College Football DFS Picks: DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown and Lineup Strategy for December 28 Bowls

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Updated on December 28, 2022 12:31PM EST

CFB DFS Picks, Plays and Lineup Strategy for Wednesday, Dec. 28

I'm back in the mix for Wednesday's bowl action where we're treated to an excellent mid-week slate. There's no wrong game to target; each of the games has a high total with the lowest checking in at 62.5 (Duke-UCF) and topping out with Oregon-UNC (75.0).

Bowl season DFS can be a tricky beast with all the opt-outs and absences that don't get announced until close to kickoff (or sometimes after) so be sure to follow our college football news and follow our RotoWire College Football Twitter account to stay in the loop.

Matchup Info

College Football DFS TOOLS

CFB DFS Picks: Quarterback

Bo Nix and Drake Maye need no introduction. Two of the best signal callers on the slate and in the country are squaring off in what's expected to be the highest-scoring game of bowl season. The cases for using either (or both) are obvious so we won't spend a ton of time on them. If I had a preference, it'd be Nix. Oregon is heavily favored but Nix is plenty involved as a runner so I'm not concerned with him getting game-scripted out of this one. He carries the highest salary but there's enough value on the board elsewhere to squeeze him into a lineup without too much issue.

Tyler Shough ($6,000) Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss

If you're hunting value at quarterback on this slate, Shough is your guy. He's expected to start per the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal with Donovan Smith no longer with the program. Behren Morton has returned to practice after being out down the stretch with an ankle injury, and with the way Texas Tech has rotated quarterbacks all season, that leads to some concern about those antics showing up again in this spot. But even if there's risk there, Shough projects to get the bulk of the snaps and perhaps the concerns over a possible rotation will keep Shough's roster percentage in check. Shough dropped 436 yards and a pair of scores on Oklahoma in his last game.

KJ Jefferson ($8,500) Arkansas vs. Kansas

Jefferson might be the sleeping giant on this slate. Roster percentage will slide heavily towards Nix and Maye and we might get a leverage opportunity on the Hogs' QB. Jefferson gets to face off against the worst defense on this slate by far (107 in SP+). He has run for seven touchdowns and it wouldn't be shocking to see him add another in this spot. The passing game is set up nicely as well as Kansas surrenders 7.8 YPA.

Also Consider: Riley Leonard, Duke Duke ($7,700) vs. UCF

CFB DFS Picks: Running Back

Quinshon Judkins is the prized player at his position on this slate. He's been unbelievable all season, Ole Miss runs the ball at a near Service Academy rate and he may have the backfield to himself if Zach Evans (smartly) sits out. Texas Tech is porous against the run (166 RuYD/G) and got worse down the stretch by allowing over 200 rush yards per game in November. Smash spot for Judkins, though he will be extremely popular for all you GPP players out there.

Raheim Sanders ($6,900) Arkansas vs. Kansas

Kansas has the most susceptible run defense on the slate and Sanders is the guy in the Hogs' backfield with a 40 percent rushing share. A player with that level of volume going against this Kansas defense would be enough to qualify him as a good play on any slate, but add in Sanders' own talent and we have a lineup anchor for any contest type. Sanders peeled off 6.5 YPC on 219 carries against a tough schedule this season. He'll be in position to crush it Wednesday.

Mar'Keise Irving ($5,900) Oregon vs. North Carolina

I sat down to research this article expecting to fade Irving. At $5,900 though, he's hard to ignore. UNC is far from imposing against the run (161.8 RuYD/G) and Irving averages 6.4 YPC with a 31 percent rushing share. He'll be popular but worth it.

Noah Whittington is an interesting pivot -- or even pairing -- to Irving. He has a 28 percent share and yet is nearly $1,000 cheaper than his backfield counterpart. He'll get plenty of work as well and there's a non-zero chance he ends up as the Ducks' leading rusher Wednesday.

Jaquez Moore ($4,300) Duke vs. UCF

Moore is an under-the-radar play on this slate. At $4,300, he gives some nice lineup flexibility for the rest of your build. UCF has a middling run defense and Duke's backfield is something of a mystery on this slate, so there's a chance that all the Blue Devil RBs have a low roster percentage. Jordan Waters and Jaylen Coleman saw more action than Moore on the year but Moore was easily the Blue Devils' most explosive option.

Duke may be the most underserved DFS offense on Wednesday but it's an offense that could very well push for the mid-30s or even low-40s on the scoreboard.

CFB DFS Picks: Wide Receiver

Matt Landers ($5,800) Arkansas vs. Kansas

Arkansas might not need to throw much Wednesday given Kansas' run defense deficiencies, but when it does, odds are it'll be going in Landers' direction. Jadon Haselwood has already declared for the draft and tight end Trey Knox is in the portal. Landers already had a 21 percent target share when Arkansas was at full strength and that share could tick up still Wednesday. Another part of Landers' appeal is his big-play ability; he averaged over 11.0 YPT and scored seven touchdowns on 44 receptions in the regular season.

Lawrence Arnold ($5,200) Kansas vs. Arkansas

Unlike Arkansas, Kansas really might need to throw it to stay in this game. I expect Arkansas to do what it wants offensively, and while that might mean Kansas will try to get the run game going to sustain possessions, that's not going to cut it after a while if the Jayhawks are trailing by 2+ possessions. Arnold paces the Jayhawks in receiving by over 100 yards and averages a strong 10.9 YPT. This game sets up favorably for Arnold.

Kobe Hudson ($6,200) UCF vs. Duke

Ryan O'Keefe being out means that UCF's target distribution is up for discussion. Hudson, understandably, is expected to be the next man up. Javon Baker is a threat as well and a worthwhile consideration, but Hudson has had more explosiveness to his game all season. He averaged over 11.0 YPT and led the Knights in targets in the AAC Championship game (13). Alex Holler ($4,200) is an interesting tertiary option as a tight end who is involved already and could be even busier as UCF recalibrates its target rotation.

Others to Consider: Antoine Green, UNC ($7,000); Jalon Calhoun, Duke ($6,000)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. John McKechnie plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: Fanduel: mckech3; DraftKings: mckech3.