DraftKings CFB picks October 5: Build around the Louisville offense

LINCOLN, NE – SEPTEMBER 08: Wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes celebrates a late touchdown with offensive lineman William Sherman #78 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

DraftKings CFB picks October 5: Build around the Louisville offense

There are three games on our Friday night for the DraftKings college football madness. However, this week only Georgia Tech and Louisville belong to major conferences. Who can help us win from some of the smaller schools?

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It wasn’t the small schools that dominated the Friday slate last week. Laviska Shenault was the guy you needed to cash, and Steven Montez didn’t hurt either. The Colorado connection paid off nicely!

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EAST LANSING, MI – AUGUST 31: Jordan Love #10 of the Utah State Aggies throws a second half pass while playing the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on August 31, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 38-31. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Jordan Love ($8,600): Stockstill isn’t worth the price markup, so Love is the likely pivot here. Stockstill’s consistency in cash games is enticing, but I’ll take the upside of Love. Love had solid games against both Air Force and Michigan State, both of whom have pretty good defenses. BYU’s defense is good, but I still see Love having a solid game here.

Taquon Marshall ($8,400): Florida State’s miserable offensive unit, in particular the lack of a run game, made Louisville’s defense look better than it really is. Clemson was the only team to hold Marshall under 20 DraftKings points. Louisville’s defense is better than most the Bees have faced, but it isn’t anywhere near Clemson’s. Marshall is a sure 20, and his upside is much higher than Love’s due to the running ability.

Middle Tier:

Isaiah Green ($7,800): Marshall hasn’t released any word yet on whether Green will be able to play. He needed help to leave the field on Saturday against Western Kentucky, but the school has kept his status close to the vest. If you decide to use Green, just make sure that you have the ability to switch out quickly just before kickoff. If Green does play though, there is good upside against Middle Tennessee State so long as he is healthy.

Jawon Pass ($7,200): Pass played well enough to keep the starting job against Georgia Tech, but with as bad as Malik Cunningham has been, that’s not saying much. Still, Pass led the Cardinals to a lead against Florida State in a game they probably should have won. There is a lot to like here, but Pass still looks like a freshman at times. The upside is there, but don’t expect any huge numbers.

Bargain Shoppers:

Alex Thomson ($6,200): Thomson is going to find himself in a lot of lineups if Green can’t go. If you aren’t going to be around to watch this situation right up until kickoff, it’s best to avoid it entirely. However, there is a lot of value to be had here if Thomson starts. It doesn’t come without risk, but the price is right instead of rostering another WR at the S-Flex position.

Tanner Mangum ($5,100): Mangum has only cracked double digit DraftKings points in two out of the five games this year. They were the first two games of the season. That said, with the exception of McNeese State, the Cougars have played some tough teams like Wisconsin, Washington, Cal, and Arizona. Three out of those four are ranked. This is likely the easiest opponent the Cougars have faced in which Mangum will get his usual workload. Mangum is efficient, but BYU usually goes elsewhere for big plays. That makes him a risk, even at this price.

TUCSON, AZ – SEPTEMBER 01: Running back Squally Canada #22 of the Brigham Young Cougars dives with the football during the first half of the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Gerold Bright ($7,400): The presence of Thompson limits Bright’s upside and vice versa. My initial reaction is to avoid this whole situation, especially against the BYU defense. If you are going to go with one of them it should be Bright because of the big play potential. However, I think the way to attack this is to use both or neither. Both get enough carries to justify rolling with the tandem.

Squally Canada ($6,600): Canada’s only above average game, and only game in double digit DraftKings points, came in Camp Randall. I’m not quite sure how that happens. At any rate, Canada is a solid play against Utah State, but there isn’t much on this BYU offense to get excited about. Canada is the best play if you are looking to use one.

Middle Tier:

Brad Anderson ($5,900): Anderson is much like Jalen Hurd for Baylor in that he takes snaps both at running back and at slot receiver. That increases his chances and his involvement in the offense. For that reason, this is a very reasonable price tag here. Since DraftKings has a PPR format, Anderson is more valuable than the average back since he will get a handful of catches per game. There is solid upside here.

Keion Davis ($5,200): Davis is the lead back by default for Marshall. If Green misses the game, we could see the Herd run more than usual, but there is no guarantee that leads to success for Davis as he is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry on the season. His value lies in that Davis is the best pass catcher among the backs and Marshall likes to throw it around. This is a volatile situation, but Davis has the best upside of any Marshall back due to his receiving chops.

Bargain Shoppers:

Tavares Thomas ($4,400): Thomas is about the only healthy MTSU running back. That fact alone gives him pretty good upside. The whole Blue Raider backfield is kind of a mess, and this is a pass first team. Anderson’s receiving prowess make him a more attractive back, but the team also wants to use him in the slot. I view Anderson as the only really “safe” option here, but Thomas is a decent cheap dart.

Hassan Hall ($3,900): Hall has started to take a chunk out of Trey Smith‘s carries with good reason. Hall picked up 11 carries against Florida State, picking up a shad over five yards per, which is his season average. At the very least, Hall seems to have worked himself into a timeshare with Smith. I’ll take Hall, being the cheaper of the two. You could also use Jerry Howard for the touchdown potential, but Georgia Tech runs more with their quarterbacks than anyone else.

MURFREESBORO, TN – OCTOBER 20: Tyre Brady #8 of the Marshall Thundering Herd draws a pass interference penalty from Charvarius Ward #2 of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the first quarter of a game at Floyd Stadium on October 20, 2017 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Tyre Brady ($8,800): The uncertainty at quarterback could lower the ownership on Brady, but it wont be from me. Brady tore up the Western Kentucky secondary, and is poised to do the same to Middle Tennessee State no matter who is throwing him the ball. Brady is the target hog in this offense, and is worth a look at any rate. If Green plays though, Brady is the guy you build around.

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Middle Tier:

Ron’Quavion Tarver ($6,300): Suddenly, Utah State has turned into a passing offense. It has everything to do with Jordan Love. They could find running tough going against the BYU front. The only thing that worries me here is if the O-Line can’t keep Corbin Kaufusi out of the backfield. If that happens, Love may not have time to find Tarver, so there is some risk here.

Jaylen Smith ($6,100): With Pass throwing the ball, Smith became a huge part of the offense, hauling in ten passes against the Seminoles. Expect much of the same here against Georgia Tech. Smith is one of the safer options out there since Louisville isn’t facing an elite defense, and we know Smith is going to receive a lot of the targets in this offense.

Dez Fitzpatrick ($5,400): Fitzpatrick experienced an uptick in output as well with Pass under center, so more goodness should be coming his way. The Georgia Tech defense has struggled all around, so Louisville shouldn’t have much of a problem moving the ball here. I like Smith more, but I’m not opposed to using the whole Louisville passing attack, especially since the run hasn’t been all that effective for the Cardinals.

Bargain Shoppers:

Patrick Smith ($4,900): In terms of sheer volume, Smith is one of the more enticing options out there for Friday. Over the last three games, Smith has 19 catches for 253 yards and four touchdowns. I really don’t get the pricing here. Smith is an absolute steal at this price.

Micky Crum ($4,700): It’s not often a tight end makes this list, but Pass found solace in his veteran tight end against Florida State. Crum hauled in ten passes on Saturday. While the volume may not be as high as Pass gets more comfortable on the field, there is still use for him against Georgia Tech on Friday.

Next. ESPN College Pick Em Picks week 6. dark

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