This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Friday Main Slate
We continue on in the college football bowl games, and Friday provides us with a four-game slate featuring a number of interesting matchups. Only one team on the slate (Iowa State) tops the 30-point barrier (34.0) among the eight teams. Just Ohio State (27.) of the remaining teams reaches even 25 total expected points.
Iowa State does the heavy lifting of the 57.5-point total versus Memphis, while Ohio State- Missouri (49.5) is next in line. The other two games each sit below 45-point overall totals.
Obviously, the biggest spread on the slate is Iowa State, favored by 10.5 points. No other team cracks the touchdown barrier as a favorite in the spreads, so there could be a lot of close contests.
To see the full odds, check out the Matchups page below.
College Football DFS Weather (winds 10+ MPH and precip. chance 50-plus percent noted)
Clemson vs. Kentucky - Potential for winds in the teens throughout
Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Friday, December 29
QB
DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State 
- Entered transfer portal, opted out of bowl
Kyle McCord, Ohio State 
- Transferred to Syracuse
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame 
- Opted out of bowl game and entered draft
Aidan Chiles, Oregon State 
- Transferred to Michigan State
RB
Audric Estime, Notre Dame - Declared for NFL Draft and sitting out Sun Bowl
Damien Martinez, Oregon State - Likely out for bowl game following DUI charge
Chris Tyree, Notre Dame 
- Transferred to Virginia
Chip Trayanum, Ohio State 
- Transferred to Kentucky
Cartevious Norton, Iowa State 
- Transferred to Charlotte
Evan Pryor, Ohio State 
- Transferred to Cincinnati
Eli Sanders, Iowa State 
- Entered transfer portal
WR
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State 
- Wasn't practicing with the team Tuesday, status for bowl game may be trending toward sitting
Julian Fleming, Ohio State - Entered transfer portal
Beaux Collins, Clemson - Transferred to Notre Dame
Tobias Merriweather, Notre Dame 
- Transferred to Cal
Rico Flores, Notre Dame 
- Transferred to UCLA
Antonio Williams, Clemson 
- Should be available for bowl game after foot injury
Brannon Spector, Clemson - Expected to be available for bowl game
Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky - Declared for NFL Draft, unclear if he intends to play in bowl
Anthony Gould, Oregon State - Turning pro, presumably sitting out bowl game
Koby Drake, Memphis 
- Missed regular-season finale and status unclear for bowl game
TE
Jack Velling, Oregon State - Transferred to Michigan State
Izayah Cummings, Kentucky 
- Transferred to Louisville
Holden Staes, Notre Dame 
- Transferred to Tennessee
Josh Kattus, Kentucky - Missed the regular-season finale but seems he could be back for bowl game
DeShawn Hanika, Iowa State 
- Transferred to Kansas
College Football DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
- Advanced Lineups Page
- Stats
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel for Friday, December 29
Quarterback
Seth Henigan, Memphis ($11,000) vs. Iowa State
Rocco Becht actually claims the top salary on this slate at $11,200, but I'm a bit more interested in the other side of this matchup. While the Cyclones have held opposing quarterbacks under average fantasy production in seven straight games, the latest four have been between 15 and 18 percent under average. For Henigan, that would still equate to around 21 fantasy points produced, which seems like a hard number to match for any of the other quarterbacks on this slate. The Tigers are also the biggest underdogs, so the passing attack may be required.
Cade Klubnik, Clemson ($8,200) vs. Kentucky
Klubnik is facing arguably one of the better matchups on the slate against a Wildcats defense that has allowed two of the last three quarterbacks to go over their season averages. Klubnik has compiled four games with at least 20 FD points on the season, so he's certainly shown he's capable of reaching that threshold, and he should have his full complement of receiving options at his disposal for this one, with Jake Briningstool and Antonio Williams both expected to be available.
GPP Play: Steve Angeli, Notre Dame ($7,200) vs. Oregon State
I can't say I'm overly excited about the backup options in Friday's bowls. Devin Brown ($9,000) is the most expensive of the bunch, and justifiably so as a dual-threat option, but I'm not willing to fork over that much for a team with an established running game and without its star wideout in Harrison. Instead, I'll take a look at Steve Angeli, who will head a Notre Dame offense sporting an expected score of 24.0, a mark that sits essentially even with most of the other squads on the slate. While he'll also be down some of the pass-catching options, he still has Jayden Thomas, Jaden Greathouse, and Jordan Faison as established options to target in the passing attack.
Running Back
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State ($9,400) and Dallan Hayden ($4,800), Ohio State vs. Missouri
I'm leaning heavily toward Henderson as the workhorse in this contest as the lead dog against the Tigers, with Trayanum in the transfer portal and Williams hurt and headed to the NFL (see injury section above. Henderson is an extremely talented runner and squares off against a Tigers defense that has struggled a bit down the stretch, yielding a combined 202 rushing yards and two rushing scores and seven grabs for 67 yards and a touchdown receiving to opposing backs over the last two games. Henderson is an impressive receiver out of the backfield, and it wouldn't shock me if the Buckeyes draw up a number of easy throws for Devin Brown, which could include a handful of screens getting Henderson in open space with blockers in front. I'm also a bit intrigued by Hayden here as the presumed next man up. The Buckeyes tend to like to use multiple backs, which could mean Hayden will get some run here at a reduced salary.
Ray Davis, Kentucky ($8,800) vs. Clemson
Davis and Kentucky are expected to post the second-fewest points on Friday's slate (20), but they are still only 4.5-point underdogs to the Tigers, so the ground game should, theoretically, remain in play for most of the contest. Davis is the guy on the ground for the Wildcats and has posted three different games with 20-plus carries. He's also scored five total touchdowns over the last three games, so there's a good bet he'll find his way to pay dirt en route to the Wildcats reaching the expected 20.
Abu Sama III, Iowa State ($8,500) vs. Memphis
By process of elimination of the Iowa State backfield, with both Sanders and Norton in the portal, Sama emerged as a lead back in the regular-season finale and torched Kansas State to the tune of 16 carries for 276 yards and three scores. The Tigers have yielded massive production to opposing running backs in two of the last three games, so there is certainly room for Sama to rack up some fantasy value in this one as well. The game script, Iowa State as a 10.5-point favorite, also favors more rushing attempts for the Cyclones if they can grab a comfortable lead.
Will Shipley, Clemson ($7,500) vs. Kentucky
In terms of guaranteed volume, Shipley is furthest down the board where I'm comfortable he'll get a healthy workload. Opponents against the Wildcats have experienced vastly different results, from well below average production to well above, so there is certainly some risk here. However, with the Tigers essentially fully stocked with weapons across the board on offense for the bowl game, they should be able to move the ball some, and Shipley could have a good shot to find pay dirt. Even if he doesn't Shipley can also affect that game as a receiver, and the Wildcats have surrendered a slate-high 495 receiving yards to opposing backs.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jaylin Noel, Iowa State ($9,500) vs. Memphis
While I'm not specifically interested in Becht under center, the passing attack shouldn't be shut down either. Opposing wideouts have tallied 50-plus above average production in three of the last five games, and Noel is the wideout in this room with the most upside, tallying multi-touchdown efforts in two of the last three. Again, the Cyclones top the charts with a 34-point expected score, so Noel should be part of the plan to get the team there.
Jordan Faison, Notre Dame ($5,400) vs. Oregon State
I mentioned above that the Fighting Irish have seen an exodus of pass-catching talent leading up to the bowl game, not to mention Audric Estime and Sam Hartman bypassing the bowl game, so there is plenty of room for production on this roster in the bowl game. A walk-on for the Fighting Irish, Faison has made his mark down the stretch, hauling in a pair of touchdowns in the last two games and playing the third and second-most passing snaps in the two contests. Only Rico Flores and Tobias Merriweather played more, and the pair, along with slot wideout Chris Tyree, are all gone for the bowl game. That could make Faison the top option in the passing game, though Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse are both solid targets as well. Faison is still the cheapest of the bunch and has proven he can produce, so I'll give him a shot to spend up elsewhere.
Carnell Tate, Ohio State ($4,900) vs. Missouri (if Marvin Harrison sits)
Tate is a five-star prospect in the 2023 class for the Buckeyes. While his production ahs been muted for much of the season, he does have some decent showings on limited looks, racking up 11 and 9.4 FD points in two different contests this year despite tallying no more than three grbas in a game. Tate could step into a sizable role in the bowl game if Harrison sits out, which would likely position him for a boost in fantasy production. At this salary, you don't need a massive output to attain value, and Tate is certainly talented enough to take advantage if given the opportuinty.
GPP Play: Benjamin Brahmer, Iowa State ($5,900) vs. Memphis
If you're looking to save up some and take a chance at wide receiver/tight end, Brahmer could be worth a look. The Tigers have given up some sizable efforts to opposing tight ends this season, and Brahmer seems to have emerged as the receiving threat at the position for the Cyclones. On top of that, DeShawn Hanika has transferred to Kansas leading up to the bowl game, so Brahmer could find himself more involved in the offense than usual for this one, as Easton Dean is primarily a blocking tight end.
