The second semifinal of the College Football Playoff takes place on Friday night with a great matchup between Ohio State and Texas. Here is how to compete in DFS for Friday night’s matchup.
DraftKings has one of their biggest college football DFS contests of the year with the CFB Showdown $200K Semi-Final Special with $50,000 going to first place. You can enter the contest for just $25.
Captain’s Pick
Will Howard ($18,300 CP) – Will Howard has been incredible so far in the College Football Playoff. He threw for over 300 yards in each of Ohio State’s first two games and combined for a 5-1 TD-INT ratio across the two games. Those are massive numbers but even more impressive when considering that Ohio State had massive second-half leads in both of those games and mostly ran the ball to control the clock in the second halves of those games. In addition to his great passing games, Howard is a great runner as well, totaling seven rushing touchdowns on the year. It has been easy for Howard to hit deep shots down the field in the two playoff games so far. However, if Texas sells out to take those away and doesn’t keep a spy on Howard, he can take off and pick up chunks on the ground. Howard plays a similar style to Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt who had a big game against Texas in the quarterfinals. Howard should put on one more big performance to get his team to the national title game.
UTIL Picks
Studs
Jeremiah Smith ($11,400) – Jeremiah Smith had an outstanding freshman season but his performances in the CFP so far have brought his star power to another level. Smith combined for 290 receiving yards and four touchdowns in the first two Ohio State playoff games. He was able to beat the Tennessee and Oregon defenses over the top with ease and those were two of the best defenses in the nation during the regular season. Texas has an elite defense as well but Smith has proven that he is on another level with his speed and skill. It has been impossible for defenses to contain him and he should have another big game against the Longhorns. Smith has 15 touchdowns in 14 games this season and should find the end zone at least once against the Longhorns, making him a must-play in this showdown.
Jaydon Blue ($6,200) – Jaydon Blue has been a boom-or-bust player this season but I am rolling the dice on him in this game. Blue was a non-factor in the quarterfinals, but in the first round of the CFP against Clemson, Blue had 177 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. He has 12 total touchdowns this season, with four of them coming through the air. That is twice as many total touchdowns as Texas’ other running back Quintrevion Wisner. So, while Wisner gets a majority of the carries, Blue has been the guy who can find the end zone for the Longhorns. Blue has also proven himself to be a great receiving threat out of the backfield. Ohio State is third in the nation in defensive EPA/pass and they have shut down the first two offenses they have faced in the CFP. That great coverage downfield could lead to Quinn Ewers resorting to his checkdowns and Blue will be one of those primary checkdown targets.
Value
Gunnar Helm ($5,400) – Gunnar Helm has been a great target for Quinn Ewers so far in the CFP. Helm is averaging 66.5 receiving yards per game through the first two games of the CFP and he has scored a touchdown in both games. Helm also combined for 107 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Texas’ final two regular season games, so it has been a great run in the home stretch of the season for the Texas tight end. In the quarterfinals, Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson was able to grab five catches for 71 yards against Ohio State. Other tight ends like Penn State’s Tyler Warren also found success against Ohio State in the regular season. Helm should be able to find space in the middle of the field and will continue to be the go-to guy for Ewers in the red zone, making him a great play at this price.
Bert Auburn ($4,600) – Bert Auburn is the most successful kicker in the history of the Texas Longhorns. Auburn had an incredibly rare off-game against Arizona State in the quarterfinals. However, based on Auburn’s entire career at Texas, he should bounce back and have a good game here. Auburn hasn’t missed an extra point all season so that is not a concern at all. Auburn has a season-long of 49 yards so he can hit from distance and he has been incredibly consistent from inside 40 yards. Ohio State leads the nation in opponent touchdowns per game. They are so good in the red zone and hold teams to field goals at a very high rate. That should lead to Auburn getting multiple opportunities to knock some kicks through in a range where he has been money throughout his career.
Isaiah Bond ($3,800) – Isaiah Bond has yet to play in the CFP after leaving the SEC Championship Game with an injury. However, Bond is set to return for this massive semifinal game. Bond has dealt with injury issues all season, derailing his first season at Texas. Although when he has been on the field, Bond has made pivotal plays for the Longhorns. Bond only has 33 catches on the year because of all of the time missed with injury but five of those 33 catches were touchdowns. Scoring on 15% of your receptions is an absurd stat. Bond is also averaging over 15 yards per catch this season and has scored a rushing touchdown as well. It hasn’t been the ideal season for Bond due to injury but he is healthy for this game and Steve Sarkisian will use him in the game plan in ways that nobody else on the team can be used.
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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.
