College Football DFS: Friday Slate, Week 9

We've got a small slate for college football Friday night, so it might be a less-popular offering. The good news is that the tournaments may have some overlay, so there is profit to be made! There are no weather concerns for either game tonight.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Tulsa (-11) vs. Navy O/U: 47

Nevada (-20) vs. UNLV OU: 58

The lines and totals are pretty cut-and-dried on this tiny slate. Tulsa sets up well against the Midshipmen, an almost entirely run-driven team. Tulsa has had trouble defending the pass, and you won't see much of that from Navy Friday night. However, Navy has a very disciplined defense that will make running the ball very difficult for the Golden Hurricane. UNLV will have to force turnovers and get an assist from penalties to have a shot against the Wolf Pack on the other end of the slate. The Rebels are outmanned and outclassed at almost every position, and they seem destined to stay winless at 0-8. The temptation to go with the favorite is strong here because going unique (especially at QB) won't do you any favors.

QUARTERBACK

Carson Strong, Nevada (DK $9,200, FD $12,000) vs. UNLV

The competition isn't even close at the quarterback position this evening. As a result, Strong is expensive but entirely necessary if you're going to keep pace with the field. Only the most contrarian approaches would omit Strong, and going that way would be a fool's errand as they're hoping from standout passing performances from UNLV or Navy, both of which are very unlikely. Expect Strong and the passing attack to get to work early in hopes of putting this game out of reach in the first half. Strong is coming off one of the best performances of his career, a 476-yard, four-touchdown effort against Fresno State. He attempted a whopping 61 passes in the narrow loss. 

Davis Brin,Tulsa (DK $7,000, FD $9,000) vs. Navy

To begin, allow me to save you some trouble, so you don't have to go digging on your own. The stats for backup Seth Boomer are not accurate on FanDuel. At first glance, you'd be led to believe that there is some sort of QB share in Tulsa, but the stats listed are from one game last season. Those familiar with Brin know this already, but in case you're coming in with less knowledge, it's important to stress that Brin has the job to itself.

The major knock on Brin is his tendency to make low-percentage throws. He holds a meager 10:10 TD/INT ratio, which is cause for concern, but Navy has had trouble pressuring quarterbacks this season. Their defensive front is excellent against the run, but they have only sacked opposing quarterbacks six times in seven games. When Brin connects with his superb receiving corps, the results are excellent, and the numbers seem to indicate a greater ability to go vertical against the Midshipmen.

RUNNING BACK

I have serious reservations about starting Charles Williams (DK $6,200, FD $9,000) against Nevada tonight. While he is the main focus of UNLV's offense and few teams have been able to contain him, his chalky rostership and Nevada's stout defense make him a less desirable play for me. I like his salary on DraftKings, but that may be the only site where I'll give exposure to the standout running back.

Toa Taua, Nevada   (DK $5,600, FD $9,500) vs. UNLV

You've got to love the running back prices on DraftKings. DK is making it easy to sacrifice less after drafting the elite signal-callers. The reasoning for Taua is simple.  The Wolf Pack's plan is to air it out early and then wear down UNLV's outclassed defense with the run. I do sense a blowout in the making here, however. While I will stick with Taua in cash, my tournament lineups will also be peppered with a dose of Devonte Lee (DK $3,800, FD $6,000), especially in lineups where I spend heavily at wideout. Taua is still the best RB play for Nevada, with 453 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.

Shamari Brooks, Tulsa (DK $6,700, FD $9,200) vs. Navy

It's a tough call between Brooks and teammate Deneric Prince, but recent performances have me leaning more toward Brooks in this matchup. Brooks has put up two consecutive games with more than 100 yards (145,126) and scored three touchdowns over that span. You could go with Prince if cost becomes an issue, but Brooks is the favorite here. Navy's defense is disciplined, but both running backs should be able to find open lanes as the Midshipmen attempt to defend the pass.

Isaac Ruoss, Navy   (DK $3,900, FD $7,000)

The Midshipmen are loaded with running back talent, but Ruoss is the volume guy for the team on the ground, averaging 14 carries per game. I think there's also merit to taking a look at Chance Warren (DK $3,600, FD $5,800), as the pass-catching back is one of Navy's best chances to exploit Tulsa's porous passing defense.

WIDE RECEIVER

Obviously, we want to build stacks with our preferred quarterbacks.  I think going with UNLV or Navy wideouts is a mistake, so do your best to avoid them. It will ultimately be more profitable to take a second or third wideout from Tulsa or Nevada than a top option from the other two teams. The issue is that both Tulsa and UNLV have excellent wideouts, and it will be tough to choose between them. For this slate, it seems most productive to provide a 'cheat sheet' at this position. I am listing the wideouts in order of preference.

Romeo Doubs, Nevada   (DK $7,900, FD $10,000)

Josh Johnson, Tulsa (DK $6,500). FD $6,500)

Cole Turner, Nevada   (DK $7,200, FD $8,500)

Sam Crawford, Tulsa  (DK $5,400, FD $7,700)

BUDGET CALLS: 

JuanCarlos Santana, Tulsa   (DK $4,400, FD $6,500)

Tory Horton, Nevada   (DK $4,100, FD $6,100)