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky ($7,100): Even with the return of Jared Dangerfield, Taylor has continued to look like option A for Brandon Doughty. Taylor has not been kept out of the end zone or under 80 yards since the opening game at Vanderbilt. North Texas’s defensive struggles are very real. Look for Taylor to have a big day, along with a horde of other Hilltoppers.

Jared Dangerfield, Western Kentucky ($6,600): Dangerfield has been fully healthy for the last three games, and it has shown. He has 26 catches for 284 yards and three touchdowns in that span. He seems to be just behind Taywan Taylor in the pecking order, but that is splitting hairs. Doughty throws to whoever is open. There are plenty of balls to go around in this offense.

Demarcus Ayers, Houston ($6,000): Ayers is the best receiver in a high-powered offense going against a poor Tulane pass defense. He could put up the best numbers of any receiver just because he is the best option for Houston, though Greg Ward does temper his value a little.

Honorable Mention:

Shaq Washington, Cincinnati ($5,900): Washington has emerged as the top receiver in a crowded Cincinnati receiving corps. He flourished with Hayden Moore under center. If Gunner Kiel is back as the starter, he could see a bit of a drop off. Still, BYU’s pass defense has enough holes that his third straight 100 yard receiving is within reach.

Mitch Mathews, BYU ($5,500): Mathews has been the go-to guy for Tanner Mangum since catching the Hail Mary to beat Nebraska in the season opener. Cincinnati’s pass defense has left quite a bit to be desired, so look for Mathews to be a focal point again. Algernon Brown will get some work, but with the Bearcats run defense being much better than pass defense, the BYU receivers should be plenty busy.

Tyler Higbee, Western Kentucky ($5,000): Higbee is averaging five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown per game this season. Most wide receivers aren’t giving you that kind of production! Starting a tight end that is this expensive is a bit of a risk, but Higbee’s numbers speak for themselves. He is clearly a top option on this team.

Dark Horses:

Devonte Boyd, UNLV ($5,000): Despite the inconsistency of Kurt Palandech, Boyd has flourished with him tossing the ball around. Boyd has three touchdowns in his last four games, and has become the leading receiver on the team. Fresno’s 90th ranked pass defense awaits. Look for Boyd to have a productive night on Friday.

Carlos Harris, North Texas ($5,200): Harris is a very good receiver on a very bad team. Think Jerry Rice for Mississippi Valley State. Now, Harris is not that good, but he is good enough that he will produce against Western Kentucky’s 106th ranked pass defense no matter who is under center. There have been rumblings about the (justified) removal of Andrew McNulty from the starting QB role due to the coaching change. That could make Harris even better.

My picks: Higbee, Ayers, and Washington

Stay tuned for all of Saturday’s picks against the spread, and some more college FanDuel picks!

Next: ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 7

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