Time is winding down on setting your lineup for Week 3 of daily fantasy college football. Decisions are running through owners’ minds with several pressing issues as difficult matchups begin after weeks of cupcakes.
Even with all of the tough decisions, there are quite a few games to take advantage of in Week 3. Here’s a look at some of the best values and last-minute picks for college football DraftKings owners.
Quarterback: Will Grier, Florida ($6,300)
Typically, I don’t like quarterback rotations. But in Florida’s situation, it’s solely because the Gators have two talented signal-callers. With Will Grier named the starter against Kentucky, per Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel, there’s reason to have confidence in the redshirt freshman.
Saturday should be his coming-out party against a porous Wildcats defense that has allowed an average of 448 total yards in the first two games. Kentucky may have pulled off an upset last weekend against South Carolina, but Grier will be a solid starter at this price tag in the No. 2 QB slot.
Running Back: Tre Madden, Southern Cal ($6,100)
Quite simply, Tre Madden has been a tour de force for DFS owners over the first two weeks. But this week he plays Stanford, a stout defense, right? Not so much against the run and definitely not strong enough to shy away from Madden.
The Cardinal has surrendered an average of 132 rushing yards per game despite only allowing just one touchdown. After averaging 7.5 yards per rush in his first two weeks, Madden is prepared for the Stanford defense. Expect an increased workload for the USC back and similar numbers to the first two matchups for fantasy owners.
Running Back: Qadree Ollison, Pittsburgh ($5,500)
Week 2 for Qadree Ollison was a bit of a letdown. He only scored 14.1 fantasy points against Akron. Yeah, that’s a letdown for a Pittsburgh back who posted 210 total yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
Ollison has been impressive during his first two games with Pittsburgh. He’s no James Conner, the defending ACC Player of the Year, but he’ll get the job done in his place. In his first true test against a Big Ten opponent, it’s hard to ignore Ollison at his $5,500 price point on Saturday night.
Wide Receiver: Tyler Higbee, Western Kentucky ($4,900)
The Hilltoppers are off to a 2-0 start this season after wins over Vanderbilt and Louisiana Tech. How, you ask? An explosive offense that has produced an average of 325 passing yards per game—which ranks 19th in the country.
Tyler Higbee has been a huge part of that offense as Brandon Doughty’s favorite target early on. Taywan Taylor may have put together a better performance in Week 2, but Doughty will rely on Higbee against Indiana. Especially considering Higbee finished with more receptions in the second game but didn’t have the home-run pass like he did in the opener.
Don’t just trust in Higbee because of the system he’s in; also look at the defense he will be facing. Indiana has allowed seven total passing touchdowns (tied for second worst) and 347 passing yards per game. At $1,400 less than his teammate, Higbee is a great option as a WR2 or high-end WR3 on DraftKings.
Wide Receiver: Devin Lauderdale, Texas Tech ($4,800)
Speaking of pass-happy offenses, I present the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Ranking second in the nation with 441 passing yards per game, Kliff Kingsbury’s version of the Air Raid offense is helping fantasy owners pile up the points.
Devin Lauderdale may be the No. 2 receiver in the offense, but he’s been putting up better numbers than most WR1 options on DraftKings. Racking up 25.4 fantasy points per game, Lauderdale is barely edged by teammate Jakeem Grant (27.8) this season.
He’ll be tested this weekend against Arkansas, but the Razorbacks are reeling after a loss to Toledo last weekend. At nearly $3,000 less than Grant, Lauderdale is a smart choice for owners willing to take the risk against Arkansas.
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