College football Week 8 has a great slate of games on the featured DFS slate. You can play weekly DFS contests at DraftKings for the duration of the season.
DraftKings has a CFB $200K Saturday Kickoff contest, with $50,000 going to first place. You can enter the contest for just $20 here.
Quarterback
Stud
Marcel Reed, Texas A&M at Arkansas, $8,500
Marcel Reed is having a fantastic season for Texas A&M. The Aggies built a great team around Reed, with weapons like KC Concepcion, Le’Veon Moss and Mario Craver. He has thrived with that talented group and is a Heisman contender this season. This is a game for Reed to flex his muscles against one of the nation’s worst defenses. Arkansas ranks 120th in the nation in both defensive EPA/pass and defensive EPA/rush. Reed should be able to take off and run against this team, but also hit his targets through the air. This should be a massive game for Reed and the Aggies’ offense.
Value
Darian Mensah, Duke vs. Georgia Tech, $6,900
Darian Mensah is putting up big numbers at Duke this season. Mensah ranks sixth in the country in passing yards and seventh in passing touchdowns. The Blue Devils are undefeated in ACC play, making this a massive game for them against Georgia Tech. Mensah will need to be at his best, and he should be able to move it against the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech ranks 62nd in the country in defensive EPA/play and 76th in defensive success rate. Mensah has played mistake-free football in ACC play, with a 7-0 TD-INT ratio through three games. He should keep that up and have a great game against Georgia Tech.
Running Back
Stud
Jonah Coleman, Washington at Michigan, $7,900
Jonah Coleman is one of the best running backs in college football. He was a 1,000-yard rusher after following Jedd Fisch to Washington last season. This season, he leads the nation in rushing touchdowns and is on pace for even more yards than last season. Coleman has also been used in the pass game, catching eight balls in Washington’s win over Maryland. This is not the Michigan defense of old, as they rank 65th in the country in defensive EPA/play. Washington ranks fourth in the country in offensive EPA/play and should be able to move it against the Wolverines. Coleman should find the end zone at least once this game and play a big role in the offense.
Value
CJ Donaldson, Ohio State at Wisconsin, $4,100
CJ Donaldson was my value play at running back last week, and he will continue to be almost every week if he is priced this cheaply. Donaldson was a cheap value play last week against Illinois and ended up scoring two touchdowns against the Illini. Donaldson is priced so low because he doesn’t have the explosiveness of Bo Jackson, Ohio State’s other top back. However, Donaldson gets a majority of the goal-line carries for the Buckeyes. He leads the team with six rushing touchdowns on the season. Donaldson is a great fantasy player because he scores touchdowns in competitive games, but also gets more carries in blowout situations. This could be a runaway game for Ohio State, and that means another big game for Donaldson.
Wide Receiver
Stud
Mario Craver, Texas A&M at Arkansas, $6,800
Mario Craver is having a special season for the Aggies. Craver transferred in from Mississippi State after a promising freshman season. He has taken his game to new heights, ranking third in the country in receiving yards this season. KC Concepcion was another big transfer for Texas A&M at wide receiver, who is also having a good season. However, Craver has been a serious explosive play threat for Marcel Reed. He is averaging over 100 receiving yards per game and has five total touchdowns through six games. Against this Arkansas defense that ranks 120th in defensive EPA/pass, Craver should have another explosive day.
Value
Joseph Manjack IV, TCU vs. Baylor, $4,800
TCU and Baylor should be one of the best games of the Saturday slate. These teams feature two high-level quarterbacks, Josh Hoover and Sawyer Robertson. The two teams should either hit explosive plays down the field or have a quick three-and-out. That should result in a lot of possessions and chances to rack up stats. Joseph Manjack IV is a boom or bust player for TCU, but that makes him a good value play in DFS this week. Manjack has games with 65, 83 and 114 receiving yards this season. So, in half of TCU’s games, he has put up big numbers. This is a game where TCU should get plenty of possessions, so that is a great chance for another big game from Manjack, who ranks second on the team in receptions.
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
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State at Wisconsin, $9,000
Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver in the country and is a serious Heisman candidate. Since struggling in Week 1 against Texas, Smith has scored at least one touchdown in every game, with eight total touchdowns across five games. He has 40 catches on the season and can turn any reception into an explosive play. This Wisconsin defense ranks 77th in the nation in defensive EPA/pass. Julian Sayin should pick them apart, making this another big game for Smith.
Value
Bryant Wesco Jr., WR, Clemson vs. SMU, $5,900
While Clemson is not having the season it hoped for, Bryant Wesco Jr. is having a career-best season. The sophomore receiver was expected to be the WR2 for this team behind Antonio Williams. However, Williams missed several games early in the season, thrusting Wesco into that primary receiver role. He thrived as Cade Klubnik’s top target, lighting up opposing defenses. Even once Williams returned, Wesco did not slow down his production. He just had a monster game against Boston College, going for 106 yards and a touchdown. This SMU defense ranks 78th in the nation in defensive passing success rate. Even with Cade Klubnik likely out, Wesco should continue to produce as he has all season. Wesco ranks 12th in the country in receiving yards and should keep that momentum rolling in this game.
