CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Saturday Main Slate
After an extremely appealing Week 1 slate from a fan perspective, Week 2 is a bit of a dud from a fan perspective. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun on the daily fantasy side of things! There are plenty of games where teams should light up the scoreboard.
Texas leads all implied totals this week with 44.5 points expected, while Oregon (41.5) is next on the list despite facing a power conference opponent in Oklahoma State.
Those two also happen to be the heaviest favorites on the slate at -36.5 (Texas) and -27.5 (Oregon). The fact that Oregon is facing a power conference opponent also makes it seem more likely the starters remain in the game longer than the Longhorns, though Sark may be out for blood after an opening week loss.
Florida (37) and Colorado (36.5) also boast hefty implied totals, while SMU-Baylor has the makings of a potential shootout with a 63.5-point total and a spread of just 2.5 in favor of the Mustangs. That leaves them with 33 (SMU) and 30.5 (Baylor) implied totals, respectfully, and the potential to stack the game, where that may not be an option elsewhere on the slate.
College Football DFS Weather
(Winds 15+ MPH, precip. chance 50-plus percent and extreme hot/cold temps noted)
USF at Florida - 90-plus degree temps early with a near 50-percent chance for storms throoughout
Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech - Rain potential in the second half of the game. Doesn't seem to be a major threat
Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Week 2
QB
Zach Marker, Delaware - Likely done for the season after suffering a leg injury in the opener
Sam Horn, Missouri - Sidelined for an extended period after an ankle injury
RB
Kamari Moulton, Iowa - Won't suit up Week 2 after handling just three carries in the opener due to injury
Terion Stewart, Virginia Tech - Has a chance to make his season debut after missing the opener
Braydon Bennett, Virginia Tech - Excluded from the Week 2 depth chart
Leshon Williams, Kansas - Expected to play in Week 2
WR
Omarion Miller, Colorado - Wasn't practicing early in the week, status for Saturday unclear
Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt - Should play after initially being tabbed as questionable
Emmett Mosley, Texas - Remains questionable for Saturday after sitting out the opener
Dallas Wilson, Florida - Out for Week 2 with hope of returning Week 3
Jalen Moss, Arizona State - Hurt in second quarter last week, status unclear
Jordan Hudson, SMU - Unlikely to play Saturday
TE
Hogan Hansen, Michigan - Expected to play after missing opener
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
Week 2 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel
Quarterback
Arch Manning, Texas ($10,500) vs. San Jose State
Manning's first game under center as the undisputed starter for the Longhorns didn't exactly jump off the page. The throwing for just 170 yards, a touchdown and a pick. That said, it was the season opener, on the road, in Columbus, versus one of the top teams and defenses in the country. Still, mustering just seven points isn't encouraging.
That's why I think this becomes a statement game for Manning and the passing attack, and San Jose State's "Spread-N-Shred" offense should give the Longhorns ample offensive opportunities to light it up.
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor ($11,200) and Kevin Jennings, SMU ($10,000)
I mentioned in the intro that this is a game to potentially stack, and if you decide to do so, taking both quarterbacks makes sense.
Both Robertson and Jennings offer upside as rushers (combined nine rushing scores last year) while also delivering plenty in the passing attack. Neither defense is particularly scary here, either, so pairing the two QBs and hoping for a shootout could prove a fruitful strategy.
Byrum Brown, South Florida ($8,7000) vs. Florida
Brown and the Bulls dismantled a typically strong Boise State squad in the opener. Now, they have Florida and Miami in the next two weeks, and I expect them to go 0-2 in those contests.
But in the opener, Brown showed some signs of his 2023 self (3,292 passing yards, 26 touchdowns; 809 rushing yards and 11 scores), running over the Broncos en route to a pair of touchdowns on the ground. He didn't throw for a TD in the contest, and he may be hard-pressed to add many to that total Saturday, but he's built to take on SEC defenders at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, and I could see him scrambling for another couple scores in this one, and the game script will certainly favor more passing than last week's blowout. The Bulls play fast, and I'll give it a shot.
GPP bargain dart throw to consider: Zach Minicucci, Delaware ($6,800) at Colorado
Running Back
The Top Dog
Hollywood Smothers, North Carolina State ($9,800) vs. Virginia
Smothers is the do-it-all back you want for fantasy, handling a healthy 26 touches in the season opener against East Carolina. The Wolfpack should open the playbook in this one as they prepare for their first conference foe of the season, and they'll need every bit of contribution they can get as a small (-3.5) favorite over the Cavs.
Smothers and CJ Bailey make this offense churn, and I expect Smothers to see a healthy dose of work against a defense that yielded 14.3 rushing yards per contest and 1.7 rushing scores per game a season ago.
Mid-Tier Targets
Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss ($8,800) at Kentucky
Lacy proved in Week 1 that he is ready to handle the lead role, gashing Georgia State for 108 yards and three touchdowns on 166 carries.
A repeat of that effort may not be in the cards, but he's facing a Kentucky team that struggled to put away Toledo last week and will likely have a hard time sustaining drives on offense in this one. I expect Ole Miss to handle the spread here and Lacy to have another noteworthy showing on the ground.
Bryson Washington, Baylor ($8,600) at SMU
Washington may be even more appealing to me than Sawyer Robertson in this one if you are looking for an alternative opposing stack option to Robertson.
While Washington handled only 14 carries in the opener, that still represents a 58 percent carry share for the team as a whole, with only Caden Knighton nabbing some carries behind him.
The game script dictated a pass-heavy approach in the opener versus Auburn, so I fully anticipate Washington easily surpassing his opener rush total and potentially finding pay dirt a time or two here.
CJ Baxter, Texas ($7,500) vs. San Jose State
Sark (head coach Steve Sarkisian) indicated before the season that Baxter earned a share of carries to open the campaign, and that was indeed the case against the Buckeyes in the opener. Baxter handled 15 touches in the opener, though he turned it into just 65 total yards.
Still, it's an encouraging number as Baxter fights for regular usage this fall, and the opponent here should allow for plenty of running back rotation between Quintrevion Wisner ($10,000) and Baxter, and possibly deeper as the game gets out of hand.
I still like the Baxter play more, given the significant discount on the price tag.
Bargain Options
Xavier Williams, Iowa ($6,000) at Iowa State
The matchup here is far from ideal, but you typically get what you pony up for when you're reaching this far down.
Williams looked explosive in the opener, and with Kamari Moulton set to miss the contest, the backfield carries should be divvied up between Williams and Terrell Washington ($7,400). Washington was certainly respectable in his own right, so the two will likely handle shared carries, but I would expect things to be more even here than the salaries suggest in terms of carries, and Williams seems the better bet to make a big play happen.
Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma ($5,900) vs. Michigan
Ott was minimally involved in the opener, but head coach Brent Venables indicated he was coming off a bit of an injury and indicated we are going to see a lot more of him in the future.
That's enough for me to take a shot here, even with a very tough matchup on tap against the Wolverines. Definitely a better option on the GPP front than cash games, but hes' still worth a shot.
Also Consider: Raleek Brown, Arizona State ($5,700) at Mississippi State
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The Top Dogs
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State ($10,400) at Mississippi State
Arizona State's ground game, while still certainly solid, doesn't boast the Cam Skattebo-level player it did a year ago.
Tyson showed no signs of concern about the injury that ended his 2024 season in the opener against Northern Arizona, hogging 17 targets while turning in 12 catches for 141 yards and a pair of scores. Look for the Sun Devils to continue to prioritize Tyson in the passing attack, and in general, and we could see the price tag even higher the next time he's featured on a slate.
Eugene Wilson, Florida ($9,400) vs. USF
Wilson's opener proved to be a bit of a dud, failing to crack positive yardage on five catches. But make no mistake; he's still the alpha in this room.
After a freshman campaign that saw him reel in 61 passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns, Wislon racked up 19 grabs for 266 yards and a score through four games last year before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He's back and ready to lead the receiving corps, and I wouldn't be shocked if the Week 1 showing scares some people off of him. I'll take that bet against an uptempo USF squad that should allow for numerous possessions.
Mid-Tier Targets
Dakorien Moore ($6,800) and Kenyon Sadiq ($6,400), Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
Oregon's opener featured a diverse array of contributors in the passing attack against an overmatched FCS Montana State squad. Expect those numbers to consolidate a lot more in Week 2 wiht a power conference opponent on the schedule.
Moore and Sadiq are two players who underperformed in the opener, and they are the two I anticipate being the most fantasy-relevant options on this team in 2025, aside from Dakorien Moore. The Ducks are expected to run up the score here, so do yourself a favor and grab a piece of the action with one (or both if you want to stack with Dante Moore) of these two.
Danny Scudero, San Jose State ($6,700) at Texas
The Spartans are projected for just eight points in this contest, so Scudero is definitely a risky investment in this range. Still, he amassed a whopping 15 targets in the opener and is sure to be front and center in the crosshairs of quarterback Walker Eget again this week.
Nick Nash put up massive numbers in a similar role last season, and Scudero looks slated for 100-plus targets this year. Even if he doesn't reach pay dirt here, that should be a decent floor with the target share, with some upside if the Spartans can muster anything on offense.
Ayden Greene, Virginia Tech ($6,500) vs. Vanderbilt
Greene is a name I liked coming into the season that didn't get any hype, and his showing in the opener may have only heightened it very slightly.
Green's numbers weren't bad by any means; he turned in five catches for 71 yards against South Carolina. However, he was also targeted 10 times, representing a 34.5 percent target share that trailed only Tyson, Sudero, and Omari Kelly ($7,600).
The Hokies face another SEC foe in Week 2, and I expect Greene to see significant looks in the passing attack again this week, hopefully producing a better finishing line as well.
Also Consider: Michael Trigg ($6,700) and Kole Wilson ($6,500), Baylor vs. SMU
Bargain Options
Jack Endries, Texas ($5,800) vs. San Jose State
We're calling this the bargain tight end room this week, with Endries kicking it off. Gunnar Helm amassed 60 catches for 786 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago for the Longhorns, and Endries is a more gifted pass catcher.
Despite the tough matchup last week, Endries managed four grabs for 50 yards on six targets, and he could feast against this San Jose State defense.
RJ Maryland, SMU ($5,000) vs. Baylor
Like Endries and Sadiq, Maryland is a gifted pass catcher. In fact, he was technically listed as a wide receiver in SMU's initial depth chart.
He's coming off a major knee injury and was pressed to make it back for the opener, so he may not quite be up to full speed yet. He still turned in three catches for 34 yards on limited snaps versus an overmatched East Texas A&M squad in the opener and could have more snaps and looks in tow in Week 2, especially with Jordan Hudson (shoulder) unlikely to suit up.
