CFB Traffic Light Plays: Week 6
Welcome back to CFB Week 6’s edition of CFB “Traffic Lights” plays. I’m going to break things down by the early game slate and the late game slate. We finally have hit conference play and get some great DFS matchups as well as just some great CFB games in general. We also finally have more uniformity in our game sets so I’ll hit on every DK and FD game. The only difference between the sites games sets are that FD included Tulsa and Colorado State in their early slate, while DK included Buffalo/Bowling Green. In the night slate they are the same except DK included UAB/WKU. I’ll analyze the games with the highest projected Vegas over/unders and then list some other green lights play from the games I didn’t analyze.
| Traffic Light | What It Means | |
|---|---|---|
 | Green Light | All systems go. Target player in your lineups |
 | Yellow Light | Indifferent. Player could go either way |
 | Red Light | Avoid the given player at all costs |
Early Slate – FD & DK
Texas A&M at Miss. State (-2.5, 67.5)
I promise I’m not trying to be a homer, as A&M has been in every one of my writeups, but they are always one of the highest over/unders in the slate because of the style they play. This week is no different, as there is very nice over/under and a game that Vegas predicts to be close. I probably won’t include them next week and really just want to talk about MSU this week.
A&M has really struggled with the spread rushing attack that MSU runs. Here’s what spread rushing attacks did to A&M last year on the ground: Rice (306 yards), Sam Houston State (240), Missouri (225) and Auburn (379). Last year, MSU rolled up 556 yards (299 yards rushing) in a 51-41 loss, including 154 yards rushing and 149 yards passing with three total TDs from Dak Prescott. To A&M’s credit, this year’s run defense has been improved as they’re currently 67th in rush defense allowing 3.84 ypc and 156 ypg. Arkansas had success on the ground last week with 285 yards, but they’ve had success against everyone as 285 yards is actually below their season average of 315 ypg. The more worrisome game from an A&M standpoint is that once again A&M struggled with a spread rushing attack in their Week 3 game vs Rice, as Rice ran for 240 yards (4.4ypc) in Week 3. The Rice QB had 13 carries for 84 yards so this looks like another big game for Dak Prescott, who has been incredible this year. Prescott has rushed for over 100 yards in 3 straight games and passed for over 200 yards in every game, including 373 yards of total offense and three TDs in MSU’s huge road win against LSU. MSU also has a really good RB in Josh Robinson, who is often described as a bowling ball. Robinson also had a huge game against LSU with 16/197/1. Outside of the run game, MSU has a talented WR in Jameon Lewis. He was limited in a few early games due to a family tragedy, but emerged against LSU with 5/116/1. There isn’t a ton of volume to go around at WR as MSU is a run-heavy team (195/113 run pass ratio), but De’runnya Wilson has made his 10 catches count for 175 yards and four TDs. Malcolm Johnson (5/75/2) is an option at TE.
Mississippi State is 121st in pass defense, allowing 319 ypg and a healthy 15.19 yards per completion. Those numbers have come against Southern Miss, UAB, LSU, and South Alabama, so this looks like a good spot for the A&M passing game and Kenny Hill. In the two games that have been competitive, he has put up big numbers, so he’s in play again this week, especially on DK at only 7.9k. It’s tough to predict which A&M WR will go off week to week, as the offense will take what the defense gives them and won’t force feed anyone. The high yards-per-completion given up has me looking at A&M’s big play WR, Josh Reynolds, who is still cheap around the industry. He only has 16 receptions but they’ve gone for 336 yards and five TDs. Kennedy is always a solid PPR target, although Arkansas did a great job taking him away last week with bracket coverage from the safety and linebackers. All that being said, you don’t need to handcuff Hill with any WR. MSU has a solid front seven and A&M is a RBBC, so I would avoid the A&M RB.
Traffic Light Plays
Green Lights: – Kenny Hill (A&M QB), Dak Prescott (MSU QB), Josh Robinson (MSU RB), Josh Reynolds (A&M WR), Jameon Lewis (MSU WR)
Yellow Lights: – De’runnya Wilson (MSU WR), Malcolm Johnson (MSU TE), Ed Pope/Ricky Seals Jones/Malcome Kennedy (A&M WR)
Red Lights: – A&M RB
Marshall at Old Dominion (+17.5, 76)
Full disclosure: I haven’t seen either of these teams play this year, but this one has a monstrous over under and is included on both sites. However, I did see them last year so I’m not shooting blindfolded here, but if anyone has more insight feel free to chime in. I tend to think of Marshall to be a pass-happy team, but this year their run/pass ratio is sitting at 166/138, so that hasn’t been the case. Old Dominion is 95th in scoring defense, giving up 32 ppg, so this is a great matchup for the Marshall offense, which is evidenced by the Vegas line. Marshall’s QB, Rakeem Cato, has put up some huge games in the past, but we haven’t seen that huge game yet this year, as he hasn’t attempted over 32 passes yet this year, and has only gone over 300 yards passing once. However, he has gotten more involved in the run game with four TDs. I think that part of the reason for lack of volume for Cato is that Marshall’s closest game has been a 15-point win, and their other three games were blowouts so they’ve just been able run the ball more in the second half and cruise to victory. Old Dominion has a potent passing attack that should force Marshall to keep attacking so this looks like it could be one of those huge Cato games. Tommy Shuler hasn’t caught more than six balls in a game this year and has been a huge DFS disappointment. However, he’s been a great PPR play the past two years with over 100 receptions and 1100 yards in each year. Maybe this is the game he gets going, as he should see the same boost we are expecting Cato to see. He’s a guy who is best on a full point PPR site, as he is only 5’7 and not a huge redzone target, but with the high over under I have no problem using him on FD. Davonte Allen actually leads Marshall in receiving yards and is a big play threat with 14 receptions for 335 yards and two TDs. Devon Johnson is a bruising RB, who was a former tight end, and has been rock solid so far with at least 91 yards and a TD in each game. He should be good for his 100 yards and a TD in this one, with upside for more if Marshall jumps out to an early lead and tries to control the clock in the second half. Frohnapfel is one of the top TE options, as Cato likes his TE in the redzone, and he already has a two-TD day once this year.
Whether Old Dominion can keep this one close and keep Marshall passing will be dependent on ODU’s potent passing offense. Taylor Heinicke threw for over 4000 yards last year with 33 TDs and has appeared in some circles as a possible late round QB prospect. He’s had a somewhat slow start to the season, but has really picked it up lately with 792 passing yards and nine TDs in his last two games combined. He also has 38 carries on the season but not a whole lot to show with only 72 yards rushing. His top targets are Antonio Vaughan, who already has seven TDs (27/385/7) and Zach Pascal (33/439/3). Gerard Johnson doesn’t get consistent carries but is a factor in the pass game with 20 receptions. He’s not a guy that is really on my radar though.
Traffic Light Plays
Green Lights: – Devon Johnson (Marshall RB), Rakeem Cato (Marshall QB), Tommy Shuler (Marshall WR), Antonio Vaughan/Zach Pascal (Old Dominion WR), Eric Frohnapfel (Marshall TE)
Yellow Lights: – Davonte Allen (Marshall WR), Gerard Johnson (ODU RB)
Red Lights: – None
North Carolina State at Clemson (-14.5, 67.5)
The North Carolina State offense has been rolling, scoring at least 40 points in each of their last four games, including 41 last week against what was thought to be a tough FSU defense. That being said, there aren’t any screaming plays for NC State for me. The Clemson defense currently ranks 35th in pass defense at 216 ypc, and 27th in run defense allowing 3.43 ypc and 108 ypg. The run defense would be ranked even higher if it weren’t for Todd Gurley going crazy on them in Week 1, and they’ve really tightened up the run defense in recent weeks by holding UNC to 2.8 ypc and FSU to 0.5 ypc. They’ve lived up to their preseason billing of boasting one of the top defensive lines in the country. Their pass defense has been leaky lately though, as both UNC and FSU had some success in the air, with UNC throwing for 394 yards and four TDs, and FSU’s backup QB throwing for 304 yards. Based on that, I like Jacoby Brissett as the top play for NC State, and Vegas does like NC State to score 27 points here. Brisset is billed as a dual threat, but he’s done most of his damage through the air this year (1,364 yards and 13 pass TDs) as he’s only provided around 30 rushing ypg. Shadrach Thornton is a really talented back who has really only been slowed by suspensions/being in the dog house. He’s out of the dog house currently though and accounted for 145 yards and two TDs last week against FSU. That being said the Clemson rush defense has me off of him this week. Bo Hines and Matt Dayes are their top 2 WR, but they tend to spread the passes around.
I wrote up Deshaun Watson last week and he came through huge last Saturday, throwing for 436 yards and six TDs in his first collegiate start. He also carried the ball 11 times, although he only accounted for 28 rushing yards. He was a highly decorated recruit and looks like a future star. He’s been priced up on some sites after last week’s blowup, but is still way too cheap on FD at 6.3k, which is a great price for a talented QB in a fast paced QB friendly system like Clemson’s He gets a solid matchup at home against NC State, who is 36th against the pass but only 72nd in scoring defense allowing 26 ppg. However, they’ve only played two passing teams, FSU and Old Dominion, who threw for 365 yards and 274 yards, respectively, so I’m not scared by NC State’s pass defense numbers. With Watson’s emergence, the Clemson wide receivers are back on our radar. Mike Williams looks to be the top guy and is a big play threat who has blossomed with Watson under center (6/122/2 last week). Artavis Scott (8/66/1) and Germone Hopper (3/139/2) also were two of Watson’s favorite targets last week. FD looks to have had some pricing issues, as Watson’s price went down $200, and Mike Williams is priced BELOW minimum at 4.3k, so is Hopper at 4.3k. Due to those pricings, Watson and Williams are going to be incredibly popular on FD. The Clemson backfield is RBBC so ignore them.
Green Lights: – Deshaun Watson (Clemson QB), Mike Williams (Clemson WR), Jacoby Brissett (NC State QB)
Yellow Lights: – Bo Hines/Matt Dayes (NC State WR), Germane Hopper/Artavis Scott (Clemson WR)
Red Lights: – Shadrach Thornton (NC State RB), Clemson RB
Other Green Lights:
Quarterbacks
Shane Carden (ECU) – He’s going to have a ton of success, as the matchup couldn’t be any better. The only question is how much playing time does he see? SMU is beyond terrible and is probably the worst team in the country. SMU is giving up 50.5 ppg and has only scored one TD the entire year, a last second hail mary in a 43-6 loss to North Texas. Not surprisingly, this line sits at ECU -40. Two weeks ago, A&M pulled Kenny Hill after one half and he didn’t pay off his tag. However, last week Trevon Boykin played an entire three quarters, which is more than enough against SMU, and put up a huge DFS day, as he accounted for six TDs, including three TDs in the 3rd quarter. If Carden sees three quarters, then watch out.
James Knapke (BGSU) – Knapke is only available on FD and is priced at an attractive 6.8k. He’s taken over as BGSU’s starting QB following an injury to their starter, and in their two competitive games against UMASS and Indiana he has attempted 73 passes and 59 passes (their third game was against a superior Wisconsin team and he only had 0.82 FD points which is what his holding his price down). In those two competitive games, he had 28 and 30 FD points, which more than pays off his tag. Vegas has this over/under set at a huge 77 with BGSU favored by five. Buffalo is 83rd against the pass, allowing 252 ypg. BGSU is certainly not Baylor, but just to give you an idea of what a fast-paced pass attack can do to Buffalo — Baylor scored 63 points and Petty had 400 yards passing in three quarters.
Other Green Lights Not Written Up: – Jameis Winston (FSU), Michael Brewer (GPP value play option- wouldn’t use for cash), Joe Licata (Buffalo), Clint Trickett (WVU), JT Barrett (Ohio State), Bryce Petty (Baylor – prefer as GPP play as Texas D is pretty good)
Running Back
Todd Gurley (UGA) – I’ll keep it short and sweet. Gurley is really good football and has a nice matchup against a bad Vandy team. The only question is whether Vandy can keep it close enough for Gurley to get 20 carries.
Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) – Gordon is my favorite RB of the day and is underpriced at 7.7k on DK. He’s the highest priced RB on the board at FD, but you can fit him if you want, as there is plenty of value. After starting off the year somewhat slow, he has kicked it into gear with 253 yards and 181 yards in his last two games and seven total TDs. The Northwestern run defense looks tough on paper, but they haven’t played anyone close to the running game of Wisconsin (they’ve faced Cal, NIU, 1AA -Western Illinois and Penn State). They won’t be able to stand up to the Wisconsin rush attack, and Gordon is getting the bulk of Wisconsin’s carries, as he received 32 carries last week to Clement’s 16. Last year, Gordon ran for 172 yards and a TD against Northwestern on 22 carries, and Wisconsin as a team had 286 yards rushing.
Marshawn Williams (Virginia Tech) – Marshawn looks like a solid value play in the early slate. He is a true freshman who rated by some services as a 4-star recruit. He’s had a solid start, averaging 4.5 ypc. The reason we are talking about him is that he was in a time share with Shai McKenzie, who tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of last week’s game and is out for the year. He had 14 carries for 120 yards last week while Shai had 18 carries. Some of Shai’s carries will go to Trey Edmunds, but Marshawn should see his workload solidified now with around 18-20 carries per game. He is really cheap and gets a reeling UNC defense that has given up 70 points and 50 points in their last games. UNC has already allowed 10 rushing TDs and is giving up 190 ypg and 4.58 ypc. Pricing is super soft on FD, so you may not need the value there, but he is only 3.7k on DK.
Ezekiel Elliot (Ohio State) – Elliot was the preseason favorite to be the primary workhorse replacing Carlos Hyde, but he hurt his wrist and started very slowly. However, he looks to have regained his spot the past two weeks. He averaged 9.7 ypc in a blowout of Kent State and then last week was fed 28 carries for 182 yards and a TD, to go with five receptions for 50 yards. He gets a nice matchup against Maryland, who is 100th in rush defense, allowing 4.21 ypc and 200 ypg.
Desmond Roland (Oklahoma State) – Vegas projects Oklahoma State to score 41 points, and Roland is OSU’s top back and gets all the goal line carries. ISU has really struggled against the run this year, allowing 5.15 ypc and 227 ypg. He’s a great value on DK.
Akeem Hunt (Purdue) – He’s taken over as Purdue’s starting RB and also is priced BELOW minimum on FD at 4.4k. He gets a great matchup against Illinois, who is 113rd against the run allowing 4.27 ypc and 230 ypg.
Antone Taylor (Buffalo) – He’s only available on FD. Taylor is really cheap on FD at 5.3k and has been a workhorse for Buffalo with three games of at least 28 carries, and has 579 rushing yards and six TDs on the year. The over under is huge and Bowling Green’s been abused on the ground, allowing 5.73 ypc and 233 rushing yards per game.
Travis Greene (BGSU) – Taylor’s counterpart also makes a great play. He’s seen 18 carries in every game but the blowout against Wisconsin, and has scored in every game except for the Wisconsin game. Not factoring in Wisconsin he is averaging over 100 rushing yards per game and two TDs a game. Buffalo is 73rd against the run, allowing 4.23 ypc. With the high over/under he should be in for another 100 yards and at least one TD, and he is priced at 6.8k on FD.
Other Green Lights Not Written Up: – Karlos Williams (FSU), Tevin Coleman (Indiana), Derrick Henry/TJ Yeldon (Alabama), Dee Hart (CSU- GPP only, only available on DK), James Flanders (Tulsa, only available on DK)
Wide Receiver
Justin Hardy (ECU) – The ECU offense has been really explosive this year, but Hardy’s been relatively quiet this year (29/359/2), as he’s seen a lot of double teams. He still could break Ryan Broyles NCAA reception record and needs about 55 more receptions to do so. I think ECU wants to see him get the record and could use this matchup against SMU to feed him the ball. The worry is the blowout, as ECU is a 40-point favorite, so he’ll see a max of three quarters, which can be problematic for a WR.
Amari Cooper (Alabama) – I spent Alabama’s bye week reminding myself that this year is different and that it’s OK to pay this high tag for an Alabama wideout. And this year really is different – Cooper is healthy, unlike last year, and Alabama has a new OC in Lane Kiffin. Cooper is already at 43 receptions for 655 yards and five TDs – he had 45 receptions for 736 yards and four TDs ALL of last year. Kiffin was an unmitigated disaster as head coach of USC, but for DFS purposes the overlooked factor in his time at USC was the success he had with his WRs – Woods and Lee were monsters in his offense. In 2012, Woods had 111 receptions for 1300 yards and 15 TDs, and in 2013 Lee had 118 receptions for 1700 yards and 14 TDs. The point being that WR putting up monster numbers in Kiffin’s offense is nothing new, and Cooper has done it every week so far this year – be it in a blowout against FAU or Southern Miss, or against one the top corners in the nation in Vernon Hargreaves.
Nelson Spruce (Colorado) – Just keep plugging him in. There are a ton of options in the early slate with Cooper, White, Rashad and Hardy. However, Spruce just might be the safest, as FSU, West Virginia, and ECU are all in blowouts, and I respect the Ole Miss defense more than the Oregon State defense. Colorado just feeds him the ball, and he has 13 receptions and 19 receptions in his last two games, which is huge on a site like DK. Oregon State is currently ranked as a top 20 pass defense, but the only passing team they have played has been USC, and I expect that ranking top drop as the season progresses
Roger Lewis (BGSU) – Somehow he’s still super cheap on FD at only 5.6k. Wisconsin is the only team to slow him down and Buffalo has no one to match up with him. Knapke locks onto him, and his past two “non-Wisconsin games” he has posted 9/148/1 and 16/149/1.
Rashard Higgins (CSU) – the CSU/Tulsa game is only available on DK. His nickname is “Hollywood” and he has lived up to it in his past three games, averaging 9/130/1. He gets a great matchup against a Tulsa pass defense that is ranked 109th allowing 288 ypg. Vegas expects there to be points in this one with an over/under of 63 and CSU favored by 14. He’s a great mid-tier play at only 5.8k on DK.
Other Green Lights Not Written Up: -Rashad Greene (FSU), Kevin White/Mario Alford (West Virginia), Isaiah Ford (Virginia Tech), Ron Willoughby/Devon Hughes (Buffalo WR), Keevan Lucas/Keyarris Garrett (Tulsa WR), Antwan Goodley (Baylor)
Tight Ends
Other Green Lights Not Written Up: – Bucky Hodges (Virginia Tech), Connor Hamlett (Oregon State), Jeff Heurman (Ohio State), Dan Vitale (NW), Nick O’Leary (FSU), Sam Arneson (Wisconsin)
Late Slate – FD & DK
Texas Tech at Kansas State (TBD)
Vegas hasn’t posted the spread or over/under on this one due to the health status of Tech starting QB, David Webb. Either way I expect the spread to be fairly highly and expect the Kansas State offense to have a ton of success. I was selfishly hoping that K-State QB Jake Waters wouldn’t blow up against UTEP, as I got to see a lot of Tech’s “defense” against Arkansas and OSU. Luckily, K-State took some of the rushing load off of Waters, as they didn’t need him against UTEP. He only carried it four times against UTEP, but that was just an anomaly as he leads K-State in rushing attempts with 52. He’ll still be a focal point of the run game and should carry it at minimum 10+ times a game.
Charles Jones is the RB to own on K-State as he has come on strong with 44 carries for 228 yards and already eight TDs. The Tech run defense has been terrible this year, allowing 4.80 ypg and 260.5 ypg, good for the 121st in the country. They allowed Arkansas to rush for 438 yards and 6.4 ypc and seven TDs, Central Arkansas to rush for 178 yards, and UTEP to rush for 268 yards. The Texas Tech defensive coordinator was fired following the first three games for apparently being “under the influence” at work. I’d be under the influence too if that was going on. In their first game under their new DC, we saw a different approach from Tech. They saw a young OSU QB and knew that OSU could just pound them with the run, so they stacked the box and left their corners on islands. The good thing is that they controlled Desmond Roland (23/86/1). The bad is that by stacking the box, they gave up a ton of huge passing plays to OSU’s backup QB, as he threw for 370 yards and four TDs, including TD passes of 33, 39, 47 and 50. Their front seven simply can’t control a run game without having to walk the safeties up and leave their secondary on an island. It’s a pick your poison situation for Tech – either sit back and let the other team run it for 5+ ypc and hope to hold them to a FG, or take a chance and stack the box and hope they don’t hit the long ball. It’s a very similar situation to what A&M was in last year, as everyone picked on the A&M defense.
If Tech stacks the box again and leaves their corners on islands, Tyler Lockett (17/274/1), who is has been quiet this year, is going to bust out in a big way. Part of me thinks Tech will employ the same stack the box strategy, as KSU likes to grind teams down with the run, as KSU ran for 291 yards on them last year. Waters is the easy choice in this one, as he’ll see success in either scenario. Either Lockett or Jones should have a huge day depending on the type of defense Tech plays. KSU’s TE, Zack Trujillo, is in play, as he sometimes sneaks behind the defense when Waters fakes the QB draw and the TE releases.
For Tech, the plays really depend on the health of Davis Webb. If Webb is out, Patrick Mahomes will see the start and would be a GPP play if he is bare minimum, as Tech will still air it out. If Webb is healthy, I’d have him as a yellow, as I think there are better plays in this slate. Tech’s top 3 WR are always in play due to their volume – Jakeem Grant is especially good on full PPR sites, and Marquez and Davis are the TD guys.
Green Lights: – Tyler Lockett (KSU WR), Jake Waters(KSU QB), Charles Jones (KSU RB), Jakeem Grant/Bradley Marquez (TTU WR),
Yellow Lights: – Reginald Davis (TTU WR), Zach Trujillo (KSU TE), Davis Webb/Patrick Mahomes (TTU QB- check who starting), Curry Sexton (KSU WR)
Red Lights: – Tech RB
California at Washington State (-3.5, 78.5)
You could easily see over 1,000 passing yards combined in this one, and this game pits the top 2 QBs in the country in passing TDs: Halliday (20) and Goff (17). The Cal defense that we saw last year is back, as they gave up 455 yards passing and seven TDs to Colorado. The week before they allowed 520 yards passing to Arizona. #1 WRs have eaten them up, as Spruce went for 19/179/3 and Cayleb Jones had 13/186/3. Next up is the #1 passing attack in the country. Halliday threw for 521 yards and three TDs last year, and should top 500 yards passing with multiple TDs in this one again. On the year, Halliday has already thrown for 2300 yards and 20 TDs, and is averaging 60 pass attempts per game. Ignore the Washington State running backs, but you are going to want exposure to the Washington State wide receivers. The four to look at are Isaih Myers (36/478/5), Vince Mayle (40/440/5), River Cracraft (32/404/3) and Dom Williams (19/389/6). Mayle and Cracraft have been the two most consistent WRs and make great plays on full PPR, while Myers and Williams have alternated big games, as they rely more on big plays.
The Washington State defense is susceptible to the run and the pass, as they rank 86th against the run (4.14 ypc and 177 ypg) and 56th against the pass. Jared Goff looks to be the safest play from Cal. In the first few games, he was losing some snaps to their backup running QB, Rubenzer, but he was minimized last game as Goff had 42 attempts for 458 yards and seven TDs. Also, the simple flow of the game with Vegas expecting Washington State to score a ton and Cal to be trailing should keep Goff throwing. With the Cal WR, I wouldn’t even know which WR to tell you to target- they had 24 receptions to 10 different receivers last game, and the week prior they had 18 receptions to 8 different receivers. Their leading receivers have 12 receptions through four games. One Cal WR will probably have a good day, but good luck guessing which one. Last year, Chris Harper went bonkers with 14/216/1, so maybe this is the week he breaks out. I’d only roster him on GPP’s though, and in cash I’d just roster Goff and be done with it. We may actually have some clarity at the Cal RB spot though, as Daniel Lasco has 38 carries in his last 2 while Mulfanni has 19 total.
Traffic Light Plays
Green Lights: – Connor Halliday (Wash. St. QB), Vince Mayle/Isaih Myers/Dom Williams/River Cracraft (Wash. St. Wr), Jared Goff (Cal QB),
Yellow Lights: – Chris Harper (Cal WR), Daniel Lasco (Cal RB)
Red Lights: – Washington State RB
Other Green Lights:
Quarterbacks
Nick Marshall (Auburn) – I probably won’t play him on FD, but he is really cheap on DK. I usually stay away from LSU entirely, but this hasn’t been the same LSU defense this year. A similar player in dual threat QB, Dak Prescott, just tore LSU up. My only worry is that the Madhatter always seems to bounce back when you count LSU out, and they could respond with a good game here.
Brett Hundley (UCLA)- Hundley returned from injury earlier than expected and quickly reminded everyone why he was a pre-season Heisman contender, as he had 355 yards passing and four Tds, and 72 yards rushing and one TD against Arizona State. The matchup isn’t perfect, as Utah has been solid on defense this year, but their pass defense is vulnerable at #93 in the country with 262 ypg, though they only allow 5.82 yards per attempt. However, when Hundley is on he is matchup proof.
Other Green Lights Not Written Up: – Brandon Doughty (Western Kentucky – only available on DK), Gunner Kiel (Cincinnati)
Running Backs
Leon Allen (L) – This game is only available on DK. The over/under in this game is a hefty 75, with Western Kentucky predicted to score 42 points or so. Allen is great RB play on a full point PPR like DK, as he’s had six receptions and 50 yards in three of his four games, so you’re already starting with 11 points, and he averages over 100 yards rushing per game.
Jeremy Langford (L) – This is primarily a DK specific play, as he is only 4.7k there. It’s not the ideal matchup against Nebraska, but this isn’t the Nebraska Blackshirt defense anymore. They’ve been solid against the run, allowing 3.61 ypc and 109 ypg, but coughed up a nice game to the best back they have faced in Duke Johnson (177 total yards, one TD and 5.2 ypc). MSU has limited Langford’s carries due to an ankle injury and blowouts, but he is 100% now and looked the part last week, rushing for 137 yards and one TD. He ran for over 100 yards in every Big 10 game but one last year, and I expect to see him over 100 yards with a TD on Saturday.
Other Green Lights Not Written Up: – Mike Davis (South Carolina), Jay Ajayi (Boise), Javorius Allen (USC), Jordan Howard (UAB – only available on DK), Paul Perkins (UCLA), Duke Johnson (Miami)
Wide Receivers
Devin Funchess (Michigan) – Due to his QB play, he is probably more of a GPP play. However, his price has come down and he gets a great matchup against Rutgers, who is 105th in passing defense. As we saw earlier this year, he’s capable of putting up a three-TD game against an overmatched secondary, and Rutgers will be overmatched. It’s just a question of whether whoever starts at QB for Michigan (Gardner/Morris) can get him the rock. If Gardner starts, I’m actually considering throwing him in a GPP on DK at 4.1k, but maybe I’ll return to my senses by Saturday.
Jordan Payton (UCLA) – He’s Hundley’s top target and his price is still really cheap. He was limited against Texas as Hundley went out, but when Hundley plays he averages seven receptions for 120 yards.
Other Green Lights Not Written Up: – Jamarcus Nelson (UAB- only available on DK), Nelson Agholor (USC), Jared Dangerfield (WKU- only available on DK), Tony Lippett (MSU), Shane Williams Rhodes (Boise – if Miller is out)
Tight Ends
Other Green Lights Not Written Up: – Mitchell Henry (Western Kentucky), Clive Walford (Miami), Jake Butt (Michigan), Rory Anderson (South Carolina)
Remember that no daily plays column can factor each site’s pricing into account for each individual player, so it is up to you to decide if a player is over or under-priced on your site. This column just gives you an idea of the “playability” of the player in general. If you have a question on a player not listed, feel free to shoot me a question shoot me a message on twitter @SouthwesternAg or leave me a question below and I will do my best to get back to you. Good luck this weekend!