Daily Fantasy College Football Week 3: DraftKings Optimum Lineup, Matchup Guide
Daily fantasy college football is booming as the 2015 season gets underway, and another packed slate of contests for Week 3 has hit DraftKings with a number of salary tags that should pique the interest of DFS owners.
Some relatively easy schedules for top teams have resulted in star players going off, but the slate toughens up for Week 3 with schools facing some of their first conference opponents. That should allow the cream to rise to the top in a couple of key matchups.
DraftKings is loaded with early and late college football contests, so let's take a handful of performers from each and assemble a DFS lineup for success.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
DraftKings Optimum CFB Lineup for Week 3
| QB | Matt Johnson (Bowling Green) | Early | Memphis | 37.2 | $8,700 |
| QB | Austin Appleby (Purdue) | Early | Virginia Tech | 25.3 | $6,000 |
| RB | Jahad Thomas (Temple) | Early | Massachusetts | 32.8 | $9,500 |
| RB | Peyton Barber (Auburn) | Early | LSU | 20.2 | $4,800 |
| WR | Isaiah Ford (Virginia Tech) | Early | Purdue | 20.3 | $4,700 |
| WR | Nick Kurtz (BYU) | Late | UCLA | 20.3 | $4,100 |
| WR | Jake Butt (Michigan) | Early | UNLV | 15.0 | $4,400 |
| FLEX | Dalyn Dawkins (Colorado State) | Late | Colorado | 13.2 | $4,400 |
| FLEX | C.J. Worton (Florida) | Late | Kentucky | 11.3 | $3,100 |
Quarterbacks
Matt Johnson, Bowling Green: $8,700
Bowling Green started out with Tennessee and Maryland on its schedule, but that didn't keep quarterback Matt Johnson from leading the nation in passing through two games. His heroics against the Terrapins forced a major upset.
After following up a 425-yard performance against the Vols with nearly 500 passing yards against Maryland, Johnson should torch the Memphis secondary Saturday. The Falcons will be at home for the first time all season against a Tigers defense that allowed 20 or more points six times in 2014.
Austin Appleby, Purdue: $6,000
Austin Appleby is starting to show the poise and playmaking ability that had Purdue name him the starting quarterback for 2015, bouncing back from a four-interception season opener to go for four scores Saturday against Indiana State.
He and the Boilermakers face the vaunted Virginia Tech secondary Saturday, but that unit looked less than stellar in Week 1 against Ohio State. Appleby doesn't have the same type of weapons around him but should utilize his dual-threat ability to keep the Hokies off guard.
Running Backs
Jahad Thomas, Temple: $9,500
If there's one player you must get as your cash cow Saturday, it's Temple running back Jahad Thomas. He's third in the nation in rushing so far with nearly 350 yards and a whopping 55 carries—more than 25 in each contest.
He could go for that much Saturday alone. In Week 3, the Owls face lowly Massachusetts, which is fresh off allowing 393 rushing yards to Colorado. The Minutemen didn't face a back like Thomas in that match, however, and they will learn just how dangerous the junior is in the backfield.
Peyton Barber, Auburn: $4,800
It wasn't apparent before the season, but Auburn has proved that it's trusting the backfield to Peyton Barber above all other options in 2015. The Tigers have relied on Barber in two tight contests so far in 2015, and he rushed for 115 yards or more and carried 23 or more times in both games.
Mississippi State didn't get anything going on the ground against this LSU defense, but the Bulldogs don't have the personnel to do so. Auburn, however, is committed to the ground attack and will try to ride Barber to victory after the early-season struggles of quarterback Jeremy Johnson.
Wide Receivers
Jake Butt, Michigan: $4,400
Michigan's Jake Butt is more than just a tight end in the Wolverines offense, as his status as the team's second-highest-salaried receiver in Week 3 proves. He also proved it in Week 1, as he caught eight balls for 93 yards and a touchdown.
The Wolverines are a run-first team, but they should plan on gashing UNLV through the air Saturday. The Ragin' Cajuns ranked second to last in the Mountain West last season, allowing over 6.5 yards per play, and Michigan should look Butt's way to get there Saturday.
Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech: $4,700
When a team's highest-priced receiver is under $5,000 and faces a struggling defense, it doesn't matter that it's not for a pass-happy squad. Isaiah Ford has shown with three touchdowns in two games that he's more than a secondary option, however.
The Hokies' Saturday opponent is Purdue, which finished in the Big Ten's bottom four in just about every defensive passing category last season. Already one of the Hokies' main passing targets before this season, Ford's role has only grown in the new season.
Play the DraftKings CFB $1 million Fantasy College Football World Championship this weekend!
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
