Daily Fantasy College Football Week 8: DraftKings Last-Minute Picks, Best Values
It's finally time for the weekend, which means daily fantasy college football is firing up a full slate again. Yeah, Thursday and Friday games are enticing, but there's nothing like staying in your sweatpants on a Saturday to watch seemingly endless amounts of college football action.
Why not make some money while partaking in that ritual? That's why DraftKings provides daily fantasy for the entire season. In anticipation of Saturday's action, here's a look at the best last-minute picks and a few value options peppered in.
Quarterback: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State ($8,300)
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
He's not exactly a great value, but for a No. 1 quarterback, J.T. Barrett is well worth the salary hit. After earning the starting role earlier this week for the Buckeyes, the training wheels are coming off for the 2014 Heisman hopeful.
Head coach Urban Meyer explained the reasoning behind his decision, per Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports:
Even with limited playing time against Penn State and Maryland, Barrett averaged nearly 30 points per game. That's thanks to his mobility, amassing 164 yards and five touchdowns in the rushing game. At $1,100 less than the top option at QB, Barrett is an obvious choice on Saturday against Rutgers.
Running Back: Shock Linwood, Baylor ($6,800)
Being the running back for one of the most prolific offenses in the entire country has its perks. While Shock Linwood might not be considered the top running back in the nation, he's getting opportunities to shred defenses thanks to Baylor's passing game.
Linwood has cashed in on his touches, averaging 8.5 yards per carry. That's led to 803 rushing yards and eight touchdowns through just eight games. Playing at home against an Iowa State defense that has allowed 55.5 points per game over the last two weeks, expect a huge game from Linwood.
Running Back: Elijah Hood, North Carolina ($5,900)
Looking for a middle-tier running back who has a great matchup? Elijah Hood is your man.
UNC's lead running back isn't putting up the same eye-popping numbers as Linwood, but he has shredded ACC defenses this season. Coming off three touchdowns in the last two games against Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, Hood is set to torch Virginia.
His 18.6 average points per game is hurt slightly by games against Delaware and South Carolina, where his legs were saved. Once because of a huge lead, the other because the game was out of hand. On a winning team that should throttle Virginia, look for Hood to run wild for fantasy owners.
Wide Receiver: Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss ($6,100)
Laquon Treadwell got off to a good start to the season but has been sensational lately. While Ole Miss left Memphis with a disappointing loss, Treadwell did all he could to pull out a win. His 14 receptions for 144 yards were both career highs to go along with his receiving touchdown.
It isn't fair for owners to expect another 44-point outburst, but quarterback Chad Kelly clearly has confidence in Treadwell. In a huge matchup against No. 15 Texas A&M, Treadwell will be the workhorse in the passing game and a dependable start for DFS owners.
Wide Receiver: Kermit Whitfield, Florida State ($4,600)
Why exactly is Kermit Whitfield priced at $4,600 this week? Well, I can't answer that. Why should you leave him off your roster? I can't give a reasonable answer to that question either.
How about we stop with the questions and look at the facts. Whitfield has exploded onto the scene over the last two weeks, per Ryan S. Clark of Rivals.com:
A healthy Kermit is simply not fair against a Georgia Tech team that has lost its last five games. Florida State will roll on Saturday night, and Whitfield will serve as a perfect compliment to any wide receiver corps on DraftKings. Pick him up as a WR3 or flex and expect WR1 production.
Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter for more DraftKings advice:
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
