Free This Week Only! CFB DFS DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown: Week 0
Using his experience as a former scout and staff member at Central Florida under Josh Heupel, Jordan Vanek takes an in-depth look at the upcoming CFB DFS main slate on DraftKings. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan will do a deep dive into the best stacks, one-offs, and running back plays before giving his overall thoughts on the slate.
I’m thrilled to have college football back and excited to share my first article with RotoGrinders. Six years ago, I was reading strategy pieces on this site from some of the greats who are still producing content today, learning about DFS, and dreaming of how to break into this space. Fast forward six years, and I’ve found my footing—something I’m excited to showcase throughout this piece. Along the way, I’ve had some unique experiences, like helping to recruit some of the college football players we’ll discuss this season.
This week’s structure is a bit different due to the small slate. Typically, my articles will start with my top stacks and bring-back options because these form the foundation of your lineup and is the most crucial aspect of roster construction. While I usually dive into mini stacks, the small slate limits those options, so I’ll focus on using pieces from my top stacks to create mini stacks. Instead, I’ve highlighted my top players at RB and WR for this week. We’ll cover players who dominate against specific coverages, recent coaching changes, and the best plays on the slate.
If you have any questions about my analysis or the slate overall, feel free to reach out in the RotoGrinders Discord.
CFB DFS DraftKings Picks: Top Stacks and Running Backs for Week 0
Stacking & Bring-backs
Haynes King ($7,100, QB, Georgia Tech)
Eric Singleton ($5,300, WR, Georgia Tech)
Roydell Williams ($7,100, RB, Florida State)
This stack is a simple way to follow the game script that the oddsmakers predict, and it will be a very popular one, so getting unique elsewhere will be important. The Florida State defense lives in two-high coverage shells, and Singleton was the go-to for King versus this look last season, having the highest target share and production. Singleton is my favorite WR on the slate and will likely be the most popular. You do not have to double-stack King, but if you do, I have two game plans for that. I don’t mind getting more ownership and playing Malik Rutherford, but if you are looking for two unique players, I like Avery Boyd (who converted from WR to TE and is starting) or Christian Leary (who will not be played much but has upside for this coverage).
Florida State is poised to run the ball heavily in this matchup, and while Georgia Tech did switch up their defensive coordinator, it’s still tough to trust their front seven to hold up against this rushing attack. Roydell Williams is my top choice over Lawrance Toafili, but both backs are likely to see plenty of action. Williams, a transfer from Alabama, looked impressive in the spring game, especially running between the tackles, and I see him as a strong candidate to replace Trey Benson. Toafili, on the other hand, will be the versatile playmaker, excelling as a pass catcher and doing a bit of everything for this offense.
Tommy Mellott ($7,000, QB, Montana State)
Scottre Humphrey ($4,600, RB, Montana State)
Lonyatta Alexander Jr. ($4,200, WR, Montana State)
Devon Dampier ($6,100, QB, New Mexico)
Caleb Medford ($5,000, WR, New Mexico)
Mellott is my top play this week, and I’m projecting him to exceed 100 rushing yards. His dual-threat ability makes him the focal point of the Montana State offense, creating opportunities for Scottre Humphrey in the running game and one-on-one matchups for the wide receivers.
While Mellott will be popular, stacking him with Humphrey and Alexander could be a sneaky, underutilized strategy. Alexander, a former 4-star recruit, has taken a winding road to get here, transferring twice after starting at programs with NFL talent. Now, after earning the starting role in the spring, he’s primed to make an impact, particularly as a 6’3” red-zone threat against smaller corners.
To further differentiate, I’m looking for New Mexico to put up points, with Dampier leading the charge. Dampier had 13 rushing attempts in his lone start, and under offensive coordinator Jason Beck — who has coached dual-threat QBs like Bryce Perkins, Brennan Armstrong, and Garrett Shrader — he’s likely to be heavily involved in the ground game. Medford also produced in Dampier’s start, and his big-play ability could shine again in this matchup.
Preston Stone ($8,900, QB, SMU)
Jordan Hudson ($6,000, WR, SMU)
RJ Maryland ($5,400, WR, SMU)
If you’re playing Stone, it’s crucial to stack him with two pass catchers from this offense. While Stone has some mobility, his path to hitting the optimal lineup depends on throwing for 300 yards and multiple touchdowns. Maryland is the top target to pair with Stone, as he’s the only player on this offense not part of a rotation, offering both red-zone upside and big-play potential as a tight end.
The wide receiver situation is more complex, but Hudson stands out as the likely primary option. Despite transferring to SMU in July of last year and having limited time to establish himself, he was targeted at the highest rate when Stone was under center. It was impressive for Hudson to earn a role last season because he was competing with a bunch of upperclassmen who had played in an offense before with head coach Rhett Lashlee.
These two pass catchers had 13 of Stone’s 28 touchdowns last season, and we will need to get every touchdown from Stone on this slate.
DJ Uiagalelei ($9,000, QB, Florida State)
Malik Benson ($7,000, WR, Florida State)
Jamal Haynes ($6,300, RB, Georgia Tech)
I’m not high on Uiagalelei this week because I expect a run-heavy game plan. However, if Georgia Tech takes an early lead, he may need to throw more than planned, which could elevate Benson as his top target this season. That said, I don’t see Uiagalelei throwing for 300 yards, so I wouldn’t double-stack here. He’s more likely to produce by scrambling or stealing goal-line work from the RBs.
Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes will be heavily involved regardless of the game script. While I won’t load up on this stack, it’s viable on a small slate. My primary focus will be on other stacking options this weekend though.
Top Running Back Plays
Jamal Haynes ($6,300, Georgia Tech)
Haynes racked up 1,200 yards last season, showing efficiency even against some of the top run defenses in the country. With Florida State featuring a new defensive front, I expect Georgia Tech to challenge them, especially with the added threat of Haynes King as a runner at QB. Jamal Haynes is likely the safest running back on the slate, though that’s not saying much given the options.
Scottre Humphrey ($4,600, Montana State)
Humphrey or Mellott will be a staple in all my lineups this weekend. Both are primed to rack up a ton of rushing yards against New Mexico, and at their current prices, I love the idea of playing both. I expect Humphrey to fully step into the role that Julius Davis would have had if he were healthy.
Roydell Williams ($7,100, Florida State)
Florida State is expected to run the ball often, and Williams is their most effective runner between the tackles. While Georgia Tech has improved against the run, they still struggle overall, and Florida State will likely exploit this weakness.
Jaylan Knighton ($6,600, SMU)
The SMU backfield is unpredictable, and any of the three backs could find their way into the optimal lineup. However, Knighton is emerging as the least popular option among them. Despite this, he’s likely the RB1 on the team, and with SMU as heavy favorites, he has the potential to deliver both as a runner and a pass catcher. Knighton is a volatile play, but his relatively low projected ownership makes him too intriguing to overlook.
Top Wide Receiver Plays
Eric Singleton ($5,300, Georgia Tech)
As alluded to above, Singleton has the best matchup on the slate, and I will be overweight on him this weekend.
Malik Benson ($7,000, Florida State)
Benson is widely regarded as Florida State’s top wide receiver, with little competition for targets. He’s a reliable volume play, and with the soft pricing this weekend, he’s an easy fit for your lineup. If you’re game-stacking the MONTS/UNM game, pairing Benson with Jamal Haynes as a mini stack is a strategy I’d prioritize.
RJ Maryland ($5,400, SMU)
Maryland is the safest bet among SMU’s pass catchers because he’s guaranteed significant playing time in this offense. Head coach Rhett Lashlee mentioned Nevada’s tendency to play soft zone coverage, which sets Maryland up perfectly to exploit those gaps. If he’s matched up against a linebacker, it’s a clear mismatch in Maryland’s favor. He’s my top choice among SMU pass catchers this weekend.
Jordan Hudson ($6,000, SMU)
Hudson has generated a lot of buzz at SMU this offseason, and he’s my top pick among their wide receivers. This receiving corps is tough to predict based on last season’s numbers, but if Hudson has truly developed into an alpha WR, Lashlee won’t hesitate to feed him the ball. The key question is whether Hudson has taken that leap or if the team will continue its trend of rotating targets, with a new standout each week.
Final Thoughts
Don’t shy away from stacking game environments that could explode, but be mindful of projected ownership and look for ways to differentiate your lineups on these smaller slates. Don’t be afraid to eat the chalk if you find yourself playing one or more players projected for under 10%. Be sure to be active in the Discord because we will be getting more news as each game gets close, and be sure to be focusing on late swap with the time gaps for this slate.
Week 0 presents a lot of uncertainty and unknowns. SMU’s entire RB and WR rooms are listed with “ORs” on the depth chart, and the oddsmakers have them with the highest implied team total. This presents an opportunity because ownership will not be as condensed on this small slate for the highest-upside team. Roster construction-wise, I will be looking to go 2 QBs, 3 RBs, and 3 WRs and not force myself into stacking two deep on these teams often.
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