College Football DFS: Friday Championsihp Week Picks and Strategy for DraftKings and FanDuel

College Football DFS Picks for Friday, December 5

A four-game slate of championship matchups kicks off Championship Week on Friday as conference foes aim to settle some scores and one of the remaining College Football Playoff bids. 

Headlining the night will be North Texas-Tulane, where the Mean Green sit as 2.5-point favorites in their bid for the CFP over a Tulane squad that is itself looking for a Playoff bid despite an unfortunate 22-point loss to UTSA that put the Green Wave behind the eight ball for a bit before a win over Memphis put them back in the race.

For our purposes, the Mean Green rank second in implied score (34.5) behind just James Madison (35.0), who is a masive favorite (23.5 points) over Troy. Boise State (32.75), Tulane (32.0) and Kennesaw State (31.5) all cross the 30-point implied total barrier, while Jax State (29.0) and UNLV (26.75) aren't far behind, so everyone outside of Troy should be in play.

College Football DFS Weather

Troy at James Madison - Sub-30 degree weather, but no major precip. concerns

North Texas at Tulane - Chance for some rain, especially early in the contest, but it should taper off

UNLV at Boise State - Significant rain chance throughout, though heavier before the game and early on

Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Friday

QB

None

RB

Jordan Fuller, James Madison - Game-time call for Friday

Ayo Adeyi, James Madison - Redshirt has been preserved, and he's not on the availability report, so he should be available Friday.

WR

 Bryce Bohanon, Tulane - Sat out last week, and a report indicates he's doubtful for the AAC Championship Game.

TE

 Var'keyes Gumms, UNLV - Sat out final two games of regular season. status unclear

College Football DFS Tools

• College Football DFS Lineup Optimizer
• Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
• Advanced Lineups Page
• Stats
• Team Trends
• Targets
• Defense vs. Position
• Team Rankings

Championship Week CFB DFS Plays for Friday, December 5

Quarterback

Amari Odom, Kennesaw State ($8,500 DK; $9,600 FD) at Jacksonville State

Odom has proven a fantasy machine down the stretch, though it's worth noting the last time these two squads clashed, he was held to 20 fantasy points. I expect he'll want to course-correct that, and he'll take on a Gameocks defense that's typically more forgiving than most on this slate, yielding 19.6 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this year. I'd expect a better showing from Odom in Round 2, and the signal-caller is coming off back-to-back five-plus touchdown efforts.

 Alonza Barnett, James Madison ($7,400 DK; $11,300 FD) vs. Troy

Barnett emerged as a fantasy darling down the stretch in 2024 before a devastating knee injury ended his season prematurely. Surprisingly, Barnett was able to recover in time for the opener in 2025 and has been a steady presence under center for the Dukes all season. While JMU is heavily favored here, I think Barnett will get his share of the fantasy production before they turn things over to the ground game. Barnett is definitely a bit more favorable on the DK side of things but is worth a look on both slates in my eyes. 

 Jake Retzlaff, Tulane ($7,200 DK; $10,800 FD) vs. North Texas

The Green Wave sit as underdogs in this contest with College Football Playoff dreams on the line. To me, that spells a healthy dose of Retzlaff, whose 14 rushing scores on the year tie him for fifth-most in college football. UNT has yielded slate-high marks of 543 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores in 11 games versus FBS foes this year, and Retzlaff sits no higher than fourth on the salary list (FanDuel) for QBs, so he can save you a bit under center.

Running Back

 Caleb Hawkins, North Texas ($10,500 DK; $12,800 FD) at Tulane

Hawkins, at any price, would be a difficult player to bypass on this slate. The starring back for the Mean Green has put up video game numbers down the stretch, amassing 105 carries for 669 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns over the last four games alone. There should be some options to allow you to get him in your lineup, and I don't see any reason not to, especially facing a Tulane rush defense that grades out 98th overall, per PFF.

 Dylan Riley ($7,200 DK; $9,500 FD and Sire Gaines ($6,300 DK; $7,500 FD), Boise State vs. UNLV

As mentioned above, the weather in Boise could get a bit sloppy, and starting quarterback Maddux Madsen is returning from essentially a four-game hiatus due to injury, so I wouldn't expect the coaching staff to put this contest on his shoulders. 

Riley has both a relatively safe floor with a good amount of upside, while Gaines has a somewhat similar ceiling, but a much lower floor. UNLV has yielded a slate-high 27.0 FD points to opposing backs, with a lot of that coming through the air. While neither back seems prolific in that aspect, Riley has been more efficient, averaging 7.0 yards per target. Given the weather, I wouldn't be shocked to see several runs and short passes.

 Jai'Den Thomas, UNLV ($7,000 DK; $9,200) FD) at Boise State 

An often stout Boise State front hasn't been quite the same this season and has surrendered 25-plus fantasy points to five of the last six backfields it has faced. Thomas is well-equipped to take advantage of that, averaging 7.4 yards per carry, and as mentioned, this game may see some sloppy conditions that lead to a heavier ground approach than usual.

 Jamauri McClure, Tulane ($5,400 DK; $6,500 FD) vs. North Texas

McClure has taken over the head of the backfield in recent weeks, handling a combined 28 carries over the last pair of contests. He's a little undersized at 190 pounds, so there could be some concerns around the goal-line, but he's given the ground game a spark down the stretch, averaging 7.5 yards per attempt over the last three tilts in his first extended run of the season. Finding paydirt should easily make him a value play at this salary, but he could produce enough to make him worth it even without that.

 Ayo Adeyi, James Madison ($4,100 DK; $4,000 FD) vs. Troy

Adeyi is a bit of a flier if you're willing to take one. The senior hasn't appeared in a game since Week 6, but that's because he only showcased in four regular-season contests and wanted to preserve his redshirt after missing a chunk of the middle of the season due to injury. I don't have too many concerns with his injury at this point, and he's off the availability report for Friday's contest. He totaled 21 carries in two of the first three weeks, so he could receive some run in this one, and a rushing score would certainly boost him into fantasy value territory.

Also Consider: Cam Cook, Jacksonville State ($8,000 DK, $11,000 FD) vs. Kennesaw State

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 Wyatt Young, North Texas ($8,100 DK; $10,200 FD) at Tulane

Much like Hawkins in the run game, the passing game runs through Young for the Mean Green. No player on the slate comes close to matching his 34.7 percent target share over the last four weeks; the closest is Jaden Bradley at a 24.8 percent target share. On top of that, Young averages a slate-best 22.6 yards per target over that span. The largest target share and yards per target on those targets? Sign me up.

Gabriel Benyard, Kennesaw State ($6,900 DK; $9,300 FD) at Jacksonville State

If you're looking to pivot from Young near the top of the board to save up elsewhere, Benyard is a good secondary option there, leading the way with six receiving touchdowns over his last four contests and posting 19 catches for 383 yards over that span. The last time these squads duked it out, Kennesaw State's wideout room went for 51.4 fantasy points, and Benyard wasn't even the most prolific of the options in that one. He's got a healthy floor with an immense ceiling that could be a good pairing if you believe in the Owls' offense.

 Deondre Johnson, Jacksonville State ($4,000 DK; $8,200 FD) vs. Kennesaw State

Johnson is simply a misprice on DraftKings that will be heavily rostered, as he should be. At minimum price, he's coming off of touchdowns in five straight games, averaging three catches for 98.0 yards over that span on 4.6 targets per contest. He put up two grabs for 112 yards and a score against the Owls last time the two teams squared off in Week 12, and Johnson should be a big-play threat again in this one. He produces enough to be worthy of consideration on FanDuel as well in a game that could turn into a shootout, but he's likely a must-roster on DK.

 Shazz Preston, Tulane ($4,700 DK; $7,500 FD) vs. North Texas

Preston is the primary pairing I'll likely be targeting with Retzlaff at quarterback, though there's an argument to be made for Anthony Brown-Stephens ($4,600 DK; $6,800 FD) as well, coming off a season-best 11 targets. I just view Preston as more of an upside play between the two as an outside receiver compared to Brown-Stephens in the slot, boasting the ability to reach paydirt more often and the potential for a mult-touchdown effort.

 DJ Epps, Troy ($4,600 DK; $7,100 FD) at James Madison

My lone Trojan on the slate, but I feel Epps is worthy of a mention. Goose Crowder has just three games under his belt, returning from a shoulder injury that cost him the middle six games of the campaign. In the two most recent efforts, Epps has proven to be the clear favorite for Crowder, amassing a combined 21 targets. The Trojans may need their own Trojan horse to make this one a game against a premier group-of-five defense, so I expect a lot of passing in the playcalling here, and Epps could be a beneficiary of that if the Trojans are to put up a fight.