FanDuel College Football Picks For Late December 5

Oct 3, 2015; Clemson, SC, USA; A general view of fans at the set of ESPN College GameDay set prior to the game between the Clemson Tigers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

This is a light slate across the college football universe this weekend, but it isn’t all just conference championship games. There are several more to choose from, including some players from little known schools who usually aren’t in FanDuel tournaments. There can be some real gems in those situations. Who are the best? Let’s go digging!

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For the first time in a long time, I didn’t place with any of my FanDuel lineups last weekend. I did win $12 on a DraftKings one where you could more easily offset a poor performance from one player. It’s harder to do that on FanDuel.

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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 late December 5:

Next: Who Will Put Up Big Numbers At QB?

Nov 28, 2015; Columbia, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback:

Best Bet:

Deshaun Watson, Clemson ($10,900): North Carolina is in the top 20 in pass defense, but they have had some problems stopping the run. Fortunately for Clemson, Watson can make plays with his legs as well. He may be a more dangerous runner than starting RB Wayne Gallman. Even if he has problems getting the ball downfield, his running prowess gives him a much higher floor than Marquise Williams. Clemson is 4th in the nation in pass defense, so the big plays that Carolina has lived on all year may be hard to come by. This makes Watson the safest option of the night, even if he isn’t the best.

Honorable Mention:

Kevin Hogan, Stanford ($8,600): USC’s pass defense did fairly well last week, but they are still giving up 262.4 passing yards per game, which is 105th in the nation. Hogan has had two good outings in his last three games, and one of those was against a stingy Notre Dame defense. Hogan is still tough to rely on, and has only broken 300 passing yards once (against Oregon), but on paper this looks like a good matchup if you don’t trust Watson.

Cody Kessler, USC ($7,300): Kessler has been about as hard to depend on as Hogan, but he comes at a much cheaper price. Stanford is 75th in pass defense, which means they have given up their fair share of big plays in the passing game. Will that translate to success for Kessler? Its hard to tell, but he has a little more of a stable foundation than Hogan.

Dark Horse:

Christian Chapman, San Diego State ($5,100): With Maxwell Smith out, the starting job will fall to Chapman. The Aztecs will likely run even more than usual, which makes both of their backs better plays than Chapman, but he looked solid against Nevada last week after Smith left the game. Chapman won’t be asked to do much more than manage the game, but he could put up decent numbers for the price.

My pick: Watson

Next: Who Are The Best RB's?

Aug 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Appalachian State Mountaineers running back Marcus Cox (14) rushes on Michigan Wolverines defensive end Henry Poggi (7) at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Running Back:

Best Bets:

Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego State ($9,100): Pumphrey has been over 100 rushing yards in every game except for Penn State on September 26, but he still scored a touchdown in that game. With Maxwell Smith out, the onus is going to fall to the Aztec ground game, and Pumphrey is more than capable of carrying the load. Even against a pretty good Air Force defense. Pumphrey has not been under 17 FanDuel points in any game this season. He is as good as it gets Saturday night.

Wayne Gallman, Clemson ($6,200): North Carolina has given up an average of 208 yards per game on the ground, which is 105th in the nation. Gallman has had very pedestrian numbers since the Florida State games, as it has been Deshaun Watson doing a large part of the damage on the ground. That said, Gallman should see plenty of running lanes against the Tarheels, and he looks like the safest play of the night slate.

Honorable Mention:

Marcus Cox, Appalachian State ($7,800): Cox is about as consistent as they come. Only Georgia State has been able to hold him under ten FanDuel points, and he has had at least 70 rushing yards in every game this year. He doesn’t have the ceiling the Pumphrey or Gallman has, but he is still a solid play if you can’t afford Pumphrey. South Alabama’s 109th ranked run defense should give you all the confidence you need to play Cox.

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford ($8,000): McCaffrey gets so many touches that it is hard to bet against him, even against a solid run defense like USC. McCaffrey has also had five games this year where he has caught three or more passes. He is the focal point of the Stanford offense, and will get plenty of chances to have an impact on the game. He may have the highest floor of any running back available, but temper your expectations some against a good USC run defense.

Dark Horses:

Chase Price, San Diego State ($6,300): Price is a backup in name only. He routinely gets at least 15 touches per game, and he has produced with his opportunities. He has six touchdowns in his last six games, and has not been under 15 FanDuel points in any of them. Given the fact that the Aztecs might even run more than usual, Price could have a really good game for a reasonable price.

Justin Davis, USC ($5,200): Davis has put up back to back 100 yard rushing games, and has had more than 85 rushing yards in each of his last four games. The return of Tre Madden brings down his upside, but he could still be a sneaky play if he gets 15-20 touches, which he has in every game since October 17th.

My picks: Pumphrey and Cox

Next: Should You Spend At WR?

October 24, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) catches a pass to score a touchdown against the Utah Utes during the second half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receiver:

Best Bets:

JuJu Smith, USC ($6,400): Smith’s 18.8 FanDuel average per game is the best available at the position tonight, and Stanford has given up some big plays in the passing game. Smith has been kept under wraps by UCLA and Oregon, so there is some risk involved, but he does have the highest upside of the night. I don’t trust Aaron Burbridge against Iowa’s excellent defense.

Deon Cain, Clemson ($5,200): Cain is not the burner, that would be Charone Peake, but it is Cain that has been the most consistent wideout for the Tigers lately. Cain has scored a touchdown in each of the last five games, making him a pretty solid bet. He doesn’t have a high ceiling, but he hasn’t been under 10 FanDuel points since September 17.

Honorable Mention:

Devon Cajuste, Stanford ($5,300): Cajuste was the most heralded receiver coming into the season, but he has been a fantasy disaster this year. That is, until last week’s outburst against Notre Dame. He could do it again against a porous USC pass defense.

Simms McElfresh, Appalachian State ($5,200): Unfortunately, names aren’t a precursor for fantasy success, but that is not to say that McElfresh is not a producer. Since October 3rd, he has scored at least seven FanDuel points in every game. He is also used out of the backfield on occasion which given him a higher floor than most players his price. He isn’t going to win you a tournament, but he will help you place.

Dark Horse:

Michael Rector, Stanford ($4,800): Rector has posted more than 12 FanDuel points in two of his last three games. The one that he didn’t (against Cal), quarterback Kevin Hogan had a disastrous outing. It seems as though Rector is the most targeted receiver for the Cardinal right now. There is no reason for that to change against USC.

My picks: Cain, McElfresh, and Rector

Next: Can You Save Money At TE?

Sep 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal tight end Austin Hooper (18) carries the ball on a 24-yard reception in the second 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 ($3,800): Hooper has been Stanford’s most consistent receiver this year. It is encouraging that even with the emergence of Rector and Cajuste that Hooper is still productive. As with any tight end (except for Jaylen Samuels or Tyler Higbee), he has had the occasional clunker, but he is mostly a very reliable target, albeit with limited upside.

Honorable Mention:

Gerald Everett, South Alabama ($3,700): Everett had a streak of seven games where he had double digit fantasy points. He struggled against Georgia Southern and Georgia State, but he has a good chance to get back on track against Appalachian State. He should be targeted regularly in this game.

Dark Horse:

Daniel Brunskill, San Diego State ($2,300): Brunskill caught two passes after Maxwell Smith left the game against UNLV last week. Now with Smith out, look for Chapman to have to check down to Brunskill more than Smith had to. That could enable Brunskill to put up solid numbers at a reasonable price.

My pick: Hooper

More from FanSided

Stay tuned for all of the college football games picked against the spread!