DFS College Football 101: Week 7 Friday Slate

There may be only three games on this DFS College Football Friday slate, but we have plenty of intriguing matchups to build a formidable lineup or two on DraftKings and FanDuel. This Week 7 Friday night slate (along with the odds) consists of:

South Florida (-7.5) at Tulsa – Total: 63
Air Force at San Diego State (-10) – Total: 45
Arizona at Utah (-14) – Total: 51

I'll highlight the best fantasy selections on FanDuel and DraftKings while also touching on some situations to monitor for your DFS squads.

QUARTERBACK

Blake Barnett, South Florida (FanDuel $9,200 / DraftKings $8,400)

I really like Barnett through all formats on both sites. South Florida checks in with the highest projected score on this slate, against a Tulsa defense that was dusted by Arkansas State (29 pts), Temple (31 pts) and Houston (41 pts) in three consecutive games. Barnett's recent fantasy performances are just mediocre due to USF leaning heavily on the run against East Carolina and UMass. There should be enough production to go around in this meeting with the Golden Hurricane, and Barnett could add to his fantasy cause with rushing upside as well (15-86-2 vs Georgia Tech in Week 1).

Also Consider: I'm keeping my eye on Air Force QB Donald Hammond III as a tournament pick or S-Flex combination with Barnett. The Falcons aren't projected to score many points at San Diego State, but Hammond could find the end zone with plenty of volume while running the offense for Air Force. … QB Tyler Huntley of Utah is an intriguing tournament play as a pivot away from Barnett. It has been the Zack Moss show lately for the Utes, but Huntley is a talented dual-threat QB with upside (26 FP at WSU) in a good matchup.

RUNNING BACK

Chase Jasmin, San Diego State (FanDuel $9,100 / DraftKings $8,000)

The trio of running backs you want on this slate comes down to Jasmin, Jordan Cronkrite and/or Zack Moss. Out of that group, Jasmin comes with a reasonable discount on both sites. He holds similar upside as well while serving as the lead back (Juwan Washington still out) for a run-dominant San Diego State offense. His opponent, Air Force, was gouged on the ground against teams like Utah State and Nevada. Jasmin is reportedly dealing with a hamstring injury, but he's expected to play without limitations Friday. Something like 25 carries, 150 yards, and two TDs seems within reason.

Jordan Cronkrite, South Florida (FanDuel $10,300 / DraftKings $9,600)

As mentioned, I believe you can play USF QB Barnett alongside RB Cronkrite and a receiver (or two if need be) in the same lineup. There should be plenty of room for everyone to get in on the action against a bad Tulsa defense. In fact, Tulsa ranks 116th in the nation for opponent yards per carry at 5.7. Cronkrite has been a beast this season, fresh off a 302-yard (!) and three-touchdown performance at UMass. There's a good chance he'll keep the pedal down in this advantageous draw.

Also Consider: Zack Moss has been carrying Utah lately with 50 carries, 266 yards and three TD combined in the last two games. As a 14-point home favorite over a middling Arizona defense, he is sets up for more of the same. It is possible to roster Jasmin, Cronkrite and Moss in the same lineup on FanDuel – which isn't a bad strategy.

WIDE RECEIVER

Tyre McCants, South Florida (FanDuel $8,400 / DraftKings $5,900)

McCants leads USF in targets and receptions this season, looking like a strong pick on FanDuel at $8,400. The $5,900 salary on DraftKings seems somewhat steep, considering you can get teammate Darnell Salomon for only $3,800 over there. While Salomon is the big-play guy, McCants usually sees more volume with significant upside to boot. He's a nice pairing with QB Blake Barnett on this abbreviated slate that seems tricky at the WR position.

Shawn Poindexter, Arizona (FanDuel $6,400 / DraftKings $5,000)

This recommendation makes more sense as a WR3 value pick on FanDuel than DraftKings. Poindexter looked like a legitimate fantasy receiver earlier in the season with 11 receptions, 226 yards and a touchdown combined in back-to-back games against Houston and Oregon State. Since then he has fallen off the map with a pair of duds. Despite that, Poindexter still leads the Wildcats in receiving, ranking second in targets and receptions as well. Arizona might need to pass more than usual as 14-point underdogs at Utah. The Utes boast one of the best run defenses in college football, so there's a chance the Wildcats will turn to their big (6-foot-7) playmaking receiver to move the ball.

Also Consider: On DraftKings, Darnell Salomon ($3800) of USF and Keenen Johnson ($4600) of Tulsa should provide plenty of salary relief through all formats. … Value fillers at the position include Mitchell Wilcox (USF) and Marcus Bennett (AF) at different price points.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Injuries to monitor: Tulsa RBs Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II are both questionable. If neither plays, RB Javon Thomas becomes an interesting value option. It sounds like Brooks might be ready to go with Taylor "iffy" at best. You never really know with college football, but we'll look for any indication before the game … Tulsa QB Seth Boomer likely will start again despite incumbent QB Luke Skipper regaining health. Boomer is a GPP-only value pick on this slate.

More value plays: Remember when I told you how bad the Tulsa run defense is? USF backup RB Johnny Ford could get in the action while occasionally spelling Cronkrite. That was the formula last week, as Cronkrite went for 23-302-3 and Ford piled up 9-77-2. Coming close to that is far from a guarantee, but it's something to consider on this short slate as a flex play in large-field tournaments. … The Air Force passing game isn't very exciting, but WR Ronald Cleveland sees some rushing attempts mixed in with receptions to boost his fantasy numbers. Maybe he'll catch the SDSU defense napping with a big play-action pass like last week against Navy. Those opportunities blended alongside a potential handful of carries could lead to some fantasy noise.