College Football DFS: Friday Slate, Week 13

FanDuel has added two additional contests to their Black Friday offering, so we will tackle those additional games after analyzing the shared games on the docket.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Texas (-3) vs. Kansas State O/U: 52.5

Ohio (-6.5) @ Bowling Green O/U: 48

Central Michigan (-8.5) vs. Eatern Michigan O/U: 64

Boise State (-3) @ San Diego State O/U: 44.5

Utah State (-16.5) @ New Mexico O/U: 49

Nebraska (-1) vs. Iowa O/U: 41

Arkansas (-14.5) vs. Missouri O/U: 62.5

Central Florida (-18.5) v. South Florida O/U: 62

Cincinnati (-14) @ East Carolina O/U: 57

Air Force (-17.5) vs. UNLV O/U: 49.5

Utah (-23.5) vs. Colorado O/U: 52.5

Iowa State (-15) vs. TCU O/U: 59

North Carolina State (-6) vs. North Carolina O/U: 62.5 (FANDUEL)

Washington State (-1.5) @ Washington O/U: 44.5 (FANDUEL)

WEATHER

WSU/WAS - 31% chance of rain, 5 m.p.h. Winds, 47 degrees

QUARTERBACK

We have a few major injury concerns at quarterback heading into this slate.

Dillon Gabriel, UCF (collarbone) - QUESTIONABLE

Adrian Martinez, Nebraska (shoulder) - OUT

Casey Thompson, Hudson Card, Texas (undisclosed) QUESTIONABLE

Gabriel may be able to play, but he would undoubtedly be limited with the collarbone injury. If he can't go, Mikey Keene (DK $8,400, FD $7.700) would get the nod. The freshman had an excellent day against UConn last week, throwing for 298 yards, two touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. I have no problem adding him if Gabriel sits.

Logan Smothers (DK $5,100, FD $6,000) will likely get the nod for the Cornhuskers, but there's no guarantee that he'll be the only quarterback to play. Stay away from this pivot.

I'm also fading the Texas QB situation entirely.

Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati (DK $9,700, FD $11,000) @ East Carolina

One loss will knock the Bearcats out of the playoff, and an away game against ECU could be dangerous.  Expect Ridder and company to be wide awake for this potential trap game, and despite Ridder's high salary, he will be worth every penny in what should be a fun matchup to watch.  His 25:6 TD/INT ratio is one of the best on the slate tonight. I also like Holton Ahlers (DK $7,400 FD $8,300) to strike some fear into Cincy fans with a solid game against the Bearcats' defense on the other side of this matchup.

Brock Purdy, Iowa State (DK $6,600, FD $8,500) vs. TCU

Purdy offers us stability and consistency in a potentially high-scoring matchup. After some tepid performances last month, Purdy has had a red-hot three-game run, averaging almost 300 yards per game. He has thrown three interceptions over that span, but he faces a TCU defense the surrenders an average of 237 yards per game against opposing passers, giving them a rank of 184th in the nation. Alongside a potent backfield to open up the passing game, Purdy is set to roll against the Horned Frogs.

Ben Bryant Eastern Michigan (DK $6,300 ,FD $8,400) @ Central Michigan

The main reason for adding Bryant is Central Michigan's passing defense, which has been especially forgiving to opposing quarterbacks. Bryant didn't get much done against Western Michigan last week, but he had two consecutive 300 yard-plus games before that game and has a reasonably strong 14:6 TD/INT ratio for the season.

RUNNING BACK

Central Michigan's Lew Nichols (DK $10,00, FD $11,200), Iowa's Breece Hall (DK $9,300, FD $10,800) and Cincy's Jerome Ford (DK $8,300, FD $9,700) are about as chalky as you can get on this slate and are excellent adds if you can afford them. We're going to dig just a bit deeper to find more affordable options for the RB and Flex positions to ease salary cap concerns.

Tavion Thomas, Utah (DK $8,500, FD $10,200) vs. Colorado

Were it not for some key losses on their schedule, the Utes would have all the goods to be a CFP-worthy squad, and they'll be keen to showcase it in their season finale versus Colorado. Thomas missed a game two weeks ago but returned with a massive three-touchdown outing against Top 5 Oregon, who had no answer for him throughout the day. He has beaten up weaker defenses, and the Buffaloes fit the bill in that department, allowing an average of 170 yards per game to opposing rushers.

Brad Roberts, Air Force (DK $7,500, FD $9.400) vs. UNLV

The run-first Falcons should roll over the Rebels at home, led by Roberts, representing a massive chunk of the Air Force's offense. While Roberts is by far the best pick, we saw some excellent breakaway runs from Emmanuel Michel (DK $3,300, FD $5,700) last week. We could see Roberts give way to Michel down the stretch if the game gets out of hand. Michel can be an excellent salary-saver for you oi your cap gets tight.

Dominique Johnson, Arkansas (DK $4,700 FD $6,300) vs. Missouri.

Simply put, Mizzou's rushing defense stinks.  They've been unable to stop a litany of SEC rushers this season, and Friday will be no different. The difficulty in targeting Arkansas is their penchant for utilizing multiple backs. Johnson is by far the most consistent producer, but Trelon Smith (DK $3,600, FD $5,800) could also be a good candidate for carries in a blowout.

WIDE RECEIVER

Deven Thompkins tops the slate for Utah State, and his lofty salary is well-warranted. I am worried that their passing attack will take a hit in a blowout and instead rely on Calvin Tyler to move the chains. Like Nichols, Hall and Ford, he's a very viable call, but he may be out of your price range without some lower-cost options in your lineup.

JaCorey Sullivan, Central Michigan (DK $5,200, FD $8,500) vs. Eastern Michigan

I expect the Chippewas to air it out early, and while Sullivan can sometimes disappoint with yardage, he's a possession beast who will prove to be most beneficial in the DraftKings scoring structure. You can also get Kalil Pimpleton (DK $7,200, FD $8,700) at a higher salary if you want a more secure option, but Sullivan's affordability can save you some coin as you fill out your lineups.

Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State (DK $7,100 FD $8,200) vs. TCU

Hutchinson fills out a great stack with Brock Purdy. Although he only has six touchdowns on the season, he's racked up 846 yards with 75 receptions, which is one of the better stat lines in the player pool. 

Tanner Knue, Eastern Michigan (DK $5,700, FD $7,900) @ Central Michigan

I suppose there could be some risk here if they want to shut down Knue and redshirt him, considering he's only played three games so far, but that might come into play more during bowl season. He's been a shot in the arm for the Eagles passing offense over the past three weeks, amassing 21 catches, 237 yards and a touchdown over that span.

Also consider:  Tyler Snead, ECU (DK $6,200, FD $7,500)

UNC @ N.C. State (FANDUEL ONLY)

There's a high game total prediction for this matchup, but it should be noted that Sam Howell is bagged up and may not be as effective as usual. For that reason, I expect the Heels to lean on Ty Chandler ($8,800), who has been ripping up opposing defenses. The Wolfpack tend to spread the ball around, which is one reason why Chandler stands head and shoulders over the other options in this contest.

Washington State @ Washington (FANDUEL ONLY)

With the Cougars, you get the best passing attack in the Pac-12. The three-headed monster of Jayden de Laura ($8,800), Travell Harris ($8,400) and Calvin Jackson ($7,800) is an automatic plug-and-play stack in every format. Max Borghi ($7,600) is their lead back and an excellent FanDuel bargain. I am fine with fading the Washington offense entirely,