Week 1 of the college football season is upon us. Of course, you can place your bets for every game at DraftKings Sportsbook. However, you can also play weekly DFS contests at DraftKings for the duration of the college football season.
Week 1 has some exciting matchups like Georgia vs. Clemson, Miami vs. Florida and Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M. However, there are studs all around the country looking to put up huge numbers in their first game of the year. I will run through some players I am looking to target at every position this week.
DraftKings has a huge college football DFS contest for Week 1 with a $300,000 prize pool including $100,000 for first place! Enter for only $20 here!
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Quarterback
Stud
Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Vanderbilt Commodores, $8,300- There are plenty of great quarterbacks in college football, but when you look at the top options on the board, like Quinn Ewers or Will Howard, there is a chance they will only play half of the game because their team is such a large favorite. Virginia Tech is just a 13.5-point favorite against Vanderbilt, so this game is expected to be reasonably competitive. By the end of the 2023 season, Drones started to put up huge numbers through the air and on the ground. This Hokies team is expected to improve, and Drones should have his way against a subpar Vanderbilt defense.
Other Options- Will Howard ($8,500), Dylan Raiola($8,200)
Value
Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys, $6,100- Gronowski is overlooked because he plays at this FCS level, but he is coming off a season where he won the National Championship at the FCS level with SDSU. Gronowski will not be intimidated to go up against a Big 12 opponent and should actually relish the chance to shine on a big stage. Oklahoma State had one of the worst defenses in the Big 12 last season, and Gronowski should be able to exploit that.
Other Option- Eli Holstein ($5,400)
Running Back
Stud
Nick Singleton, Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers, $6,300- Singleton will be a threat on the ground and through the air for Penn State this season. With new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki in charge, Penn State is supposed to have a much faster-paced offense, which will only result in more touches for Singleton. He ended last regular season with 100+ yards on the ground and 68 receiving yards against Michigan State, so he will look to pick up where he left off against WVU in Week 1.
Other Options- Damien Martinez ($6,900), Jaydon Blue ($6,200)
Value
Branson Robinson, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Clemson Tigers, $4,800- Georgia will likely be without its top two running backs, Trevor Etienne and Roderick Robinson, on Saturday. That moves Branson Robinson into the role of lead back for the Bulldogs. Robinson scored two touchdowns in the 2023 National Championship game for Georgia but missed all of last season with an injury. Expect Robinson to be the main man for Georgia against Clemson, making this a bargain of a price.
Other Options- Desmond Reid ($4,600), Quintrevion Wisner ($4,500)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Akron Zips, $7,000- Egbuka will take over as WR1 for Ohio State with Marvin Harrison Jr. in the NFL this season. Egbuka had 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022 and will look to return to that form with a new QB, Will Howard, and a new OC, Chip Kelly, this season. Egbuka’s snaps might be limited against Akron to keep him healthy, but he can score on any given play with his advantages against Akron’s secondary.
Other Options- Xavier Restrepo ($6,700), Umari Hatcher ($6,600)
Value
Colbie Young, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Clemson Tigers, $5,500- Young transferred to Georgia from Miami to be a part of this fantastic offense. Young is 6’3 and will be a red zone target for Carson Beck in this offense. Young had five touchdowns last season at Miami and will now have many opportunities in this elite Georgia offense with Carson Beck at quarterback.
Other Options- Liam Clifford ($4,400), Javon Tracy ($4,300)
Flex/Superflex
You can use any of the other names I listed in the above categories for the flex or superflex positions. However, here are a few more names, just in case.
Stud
Tory Horton, Colorado State Rams vs. Texas Longhorns, $6,900- Horton is one of college football’s most productive wide receivers. Horton went for 96 catches and over 1,000 yards last season. He returns with the same quarterback, so the continuity is great. The only downside is that they are playing a good Texas defense, which gives you a reasonable price on Horton. Colorado State will be trailing the entire game, so they should just keep throwing to keep up with the Longhorns, which will give Horton a lot of targets.
Other Options- Drew Allar ($8,700), Diego Pavia ($7,300)
Value
Oscar Delp, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Clemson Tigers, $4,200- Delp will attempt to fill the massive shoes left by Brock Bowers at tight end for Georgia. Delp has loads of experience as a backup and filling in for Bowers when he was injured last season. Delp was more of a blocking tight end to help out Bowers, but now that he is TE1 for Georgia, he should become the safety blanket for Carson Beck, just like Bowers was.
Other Options- Bryant Wesco Jr. ($4,600), Censere Lee ($4,300)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is blakekrass) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
