College Football DFS: Friday Night Slate Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 13

We have three games on tap for Friday night, with the first game beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. DraftKings and FanDuel share the same slate, and I've outlined my favorite plays below.

Slate Overview

UTSA (-16.5) vs. Temple O/U: 55.5

Michigan State (-13.5) vs. Purdue O/U: 48.5

UNLV (-7.5) @ San Jose State O/U: 59.5

The numbers seem to indicate a huge production advantage for the UNLV/SJSU game, but given the horrible weather conditions in the Bay Area right now, this should be a popular under bet. We followed Vegas' advice and stayed light on PUR/MSU, focusing most of our attention on the other two contests.

Weather

UNLV/SJSU: 100 percent chance of rain

An unprecedented storm is hammering the Pacific Northwest, and heavy rain is definitely possible in this matchup.

CFB DFS TOOLS

• DraftKings College Football Optimizer
• FanDuel College Football Optimizer
• Weekly CFB Matchup Info
• CFB Targets
• CFB Stats
• CFB Team Trends
• CFB Advanced Team Stats with Plays per Game, Pass %, Run % and more  

CFB DFS Friday Night Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 13

Quarterback

Owen McCown, UTSA (DK $8,000, FD $11,600) vs. Temple

Due to the weather concerns in California, I'm placing McCown above the quarterbacks in that matchup, although I'll end up endorsing one of them.  McCown's fantasy floor has been incredibly reliable over the past three weeks, with all fantasy totals ranging from 29 to 31 points. Surprisingly, Temple's pass defense isn't bad at all, but several teams have hung big numbers on the Owls, and UTSA is one of the tougher teams on the schedule. I will lock in McCown's safe floor and roll with him in the primary QB slot.

Hajj-Malik Williams, UNLV (DK $9,500, FD $12,200) @ San Jose State

In deciding between the two quarterbacks in this game, you need to decide which offense will be more adversely affected by the weather. It seems pretty clear that the Spartans' passing attack would be most affected, and Williams has the advantage in dual-threat capability. If Williams' progressions don't work out, he can simply break the play and let his feet do the work. His salary is almost prohibitively high, but there is a massive drop-off in production when you start to go cheap at quarterback on this slate.

Running Back

Robert Henry, UTSA (DK $5,700, FD $8,800) vs. Temple

Henry enjoyed a massive stat line last week against North Texas, where we endorsed him, and he delivered with 168 yards and two touchdowns. Several teams have found success in running the ball against the Owls, with Army, Navy and Tulane serving as examples of the team's shortcomings.  Henry should have a productive day with good numbers as a rusher and pass-catcher.

Jai'Den Thomas, UNLV (DK $6,000, FD $8,000) @ San Jose State

The weather will likely force both teams to increase rushing snaps, and Thomas could end up with the highest total in the matchup. Kylin Jones is the backup, but his floor isn't sustainable enough to consider. Thomas has 563 rushing yards and five touchdowns over 10 games.

Nathan Carter, Michigan State (DK $5,000, FD $7,600) vs. Purdue

Things could get ugly for the Boilermakers in East Lansing, as the Spartans are finally through the toughest part of their schedule and are looking for two wins to earn bowl eligibility. Purdue ranks a paltry 120th in run defense, allowing an average of 215.7 yards to opposing rushers. I expect the team to lean on Carter and pummel the Boilermakers into submission. Since the margin is wide, I'd also consider Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams (DK $4,800, FD $6,400) as a potential producer in the second half.

Wide Receiver

Dante Wright, Temple (DK $7,500, FD $8,600) @ UTSA

I'm not thrilled about taking a Temple player, but Wright accounts for almost 70 percent of Even Simons' targets, so it seems reasonable to make this call based on expected volume. The Owls will need to pass the ball to keep up, and Wright's numbers are spectacular despite playing in only seven games due to injury. He has 664 receiving yards and four touchdowns, and he returned with a 14-catch, 147-yard performance last week.

Willie McCoy, UTSA (DK $5,900, FD $7,600) vs. Temple

The receiving numbers were a little weird for UTSA last week, as David Amador came out of nowhere to post 122 yards and a touchdown. I want to find a stack for McCown despite that development, and I think McCoy possesses the most stability. Tight end Houston Thomas should also bounce back, and there are other receivers to take in this spot. I provide McCoy as one example, but cheaper viable opportunities exist on the depth chart.

Justin Lockhart, San Jose State (DK $5,900, FD $7,700) vs. UNLV

I'd love to roster Nick Nash, but I think we'd have to make some sacrifices at quarterback to make that happen. The baseline is wider than usual at quarterback, but we aren't sacrificing too much by using Lockhart, especially given the weather conditions. I will experiment with some builds for Nash, but the target share could even out if UNLV tries to shut Nash down. Lockhart could find himself open in slippery conditions against the Spartans' 3-4 defense.