This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.
CFB DFS Picks: DraftKings College Football Week 10 DFS Picks and Plays
Hey y'all. Apologies for the hiatus last week, I had some business to tend to up at RotoWire HQ (eat a large steak, see some pals) but I'm back in the saddle this week.
This slate is a good one to come back to. Lots of similarly high totals with a funky UTSA-Memphis matchup that leads the pack and warrants a closer look as we build our lineups. Eight teams have implied totals north of 30 points, so there a lot of different ways we can approach the board. There are even some bargain bin quarterbacks (sub-$5K) that are live this week. That should make things pretty interesting.
Let's dig in.
Slate Overview
Central Florida vs Arizona
I pitched calling this game The Disappointment Bowl but the UCF folks told me to stop calling them because I don't work there and it's not even that funny of an idea. Nevertheless, I'll talk about it here.
It's Week 10 so our priors coming into the season are almost fully out the door. Arizona's Fifita-McMillian duo is not fueling a run to the Playoff. And it turns out KJJ wasn't the ultimate fit in Gus Malzahn's offense.
Even in relative disaster seasons for both clubs, there are pieces to pick off the scrap heap for this game. RJ Harvey ($9,300) is still a stallion despite all the tumult around him in this offense. He's going to score a touchdown or run for 100 yards each time out. Sometimes he does both. Harvey piled up 41 carries for 323 yards (7.87) and four touchdowns against BYU and Iowa State in back-to-back weeks. He's bankable at $9,300.
The pass-catchers have been very volatile of late so I'm disinclined to target any one of them heavily, though Jacoby Jones ($3,800) seems to be next in line with Xavier Townsend gone and Kobe Hudson (leg) dinged up. Hudson is expected to play, for the record. Chauncey Magwood ($3,400) is coming off his first notable game of the season with three catches for 57 yards on six targets. I'm burying the lede though...
For my readers who like to live dangerously -- or at least tell themselves they do -- there's a play at QB that might interest you. Dylan Rizk gave a much-needed spark to this offense last week and he checks in at $4,500. We might be on pins and needles with this play because obviously your build is going to be tough to pivot out of if Rizk doesn't start and you're left with picking over the scrap heap from the remainder of the 3:30 Eastern games. KJ Jefferson and Jacurri Brown are both $7K so you're unlikely to have that much cushion to make the swap if Rizk isn't starting.
Your best bet, if things go sideways with Rizk's role, is to leave $500 for yourself to move up to Aidan Chiles against Indiana or $300 to move up to Florida's DJ Lagway.
UTSA vs Memphis
This game has the highest total on the board at 61.0, nearly five full points clear of the next highest. UTSA plays at warp speed with the highest plays per game figure in the country at 81.4. The Road Runners also throw it more than 52 percent of the time, so Owen McCown ($6,100) should have plenty of bites at the apple with UTSA checking in as 7.0-point home underdogs.
UTSA had four players draw at least nine targets in their last game (Willie McCoy ($4,100), Chris Carpenter ($3,700), Houston Thomas ($3,200), Patrick Overmyer ($3,000)) so there are so many ways to pair McCown with one of his pass-catchers on the cheap.
On the Memphis side, Seth Henigan ($7,600) paces the passing game. He has had only one game where he would have returned value at this price point in the last month (Week 8 vs UNT) and his other games were relative clunkers. He doesn't run much so he'll need to get it done through the air. It's certainly possible here against a UTSA defense that ranks 100th in defensive efficiency per FPI and has the worst YPA allowed on the slate (8.7).
There's a chance this will be a pass-funnel setup for Memphis, too. For as bad as UTSA is against the pass, the run defense is stout. It allows just 91.9 rush yards per game at a 2.7 YPC clip. That makes playing Mario Anderson ($7,800) a little more dubious than most weeks, but the volume of late has been tough to argue against (54 carries in his last two games).
The Memphis pass-catchers have a pretty reliable distribution on paper. Roc Taylor ($6,300) leads the group with a 21% target share and has a strong 8.7 YPT average on that volume. Demeer Blankumsee ($6,000) and Koby Drake ($3,500) also average at least 5.5 targets per game.
This game will be popular among the sharps Saturday but I think it's good chalk nonetheless. So many ways to get at this one and I'll be targeting it in a good percentage of my builds.
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Quarterback
Owen McCown ($6,100) and Seth Henigan ($7,600), UTSA 
vs Memphis
We touched on this a little bit earlier but we'll unpack it further here.
McCown ranks 10th in the nation in pass attempts per game (37.8) and Henigan ranks ninth (38.1). UTSA's pass defense is notably bad and Memphis' is going to be tested by McCown plenty as the redshirt junior actually ranks third in attempts per game in conference play (46.8).
If you play both of these QBs, you could be setting yourself up for 80+ passes between the two of them with good efficiency to boot. Both are justifiable plays in their own right but it'll be appealing to stack them in the same lineup and fill it out with pass-catchers from this game.
Dylan Rizk ($4,500) UCF 
vs. Arizona
Again, you'll need to wait around to confirm that he's starting, but Rizk is arguably the value play of the week if he's in there for UCF. He looked competent against BYU last week with six completions for 102 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts. Rizk also added four rushes for 31 yards. A full game against Arizona's shaky defense at home should set Rizk up for a big return on $4,500.
Playing a quarterback at $4,500 opens up so many lineup possibilities. You're able to jam in so many top-end players as a result and even if Rizk doesn't go off, 15+ points from him would suffice as long as your studs deliver.
If Rizk isn't starting after all and you're scrambling I would consider the following...
DJ Lagway ($4,800) 
Florida vs Georgia
Georgia's defense is imposing and the last time we saw it, the Dawgs were making mincemeat of the vaunted Texas O-Line in a win over the then-No.1 ranked Longhorns. That's a tough image to get out of your head if you're considering some Florida action on this slate. It's important to remember something, though. No matter the year, Kirby Smart defenses tend to struggle against mobile quarterbacks.
Lagway only threw it 14 times last time out because Florida was able to run all over Kentucky (five rushing scores on 43 rushes) and UK's Brock Vandagriff helped the cause with a pair of interceptions including a pick-six. Essentially, UF didn't need to show much on film ahead of the bye before taking on its rival.
Lagway still managed to throw for 259 yards on those 14 attempts and only seven were completed. Florida's clearly comfortable with just letting Lagway take shots down the field and they have the receiving corps to make it work even without Tre Wilson.
Simply put, Lagway's too talented to be priced below $5K even with a tough matchup. His mobility will allow him to escape the rush and he'll likely hit at least a couple of big plays down the field. Georgia's defense against Alabama is a decent comp to draw as Jalen Milroe gave the Dawgs fits.
Additionally, Georgia-Florida games are always weird and both sides are apt to pull out the full bag of tricks. Don't be dissuaded by the matchup, Lagway is a solid option at $4,800.
Others to Consider: Bryson Daily, Army ($9,200); Kurtis Rourke, Indiana ($6,900)
Running Back
Tahj Brooks ($8,200) Texas Tech 
at Iowa State
Iowa State is a tough matchup here. The 'Clones are at home and check in as 13.5-point favorites. Seemingly, that should steer us away from the Texas Tech run game. Lee Corso Voice Not so fast, my friend.
Iowa State has a distinct run-funnel defense. The Cyclones hold opposing passers to 4.8 YPA and 133.7 passing yards per game. They also cough up 170 rushing yards at a 5.0 YPC clip to opposing offenses. Enter Brooks, who is your favorite bell cow's favorite bell cow.
He has a slate-leading 179 carries and actually leads the nation in carries per game (25.57). The 230-pounder out of Manor, TX is a wagon. He rips off 5.2 yards per carry and hasn't been held below 100 yards on the ground in any game this season.
With Iowa State's pass defense being so good, Brooks is going to be vital to Texas Tech's chances of keeping this one competitive. He extends drives, picks up chunk yardage, and keeps the ISU offense on the sidelines. I love RJ Harvey this week among the primo RBs but Brooks is really appealing for $1,100 less.
Kanye Udoh ($5,500) and Noah Short ($5,100) 
Army vs Air Force
Picking the right guys from an option offense is something that has long escaped me. So, take this with a slight grain of salt although it does appear that Udoh and Short are the most bankable options in the backfield outside of QB Bryson Daily.
Udoh is the more high-volume asset with 93 carries for 633 yards and seven touchdowns over seven games. At 6-foot and 215, he's a bruiser who can handle the bulk of the RB work. Short is more of the home run hitter at 6-foot, 182 with a staggering 11.6 YPC average and some pass-catching chops (nine catches, 242 yards, three touchdowns).
I'd imagine some lineups will play all of Daily, Udoh and Short as the core as that seems to be the way to cornering all of Army's offensive production against an overmatched Air Force team. Bear in mind that despite how well Army is playing, the total for that game is just 41.0 (slate low) and while Army's implied total (31.5) is solid, it's still fifth on the board. This game will have the fewest plays run in it and if Air Force strings together even a couple of successful, long drives, it might be a little tricky to squeeze what we need to out of the Army side.
Trevor Etienne ($6,500) 
Georgia vs Florida
Florida's weak point on defense is against the run. Georgia's weak point on offense is making Carson Beck throw too much. Etienne, then, is key here. He is the most effective player on Georgia's offense, and that was proven in its win over Texas when he dropped 30.5 DK points. He churned a season-high 19 carries into 87 yards and a score in that outing and added three catches.
Etienne now gets a crack at a Florida defense that has allowed 164.3 rushing yards per game. His direct backups are sidelined for this one so it should be the Etienne show almost exclusively when Georgia goes to the ground.
It might also be worth noting that Etienne was on the other sideline for each of the last two Georgia-Florida matchups. He might be a little fired up for this one. Who knows.
Wide Receiver
Jaylin Noel ($5,900) 
Iowa State vs Texas Tech
Even though I'm bullish on Texas Tech's ground game here, there's still plenty to like about the Iowa State side. Noel lags a bit behind teammate Jayden Higgins ($6,700) in target share but we're splitting hairs when we're talking about 31.9 percent and 28.9 percent. Essentially, those two comprise the majority of Iowa State's targets.
Higgins has the edge in touchdowns at six to Noel's three; however, Noel is more explosive on a per-target basis (11.5 YPT vs Higgins 8.7 YPT). Noel is coming off a monstrous eight-catch, 153-yard game against UCF on a whopping 16 targets. At $800 cheaper with a similar target volume to Higgins, I'll side with Noel here and hope that the touchdown variance flips in his favor this week. Higgins, of course, is a fine play, too.
Frankly, I wouldn't be opposed to using both given their roles plus the matchup where they face the worst pass defense on the slate and one of the worst in the country (308 Passing Yards Allowed/G)
Roc Taylor ($6,300) and Demeer Blankumsee ($6,000) 
Memphis at UTSA
Blankumsee has a slight edge in touchdowns (three to two) over Taylor, but it's Taylor who dominates the other major categories. Taylor has a 21% target share to go with team highs in catches (38) and yards (547).
I'd take Taylor if I had to choose between the two in a lineup though both are viable in this setup.
Elijah Sarratt ($5,600) 
Indiana at Michigan State
Sparty has cleaned up its pass defense this year. Michigan State allows just 186 passing yards per game at a 7.1 YPA clip. Not bad. Still, we can't understate the impact that Kurtis Rourke's return will have on IU's passing attack.
When Rourke drops back, Sarratt is often the target. He paces the team with 33 catches for 590 yards and three scores on 51 targets. Indiana has a penchant for spreading the ball around as four players have at least three receiving touchdowns on the year, so that makes cheaper options like Omar Cooper ($4,600), Myles Price ($4,000), Miles Cross ($3,400) and Ke'Shawn Williams ($3,500) all viable at their price points. Still, I'd ride with the high-floor, high-ceiling combo that Sarratt provides.
Luckily, the conditions should be fine for the IU passing game. Not that the Canadian native Rourke needs it, but it'll be sunny and in the low 50s with little wind during the game Saturday.
Willie McCoy ($4,100) and Houston Thomas ($3,200) UTSA vs Memphis
It's hard to choose between the UTSA pass-catchers here. There are good cases for Chris Carpenter and Patrick Overmyer to be made but I'll keep it to McCoy and Thomas for accountability sake.
McCoy has the best blend of volume and efficiency among the UTSA receivers with a ~15% target share at 8.5 YPT and three touchdowns. He has seen 10+ targets on three separate occasions this year, including last week.
Thomas is a tight end but his numbers are uncommon for that position in this game. He sees just under 5.0 targets per game and averages 9.1 YPT. Over the last three weeks, he has drawn 19 targets and converted them into 11 grabs for 238 yards and a score. With fellow tight end Oscar Cardenas ruled out for the season Friday, Thomas has a clear path to targets yet again Saturday.
One last detail to monitor will be Devin McCuin's status. McCuin has missed the last two weeks but still leads the team in targets (52) receptions (37) and touchdowns (4). I'm a little skeptical we'll have a full update on him much before kickoff, and even then it's hard to project how much he'll play coming off the injury provided he's active in the first place.
Elijhah Badger ($4,300) Florida vs Georgia
If you're picking up what I'm putting down RE: Lagway, Badger should be on your radar. The targets are unlikely to be plentiful so the low-floor detail probably keeps Badger in GPP-only territory. Lagway hasn't attempted more than 17 passes in any game against FBS competition and he's gone over 100 passing yards just once in those games.
Of course, the one time was the last game Florida played. Georgia's secondary can be vulnerable if Lagway has time and with Eugene Wilson out, Badger should have claim to a strong percentage of the targets. Badger is a big play waiting to happen so even if he's capped to three catches, there's a good chance they come with chunk yardage and possibly a score. He should have a low roster percentage and pairing him with Lagway only runs you $9,100 total. There's some good leverage upside here if Badger and Lagway connect.
