College Football DFS Picks: Saturday Night Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 5

Over the past month, we've split the Saturday evening DFS slate into two articles, but FanDuel's Saturday evening offering was released much sooner, so we'll do a combo article instead. Navigating the article is simple. The six-game slate is shared by DraftKings and FanDuel, and I've provided my favorite picks there. If you're playing on FanDuel, keep reading, and I'll provide additional endorsements for the four outlier games on FanDuel. We've got a lot to cover, so let's go!

SLATE OVERVIEW

Oklahoma (-19.5) vs. Iowa State O/U: 48.5

Notre Dame (-5.5) @ Duke O/U: 52.5

Tennessee (-11.5) vs. South Carolina O/U: 61.5

Iowa (-10) vs. Michigan State O/U: 36.5

Pittsburgh (-2.5) @ Virginia Tech O/U: 40.5

TCU (-13.5) vs. West Virginia O/U: 51.5

CFB DFS TOOLS

• DraftKings College Football Optimizer
• FanDuel College Football Optimizer
• Weekly CFB Matchup Info
• CFB Targets
• CFB Stats
• CFB Team Trends
• CFB Advanced Team Stats with Plays per Game, Pass %, Run % and more 

CFB DFS Saturday Night Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 5

Quarterback

Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (DK $9,500, FD $11,000) vs. Iowa State

Gabriel will be a very popular quarterback on the slate, but I'm willing to slot him in despite the high probability of a blowout. Defensively, Iowa State isn't horrible - they've limited opponents to an average of 15 points per game. They are 2-2 with wins over Oklahoma State and Northern Illinois, and played tough against Ohio and Iowa. I think they are just good enough to keep Gabriel on the field for four quarters, and that's our primary concern. Gabriel's numbers are lower than you might expect at this point in the season. He's thrown for 897 yards and seven touchdowns through four games, which is nowhere near the top of the rankings. Gabriel won't give you anything in the rushing column, either. Still, this particular scenario will likely be profitable for Gabriel, given the spread and total.

Joe Milton, Tennessee (DK $9,300, FD $10,800) vs. South Carolina

By going with Milton, I've top-loaded our salary allotment, and I'll freely admit that you don't have to be a rocket scientist to endorse guys like Gabriel and Milton. I don't think we can get the quality lineup we are looking for by using both of these guys, however. I give you Gabriel and Milton as an either-or proposition because ideally. I want to find a better value in the Superflex. Put simply, these two guys are candidates for your quarterback position, but not the Superflex. With more options on FanDuel, this will be an easier feat. About Milton - I'm not especially impressed with Tennessee this season, but it's hard to argue with Milton on paper. He's a dual-threat guy who's thrown for two touchdowns in every game he's played, and he ran for four more scores in the first four games. He has 1,060 yards of total offense when you add in his rushing numbers, and he's playing in a contest that could be closer than the spread indicates. 

Also consider: Chandler Morris, TCU (DK $8,200, FD $10,100) vs. West Virginia

Running Back

Audric Estime, Notre Dame (DK $7,900, FD $8,500) @ Duke

Notre Dame was seconds away from knocking off Ohio State, and the Irish were able to run the ball against a very imposing defense. Estime had his lowest rushing total of the season in the loss, but he managed 70 yards, and a touchdown would have turned his total into a more respectable number. Although Sam Hartman is almost matchup-proof, the Blue Devils have a talented pass defense that could give the veteran some problems. The Irish will prevail in this game if they can establish the run, and Estime will be key in that effort.

Emani Bailey, TCU (DK $6,800. FD $9,300) vs. West Virginia

Bailey is the unquestioned top back for the Horned Frogs. The Mountaineers have held opposing running backs to an average of just 109.8 yards per game. Bailey's ability is on par with Penn State's rushing duo, and West Virginia's had trouble containing them in Week 1. Otherwise, the Mountaineers haven't faced elite running backs so that I wouldn't put a lot of faith in the previous metric. Bailey is ranked eighth nationally among running backs with 483 yards and two touchdowns, and he'll be West Virginia's stiffest rushing foe to date.

Rodney Hammond, Pittsburgh   (DK $5,100, FD $6,800) @ Virginia Tech

Hammond is cleverly hidden due to his low totals earlier in the season, but the Panthers have let him loose in recent weeks. His touches and yardage have both gone up, and with Phil Jurkovec potentially limited, Pittsburgh will lean on the run against a rushing defense that's surrendered a whopping average of 212 yards to opposing rushers. Hammond figures to be one of the best values on paper. 

Wide Receiver

Andrel Anthony, Oklahoma (DK $6,000, FD $8,200) vs. Iowa State

The Sooners have many options to choose from at wideout, but Anthony is the best option from a yardage and PPR perspective. He's accrued 11 receptions for 229 yards over his past two games, and while other Oklahoma receivers seem to be the ones racking up the touchdowns, it's only a matter of time before Anthony posts one. His PPR totals will help dig him out of the scoring deficiency.

Bru McCoy, Tennessee (DK $6,500, FD $6,700) vs. South Carolina

Around this time during the season, it's wise to take a look at players who aren't on pace to hit their previous year's totals, and the usual culprit for wide receivers is a lagging reception-to-target ratio. For McCoy, he's definitely on pace target-wise, but he's only been able to bring down 62.5 percent of them. If you're taking Milton, McCoy would be a good stack against one of the nation's worst pass defenses.

Jared Wiley, TCU (DK $4,300, FD $7,300) vs. West Virginia

The tight end emerged as an excellent scoring target for Chandler Morris last week, which was his best performance since the loss to Colorado. He posted two touchdowns against SMU, and it's a good indication that he should be checked down to more often. We need someone with a lower salary to balance our high-dollar targets, and Wiley fits the bill.

ADDITIONAL GAMES (FANDUEL)

Georgia Southern (-6.5) vs. Coastal Carolina O/U: 65.5

SMU (-22.5) @ U/NC Charlotte O/U: 53.5

Air Force (-10.5) vs. San Diego State O/U: 42.5

Alabama (-14.5) @ Mississippi State O/U: 47

Quarterback

Preston Stone, SMU ($9,100) vs. Charlotte

Stone had his hands full against TCU last week, but he has an excellent chance to bounce back against Charlotte. The 49ers allow a subpar average of 312 yards per game against opposing quarterbacks, potentially making Charlotte Stone's easiest opponent of the season. Aside from the TCU loss, Stone's numbers have been excellent, with 1,056 yards and nine touchdowns on the season.

Also consider: Davis Brin, Georgia Southern ($9,000) vs. Coastal Carolina

Running Back

Jase McClellan, Alabama ($7,400) @ Mississippi State

It's safe to assume that McClellan will be extensively involved in the offense, as his production has ramped up every week. Mississippi State has given up an average of 132 yards per game to opposing rushers, and while that's not bad, Alabama's offensive line will create many problems for the Bulldogs. While they haven't been the best at pass protection, they open holes for their rushers with relative ease. It could be a long day for the Bulldogs, and Alabama will try to control the clock with the ground game.

Also consider: Camar Wheaton, SMU ($8,000) @ UNC Charlotte

Wide Receiver

Derwin Burgess, Georgia Southern ($7,900) vs. Coastal Carolina

Burgess may be my favorite option from the FanDuel group. He's been a very reliable target for Davis Brin all season, and hasn't logged fewer than six receptions. He's logged an impressive 310 receiving yards, and while he could use a few more touchdowns, he should thrive against a Chanticleer passing defense that's allowed an average of 221 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks.