Daily Fantasy College Football Week 1: DraftKings Optimum Lineup, Matchup Guide
College football fans rejoice—the wait is over. The 2015 season has finally arrived, with Week 1 set to start things off with a bang, beginning with a number of Thursday night showdowns and continuing into a busy first Saturday.
In a tough-to-predict industry such as daily fantasy sports, the early weeks of the college football season can be a breath of fresh air. There are always marquee clashes, but the opening weekend contains more lopsided matchups between Power Five powerhouses and overmatched opposition than you'll find any other Saturday this season.
Add a couple of interesting non-conference battles sprinkled in with the many inevitable blowouts, and DraftKings will be flooded with Week 1 players. With that said, let's break down some of the best plays for the weekend.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
DraftKings Optimum Week 1 Lineup
| QB | Tommy Armstrong Jr. (Nebraska) | BYU | 24.2 | $7,000 |
| QB | Jaquez Johnson (Florida Atlantic) | Tulsa | 22.9 | $6,200 |
| RB | Jalen Hurd (Tennessee) | Bowling Green | 16.4 | $6,900 |
| RB | Sony Michel (Georgia) | Louisiana-Monroe | 12.0 | $4,700 |
| WR | Devin Lauderdale (Texas Tech) | Sam Houston St. | 13.5 | $5,200 |
| WR | Dom Williams (Washington State) | Portland State | 15.3 | $4,800 |
| WR | Laquon Treadwell (Ole Miss) | Tennessee-Martin | 16.5 | $5,900 |
| FLEX | Jordan Canzeri (Iowa) | Illinois State | 8.2 | $3,900 |
| FLEX | Christian McCaffrey (Stanford) | Northwestern | 6.9 | $4,800 |
Saturday games (11 a.m. ET to 3 p.m. ET) only listed.
Quarterbacks
Tommy Armstrong Jr., Nebraska ($7,000)
Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. offers DraftKings players a top-dollar gunslinger without having to buck up the salary for one. BYU's defense isn't the ideal matchup, but it is much more formidable against the run than the pass.
Armstrong's dual-threat ability will loom large, and producers around him should be hungry to fill the voids left by Kenny Bell and Ameer Abdullah.
Jaquez Johnson, Florida Atlantic ($6,200)
A $6,200 quarterback who averaged 22.9 DraftKings points per game last season is worth taking no matter the matchup, and it just so happens that Jaquez Johnson and Florida Atlantic are going up against an overmatched Tulsa defense.
Johnson's running ability will pad his already-strong stats from this Week 1 matchup, and he should have no problem producing stats against a Tulsa squad pegged to finish last in their division this season.
Running Backs
Jalen Hurd, Tennessee ($6,900)
Tennessee bruiser Jalen Hurd was the workhorse in the Vols' backfield as a true freshman in 2014, and he's primed to take on an even larger role this season. Priced as the eighth-highest running back for his time slot, Hurd should finish near the top against a favorable matchup.
Bowling Green allowed over 200 rushing yards per game last season and also lost seven starters from that unit. Hurd contains a combination of bowling-ball strength and quick acceleration that will have the Falcons either tackling air or getting run over.
Sony Michel, Georgia ($4,700)
A certain blowout of Louisiana-Monroe will have star rusher Nick Chubb ($10,200) struggling to get the touches necessary to fulfill his heavy price tag. Instead, look toward Sony Michel, the speedy sophomore who broke the 150-yard plateau once last season
Even with star backs, the Bulldogs have remained committed to a by-committee approach, and that should surface again in this one.
Flex Option: Jordan Canzeri, Iowa ($3,900)
The travesty of Iowa running back Jordan Canzeri being listed below the $4,000 plateau is something DraftKings players should take complete advantage of. A tough matchup with Illinois State is a reason why, but it should only reassure daily fantasy owners that Canzeri will be getting plenty of the ball into the fourth quarter.
If the Hawkeyes rely on their biggest strength (a stout offensive line and running game), Canzeri will surpass 20 points.
Wide Receivers
Devin Lauderdale, Texas Tech ($5,200)
Get in on a sure-fire aerial assault while still preserving salary by nabbing Devin Lauderdale from Texas Tech. The Red Raiders' second-leading receiver in DraftKings' price books finished the season with 17 or more points in five of his last six games, and Texas Tech can expect to run the score up on Sam Houston State much like LSU did early last season.
Dom Williams, Washington State ($4,800)
It's a completely different story regarding their running backs, but Washington State's offense produces the best out of its receivers, and that should sway owners toward Dom Williams.
The Cougars' second-leading returning wideout had a three-game stretch of 23 points or more in 2014 and will benefit from DraftKings' point-per-reception system against a Portland State squad that went 2-6 in the Big Sky last year and finished on a four-game skid.
Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss ($5,900)
All signs point to Ole Miss stud wideout Laquon Treadwell being better than ever after a horrific season-ending injury late in 2014. That's what he told Ben Garrett of Scout.com, as he shared the following: "I'm a lot faster. Coming in and out of breaks, I feel comfortable."
You can almost feel Ole Miss' 2015 opponents grimace at those words—he was already plenty good enough. The Rebels will obviously protect Treadwell in a cupcake matchup with Tennessee-Martin, but his itch to get back should produce some early scores. He's also going up against a pass defense that ranked in the bottom half of the Ohio Valley Conference last year.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
