FanDuel College Football DFS Picks: Saturday Main Slate for Week 4

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Published on September 20, 2024

CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Saturday Main Slate

On to Week 4 we march, featuring a lot more conference play than we've over the first three weeks of the season. However, non-conference matchups deliver us the two highest expected scores on the slate in LSU (40.5) against UCLA and Miami (at a matching 40.5) squaring off against USF. The latter contest is also the only game expected to eclipse 60 total points (64.5). Of the remaining 13 contests, seven of them sit between 58.5 and 56.5 in expected score, leaving a hefty slew of DFS candidates.

LSU (-24.5) is the biggest favorite on the slate, while Miami (-16.5), Clemson (-18.5) and Louisville (-10.5) round out the list of double-digit favorites.

Check out the Matchups page linked in the DFS Tools below for the full list of odds and opposing defense stats.

College Football DFS Weather (winds 10+ MPH and precip. chance 50-plus pct and hot temps noted)

Georgia Tech at Louisville: Temps expected to sit low 90s and high 80s

UCLA at LSU: Temps expected to sit low 90s and high 80s

Utah at Oklahoma State: Winds expected to sit mid-to-high 90s and winds 10-11 MPH

TCU at SMU: Temps expected to sit 92-95 degrees

Tennessee at Oklahoma: Temps low 90s to high high 80s early, winds 10-11 MPH

Baylor at Colorado: Rain expected throughout, winds 11-12 MPH

Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Week 4

Grayson McCall, NC State North Carolina State - Won't start and is presumably out Saturday, CJ Bailey starting

Ja'Quinden Jackson, Arkansas - Listed as probable for Saturday on availability report

Jaydn Ott, California - Considered probable for Saturday

Jaylan Knighton, SMU SMU - Sitting out against TCU

Daniel Hishaw Jr., Kansas Kansas - Considered questionable for Saturday after missing last week due to illness

Dallan Hayden, Colorado - Questionable for Saturday's contest

Trey Cooley, Georgia Tech - Has yet to play this year and remains out Saturday

Trey Sanders, TCU TCU - Did not appear last week but remains backup on Week 4 depth chart

Eugene Wilson III, Florida Florida - Underwent surgery this week on his meniscus

Tyler Morris, Michigan - Missed last week and status versus USC remains unclear

Jaron Glover, Michigan State - Coach optimistic Glover will return against Boston College

Nic Anderson, Oklahoma - Listed probable on the injury report for Saturday

Chris Hilton, LSU LSU - Termed probable for Saturday

Jalen Brown, Florida State - Being monitored this week, status remains uncertain

Hal Presley, Baylor Baylor - Could be available Saturday

Andrel Anthony, Oklahoma - Listed probable for Saturday

Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, UCLA UCLA - Sat out practice Wednesday, status unclear

Cam Coleman, Auburn Auburn - Listed questionable for Saturday

Tobias Merriweather, California - Out again this week

Colston Loveland, Michigan - Status unclear after he was injured last Saturday

Preston Fox, West Virginia - Will be a game-time call for Saturday

College Football DFS Tools

Week 4 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel

Quarterback

Cam Ward, Miami ($12,200) at USF

While the Crimson Tide and Jalen Milroe didn't post the best effort of the campaign against this Bulls defense, Southern Miss then proceeded to throw for nearly 400 yards against the Bulls last week in a losing effort. The Hurricanes are expected to put up around 40 points in the contest, and South Florida is a team that can offensively keep it within shouting distance for at least a little while. That should allow Ward to accumulate stats throughout the day against a defense allowing 7.7 yards per pass attempt. Ward is no Milroe as a runner, but he can scamper occasionally and has already found pay dirt once on the ground this season. He's consistently sat around the low 30s early in the season and should provide a safe floor again in this one with a chance to rise above the mark if the game remains close.

Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee ($10,200) at Oklahoma

Iamaleava and the Vols have passed the eye test through three weeks, racking up no fewer than 51 points in a game thus far. While that mark is likely unachievable against this Sooners squad, the Vols still sport an expected score north of 30 points. The Sooners have held opposing offenses in check, something will have to budge for Tennessee to meet that mark. I'm more of a believer in a Sooners' run defense that is allowing just 2.2 yards per carry and has yet to allow a rushing score this year. That means the offense will likely need to come more through the air, and Iamaleava should be up to that task, averaging 10.4 yards per pass attempt so far this season. Iamaleava can also add some production on the ground, and I'm not expecting to see heavy rostership, given the matchup. I'll take a chance here, even though there are theoretically better

Jalon Daniels, Kansas ($8,700) at West Virginia

Speaking of favorable matchups, the Mountaineers' defense has proven to be just that early in the season. Through three games, West Virginia has yielded a slate-best 9.7 yards per pass attempt and 2.7 passing touchdowns per contest. While he did toss a pair of picks last week, Daniels also put on full display his abilities as a runner, scampering for 65 yards and a pair of touchdowns against UNLV. The Mountaineers can put up points and are actually favored by 2.5 points in this contest, so Daniels and co. may have to rely on the passing attack to keep pace in this one. Daniels' last significant run under center came in 2022, when over nine starts (including leaving one early against TCU with injury), he posted three games of 40-plus FD points and another over 29, which happened to also come against West Virginia. At this salary, we're looking for something in at least the mid-20s, which is certainly an attainable output for Daniels against this defense.

Running Back

Phil Mafah, Clemson ($10,000) vs. NC State

among the options near the top of the list, I like Mafah the most to deliver a sizable output against the Wolfpack. Clemson's pass offense has proven somewhat unreliable yet again, and this Wolfpack front has allowed 255 rushing yards and four rushing scores through three games, with opposing backs averaging 4.4 yards per tote through three games. However, that includes games against Western Carolina and Louisiana Tech. In NC State's lone game against a power conference opponent, Tennessee backs ran wild to the tune of 36 carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns. I expect Mafah to see a heavy workload in this one and to deliver more than enough to reach 2x-plus value.

Montrell Johnson, Florida ($8,700) at Mississippi State

Johnson was stalled last week to the point of failing to notch positive fantasy points on the day, but the two games prior saw the lead back run for a combined 173 yards and three scores. The Gators have what is widely considered the toughest schedule in college football this season, and this is one of the few contests the team will be favored to win. Mississippi State's defensive front may as well be paper mache. Through three contests, the Bulldogs have yielded 493 rushing yards and two rushing scores to opposing backs, allowing 213.7 rushing yards per contest in total. Johnson should handle the bulk of totes for the Gators, and the Gators should finally be able to utilize Johnson for a full four quarters. This salary is much too affordable to bypass, given the matchup.

Devin Neal, Kansas ($8,500) at West Virginia

Neal hasn't quite produced at the same level that earned him first-round draft status in most college fantasy drafts this year, but he's certainly on the cusp of doing so. DNeal has reached the century mark on the ground in each of the last two contests and handled 23 carries last time out versus UNLV. The problem: he hasn't found pay dirt in either of the contests. Running backs have tallied two rushing touchdowns and one receiving score through three games against the Mountaineers, and Neal is the back to bet on to find the end zone for the Jayhawks. Opposing backs have delivered totals on par with their season average in West Virginia's only two power-five clashes this season, which bodes well for Neal, though he'll need to reach pay dirt to bypass that output and provide value.

Jaydn Ott, California ($8,400) at Florida State

Ott seems like the perfect fit to excel against the Seminoles this week, and it's a little surprising to see him so far down the list. There is some worry that Jaivian Thomas' output last week could mean Ott's undisputed status at the top of the backfield food chain is in question, but similar situations popped up in the past, and Ott went back to the workhorse once healthy. That's the outcome I expect again this week, and we should see Ott handle the bulk of the backfield touches again Saturday. The Seminoles' defense ranks worst on the slate against running backs, allowing 31.6 FD points per game, including 14 catches for 138 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Ott is a prolific receiver out of the backfield, totaling a combined 70 catches in 2022 and 2023, so it wouldn't shock me if we see him targeted out of the backfield early and often in this one. The primary concern is California's 21 expected points, but the offense still flows through Ott, and the Golden Bears are just 2.5-point underdogs, so Ott should remain involved throughout.

Caden Durham, LSU ($6,100) vs. UCLA

Have we finally decided on a starter in LSU's backfield? The Tigers have struggled to get anything going on the ground early in the season, but Durham, a true freshman, spearheaded the team's comeback win last week, rushing 11 times for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He hasn't officially been anointed the starter for LSU, but he led the Tigers in carries against South Carolina. Even if he doesn't claim a workhorse-sized role in this one, he'll presumably be involved enough to reach value here, and he'll be operating as the potential lead back for a team expected to post 39.5 points in the contest. Sign me up!

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Kyren Lacy, LSU ($9,000) vs. UCLA

I was set to pair Cam Ward with Xavier Restrepo ($9,800), but after looking into the numbers, I noticed that Restrepo doesn't quite dominate the target share as much as you'd like. In fact, he's not even the team leader in targets (Sam Brown), which scares me just a little bit, as that means he needs to do more with his chances than players who get a larger slice of the pie. Lacy is one of those players who gets the larger slice, hence why I'm more interested in him. He ranks 11th on the slate in target share (first on LSU) and has posted a whopping five receiving touchdowns through two games. Lacy also runs $800 cheaper than Restrepo at this point, and he squares off against a UCLA secondary yielding 267 passing yards and 2.5 passing touchdowns per contest.

Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas ($8,700) at Auburn

Speaking of bigger pieces of the pie, it doesn't get much bigger than Armstrong's piece. While Armstrong's 23.8 percent target share on the year ranks 12th on the slate, Armstrong also missed the season opener. When the missed tame is removed from the equation, Armstrong's 36.8 percent target share sits second to only Luke Grimm, and his 12.5 targets per contest are the biggest of the bunch. Despite having yet to reach the end zone, Armstrong is averaging 19.5 FD points through two contests. Armstrong totaled five last season, and his 6-foot-4 frame suggests it's only a matter of time before he crosses the goal line again. I'll take my chances against an Auburn defense that has been a bit leakier than usual, allowing 242.7 passing yards per game thus far. Wide receiver rooms have also averaged 31.4 FD points per contest against the Tigers, good for the sixth-highest mark on the slate.

Ja'Corey Brooks, Louisville ($7,800) vs. Georgia Tech

Louisville checks in with the third-highest expected score on the slate, so I have to get some exposure somewhere. Brooks is the perfect fit for that exposure in the middle salaries. Through two games, Brooks' 17 targets far outpace any of his starting counterparts in Chris Bell (six) and Jadon Thompson (also six). he's turned those 17 looks into 13 grabs for 172 yards and a score. Brooks is a former five-star prospect with all the tools to become a star wideout, and Jeff Brohm's offense can unlock the best in the chosen wide receiver. To me, it's looking more and more like Brooks is that guy, and I'll hitch my ride to him Saturday when factoring in a relatively mediocre running back room for the Cardinals and a decent Yellow Jackets defensive front, while the secondary was exposed last week by Kyle McCord to the tune of 381 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Dorian Singer, Utah ($5,400) at Oklahoma State

I'm going off the beaten path for this final selection and taking a chance on Singer. The Cowboys lead the slate in terms of passing yards surrendered per game at 305.3. After digging into the numbers a little more, the Cowboys have allowed 11 pass plays of 25 yards or more; only New Mexico (12) has yielded more through three games. Singer is that deep-play threat with the ability to strike quickly for the Utes, sporting a 14.2 ADOT (average depth of target) that tops the chars among wideouts. While it hasn't yielded big results yet, Singer's 23.8 percent target share still tops the team through three games. If he can connect on one or two deep shots, there's potential for a big showing on a discount salary.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Benzine plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Crispy272001, DraftKings: Crispy27.