FanDuel College Football Picks For Early October 24

Sep 26, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; The Baylor Bears fans and students celebrate the win over the Rice Owls at McLane Stadium. The Bears defeat the Owls 70-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

There are 15 games in the early Saturday tournaments this week. This is the fewest games available for this tournament since week 1, but that doesn’t mean that there is a shortage of good players. It is still really tough to get all of the players that you want!

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My Thursday lineup and one of my Saturday lineups placed last week. I still won more than I lost! It was the Thursday-Friday DraftKings one that did well last week.

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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 for early October 24:

Next: Who Will Put Up Big Numbers At QB?

Oct 17, 2015; Manhattan, KS, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass early in a game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback:

Best Bets:

Seth Russell, Baylor ($10,800): You think Russell isn’t worth it? Last week he put up an amazing 57.2 fantasy points in the thrashing of West Virginia. This week, Baylor welcomes an Iowa State defense that is statistically worse than West Virginia’s. Now I’m not saying that Russell is going to throw for 380 yards and five touchdowns again, or rack up 160 rushing yards and another touchdown, but the fact remains that Russell has thrown for at least three touchdowns in every game and has rushed for at least one touchdown in four of the six games. There is a very slim chance that he lets you down. His “letdown” was still a 28.4 point showing against Kansas.

Greg Ward, Houston ($10,600): Central Florida is bad. Bad on offense, and bad on defense. That is good for those of us thinking of playing Ward. Ward has not been held under 30 FanDuel points yet this year. He won’t be against the Knights either.

Honorable Mention:

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma ($9,400): Mayfield was nearly perfect against Kansas State last weekend in the rout of the Wildcats. Now Texas Tech and their 115th ranked pass defense comes into Norman. This could be a high scoring game, and you know Mayfield at the helm of an air-raid offense will do his part.

Luke Falk, Washington State ($9,500): Arizona has given up 248.6 passing yards per game this season, which is 92nd in the country. And that is against teams that try to run between 30 and 50 percent of the time. Now comes a Washington State offense that throws 80 percent of the time or more. Falk has thrown for 912 yards and 11 touchdowns over the Cougars’ last two games in the sweep of the state of Oregon. He will be slinging it around in the desert as well.

Dark Horses:

Phillip Ely, Toledo ($7,100): UMass is ranked 103rd in pass defense, and Ely is coming off of a 327 yard four touchdown performance against Eastern Michigan. Ely has multiple touchdowns in three straight games, and is a strong bet to make it four against the Minutemen. He won’t get you the big numbers that the four above will, but he also frees up at least $2,500 to spend elsewhere, and should still get you at least 20 FanDuel points.

Jerrard Randall, Arizona ($6,000): Anu Solomon is not relinquishing the starting quarterback job anytime soon, but Randall has appeared in every game for the Wildcats this year, and has had an extended run in some, like last week against Colorado. The Ralphies couldn’t stop him from running, and Arizona used that to jump-start the offense in the second half. Washington State is in the middle of the pack in pass defense, but they are near the bottom against the run, allowing 208.2 yards per game. Look for Randall to have some success against the Cougars, but he is still a high risk play since he isn’t the starter.

My pick: Mayfield

Next: Can You Go Cheap At RB?

Oct 17, 2015; College Station, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) rushes during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Running Back:

Best Bets:

Derrick Henry, Alabama ($8,500): Henry ran all over Texas A&M last week. Tennessee’s run defense is better than A&M’s, but it still isn’t what you would call good. Arkansas was the only team that held Henry under 100 yards. He was under against Monroe, but he only had 13 carries. The Tide will run Henry as much as they need to, which could see him have another nice day. I wouldn’t count on 236 yards again, but 150 is not out of reach.

Nick Wilson, Arizona ($8,000): Wilson went through warm ups in Boulder, but did not play against Colorado. Just the fact that he was fully in uniform looks good for his prospects this week against Washington State. The Cougars are 110th in the country against the run. If Wilson doesn’t start, use Jared Baker ($7,000). You want an Arizona tailback on your squad this week.

Honorable Mention:

Alex Collins, Arkansas ($8,000): Collins has not had the kind of year that he did last year when he was able to split carries with Jonathan Williams. Auburn has improved their run defense some, but they are still 101st in the country, allowing 197.7 rushing yards per game. Look for him to bounce back after an atrocious outing against Alabama.

Saquon Barkley, Penn State ($7,300): Don’t look now, but Penn State actually has someone that can carry the offense. Surprise, surprise, it’s not Christian Hackenberg. The true freshman Barkley ran for a career high 194 yards against the vaunted Ohio State defense last week. What do you think he will be able to go against Maryland’s 100th ranked run defense?

Dark Horses:

Kareem Hunt, Toledo ($7,100): Hunt only carried nine times last week against Eastern Michigan, but that was more of an indication of the Rockets trying to keep him healthy after injuries early this year. Look for him to have more of a workload against Massachusetts this week in a game that is less likely to get out of hand. Massachusetts is allowing an average of 230.8 rushing yards per game. Look for Hunt to be a big factor this weekend.

Samaje Perine, Oklahoma ($6,300): It’s really hard to use Perine right now. He has only topped 100 yards once this year, and that was against Tulsa. He hasn’t come close to 20 carries since. The Oklahoma offense is centered around the pass, which destroys Perine’s value. That said, Texas Tech is allowing a whopping 264 rushing yards per game. if Perine doesn’t get a healthy workload here, he should transfer. This is a gross misuse of his talent.

My picks: Barkley and Perine

Next: Should You Pay For Coleman?

Oct 17, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Corey Coleman (1) catches a pass as West Virginia Mountaineers cornerback Daryl Worley (7) defends during the first quarter at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receiver:

Best Bets:

Corey Coleman, Baylor ($9,600): How good has Coleman been? He broke Kendall Wright’s school record of 15 receiving touchdowns in six games! He still has half a season left to increase the school record! Seth Russell isn’t going to stop throwing to him anytime soon. He has seven straight 100 yard receiving games. Number eight comes when Iowa State comes to town this weekend.

Aaron Burbridge, Michigan State ($6,800): Nebraska is the only team with a worse pass defense than Indiana. Connor Cook is still mostly a game manager, but he is a smart passer. When Burbridge has been open, he has gotten the ball. Purdue and Central Michigan were able to take Burbridge out of the game. Both of them have significantly better pass defenses than Indiana does.

Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma ($7,400): Oklahoma’s offense emphasizes spreading the ball around, and Shepard has been a victim of that all season. While that makes Durron Neal and Dede Westbrook great value plays, especially in flex positions on DraftKings, it hampers Shepard’s value. That said, this game is going to be a fast paced shootout with both teams running at least 90 plays. Shepard should see plenty of targets in this one.

Honorable Mention:

Gabe Marks, Washington State ($7,100): Washington State’s offense also emphasizes spreading the ball around, but Marks has been held to five catches only once. He is the most reliable wide receiver option for the Cougars. It’s much like any air-raid offense. The quarterback will throw to whomever is open, so it’s hard to rely too much on any one receiver.

Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech ($6,900): Grant has caught at least six passes in seven straight games. He is going to get something even if he doesn’t score multiple touchdowns. On paper, this looks like a bad matchup. Oklahoma is only allowing 152.2 passing yards per game, good for ninth in the nation. As an Oklahoma fan I can tell you that these statistics are a little bit skewed. Akron doesn’t throw, Kansas State can’t throw, and Texas didn’t need to throw. Tulsa’s Dane Evans threw for over 300 yards on the Sooners, and Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs came close. Texas Tech is going to get their yards in this one. Grant will be right in the center of it.

Allen Lazard, Iowa State ($6,100): Baylor is 90th in the country in pass defense, largely because teams have to throw to try and keep pace with the Bears’ offense. Iowa State will have to do the same. That makes Lazard an intriguing option. He racked up a career high 147 yards against TCU last weekend. He could get close here against Baylor.

Dark Horses:

Calvin Ridley, Alabama ($5,700): Ridley is becoming the go-to receiver that Alabama has lacked so far this season. He has 21 catches for 312 yards in the past three games, which makes him a strong value for the price.

Ricky Jones, Indiana ($5,600): Michigan State is actually 74 in the country in pass defense, allowing 231.4 passing yards per game. This is after facing a Michigan team that doesn’t throw the ball a whole lot. Indiana does. The Hoosiers are going to throw it around a lot, and Nate Sudfeld is locked in on Jones right now. He caught 7 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in the meltdown against Rutgers.

My picks: Shepard, Burbridge, and Ridley

Next: Who Is The Best TE?

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 ($4,000): Mills is a fool proof option at tight end. He has 10 catches for 196 yards since his return from injury, and has 15 catches for 300 yards and two touchdowns in only three games. If he can get close to 100 yards against a tough Kent State defense, he can against anyone.

Honorable Mention:

Jordan Leggett, Clemson ($3,500): Leggett has five touchdowns in the last four games. He is a focal point once Clemson enters the red zone, a place they should be in frequently against Miami this weekend.

Dark Horse:

Mark Andrews, Oklahoma ($2,000): If you are looking to save money, Andrews could be a great option. Four of his last five receptions have gone for touchdowns. He was shut out against Texas, and he is the epitome of a touchdown dependent player, but he is Oklahoma’s best target in the red zone. Oklahoma should be there quite a bit against Texas Tech Saturday afternoon.

My pick: Andrews

Next: ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 8

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