Daily Fantasy College Football Week 1: DraftKings Last-Minute Picks, Best Values
It's about time to focus in on the DraftKings daily fantasy college football. Week 1 may have kicked off on Thursday, but the first full slate begins on Saturday, with 36 games (*cracks fingers*) to pick apart.
Yeah, owners are preparing to get down to business and need to make last-minute tweaks to lineups before locking them in. Before setting your roster, consider these bargain players to build a winning lineup on the opening Saturday.
Quarterback: Vernon Adams Jr., Oregon ($8,400)
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Having a dual-threat quarterback is a prized commodity in fantasy football. Whether it's college or pro, owners seek out the special talents like Joshua Dobbs or Dak Prescott.
What if I told you there is a quarterback out there who can come at thousands less than those two on the price sheet? Well, there is, and his name is Vernon Adams Jr. He also just so happens to be taking over for Marcus Mariota at Oregon in the same offensive scheme.
Still a relative unknown to Power Five football, Adams isn't a surefire 30-plus point lock just yet. But going against Eastern Washington—the school he just graduated from—he knows the defense he's playing pretty well. Looking to make a statement in the opener, Adams will be a great No. 2 for owners.
Running Back: Tarean Folston, Notre Dame ($5,100)
OK, maybe Tarean Folston isn't a massive bargain at $5,100. But when he's nearly half the price of the top option at the position on Saturday, we'll take Folston all day at this price.
Take into consideration that Folston averaged 14 fantasy points per game last year despite being benched at times last season. This year, he comes in with the confidence of head coach Brian Kelly, per J.J. Stankevitz of CSN Chicago:
"He's going to be called on this year to carry a larger load for us as a featured back. But what we like about him is we know what we have there, and he is an established, national caliber running back, and that is a strength for any football team going into the season. We know what he can do coming out of the backfield and catch the football. He's excellent now — he struggled at times, but later in the year he showed himself to be very strong in our protection.
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Carrying the load against Texas, Folston will be leaned on throughout the game to produce for the offense. Tab Folston as you're RB2 and expect solid results you would normally see from a top-tier back.
Running Back: Brandon Ross, Maryland ($4,200)
Brandon Ross didn't put up gaudy numbers last year, but he shined when he was given the opportunity. Now the lead back for Maryland, Ross is looking to step up in a big way and still comes at a low price for fantasy owners.
In just 86 carries last year, Ross registered 417 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. That averages out to 4.85 yards per carry, which is kinda decent at the college level. Expect great numbers from Ross against Richmond as he looks to solidify his spot at the top of the Terrapins' depth chart.
Wide Receiver: Speedy Noil, Texas A&M ($4,700)
Speedy Noil didn't do anything spectacular toward the end of his freshman campaign to earn a high price to start 2015. So maybe call it a hunch, but the huge prospect coming out of high school seems like a great option at this low price.
Going up against Arizona State, Texas A&M will need all hands on deck to pull out a win. Noil is a player who can break the game wide open with his blazing speed—hence the name—so owners get huge-play potential out of a low-price option. Pair him with other star receivers, and Noil will form a balanced lineup.
Wide Receiver: Marquez North, Tennessee ($4,200)
Earlier this week, we told owners that Marquez North was a great bargain at this price. Still slotted as a No. 1 receiver for the Volunteers, North offers even more value than the aforementioned Noil thanks to the opportunity he'll have against Bowling Green.
Pig Howard is suspended for the opening game, leaving North as the No. 1 option for Joshua Dobbs. On one of the most exciting SEC East teams this season, North should shine in the opener for Tennessee and DraftKings owners alike.
DraftKings owners can win $300k in the "Dive for the Pylon" tournament to start off the college football season!
Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter for more MLB DraftKings advice.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
