The infancy of bowl season means more chances for daily fantasy college football owners to post big-winning lineups before the season concludes.
While the opening salvo of bowl games might not feature the most recognizable players or teams around, what it does do is provide plenty of potential high-scoring affairs.
More options with cheaper players and high ceilings means more chances an owner can craft a lineup quite different from the pack and take down big prizes.
Below, let’s take a look at an optimum DraftKings lineup for the beginning of bowl season.
DraftKings Optimum Week 12 Lineup
Only Saturday games (2 p.m. ET to 9 p.m. ET) listed.
QB
Fredi Knighten, Arkansas State ($7,100)
Fredi Knighten isn’t a household name by any means, but his dual-threat ability makes him quite the intriguing play this week.
The Arkansas State quarterback not only has 1,698 passing yards and 19 scores this year, but he’s also rushed for 358 yards and four scores.
Even better, the Red Wolves take on Louisiana Tech in a game with a silly over/under of 68.5 points. Knighten is explosive most times out even without a good matchup, especially considering he’s posted 43.2, 33.98 and 23.48 points over his last three games.
Given his productivity, odds are Knighten triples his value and then some.
Nick Arbuckle, Georgia State ($5,900)
Owners shouldn’t let price decide anything when it comes to this slate of games.
Look at Nick Arbuckle, leader of the Georgia State Spartans. He’s averaging more points than Knighten per game at 26.3. Arbuckle‘s one of the most underrated passers in the country and sounds hungry to stick it to San Jose State.
“I do remember when San Jose State came multiple times to recruit some of the guys on the team and I was one of the guys they didn’t look at,” Arbuckle said, according to the Associated Press (via USA Today). “So it feels kind of good to have an opportunity to go against them now.”
Arbuckle‘s last seven outings? All north of 23 points. Now he’s in a bowl game with an over/under set at 55.5 and has something to prove on a national stage.
RB
Marcus Cox, Appalachian State ($7,000)
Appalachian State loves to run the football, so it’s no wonder lead back Marcus Cox personifies the theory that opportunities equal production in fantasy football.
Cox has 14 or more carries in every game except the season opener this year and has scored double digits in every game. Last time out, he cruised to 192 rushing yards on just 14 carries, good for a cool 30 points.
Keep in mind this is Appalachian State, a team looking to beat up on an injured Ohio squad and make a statement in the program’s first bowl game.
Look for said statement to revolve around Cox.
Joe Williams, Utah ($7,600)
With Devontae Booker out of the picture, it’s the Joe Williams show for Utah.
Williams averages a gaudy 4.9 yards per carry, and over his two games as the workhorse, he has a minimum of 121 rushing yards and 21.2 points. Over his last three games, Williams has seven total catches.
In other words, Williams is the every-down back looking to bully rival BYU in a bowl rendition of the “Holy War.” Las Vegas only has it at an over/under of 51, but Williams will handle most of the touches in getting to that total.
WR
Trent Taylor, Louisiana Tech ($6,700)
With a revived Jeff Driskel throwing him the ball, Trent Taylor has been one of the more underrated wideouts in the country.
Taylor averages 22.1 points per game with 15 or more points in 10 games this year. He was especially impressive in his last game, catching 11 passes for 102 yards and a score, good for 28.2 points.
Louisiana Tech figures to air it out early and often in the aforementioned shootout with the over/under of 68.5 against Arkansas State. Taylor’s going to be one of the big names doing much of the scoring.
Penny Hart, Georgia State ($5,900)
In the interests of stacking a quarterback and wideout, go with Penny Hart, Arbuckle‘s favorite wideout who happens to sit at the same asking price.
Hart leads the Panthers with 71 catches for 1,095 yards and eight touchdowns this year. Put in fantasy terms, he averages 20.4 points per game and has just one instance of single-digit production this year.
Owners should pick Hart not only for the double points in tandem with his quarterback but because of a silly ceiling every time out. Hart’s gone off for as many as 41 points this year, so the ceiling is there for owners looking to take down a big tournament.
Keith Rucker, Georgia State ($3,600)
While owners are at it, go ahead and grab Georgia State wideout Keith Rucker, too.
Rucker saves owners a fat wad of cash but also has some impressive upside. He’s averaging 13 points per game and sits tied for second on the team with six touchdowns.
On underneath routes and near the end zone, Rucker continues to be the guy for Arbuckle despite Georgia State’s vast array of weapons. When the Panthers spread out San Jose State with the intent to put on a show, Rucker figures to go for triple his salary, if not quite a bit more.
Flex
Malachi Jones, Appalachian State ($3,200)
As far as the Mountaineers beating up on the injured Bobcats goes, wideout Malachi Jones figures to play a big role.
Jones is the big-play threat for the Mountaineers when the team decides to take to the air. He’s second on the team in catches with 23, tied for second with his three touchdowns and averages a whopping 18.8 yards per catch.
Not a bad punt play, right? In two of Jones’ last four outings he’s posted 10.1 or more points with a pair of touchdowns. Jones needs a few catches and a score to really hit value.
Terenn Houk, BYU ($3,000)
Here’s an interesting price for owners to grab.
BYU wideout Terenn Houk missed his team’s last game with a concussion, but in the three games prior posted 8.5, 7.2 and 17.4 points while grabbing 11 receptions.
Houk doesn’t figure to be the top option on the BYU offense by any means, but he’s a solid-floor player who averages triple his asking price at nine points per game. Given the recent consistency and chances he can find pay dirt, he makes for quite the interesting punt play on an explosive weekend for bowl games.
Enter the DraftKings $1.25 M Play-Action contest this weekend. Use promo code Nerdy Football when you sign up.
Pricing information and scoring data obtained from DraftKings.com. Odds via Odds Shark.
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