This article is part of our FantasyAces College Football series.
Due to FantasyAces pricing, it's near impossible not to start Baylor's Seth Russell and Corey Coleman, TCU's Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson (not on the slate) or LSU's Leonard Fournette each week. Many times you can fit two or three in the budget. Almost every weekend those names have dominated the money winners in FantasyAces' contests, but their salaries aren't prohibitive, remaining in the high $6k range. So, draft those names and you'll do fine, but this week I'm going in a different direction due to the potential blowout nature of the Baylor-Iowa State and LSU-Western Kentucky matchups.
QUARTERBACK
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (vs. Texas Tech) - $6,200
I love this week's matchup for Oklahoma at home against the uptempo Red Raiders and their passing defense that ranks sixth-worst in yards allowed. Mayfield has thrown for fewer than three scores only once this season and is coming off a five-touchdown performance at Kansas State. Expect a 300-yard, four-touchdown line for Mayfield, with potentially more if this game goes over the 74.5-point Vegas mark.
Chad Kelly, Ole Miss (vs. Texas A&M) - $5,600
Kelly is the choice for similar reasons to why I chose Mayfield. Ole Miss is at home in a game that is projected to be high-scoring (65.5), and Kelly has proven to be adept at spreading the ball around to one of the most talented group of wide receivers in the nation. Also, $5,600 is a very nice price for a quarterback that ranks seventh in the country with 2,234 passing yards.
Others to consider:Seth Russell, Luke Falk, Anu Solomon
RUNNING BACK
Matthew Dayes, North Carolina State (at Wake Forest) - $5,350
Wake Forest ranks in the middle of the pack in rush defense on the season, but with closer examination, they have struggled against top backs like Jordan Howard (168 yards), Dalvin Cook (94 yards on only two carries before leaving with a hamstring injury) and allowed 212 yards to North Carolina's committee last week. Dayes has had a couple middling performances since conference play began, but was going off early in the season, and I'm betting on a resurgence for the measly price of $5,350.
Jared Baker, Arizona (vs. Washington State) - $4,450
Baker has the chance to be an exceeding value this week, but you must monitor Nick Wilson's foot injury prior to gametime Saturday. With Wilson hobbled versus Colorado, Baker rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns. The week before, he rushed 10 times for 123 yards, and that was with Wilson as the starter.
Others to consider:Christian McCaffrey, Shock Linwood, Mike Warren
WIDE RECEIVER
Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma (vs. Texas Tech) - $5,400
I already mentioned why Oklahoma's matchup this week is so tasty, making it a no-brainer to draft a QB-WR stack with guys as talented as Mayfield and Shepard for only $11,600 combined. In some DFS formats, Mayfield would cost almost that much alone. Look for Shepard to get open at will versus Texas Tech. How often he finds the endzone will dictate whether it's a great day or just good.
Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (at Ole Miss) - $5,550
Kirk has quickly become the focal point of A&M's offense. The dynamic freshman averages 10.2 targets per game, including 15 and 12 the last two weeks. He was held out of the end zone in those two games, but I'm betting on Kirk hitting a home run (and a few doubles) in Mississippi.
Others to consider:Corey Coleman, Gabe Marks, Malachi Dupre
TIGHT END
Cam Serigne, Wake Forest (vs. North Carolina State) - $3,800
I was tempted to go with the stack play of Oklahoma's Mark Andrews, but decided on Serigne, who averages 7.4 targets per game, which is among the best in the country for tight ends. Of his 34 receptions, only three have gone for scores, but even if he doesn't find paydirt, the floor is relatively high.
Others to consider:Austin Hooper
FLEX
Allen Lazard, Iowa State (at Baylor) - $4, 450
When searching for sleeper bargains, Lazard really jumped out in week 8. The over/under on this game is huge (79.5), and the Cyclones surely will play catchup most of the day, creating plenty of scoring opportunities for their leading receiver, who went for 147 yards and a touchdown in a loss last week to TCU.
Adoree' Jackson, USC (va Utah) - $4,150
OK, this is a haymaker. Jackson only has 11 receptions this season, but reports out of USC are that he's been practicing a lot more on offense this week, which could lead to more targets in a Trojans passing game that has been hit with injuries behind stud receiver Juju Smith-Shuster. Surprisingly, Jackson still ranks second on the team with 279 receiving yards. With his ridiculous athleticism, he could absolutely blow up if the new-look coaching staff feeds him the ball.
