CFB Bowl Game Plays - 12/21 to 12/26
Welcome back college football grinders! Believe it or not, the bowl season kicks off in less than 48 hours now. The games get started on Saturday afternoon with four solid contests for our viewing pleasure. In case you were worried that we wouldn’t have you covered here at RotoGrinders, I am here to calm that feeling of worry with the first bowl edition of college football plays.
It’s always tough to do a picks column for bowl games because every site uses different game sets for their contests. DraftKings is running Saturday only contests, while FanDuel is running contests that span from Saturday through the following Thursday. Since the FanDuel game set encompasses more games, I will focus this column on that time span. Obviously, most of the guys that I recommend who are playing in the Saturday games are definitely in play on sites offering Saturday-only contests as well.
QUARTERBACK
Top Option – Jordan Lynch (NIU)
The poor game in the MAC Championship probably has a lot of people souring on taking Jordan Lynch. Don’t let that one game fool you. Lynch is fantasy gold on a site that rewards rushing touchdowns more than passing touchdowns, and he will need to do everything for the Huskies to have a chance against a tough Utah State squad. If you’re spending on quarterback, I’d still rather have Lynch than Derek Carr in this game set.
Mid-tier Option – Connor Halliday (Washington St)
Colorado State doesn’t have much of a defense, and this should be a shootout between these two teams. We know Washington State loves to pass, and I’m surprised to see Halliday available at such a cheap price. He’s my top overall option in this game set. 400 yards and 3 touchdowns is not out of the question in what should be the highest scoring game in this set.
Cheap Option – Darell Garretson (Utah St) Listed on injury report as PROBABLE
Northern Illinois is ranked in the bottom ten in the FBS in both rush defense and pass defense. If you’re looking for a cheap quarterback option that should be guaranteed to pay off his price tag, Garretson is your man. He’s not super talented but he has the job to himself with Chuckie Keeton injured. Utah State will move the ball in this game, and this is a super-cheap price tag.
RUNNING BACK
Top Option – Kapri Bibbs (CSU)
Kapri Bibbs is a total stud. He was listed as “extremely doubtful” for the regular season finale for Colorado State, and all he did was rush for 79 yards and three touchdowns in a little over a half of action. He’s the safest play on the board against a bad Washington State defense. Play the fade at your own risk.
Mid-tier Option – Joey DeMartino (Utah St)
Joey DeMartino was priced between $7,000 and $8,000 over the last couple regular season games, and he performed well in two of those three contests. As I just mentioned above, NIU is ranked in the bottom ten in the FBS against the run. By the way, DeMartino is now priced at a juicy $6,400. Yes please.
Cheap Option – Isaac Bennett or James Conner (Pitt)
Pittsburgh loves to run the ball, and they should be able to do so at will against a MAC team. Even though Bowling Green had a solid defense during the regular season, MAC competition is simply at a lower level than the teams that Pitt played all season. The problem is trying to figure out which Pittsburgh back will have more success. Bennett seemed to be the better play in the last few regular season contests, and if forced to pick I would lean towards him.
WIDE RECEIVER
Top Option – Brandin Cooks (Oregon St)
The fantasy MVP of the 2013 season has cooled off since his scorching start, in part due to inconsistent QB play at Oregon State. His price has come down from its highest levels, but make no mistake, he’s still the most dynamic playmaker in the country. The Oregon State/Boise State game should be one of the most exciting games of bowl season, and I expect Cooks to show up on the big stage.
Mid-tier Option – Alex Neutz (Buffalo)
This guy is a legitimate NFL prospect. His collegiate stats have been somewhat limited because Buffalo is a run-focused team. However, Neutz is a consistently solid option and he’s a red zone target machine. He gets a tremendous amount of red zone looks and if he gets a touchdown or two, he’s going to produce a solid total for you at a percentage owned that is virtually guaranteed to be too low for his talent.
Cheap Option – Ryan Grant (Tulane) Listed on injury report as PROBABLE
Grant is one of the best wide receivers in the country that nobody knows about. Unfortunately, his upside is limited by the poor quarterback play at Tulane. Regardless of this, he still gets a bevy of targets, and you don’t find a wide receiver of his caliber priced under $5,000 very often. New players to the CFB game will totally overlook him because they don’t know him, and this is where the educated player can take advantage. Don’t overthink it — get Grant in at this price.
TIGHT END
Pick #1 – Crockett Gilmore (CSU)
Quite simply, this is the tight end you want to own in this game set. He’s extremely consistent and has worked his way into being basically the top target in the Rams’ offense. He’s a safe bet for 4-6 catches and if he gets in the end zone, you’re looking at a big point total for a tight end. He’s still priced at a bargain $3,600, and he may be the best tight end on the board.
Pick #2 – Alex Bayer (Bowling Green)
If for some reason you decide to fade Gilmore or you want a GPP option, take a look at Bayer. He was unstoppable in the MAC Championship game, and Bowling Green will have to pass to keep up with Pittsburgh in a game that I think the Panthers will control. If this is the case, Bayer is a good bet to be involved.