College Football DFS Picks: Week 1 Friday Slate Plays and DFS Lineup Strategy

Per usual, DraftKings and FanDuel have two different slates for Friday''s NCAAF action, but there are only two additional games on DraftKings that require our attention. We'll cover all the bases and get you our favorite picks as Week 1 rolls on.

College Football Week 1 Odds (Friday Slate)

Virginia Tech (-7.5) @ Old Dominion O/U: 48.5

Michigan State (-21.5) vs. Western Michigan O/U:54.5

Eastern Michigan (-13.5) vs. Eastern Kentucky O/U: 59

Duke (-7.5) vs. Temple O/U: 51.5

Indiana (-1.5) vs. Illinois O/U: 45.5

TCU (-12) @ Colorado O/U: 55.5

Charlotte (-8) vs. William & Mary O/U: 56.5(DRAFTKINGS ONLY)

Kansas (-27.5) vs. Tennessee Tech O/U: 52.5(DRAFTKINGS ONLY)

College Football DFS Tools

• DraftKings Lineup Optimizer
•  Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
• Advanced Lineups Page
• Stats
• Team Trends
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• Defense vs. Position
• Team Rankings
• NEW: Advanced Team Stats

Matchup Info (Odds, Statistics, Implied Totals)

WEATHER REPORT

There are no significant weather concerns on either slate.

College Football DFS Week 1 Plays, Friday Slate: Quarterback

Payton Thorne, Michigan State (DK $8,100, FD $11,500) vs. Western Michigan

There's a lot to like about Thorne on this slate, although I like him more on DraftKings where he is a bit more hidden. Thorne will direct the offense behind an experienced offensive line, and although Kenneth Walker will be missed, the Spartans loaded up on quality RB talent through the transfer portal. With a promising backfield and his favorite receiver (Jayden Reed, also recommended) returning, Thorne appears poised to have another great season. He was brilliant in 2021, as he directed the Spartans to a 10-2 record with 3.232 yards and 27 touchdowns for the season. Western Michigan isn't even sure which quarterback they will start Friday, and their receiving corps is untested and thin.  Thorne should see plenty of offensive drives to prop up his fantasy totals.

Taylor Powell, Eastern Michigan (DK $7,500, FD $8,700) vs. Eastern Kentucky

Powell won the starting gig for the Eagles after coming from Troy via the transfer portal He recorded decent numbers there in relief. He has enough experience after stints with Troy and Missouri to have success as the unquestioned leader of a new offense. He's surrounded by returnees who know the system, and the Eagles' offensive line looks solid once again this season. This contest should be competitive, and Powell's arm will be necessary to keep up with Eastern Kentucky's underrated offense.

Riley Leonard, Duke (DK $6,600, FD $9,000) vs. Temple

FanDuel seems to share my enthusiasm about Leonard's potential, as he comes in at a higher salary than expected. 9k is a steep investment for a new starter, but Leonard looked great in limited action last season. A feather in Leonard's cap is his dual-threat capability. Through only six games, Leonard rushed a whopping 37 times for 173 yards and two scores. As long as Duke's offensive scheme plays to his strengths, Leonard should see impressive numbers. The Owls are no pushover, so I expect this to be another competitive matchup in this slate with plenty of snaps to go around for both teams.

College Football DFS Week 1 Plays, Friday Slate: Running Backs

Kendre Miller, TCU (DK $7,500, FD $7,300) @ Colorado

Miller is a great grab on FanDuel, where his salary is low relative to his potential production. New coach Sonny Dykes will employ his Air Raid offense with the Horned Frogs, but it shouldn't impact Miller's production much at all. The quarterback competition between incumbent Max Duggan and Chandler Morris is still in full swing, so Miller will be needed to steady the offense as that situation sorts itself out. With the Buffaloes in a bit of a defensive rebuild, Miller should be able to find plenty of holes and make a substantial fantasy impact. Emani Baailry is another backfield candidate who could play a part in the offense.

Blake Watson, Old Dominion (DK $4,000, FD $7,100) vs. Virginia Tech

Watson is one of the best dips into the bargain bin for Friday. The appealing salary, along with favorable odds for a competitive game make him an excellent way to clear some salary cap space.  Watson was the workhorse for the Monarchs last season, rushing 215 times for 1, 112 yards and eight touchdowns. That stat line more than makes up for lack of name recognition, and he also faces a rushing defense that ranked a dismal 204th in the country last season. He is a steal on both sites.

Chase Brown, Illinois (DK $5,400, FD $8,500) @ Indiana

Brown ans the rest of the Illini looked spectacular in Week 0, but Indiana is favored in this game and they certainly are a stronger opponent than Wyoming. Still, Brown's 167 yards of total offense and three touchdowns last week shouldn't be ignored. In fact, the Hoosiers' defense has some question marks on defense and they were horrific against the run in 2021. They yielded an average of 142 yards to opposing rushers last season, and it's safe to say that Brown isn't your average back. The talented runner will be the key to victory for the Illini.

College Football DFS Week 1 Plays, Friday Slate: Wide Receivers

TCU's Quentin Johnston is close to the top on both sites, and if you're utilizing two expensive quarterbacks, he might be a tad expensive, especially on FanDuel. We'll try to find more reasonable salaries as we round out our rosters.

Tre Mosley, Michigan State (DK $5,900, FD $6,700) vs. Western Michigan

We already gave Jayden Reed a shout-out, but it's totally reasonable to click on MSU's second-best passing target. After a quiet 2021, he'll graduate to a more prominent role in the offense, and although he will be overlooked next to Reed and his All-Conference pedigree, Payton Thorne will have him in his sights. Mosley is an inexpensive way to get involved in this offense. 

Isaiah Williams, Illinois (DK $5,600, FD $6,400) @ Indiana

Williams was a PPR beast in last week's win over Wyoming, He caught seven of ten targets but conspicuously did little in the YAC category, netting only 26 yards. That number is bound to increase next week.  , and although Tommy DeVito has other talented wideouts to target, he went to Williams twice as often as the rest of the receiving corps. Although Indiana is favored, Illinois  is a team on the move and they could pull a mild upset with DeVito performing beyond expectations so far.

Ali Jennings, Old Dominion (DK $5,000, FD $6,100) vs. Virginia Tech

Like Blake Watson, Jennings will probably fly a bit under the radar Friday. The Hokies' offense and defense are in line for a complete makeover under coach Brent Pry, who brought his offensive coordinator from Penn State as well. Pry's defensive scheme could spell an improved defense for Old Dominion to face, but the advantage for ODU is the return of 17 starters and an experienced offensive line. unless Tech has vastly improved their psss rush, Hayden Wolff should have little trouble getting the ball in Jennings' hands. The talented wideout caught 62 bills for over 1,000 yards last season.

DraftKings DFS GPP Plays

DraftKings' outlier games aren't that exciting, but there's still value to be had. Kansas has the most fantasy talent of the four teams, with QB Jalon Daniels ($9,400), RB Devin Neal ($8,900) and wideout Luke Grimm ($8,400) comprising a potent offense. Chris Reynolds' injury makes me very wary of Charlotte this week, and there just isn't much to excite me with Tennessee Tech and William & Mary.

Be sure to check out our college football custom rankings and our player rankings cheat sheet for up-to-date season-long rankings, as well as our college football weekly rankings to help guide your lineup decisions. During the season, our college football DFS optimizer and value report are powerful tools to help build DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.