The college football season kicks off this week with a fun Week 0 slate. This is a great chance to dive into college football DFS before the season kicks off.
DraftKings has a CFB $150K Saturday Kickoff contest, with $50,000 going to first place. You can enter the contest for just $20 here.
Quarterback
Stud
Jayden Maiava, USC vs. SJSU, $9,000
Jayden Maiava could be one of the best quarterbacks in college football this season. Maiava had a great 2025 season in Lincoln Riley’s system. He ranked fifth in the nation in passing yards and second in QBR. Maiava has an incredible arm, while also finishing the season with six rushing touchdowns on top of his big passing numbers. He has a chance to take another step forward in his senior season. Maiava should start the year on a strong note in this very favorable matchup against San Jose State.
Value
Micah Alejado, Hawaii at Stanford, $6,500
Micah Alejado is the most undervalued quarterback in DFS this week. Alejado threw for over 3,100 yards and 24 touchdowns last season at Hawaii. He thrived in Timmy Chang’s run-and-shoot offense and should take another step forward this season. While this is a tougher matchup for Hawaii against Stanford, Alejado held his own when these teams met last season. He finished that game with 210 yards and a pair of passing touchdowns. Alejado should be ready for this challenge and deliver another solid performance against the Cardinal.
Running Back
Stud
Jai’Den Thomas, UNLV vs. Memphis, $7,800
Jai’Den Thomas is a rare breed in modern college football. He is headed into his senior season at UNLV, after spending the first three years of his career at… UNLV! He committed to the program as a high schooler and will spend his entire career playing for them. That loyalty paid off for Thomas last season, when he had an incredible 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Rebels. Thomas now has 31 rushing touchdowns across his three seasons at UNLV, averaging nearly a score per game. This should be a good matchup against Memphis, with Thomas ready to start his senior season on a strong note.
Value
Quintrevion Wisner, Florida State vs. New Mexico State, $6,500
Quintrevion Wisner transferred to Florida State from Texas during the offseason. Wisner had an excellent 2024 season at Texas, rushing for over 1,000 yards. Last season, he missed a few games due to injury but still ended up as the Longhorns’ leading rusher. If Wisner can stay healthy, he should thrive in this Florida State offense. Wisner can put up yards in bunches on the ground, and he can work out of the backfield as a receiver as well. He should run wild against New Mexico State in this comfortable opening matchup.
Wide Receiver
Stud
Duce Robinson, Florida State vs. New Mexico State, $7,000
Duce Robinson is an incredible talent. He transferred to Florida State last season and ended up going for over 1,000 yards, ranking ninth in the nation in yards per catch in the process. That was despite a somewhat flaccid passing game from the Seminoles in 2025. If Robinson can maintain his level and new FSU quarterback Ashton Daniels can raise the offense’s level, Robinson could have a special season. He should feast against the New Mexico State defensive backs in this game.
Value
Mark Bowman, USC vs. SJSU, $4,700
Mark Bowman is expected to start at tight end for USC as a true freshman. Bowman is a 5-star recruit out of Mater Dei High School. He competed at the highest level in high school, and despite his young age, he stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds. Time will tell if Bowman is ready for the physicality of a Big 10 schedule. However, he should be able to get going right away against San Jose State.
Flex/Superflex
You can use any of the other names I listed above for the flex or superflex positions. However, here are a few more names, just in case.
Stud
Ashton Daniels, QB, Florida State vs. New Mexico State, $8,500
Ashton Daniels has been around the block in college football. He was a two-year starter at Stanford before transferring to Auburn to try to level up last season. He started just a few games for the Tigers last season, then jumped ship to Florida State this offseason. Daniels will have some good weapons to work with, most notably Duce Robinson. It’s unclear if Daniels will step up against the highest level of competition — but against New Mexico State, he should put up some big numbers.
Value
Nico Brown, WR, Stanford vs. Hawaii, $3,000
Nico Brown is incredibly undervalued in DFS this week. Brown had a sensational season at Yale in 2025. He caught 71 balls for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns, while helping Yale to an Ivy League co-title and a playoff win. Brown was named an FCS All-American and decided to move up a level by transferring to Stanford. He is expected to start in the slot for Stanford this season. It’s a big step up from the FCS to the ACC. However, Hawaii doesn’t have the elite athletes some ACC defenses do. Brown should thrive in this matchup and have a good debut for the Cardinal.
