College football DFS picks January 1: Can Ohio State get revenge?

College football DFS quarterback picks January 1:

Top Tier:

It’s easy to forget that Trevor Lawrence ran for over 100 yards on the Buckeyes in last year’s semifinal game. His yardage totals weren’t super high, but that kind of rushing total can change the slate. And before you say he can’t do that again, don’t forget the NFL talent that was on last year’s defense that isn’t there this year.

All of that said, I still prefer Mac Jones for the money. The Irish defense has been very good in the last six weeks or so, but they haven’t faced an offense like Alabama either. I trust Jones a lot more than Desmond Ridder against Georgia. Ridder is a much bigger part of the Cincinnati offense though and could create some leverage should you choose to run him at the Bulldogs.

Middle Tier:

The massive leverage spot here is with Justin Fields. His horrible game against Northwestern and the strength of the Clemson defense will drive down ownership. There’s no way that Ohio State can run on Clemson the way they did with Northwestern. If the Buckeyes are going to hang around in this game, it will be because of Fields. There is solid upside despite the tough matchup.

It’s unfortunate that the only suitable middle tier option if JT Daniels. This is a terrible matchup for him. If South Carolina can lock him down, I’m pretty sure that Cincinnati can.

Bargain Shoppers:

These are marquee bowl games, so the tough matchups shouldn’t surprise anyone. However, there is one quarterback hanging around that has a good matchup. He’s also the cheapest on the slate. Yes, Northwestern would rather run, but Peyton Ramsey is going to be needed against Auburn. Their pass defense is the weaker link. For the price, Ramsey is going to be hard to beat at any position.