College Football DFS Picks and Strategy: Week 5
By: Kristen Ashly
College football will once again rule Saturday.
Last week, Texas Tech hosted TCU and the two teams went on a rampage to produce a combined score of 107. This week, Texas Tech has the pleasure of hosting Baylor, who leads the nation with an average of 767 yards of total offense.
Let’s take a look at three games important to research thoroughly when deciding on your lineup:
Baylor vs. Texas Tech
This Baylor offense is off to a record-breaking start. Quarterback Seth Russell had 37.78 FanDuel points in the first half last week against Rice.
Wideout Corey Coleman is averaging 27.5 yards per reception for the Bears and eight of 17 receptions resulting in a touchdown. Don’t overlook running back Shock Linwood either, adding him against a Red Raiders defense is the key to adding bulk to your offense grab.
Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II was injured in last week’s game against TCU. If he remains out, running back DeAndre Washington remains a solid option. His 47.4 fantasy points last week ranks among the highest scoring performances for a running back this season.
Houston vs. Tulsa
This would be considered the highest anticipated game this week. It’s a battle of star offenses with defenses that just can’t keep up. Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is the country’s top dual-threat quarterback, which will come in handy with Tulsa’s defense surrendering 575 yards of total offense per game.
You’ll also want to keep an eye on Keyarris Garrett, Keevan Lucas and Josh Atkinson. Take heed: Houston ranks 121st in the nation in passing defense. The game is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Washington State vs. California
Luke Falk has proved himself a quarterback with one of the highest number of pass attempts in the country. If not for anything else except for being behind constantly. That trend will continue this week.
Receiver River Cracraft had 11 receptions for 172 yards and three scores against the Golden Bears last season, so he would be a great pickup. California has been playing without top running back Daniel Lasco, which means Vic Enwere or Khalifani Muhammad could be potential fill-ins if he continues to miss time.
Quarterback Jared Goff has turned wide receiver Kenny Lawler into a great offensive fantasy star. Lawler had 20-plus fantasy points in his last two weeks.
Must Starts
Quarterbacks — Seth Russell, Baylor (at Texas Tech); Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky (at Rice); Greg Ward Jr., Houston (at Tulsa)
Running backs — Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State (at Indiana); Shock Linwood, Baylor (at Texas Tech); Dalvin Cook, Florida State (at Wake Forest)
Wide receivers — Josh Doctson, TCU (vs. Texas); Corey Coleman, Baylor (at Texas Tech); Keevan Lucas, Tulsa (vs. Houston)
Tight ends — Tyler Higbee, WKU (at Rice); Jaylen Samuels. NC State (vs. Louisville); Josiah Price, Michigan State (vs. Purdue)
Potential Sleeper Options
QB — Brenden Motley, Virginia Tech (vs. Pittsburgh)
RB — Matt Dayes, NC State (vs. Louisville);Wendell Smallwood, West Virginia (at Oklahoma)
WR — Demarcus Ayers, Houston (at Tulsa); Dennis Parks, Rice (vs. WKU)
TE — Cam Serigne, Wake Forest (vs. Florida State)
Related Articles
December 22nd Bowl Predictions
College Football Playoff Predictions: The Elite Four
The History of Fantasty
Nuts and Bolts Sports, LLC | Founded in 2014