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FanDuel College Football Picks Early October 17

By Mike Marteny

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Oct 10, 2015; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot on the sidelines during the game with the Iowa State Cyclones at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

There are 19 games for the early FanDuel tournaments on Saturday, which ties for the heaviest slate so far this year. With so many options to choose from, it can get a little overwhelming. Who are the best options? What games should you stay away from (Michigan-Michigan State is the obvious one)? What players should you stack? I will give you some of my favorite options and let you go from there!

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My lineup did very well on the Thursday-Friday slate last week, placing 11th in the big tournament. However, I was unable to capture the magic on Saturday. I should have paid for more Baylor players!

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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 FanDuel college football picks early October 17:

Next: Who Will Put Up Big Numbers At QB?

Oct 10, 2015; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) passes against the Iowa State Cyclones in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback:

Best Bets:

Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech ($9,300): Did you guys see what Baylor’s Seth Russell did to the Jayhawks last week (246 passing yards, four total touchdowns)? Expect the same or better from the more mobile Mahomes. The Red Raiders will likely take every opportunity to rest him in the second half, but he should still get at least four touchdowns before departing.  He has scored more than 30 FanDuel points in every game that he has started in his career except for two 29 point outings (last year against Iowa State and this year against Arkansas). If his floor is 29, that’s what I call bust-proof, which is what you want if you are spending this kind of money.

Seth Russell, Baylor ($9,800): West Virginia statistically has the 50th ranked pass defense, which is not bad. However, since conference play has started, they have given up almost 300 yards per game through the air. If the combination of Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph put up nearly 600 yards between the two of them, well, you can imagine what a quarterback with the talent of Russell can do.

Honorable Mention:

Chad Kelly, Mississippi ($8,400): Kelly threw for nearly 400 yards against New Mexico State last week, who statistically has better numbers than Memphis. The Tigers are 122nd in the nation in pass defense, allowing 306.8 yards per game through the air. Look for another big game for Kelly. This one has “career high” written all over it!

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma ($8,900): Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley is committed to throwing the ball. It is a gross misuse of Samaje Perine, but that is a rant for another day. What it does mean is that Oklahoma is going to rely heavily on the passing game against Kansas State’s 116th ranked pass defense. On paper this looks like a great day for Mayfield. Then again, so did last week…..

Dark Horses:

Joe Hubener, Kansas State ($7,100): Hubener completed only 13 of 33 passes against TCU last week, but he ran for 111 yards and four touchdowns. Enter Oklahoma, whose 20th ranked pass defense looks great, but they were gouged by dual threat QB Jerrod Heard last week. There is no reason to think Hubener won’t be able to do the same.

James Summers, East Carolina ($4,500): Summers hasn’t taken over for Blake Kemp full time, nor will he. Kemp still is the go-to guy when the Pirates need to throw the ball to either catch up or stay in the game. Summers has seen action in each of the last three games though, and has put up 84 FanDuel points in those three games. He is a capable passer, but his running ability is what sets him apart. He has scored eight touchdowns in those three games as well. He is a great cheap option!

My pick: Hubener

Next: Who Are The Best RB's?

Oct 10, 2015; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders running back DeAndre Washington (21) escapes Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Jay Jones (12) in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Running Back:

Best Bets:

DeAndre Washington, Texas Tech ($7,100): Washington is a force both on the ground and in the passing game. Kansas is 121st in the country, allowing 257.4 rushing yards per game. Washington is primed for a huge day against the Jayhawks. Baylor running back Shock Linwood ran for 135 yards on just 13 carries last week against Kansas. Washington could be the top scoring running back at a very reasonable price.

Derrick Henry, Alabama ($7,300): Texas A&M has actually allowed 182.6 rushing yards per game, which is 86th in the nation. They have only allowed 192.2 passing yards, so look for Alabama to run Henry early and often trying to soften up that stout pass defense.

Honorable Mention:

Dalvin Cook, Florida State ($8,900): Florida State wouldn’t be undefeated this year if it weren’t for Cook. Cook is averaging nine yards per carry. That is nearly a first down every time he touches the ball! That includes a game in which he was handcuffed by Boston College! Louisville has a strong run defense, but it’s hard not to take Cook at this point.

Joseph Yearby, Miami ($7,300): Yearby was handcuffed by the superb Florida State defense last week. They ended his streak of 100 yard games at three. Expect him to start another streak against a Virginia Tech team that has allowed 190.7 rushing yards per game this year.

Dark Horses:

Storm Barrs-Woods, Oregon State ($5,700): Washington State has been gouged on the ground so far this year. Royce Freeman picked up 246 yards on them just last week. Woods doesn’t have the talent that Freeman does, but he is a shifty back who can catch, which keeps him on the field a lot. He could be a sneaky source of points for your afternoon lineup.

Joe Mixon, Oklahoma ($5,500): Mixon has earned a pretty good role in Lincoln Riley’s offense because he is a great receiver out of the backfield. He is a back in the mold of Quentin Griffin – small and shifty. The Sooners will try and get him the ball in space. Whether they have success or not is anyone’s guess.

My picks: Woods and Washington

Next: Spend Your Money At WR

Dec 30, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders receiver Jakeem Grant (2) scores on an 18-yard touchdown reception against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 2013 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receiver:

Best Bets:

Leonte Carroo, Rutgers ($7,800): Carroo’s presence takes Rutgers from the worst team in the Big Ten(14) East to a team that is at least in the middle of the pack. You can argue that the Knights should have beaten Michigan State last weekend, and I would be hard pressed to argue with you. Carroo’s legal issues seem to be behind him. He was welcomed back to the field with seven catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns against a pretty good Michigan State defense. What will he do against a pretty bad Indiana one?

Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi ($7,100): Treadwell has feasted on below average defenses. This weekend, the Bulldogs head to Memphis to take on the Tigers and their 122nd ranked pass defense. Both Chad Kelly and Treadwell are worth a stack against Memphis.

Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech ($6,900): Grant went wild against Iowa State last weekend, catching nine passes for 166 yards and a pair of touchdowns. We all saw what Baylor’s Corey Coleman (seven catches for 110 yards and three touchdowns) did to Kansas last weekend. This weekend it’s Grant’s turn. He could set a new season high just one week later.

Honorable Mention:

Corey Coleman, Baylor ($8,600): Coleman is averaging 32.9 FanDuel points per game. Or to break it down, six catches for 134 yards and 2.6 touchdowns. He is hard to pass up, even against West Virginia’s solid pass defense.

Tajae Sharpe, Massachusetts ($7,900): FanDuel players know Sharpe very well by now. His price is creeping up there, but that is because he keeps driving it up with his on field performance. His season low in receptions was eight against Notre Dame, who has a top 30 pass defense. The Irish are also the only opponent to hold him under 100 receiving yards. He lacks the touchdowns of Coleman, but with this many targets and yards, he is bust-proof. His low point was 12.3 against Notre Dame, which still isn’t that bad.

Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma ($7,200): Shepard is still plan A on a team that loves to throw against a poor pass defense. The only thing I don’t trust is Oklahoma’s weak offensive line. It’s the worst one they have had in a decade, and maybe longer. I do remember the 2005 version of the line struggling, but it also could have been the failed experiment with Paul Thompson at quarterback for the first month….

Dark Horses:

Keyarris Garrett, Tulsa ($6,600): He doesn’t have the name recognition, but he is the top option in a pass happy offense now that Keevan Lucas is done for the year. East Carolina’s 77th ranked pass defense is going to have all kind of issues with Garrett.

Ricky Jones, Indiana ($5,600): Rutgers’ pass defense is still a mess, giving up an average of 290.6 passing yards per game. It looks as though Indiana will have Nate Sudfeld back at quarterback, which makes Jones a nice below-the-radar play.

My picks: Carroo, Treadwell, and Grant

Next: There Are Plenty Of Options At TE, But How Many Are Good?

Sep 19, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen tight end Rodney Mills (33) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Temple Owls at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Tight End:

Best Bet:

Rodney Mills, Massachusetts ($3,300): Mills is averaging a ridiculous 19 fantasy points per game so far this year. Of course, he missed three games with an injury. He made a triumphant return last weekend against Bowling Green with six catches for 100 yards. Any tight end that gets this many targets is worth paying a little extra for.

Honorable Mention:

Brandon Lingen, Minnesota ($3,000): The Gophers have finally found their replacement for Maxx Williams after about a month of open auditions during the regular season. He caught two touchdown passes last week. He will be a favorite target against Nebraska’s dead last pass defense this week.

Dark Horse:

Kent Taylor, Kansas ($2,100): Taylor has been the victim of inconsistent quarterback play for the Jayhawks. He has four catches in the last two games, and has seen a bit of an uptick in targets with Ryan Willis finally settling into the QB role. He could break out one of these games, but when is anyone’s guess.

My pick: Mills

Stay tuned for the late FanDuel picks and my picks against the spread!

Next: ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 7

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