Daily Fantasy College Football Week 2: DraftKings Optimum Lineup, Matchup Advice
With daily fantasy college football Week 2 on the horizon, it's time for owners to take off the training wheels.
Going into the 2015 opening weekend, the most owners could do was look at projections—whether it was point projections, depth chart projections or how the house out in Las Vegas figured each matchup would shake out.
Some of these factors still come into play, of course. Now owners have a week of concrete proof at their fingertips. Below, let's build the DraftKings optimum lineup using the busiest time of Week 2 while walking a value-upside tightrope.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
DraftKings Optimum Week 2 Lineup
| QB | Greg Ward Jr. (HOU) | UL | $7,900 |
| QB | C.J. Beathard (IOWA) | ISU | $6,300 |
| RB | Patrick Skov (GT) | TUL | $4,400 |
| RB | Brandon Radcliff (UL) | HOU | $5,900 |
| WR | Leonte Carroo (RU) | WSU | $6,700 |
| WR | Jake Butt (MICH) | OSU | $4,400 |
| WR | Robert Foster (ALA) | MTS | $4,800 |
| FLEX | Dare Ogunbowale (WISC) | MER | $3,900 |
| FLEX | Josh Hicks (RU) | WSU | $5,600 |
Saturday games (12 p.m. ET to 4:45 p.m. ET) only listed.
QBs
Greg Ward Jr., Houston ($7,900)
Quarterbacks are the big moneymakers most weekends, but an owner doesn't have to go wild in the $9,000 price range and handicap the rest of a roster.
Look at Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr., a former receiver who took things over under center in 2014 and continues to improve. Last weekend against Tennessee Tech, he went 21-of-27 with 275 yards and a score and added another 101 yards and two scores on the ground.
This is what owners want when crafting an optimum lineup—a quarterback who can post points through various means.
Next up for Ward is Louisville, and while Las Vegas has Houston as underdogs by almost two scores, the over-under is 54, and Houston playing from behind means more scoring opportunities for Ward, who has an entire offense constructed around his versatile skill set.
C.J. Beathard, Iowa ($6,300)
Again, versatility is the name of the game when it comes to finding high-upside quarterbacks.
C.J. Beathard for Iowa is a great example. The junior threw for 211 yards and a score while completing better than 60 percent of his passes last week against Illinois State and added another 26 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
With starting action under his belt, Beathard next encounters Iowa State, a team with a prolific offense of its own. While the Hawkeyes are favored by a bit, even more attractive is the over-under of 50.5.
In other words, this one figures to be a shootout and Beathard looks poised for another big performance.
RBs
Patrick Skov, Georgia Tech ($4,400)
Remember Stanford reserve Patrick Skov?
It's time to get to know the Georgia Tech back, who is in his first year with the team and started with a bang by receiving a team-high 12 carries against Alcorn State and racking up 72 yards and three scores.
Skov is a sledgehammer who will continue to see plenty of opportunities. Next up is Tulane and a defense that allowed 206 yards and a score on 49 rushes in its opener. This over-under sits at 54.5 with Georgia Tech as the big favorite, so expect Skov to once again make the most out of his carries.
Brandon Radcliff, Louisville ($5,900)
The aforementioned Louisville-Houston showdown looks like a hotbed for fantasy production. Cardinals back Brandon Radcliff is chief among those set to get in on the fun.
Radcliff led the team in carries last week against Auburn by a landslide if one doesn't count quarterback Lamar Jackson. He turned the opportunities into an impressive 76 yards and two scores, which Louisville Fan Base brings to life:
"WATCH Louisville RB Brandon Radcliff (@BrandonRadcliff) Rush For 76 Yards & 2 TDs vs. Auburn #L1C4 pic.twitter.com/TV7YW3mfL9
— Louisville Fan Base (@UofLFanBASE) September 6, 2015"
If Radcliff can post those sort of numbers on an SEC powerhouse under the watchful eye of the globe, imagine what he has in store against Houston.
WRs
Leonte Carroo, Rutgers ($6,700)
A wideout who averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game last year isn't a bad get at this price.
Just don't expect the price to remain this way for long. Leonte Carroo out of Rutgers might be one of the most underrated players in the country, something he reinforced with three grabs for 129 yards against Norfolk State.
Each catch went for a score. Rutgers on BTN captured the jaw-dropping display:
It only figures to get better. Rutgers next meets Washington State, the team that just lost in spectacular fashion to Portland State.
Here's the fun part: Las Vegas has this at an over-under of 63 with Rutgers as the favorite by less than a field goal. It's a shootout in the utmost sense, and Carroo is the top attraction through the air.
Jake Butt, Michigan ($4,400)
Don't look now, but DraftKings classifies Michigan's Jake Butt as a wideout.
Butt wasn't the biggest name entering the season, but it's a perception he's changing in a hurry after grabbing eight receptions for 93 yards and a score in the team's season-opening loss to Utah.
Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News explained the offensive situation best:
Quarterback Jake Rudock isn't going to look much of anywhere else, especially not against an Oregon State team the Wolverines should handle with ease.
Robert Foster, Alabama ($4,800)
He's no Amari Cooper (yet?), but Alabama's Robert Foster looked like the man for the job this past weekend in a high-profile showdown with Wisconsin.
There, the sophomore caught four passes for 50 yards and a score. The yards were a team high, the receptions tied with ArDarius Stewart.
The Crimson Tide next take on Middle Tennessee, a team it's supposed to squash by about 35 points. It's a 56.5 over-under, so to get to these predictable numbers, somebody will have to do the scoring.
At this price, Foster is a safe bet to help get Alabama there before sitting on the bench.
Flex
Dare Ogunbowale, Wisconsin ($3,900)
Injury replacements give owners a nice punt option, which is the case here with Wisconsin back Dare Ogunbowale.
Corey Clement is the starter, but he suffered a groin injury last week. It sounds like he wants to play against Miami (OH.), but owners have to bank on one simple thing—will the coaching staff really risk Clement's health against Miami, one of the worst teas out of the MAC?
Miami isn't a threat, just ask Las Vegas, which puts the Badgers as more than 30-point favorites with an over-under of 51.5. The Redhawks just allowed Presbyterian College back Darrell Bridges to run for 125 yards and a score.
As for Ogunbowale, he's second on the depth chart. He's also versatile, carrying the ball three times against Alabama and, more importantly, catching six passes for 39 yards, the catch number tied for the team high.
Josh Hicks, Rutgers ($5,600)
Sometimes a team stack isn't the worst idea, especially in the likely Rutgers-Washington State shootout.
Some will recall the name Josh Hicks, a talented Rutgers back who took home the MVP award in the Quick Lane Bowl last year. He picked up right where he left off last week, bullying Norfolk State for 118 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries.
Now, some are right to point out Hicks might not see the most carries despite leading the team in every single rushing category last week thanks to the presence of Paul James.
But consider this: Washington State's loss to Portland State? The Vikings ran 48 times for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
Every Rutgers back will get a taste of the action, but mostly Hicks, who has the talent the coaching staff won't be able to ignore in favor of more senior players.
Pricing information and scoring data obtained from DraftKings.com. Odds via Odds Shark.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
