Daily Blog • September 25, 2014

 

A 22-2 start to the 2014 season!

Week 5 Surprise College Fantasy Players

QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson – After a great showing in their OT loss to #1 Fla St a week ago, true frosh phenom Watson is scheduled to earn his 1st career start against a UNC team fresh off of their disastrous outing against ECU where they allowed school records in total yards (789) and points (70)! Watson is hitting over 70% of his passes this year with a 4-0 ratio (1 rush TD) and should have a solid starting debut here.

QB Travis Wilson, Utah – After temporarily retiring last season due to concussions, Travis Wilson has returned to the Utes guiding them to a 3-0 start while posting a 7-0 ratio in the process. This week Wilson matches up against a Wash St secondary that surrendered 329 yards in the air last week against Oregon. This should bode well for Wilson to continue his ’14 success at home on Saturday.

QB Tommy Armstrong, Nebraska – If you read our Surprise Fantasy Blog each week then you know how much we like to utilize dual-threat QB’s in our writing. Tommy Armstrong fits that role perfectly as not only has he tossed for 2 or more TD’s in each game this season, but he’s also surpassed the 60-yard rushing mark in each as well including a 131 rush performance against McNeese St in week 2. This week the Cornhuskers host an Illinois squad that is allowing 430 ypg so far in ’14.

RB Travis Greene, Bowling Green – While injuries and a poor defense have turned a once promising BGSU season into one to forget about, Travis Greene remains one of the best RB’s in the MAC surpassing 90+ rush yards in 3 of his 4 games this year. The Falcons take on a UMass defense allowing 221 rush ypg which should put Greene in good shape for a solid statistical outing.

RB Centarius Donald, ULM – While Donald has posted two 100+ yard outings already this year, the big reason for his selection this weekend is his opponent as the 0-4 Troy Trojans are allowing nearly 500 ypg on the season which includes 267 ypg on the ground. A 3rd 100+ performance for Donald should be in the offing here.

RB Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego St – Dating back to last season Donnel Pumphrey has reached the endzone at least once in 6 of his last 7 regular season games. Throw in the fact that he’s averaging 18 carries and 100 ypg thru his 3 contests this season and you get a nice choice against a UNLV defense allowing more than 300 ypg on the ground in ’14.

WR William Fuller, Notre Dame – William Fuller has proven to be a solid option in the ND passing game so far in ’14 as he leads the squad in receiving with 225 yards while pulling in a TD in all 3 contests. This week the Irish take on a Syracuse squad that surrendered 280 yards in the air last week against Maryland. Look for Fuller to continue his 2014 success in this one.

WR Ryan Timmons, Kentucky – The Wildcats take on a struggling Vanderbilt squad this weekend that have allowed 423 ypg thru 4 games. Ryan Timmons and Kentucky are in a good situation as his 17 receptions on the year are nearly double UK’s #2 receiver. Solid choice to pull out some big numbers in this one.

WR David Frazier, Miami (OH) – Our top WR for week 5 hails from the MAC in David Frazier who has surpassed the 100+ yard mark in 3 of his 4 games this season. This week Miami takes on a Buffalo squad that was victimized by Baylor 2 weeks ago when they allowed 669 total yards including 480 thru the air. Frazier will reach the 100-yard plateau for the 4th time this year.

Kentucky Defense – The Wildcats are fresh off a bye week and following a less than acceptable 532-yard outing against Florida, we expect them to more resemble the defense that surrendered just 253 yards in their week 2 win over Ohio. Vanderbilt’s timid offense should be more than willing to help UK accomplish this as the Commodores are averaging just 284 ypg on the season.

Texas Defense – Back to back 400+ yard outings allowed by the UT defense may scare some people off but not us. The Longhorns travel to Kansas this week to take on a Jayhawk offense that struggled against their last Power-5 defense (Duke) to the tune of gaining just 297 yards and converting those yards into just 3 points! This weekend we feel that UT will more resemble their defense from the opener that allowed just 7 points and 94 total yards in their victory over North Texas.

Virginia Defense – Despite a road defeat at the hands of BYU a week ago, the Cavalier defense actually played well as poor field position and a 2nd half KR TD did them in (allowed just 332 total yards). This week UVa takes on a Kent St offense that has failed to surpass 14 points and 300 total yards so far this season. The Virginia defense gets the call as our Top Weekly Surprise Fantasy Defense.

 

CollegeFootballGeek.com’s Daily Fantasy Value Plays of the Week: DraftKings, Week 5

By Todd DeVries & Kevin Mount, CollegeFootballGeek.com


DraftKings has released their Daily Fantasy college football salaries for Week 5, and the experts at CollegeFootballGeek.com have hunkered down and scoured all of the data to find the best Value Plays on the docket. 

These Value Plays are comprised of players poised to out-produce their DraftKings salaries this week.  These are the “diamonds in the rough” that your DFS competitors may overlook.  They are the difference-makers you need in your lineup to win one of the big DFS contests!

For your convenience, we have broken the picks down by DraftKings contest game set. Best of luck this week!

(For more detailed Daily Fantasy analysis, picks, player news, player rankings, and stat breakdowns, check out CollegeFootballGeek.com.  Learn how to SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE!)


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VALUE PLAYS: THURSDAY/FRIDAY GAME SET


Thursday
Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern
Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State
UCLA @ Arizona State

Friday
Fresno State @ New Mexico
Middle Tennessee State @ Old Dominion

The game slate is small, so we are combining positions.


1)    RB Crusoe Gongbay, New Mexico vs. Fresno State ($4300)
Gongbay ran for 139 yards and a score last week and will be facing a Fresno State rush defense that ranks 105th in the country. He could easily exceed value.

2)    RB Desmond Roland, Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech ($4700)
Roland showed signs of life in his last game with two rushing touchdowns and he gets to face a Red Raiders defense that ranks 122nd in the country and is yielding almost 300 yards per game on the ground.

3)    WR Jordan Payton, UCLA vs. Arizona State ($4600)
Payton is the Bruins leading receiver and is at a very appealing price.



VALUE PLAYS: SATURDAY (EARLY ONLY) GAME SET


QUARTERBACKS

1)    QB Tanner McEvoy, Wisconsin vs. South Florida ($5600)
McEvoy ran for 158 yards and a score last week versus Bowling Green and has been putting up solid numbers over the past few weeks. He could have a big day against a weak USF defense that will likely have no answer for the Badgers offense.

2)    QB P.J. Walker, Temple vs. UCONN ($5200)
Walker has been a decent DFS option this year and could put up a big effort against UCONN. Look for Walker to hit value this week and allow DFS players to load up at another position.

RUNNING BACKS

1)    RB Jon Hilliman, BC vs. Colorado State ($3700)
This bruising freshman has scored four touchdowns in the past two games and appears to have taken control of the BC backfield. He could find the end zone again this week against a Colorado State defense that ranks 103rd against the run this year. Expect Hilliman to easily surpass value this week.

2)    RB Corey Clement, Wisconsin vs. South Florida ($4800)
Clement ran for 111 yards and two scores last week against Bowling Green and there is little reason to believe he won’t duplicate those numbers this week against South Florida. This game could get out of hand early, leading to more carries for Clement. Expect this Badgers to pay off big time this week.

3)    RB Desmon Peoples, Rutgers vs. Tulane ($4800)
Peoples should see plenty of carries this week with the season ending injury to Paul James. He has proven to be a capable backup and could really do some damage against a Tulane defense that ranks 100th against the run this year.  If it wasn't for sophmore Justin Goodwin snaking carries, Peoples would be a no-brainer play.

 
WIDE RECEIVERS

1)    WR Michael Thomas, Ohio State vs. Cincinnati ($4400)
Thomas has scored in every game this season and looks to be the main target in the Ohio State passing game. He could find plenty of open space this week against a Cincinnati pass defense that ranks 108th in the country. A trip or two to the end zone seems likely for Thomas this week.

2)    WR Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech vs. Western Michigan ($4400)
Ford has scored twice over the past two games and is averaging 7.5 receptions per game over that span. He could continue his recent success against an overmatched Western Michigan defense. Expect Ford to easily hit value this week.

TIGHT ENDS

1)    TE Sam Arneson, Wisconsin vs. South Florida ($2900)
In case you have not noticed, there is a distinct Wisconsin flavor this week. Arneson has been very productive over the past two games and appears to be under priced this week. Paying up for a TE is not a generally a great strategy, so run with Arneson this week.


VALUE PLAYS:  SATURDAY (LATE ONLY) GAME SET


QUARTERBACKS

1)    QB Brad Kaaya, Miami vs. Duke ($5000)
This true freshman has played pretty well over the past two weeks, throwing seven touchdowns and averaging 350 yards per game. He may have to throw the ball often in this showdown with Duke. He looks like a nice punt option this week.

2)    Terrel Hunt, Syracuse vs. Notre Dame ($5800)
Hunt has run for five touchdowns over the past two games and has put up huge fantasy numbers. He has a touch test this week with Notre Dame on the schedule, but his numbers are too good to ignore. He may not post huge numbers, but could easily be worth his price tag.

RUNNING BACKS

1)    RB Terron Ward, Oregon State vs. USC ($5300)
Ward has scored four rushing touchdowns over the past two games and is also an excellent receiving option out of the backfield. He could have a big game against at Trojan rush defense that ranks 116th in the nation. Look for plenty of points in this contest and plenty of fantasy points from Ward.

WIDE RECEIVERS

1)    WR Jimmie Hunt, Missouri vs. South Carolina ($4100)
Hunt has scored five touchdowns in the last three games and could see even more targets this week with Darius White out with an injury. The South Carolina pass defense ranks 116th in the country and could afford Hunt plenty of opportunities this week. Look for Hunt to easily hit value this week.

2)    WR Cody Core, Ole Miss vs. Memphis ($4400)
Core has scored a touchdown in every game this season and has developed into the top deep threat for the Rebels. He could find plenty of success this week against a Memphis defense that may be hard pressed to stop the Ole Miss passing attack.
 
TIGHT ENDS

1)    TE Alan Cross, Memphis vs. Ole Miss ($2900)
Cross has recorded three touchdowns on the season and is the 2nd leading receiver for Memphis. He looks to be a nice option at a weak TE position.


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