DraftKings College Football DFS Picks and Strategy for Wednesday, December 31

DraftKings CFB DFS Breakdown for Wednesday, December 31

The college football bowl season continues on New Year's Eve with a hefty slate of contests and is capped by Ohio State-Miami in the Cotton Bowl to kick off the CFP Quarterfinals. DraftKings boasts some healthy DFS contests for Wednesday, and we've got you covered with our favorite plays for the contests.

Check out the Matchups Page link below for up-to-date expected scores and lines for the games

Despite losing head coach Kyle Whittingham to Michigan, the Utes claim the highest expected scoring total on the five-game slate at 32.75. Utah does a lot of its damage on the ground, and the Huskers have been gashed by the run this year, allowing 4.8 rushing yards per attempt and 171.3 rushing yards and 2.2 rushing touchdowns per contest.

Texas is next on the list at 27.75 against Michigan, while Duke (26.5) isn't far behind. Vanderbilt (26.0) and Ohio State (25.0) round out the teams with expected scores of 25-plus.

Utah-Nebraska is the only 14-plus point differential on the slate and also is the only contests theat crosses 50 expected total points, so the scoring outputs could be relatively tame, keeping more players in play.

College Football DFS Weather (winds 15+ MPH, precip. chance 50-plus percent and hot/cold temps noted)

Nothing of note

Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Wednesday, December 31

QB

None

RB

Justice Haynes, Michigan - Didn't travel with the team for the bowl game but was expected to join them prior to the bowl. Status unclear

 Quintrevion Wisner, Texas - Slated to enter the transfer portal, so he seems a likely candidate to sit out bowl game.

 CJ Baxter, Texas - Indicated he would enter transfer portal

 Emmett Johnson, Nebraska - Declared for 2026 NFL Draft and will sit out bowl game

 Raleek Brown, Arizona State - Headed for 2026 NFL Draft and wasn't prepping for bowl

 Kyson Brown, Arizona State - Unlikely to play in bowl game

 Kanye Udoh, Arizona State - Did not practice Sunday, so he could miss bowl game

WR

 Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State - Declared for 2026 NFL Draft

 DeAndre Moore, Texas - Will enter transfer portal

 Ryan Davis, Utah - Pictured in uniform in bowl game practice

TE

 Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt - Sitting out bowl game to prep for NFL Draft

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

DraftKings CFB DFS Plays for Wednesday, December 31

Quarterback

 Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt ($9,200) vs. Iowa

If you can afford Pavia, I think his number will be called early and often to lead this offense in his last collegiate game. He'll be without star tight end Eli Stowers, so I think this will be a game where Pavia needs a Johnny Manziel-like showing, where he needs to make a lot of magic himself against a typically stout Iowa defense. Pavia is the player to get you there, but I may not be targeting Pavia as much as some of the other options I have highlighted below him.

 Devon Dampier, Utah ($8,700) vs. Nebraska

The Huskers' defense has performed decently against quarterbacks this year, allowing just 15.1 fantasy points per game, including just a 7:6 TD:INT ratio. However, the Huskers' front has also been primarily burned in games where the opposing quarterback can run. The only quarterbacks to reach 20-plus points this year have put up sizable numbers on the ground (60-plus rushing yards and/or rushing TDs). Dampier certainly fits that bill, rushing 127 times for 687 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Nebraska struggles to generate a consistent pass rush, so there should be some opportunities for Dampier to take off, whether by design or improvisation.

 Jeff Sims, Arizona State ($7,200) vs. Duke

Sims spent much of the 2025 campaign as the backup quarterback but took the reins over the last four games due to an injury to Sam Leavitt -- who has since announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. Sims had some ups and downs under center over that span, but Duke's defense isn't particularly imposing and has struggled to contain opposing QBs on the ground, allowing 10 rushing touchdowns and 394 rushing yards in addition to a slat-ehigh 3,495 passing yards, albeit over 13 games compared to 12 for most. Sims can impact the game in multiple ways, so I'll take a chance here with him.

 Mark Gronowski, Iowa ($6,500) vs. Vanderbilt

While I think the Hawkeyes generally aim to pound the rock against Vandy, and we could see a lot of Kamari Moulton, the Commodores' biggest defensive struggles have come through the air, yielding 7.0 passing yards per attempt and 252.6 passing ayrds and 1.8 passing touchdowns per game. Gronowski hasn't crossed 200 passing yards in a game this season, but he's also a threat to score on the ground, notching at least one rushing score in all but one game this season. I wouldn't be shocked if he tallies at least a TD both on the ground and in the air in this one.

Running Back

 Wayshawn Parker, Utah ($6,400) vs. Nebraska

I'm aiming to load up a bit on the team with the highest implied total on the slate, and Parker has clearly taken over the lead-back role in the Utes down the stretch, claiming a 35-plus percent carry share each of the final three games while NaQuari Rogers fell out of favor and Daniel Bray slotted in as the backup. Parker finished the season with 73 carries for 573 yards and three touchdowns over the final five contests, and this should be another opportunity to add to his totals to close out 2025, facing a Nebraska defense that has allowed the most fantasy points per game (27.4) to opposing running backs on the slate.

 Kamari Moulton, Iowa ($5,800) vs. Vanderbilt

Moulton has served as the top back for the Hawkeyes this season, amassing 156 rushing attempts for 783 yards and four touchdowns to date. The lack of scoring on the ground is concerning for a team expected to put up around three touchdowns, according to Vegas, but Moulon is still amply sized at 5-foot-9, 205 pounds to find pay dirt if they get into the red zone. 

 Jason Brown, Arizona State ($4,500) vs. Duke

We see a lot of opt-outs and absences in bowl season, and Arizona State is a prime example of that. Raleek and Kyson Brown are unlikely to play here for ASU, and Kanye Udoh also remains a question mark, at best, but he reportedly didn't practice Sunday. (Jason) Brown was reportedly working with the starters in practice. As mentioned above, the Blue Devils don't present a particularly strong defense, and Brown may just be the top back available by process of elimination. Duke allows 22.8 fantasy points per game to opposing backs, good for second-most on the slate, so Brown has a number of factors working in his favor.

 Christian Clark, Texas ($4,400) vs. Michigan

Michigan's run defense isn't quite as stout as it has been in years past, allowing 20.1 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs on the season. Texas' run blocking grades out as a top-30 unit in the country, per PFF, and Clark appears set to lead that room with Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter both seemingly out for the contest after announcing their intentions to enter the transfer portal. Clark has just 35 carries to his name this season, but he seems the likely candidate to handle the bulk of the work on the ground sans the other pair, and his salary is certainly one amenable to building a healthy roster elsewhere.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 Carnell Tate, Ohio State ($7,400) vs. Miami

Tate is almost always the second receiver mentioned in the Buckeyes' wideout room behind generational prospect Jeremiah Smith, but he proved in 2025 that he's no slouch in his own right, amassing 48 catches for 838 yards and nine touchdowns over 10 games. Miami's secondary has been impressive this season, grading out as a top-10 unit that has only improved as it's gotten healthier down the stretch. 

The Buckeyes just boast a wideout room unmatched in college football, and I'm not sure the Hurricanes will be prepared to handle both of this pair. Tate is the definition of a big-play threat, sporting a 15.1 ADOT that ranks him 35th in the country among wideouts with at least 50 targets. Tate hitting on a few big plays seems like a more likely outcome than expecting consistent production, so I'll take my chances with him, especially with the $1,000 salary difference.

 Cooper Barkate ($6,400) and Jeremiah Hasley ($4,700), Duke vs. Arizona State 

Barkate's 25.0 percent target share ranks fourth among wideouts on the slate, and he's the only wideout not named Jeremiah Smith to clear 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Barkate only has six touchdowns to go along with it, but this game feels like one that could feature a good amount of offense, so I think Barkate can produce to hit the century mark bonus here.

Hasley, on the other hand, is the cheaper of the two and has emerged as a major red-zone threat down the stretch, compiling four receiving touchdowns over the last five games. As mentioned, I'm expecting a good amount of offense here, and the Sun Devils have allowed six receiving touchdowns to opposing tight ends over 12 games this year, so there's certainly the possibility of Hasley hitting pay dirt.

 Ryan Wingo ($6,400) and Emmett Mosley ($4,900) vs. Michigan

Wingo is the top weapon in this passing attack, leading the team with a 26.9 percent target share over the final three contests. However, Mosley and even Parker Lingstone ($4,300) should be options here for the Longhorns. Mosley has really seen an uptick in his work down the stretch after missing the early portion of 2025 due to injury, and put up some big games prior to the dud against Texas A&M to close out the regular season.

Michigan doesn't boast the same level of defense it has in the past and grades out 45th in the country in coverage, so there may be some vulnerability in this secondary, which has allowed 30.3 fantasy points per game, sitting mid-pack against wideouts.

Andrew Marsh, Michigan ($4,600) vs. Texas

Marsh has moved into a starring role for the Wolverines down the stretch. Marsh racked up a combined 24 targets over the final two contests of the regular season, representing a 33.3 percent target share. 

Texas' defense hasn't proven as tough against the pass as expected this year. PFF grades the coverage until out 56th in the country, while the run defense grades out 20th overall. Michigan still likes to pound the rock but has opened up the passing attack more this year, and the game script calls for the Wolverines to trail in this one, so I'd put my eggs in the Marsh basket at a pretty affordable salary.