College Football Baker's Dozen - Week 7
It looks like both DK and FD finally got the salaries tightened up a bit and made it a bit more difficult at first glance to put together a solid lineup. But don’t worry: just in the nick of time we have injuries, suspensions and teams coming off byes, which have opened up some potential huge values to fit in some studs.
Here are the 13 things I am looking forward to this week!
1. Nick Chubb (Georgia) – Meet the new starting RB for Georgia. Todd Gurley is suspended indefinitely, so Chubb will step in as the starter. He should be a lock for 20+ carries, as Georgia has a really bad QB and an equally bad group of WRs. In limited action, Chubb has also caught three passes with one being for a TD, so on DK with the full PPR, I really think he is a plug and play this week in all formats at min salary.
2. Melvin Gordon & Corey Clement (Wisconsin) – Illinois has one of the worst defenses to ever take a college football field. What’s more, Wisconsin has perhaps the #1 rushing attack this year. I think these two combine for 300 rush yards and five TDs this week. Gordon is very expensive at $8600, but his ceiling is 250 and five TDs. Clement is near minimum salary at $3900 and should be good for 100 yards and possibly a TD. I think Wisconsin is trying to get Gordon the Heisman, so they will let him feast even if they are up big.
3. Devon Johnson (Marshall) – I had him last week as my #1 overall play and he did not disappoint. I am going back to the well again this week. Johnson is averaging 136 rushing yards and has at least one TD in every game. MTSU gives up 161 rushing yards a game, so I think you can pencil Johnson in for another 100 yards and a TD.
4. Clint Trickett, Kevin White, Mario Alford, and Rushel Shell (West Virginia) – This game is going to be a shootout. Vegas has the total at 75 with a 6-point spread. Trickett could throw for 400, and since TT can’t stop the run, Shell should have no problem producing another 100-yard game. White is a lock for 100 yards, and in the last two close games Mario Alford has averaged nine receptions for 115 yards and scored three TDs.
5. Duke Johnson (Miami) – After Melvin Gordon, Duke Johnson is my #2 RB play this week. Cincinnati hates tackling RBs and as a result gives up 255 rush yards per game. I think the Bearcats have enough offense to keep Miami playing their starters all game long, so Johnson could have his best game of the season right here.
6. Mario Pender (Florida State) – Pender should see a significant bump in carries with Karlos Williams being injured. Because FSU likes to split carries, I wouldn’t expect to see a huge game, but a 100 yards and one TD is a real possibility.
7. Trevone Boykin (TCU) – Until FanDuel gets his price right, I don’t know how you can’t play him every week. His price tag is only $6800 and he scores at least 25 fantasy points every week. This game with Baylor should be a high scoring gameswith both teams scoring at or over 30, and TCU’s offense completely revolves around Boykin, both through the air and on the ground. He is an awesome cash-game play and a very good GPP play, as you can use the salary relief to spend on some nice RBs and WRs.
8. Anthone Taylor (Buffalo) – This is a FanDuel-only game and it is hard to not like Taylor again this week vs. EMU. EMU is another team that is horrific against the run, having givien up nearly 250 rush yards per game. Johnson has back-to-back 200+ yard games with three TDs in each. I am willing to go back to the well this week, as the matchup is too juicy to pass up.
9. Maty Mauk (Mizzou) – Mauk has been off the radar following a poor performance and a bye week, but I think he is a great contrarian play this week with a really high upside. Georgia does not have a good defense, and with the Gurley situation Georgia may show up a tad flat. Mauk’s price has dropped all the way down to $6K on DK.
10. Aaron Jones (UTEP) – My number #1 rule this week has been to play the RB facing ODU every week. ODU seems to give up 150 rushing yards to every starting RB and a couple times this year has given up three rushing TDs. Vegas has the total at 67 with a 3-point spread, so UTEP should score 30 or more. Jones has scored 50% of the team’s TDs this year, meaning a 150-yard, three-TD performance is not unrealistic this week.
11. Javorius Allen (USC) – Allen has been a beast this year. He does it all – runs, catches, and scores TDs. This game should be a typical late-night Pac 10 shootout, and Allen should be as safe a play as you will find in the late slate.
12. Shane Carden (ECU) – I don’t think there is a safer play week in and week than Shane Carden. He is almost a lock for 400 yards and three to four TDs. He may be expensive, but with all the value out there is no safer play in daily CFB for cash games.
13. David Cobb (Minnesota) – Cobb has been a beast this year. He’s toted the rock 66 times in his last two games for 390 yards and two TDs. This week he gets a home game vs. a NW team that just gave up a huge game to Melvin Gordon. DK has his price at only $6800 and Minn is coming off a bye, so he should see another heavy workload this week. Cobb could make for a nice contrarian play if you don’t want to use Gordon.