CFB Grind Down: Week 8 (Late): Page 2

by Jon Schiller (Varncass) Last Updated 2015-10-24 02:15:36

Ohio State Buckeyes at Rutgers Scarlet Knights – O/U 64

Ohio State

Elite Plays

J.T. Barrett ($8,000 FD, $8,300 DK) – Barrett will get the start for the Buckeyes here, and finally it looks like the Ohio State QB position could have some value. Last year, when healthy and in a good matchup, Barrett was one of the top QB plays every week, and I would expect that the same this week. He is better than Cardale, and will be able to run and pass at will on this Rutgers defense. He is on the top of my lists this week with Prescott and Allen as the top QB on the board, and I am looking for four total TDs with 350 all-purpose yards against one of the worst FBS defenses, especially against the pass.

Secondary Plays

Ezekiel Elliott ($9,900 FD, $8,100 DK) – Elliott was great in the latter part of last season and the early part of this season, but I am not sure of his value with Barrett at the helm. Of course, he is still a fantastic player and will continue his string of 100-yard games most likely, but his carries will likely decrease with Barrett running keepers. The Rutgers’ run defense is not as terrible as their non-existent pass defense, which also worries me a little. Elliott is a stud, but there are a ton of stud RBs in this slate and it will be tough to rationalize using him.

Michael Thomas ($6,000 FD, $4,500 DK) – Despite having a poor game against Penn State, Thomas still ended up with a TD and respectable fantasy performance, albeit not what everyone was looking for. I am interested in seeing how Barrett does in this offense as they were more about big plays from the WRs last year than when Cardale was “managing the game”. I am a little bit hands-off the WRs here as I think that Miller/Thomas/Marshall could all come out and become Barrett’s top target, but I want to see what a full game looks like with Barrett as the QB before I go all in on one of these guys.

Rutgers

Elite Plays

None – I toyed with using Carroo here, but the OSU secondary is star-studded and should be able to cover him. Rutgers is a mess and the prices have increased a bit since their blowup against a poor Indiana team. At some point, this Ohio State team is going to dominate someone and this seems like as good of a time as any. Just ignore Rutgers here in cash.

Secondary Plays

Leonte Carroo ($8,800 FD, $6,900 DK) – An out of control price has Carroo as the top-priced WR on the slate on FanDuel, where I do not like him very much at all. I highly doubt he is scoring three touchdowns today and your salary dollars are better off spent somewhere else. I do like him on DK, though, for that price, but only in GPPs as Carroo would be the only guy who could keep Rutgers in this game. Ohio State only gives up 140 yards per game in the passing game, so do not expect his previous two games.

Wyoming Cowboys at Boise State Broncos – O/U 56.5

Wyoming

None – With Gentry still banged up, Wyoming looks like a terrible play here. They have the lowest over/under on the board and have not really produced any fantasy stars lately. Their prices look good, but there is no upside against an angry Boise State team who is projected to win this game by 30+ and hold Wyoming to around 2 touchdowns. Look to the other side of this game.

Boise State

Elite Plays

Jeremy McNichols ($7,500 FD, $7,200 DK) – McNichols is a great RB and should be back for this game for the Broncos. The only thing I worry about here is them lowering his work in a blowout, which is likely, which is why I have him ranked just below the studs like Fournette and Cook. McNichols is a star and with a full workload here, he would be a lock to reach 200 and three TDs against a Wyoming team allowing 213 yards per game with one of the worst defenses in the nation. Keep an eye on the status for this one.

Brett Rypien ($6,900 FD, $6,500 DK) – Rypien is around the same price point as Allen, and right around the same in my projections. Boise should run all over Wyoming but with a 40 point over/under, there is going to be room for points in the passing game as well. Rypien is solid and should throw 30 times, the only worry is if he gets the touchdowns or not. The fact that Wyoming is decent against the pass is also a concern, but Rypien is one of the cheaper QBs on the board.

Secondary Plays

Shane Williams-Rhodes/Thomas Sperbeck – You are going to pay a bit more for Sperbeck than you will for SWR, but both make solid plays and solid stacks with Rypien. You cannot really go wrong with both of these guys in this game as Boise is going to be angry after the Utah State defeat and looking to put a pounding on Wyoming. All Broncos players are in play here.

Colorado Buffaloes at Oregon State Beavers – O/U 59.5

Colorado

Elite Plays

Phillip Lindsay ($5,900 FD, $4,300 DK) – If you need value, Lindsay is still here and still cheap. We have seen his price rise a bit, however, he is still way too cheap for a starting RB who is going to get 20 carries (assuming Adkins is still out). Adkins is a bit of a mystery with how long it is taking him to get back from this injury, so even if he does make it back for this game I would still assume a large role for Lindsay in this offense. Oregon State’s defense is weak against the run, and with no Shay Fields, Lindsay should pay off his salary in one of the highest-scoring, most competitive games of the night.

Nelson Spruce ($6,400 FD, $5,700 DK) – Spruce gave way to Shay Fields, who has been the best Colorado receiver, but with no Fields we are going to see a good number of targets go Spruce’s way. He is not a big-play receiver and does not score a lot of TDs, so I would not consider him elite on FanDuel, but I really like his ability to catch double digit passes in this game and use the PPR on DK for his benefit. Spruce was an absolute monster last year when he was the only option, and should pay off salary nicely today.

Oregon State

Elite Plays

Seth Collins ($7,400 FD, $6,900 DK) – Collins is the guy I would want to roster on the Oregon State offense, as there are going to be points scored here, but I don’t trust Storm Woods, Villamin, or Bolden to get it done consistently. Collins has been tearing apart opposing defenses with his legs, and with the Colorado defense allowing 210 yards per game, I really like Collins as an under-the-radar, cheap QB play on this slate. I am not using the WRs here because I am done trying to predict which Oregon State WR catches four passes in this game, but Collins covers both the passing game and the running game where he should again go over 100 yards rushing.

Washington Huskies at Stanford Cardinal – O/U N/A

Washington

None – This game is not lined at this point, I assume because we do not know the status of Jake Browning for Washington. Computers have this game projected somewhere around 30-17 for Stanford which means there is not a lot of meat on the bone for the Huskies here and it could go lower if Browning is out as Carta-Samuels is not a great player. Stanford is fairly stout against the run and with no passing game, they can stack the box and prevent Gaskin from running wild. If you want to use anyone, Gaskin is cheap and has been handed the reins to this running game and against Oregon and USC had productive days. If you need a cheap guy, you could certainly do worse.

Stanford

Elite Plays

None – Surprisingly enough, Washington is actually a solid defensive team, ranking around 25th in total defense this year. Stanford is projected around 30 points so those points are going to come from somewhere, but their workhorse, McCaffrey, is just too expensive to reasonably play here with better matchups across the board. Hogan is not someone to trust in daily fantasy and their WRs are not reliable, so there are no great plays here.

Secondary Plays

Christian McCaffrey ($9,400 FD, $8,000 DK) – McCaffrey is always going to be in play as he is going to touch the ball 25-30 times in the game and is going to put up monster yardage totals. He FINALLY got on the board with TDs in the last game after Wright and Sanders had continued vulturing all of his TDs earlier in the year. There is no guarantee that does not happen again and with all of the other great matchups across the board, I am off McCaffrey. I expect his ownership to be a little higher than it should be so I am fading, however, he is not a terrible play.

Austin Hooper ($3,600 FD, $3,800) – Hooper has scored in three straight (that he has played in) and is a great bet to reach the end zone again in this one. He is a play if you need a TE on FanDuel and is likely to be the most popular, and for good reason. I would not recommend him on DK as I only recommend stud TEs on DK, but if you are just looking for a quick 10 points, he could provide that.

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