FanDuel College Football Picks For December 19

Dec 21, 2013; Albuquerque, NM, USA; Detailed view of a Washington State Cougars logo on an official Nike football on the field during the game against the Colorado State Rams during the Gildan New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bowl season begins tomorrow! With five games on tap, there is more than enough players to choose from to build a winning FanDuel lineup. Who are the best choices? Let’s find out!

More from College Football Odds

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.

If you want to try FanDuel for the first time, click here for a referral bonus!

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 December 19:

Next: Who Will Put Up Big Numbers At QB?

Sep 5, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Fredi Knighten (9) throws a pass against the Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback:

Best Bets:

Fredi Knighten, Arkansas State ($8,800): Louisiana Tech has the 112th ranked pass defense in the country, so this game should be a high scoring shootout. Knighten had some big numbers in games that were high scoring, never falling below 28 FanDuel points in those contests, and topping 40 once. He is a strong play against Louisiana Tech’s porous defense.

Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech ($7,900): Did I mention high scoring? Arkansas State’s pass defense is marginally better (96th) than Tech’s, but Driskel is a more polished passer than Knighten is. He topped 290 passing yards in nine of his 12 games. The bad part? He throws more interceptions and runs less than Knighten, so he carries a bit more of a risk.

Honorable Mention:

Kenny Potter, San Jose State ($8,800): Potter’s running ability gives him a high floor, which is imperative on a team that doesn’t always throw the ball. Potter has had 25 passing attempts or less in seven games this year, but in those games, he ran ten or more times in all but one of them. Georgia State has struggled some against passing teams this year, so if Potter can get it going through the air, he has a chance at a good day.

Nick Arbuckle, Georgia State ($8,500): Arbuckle has seven straight games with over 300 yards passing, even going for over 400 yards in two of those games. The problem here is that San Jose State has the second best pass defense in the country. It’s hard to ignore how well Arbuckle has played over the last two months, but it is also hard to ignore this statistic. If it makes you feel better, Arbuckle tallied 346 yards against a good Georgia Southern defense in the season finale.

Dark Horse:

Anu Solomon, Arizona ($7,200): With all of the defensive issues that Arizona had this year, Solomon’s strong play when he was healthy gets lost in the shuffle. New Mexico is 87th in pass defense, and if Solomon can limit the interceptions that hounded him in October, he could produce near the high-priced quarterbacks this weekend.

My pick: Knighten

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:

Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech ($8,500): Dixon was held to -4 yards on eight carries by Southern Miss’s stifling run defense, but still manged to rack up 20.2 FanDuel points because of his contributions in the passing game. The Bulldogs will get him touches no matter what even if Arkansas State does manage to shut down the run. He will get his no matter what. Play him if you have the money.

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 that Dixon has, but he is still a solid play if you can’t afford Dixon. Ohio’s run defense is in the middle of the pack, and they haven’t had to deal with a running attack like this so far this year.

Honorable Mention:

Algernon Brown, BYU ($7,200): Utah has an impressive defense, but Brown has taken on his share of tough defenses this year including San Jose State, Utah, State, Connecticut, and Missouri. He eclipsed 10 FanDuel points in all of them. Brown has also scored at least one touchdown in six straight games. The Cougars aren’t going to let him rot on the bench even if Utah stops the run, making him a solid play.

Jhurell Pressley, New Mexico ($6,500): Arizona’s run defense has given up 188.5 rushing yards per game this year, which is why I picked New Mexico to stay in this game. The Lobos have a couple of different options that they will use at running back, and quarterback Lamar Jordan will get in on the action as well. Pressley is the big play guy. He has 377 yards on just 32 carries and six touchdowns in his last three games. Expect him to get loose at least once in this one as well.

Dark Horses:

Teriyon Gipson, New Mexico ($5,200): Gipson gets most of the carries for the Lobos, but he lacks the ability to break the game open like Pressley does. That said, there will be plenty of opportunities against Arizona. Only Boise State, the fourth ranked run defense, has been able to hold Gipson under 70 yards since the beginning of October. Don’t expect Arizona to do it.

Jared Baker, Arizona ($5,100): With Nick Wilson officially ruled out, that opens the door once again for Baker. When Wilson was out earlier this year, Baker ran for 607 yards in seven games. That is a healthy average against a team ranked 97th in the country in run defense.

My picks: Pressley and Baker

Next: Should You Spend At WR?

Sep 12, 2015; Jonesboro, AR, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves wide receiver Tres Houston (15) catches a pass for a touchdown in the first half as Missouri Tigers defensive back Kenya Dennis (7) defends at ASU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receiver:

Best Bets:

Penny Hart, Georgia State ($6,800): If you don’t feel comfortable using Nick Arbuckle against such a solid pass defense, I don’t blame you, but don’t hesitate to play Hart. Appalachian State was the only team to hold him under 10 FanDuel points this year, and that includes games against Oregon and Georgia Southern. Hart is a low risk play even against a tough pass defense.

Tres Houston, Arkansas State ($6,600): Houston has emerged as the favorite target of Fredi Knighten over the past three games. Houston has hauled in 13 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns in that span. In a game that Knighten will likely throw a lot, it would be a good decision to have his favorite receiver.

Honorable Mention:

Trent Taylor, Louisiana Tech ($6,500): Taylor had a couple of bad games in November, but rebounded nicely with 11 catches for 102 yards in the regular season finale against Southern Mississippi. Taylor was Driskel’s go-to guy nearly all year long. Expect that to be the case in the bowl game as well.

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:

Robert Davis, Georgia State ($5,000): Davis has been on a tear since October 17th. In the seven games since then, he has 38 catches for 669 yards and four touchdowns. That comes out to about 15.7 FanDuel points per game. He could be a great value at his price.

Bubba Poole, Utah ($4,500): With Britain Covey and Kenneth Scott both limited if they are even able to play, it looks like Poole could see a lot more snaps. He has 11 catches over the last three games with Scott hobbled, and could see a healthy share of targets for the price if Covey and/or Scott can’t go. Just make sure that he is listed at least third on the depth chart before using.

My picks: Taylor, Houston, and Hart

Next: Can You Save Money At TE?

Sep 20, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Georgia State Panthers tight end Keith Rucker (45, center) celebrates his touchdown reception against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Tight End:

Best Bet:

Keith Rucker, Georgia State ($5,400): No tight end in action tomorrow can match Rucker’s importance to their respective offense. Rucker has averaged 16 FanDuel points over his last five games. While I would temper my expectations some against a tough pass defense, he is still more likely to keep his production up than the receivers are.

Honorable Mention:

Billy Freeman, San Jose State ($4,400): Freeman has scored four touchdowns in his last six games, and has not been below eight FanDuel points in that span. This can be a tough position to find production at, but there are two really good options today!

Dark Horse:

Harrison Handley, Utah ($2,700): With all of the injuries at receiver, Handley could be a sneaky play. He has caught at least one pass in every game, but if he only catches one, it could be enough to knock you out of the money. He is a dice roll only if you run short of funds.

My pick: Freeman

Next: Click Here For All Of The Bowl Picks!

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