This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.
We have some interesting bowl matchups for Saturday, and the day starts early at 10 AM ET with the Peach Bowl. As you might expect, the transfer portal and NFL opt-outs loom large on any bowl slate, and Saturday is no exception. Rather than list all of the players affected, we'll mention them among our recommendations when they are most pertinent.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Peach Bowl: Penn State (-4.5) vs. Ole Miss O/U: 48.5
Music City Bowl: Auburn (-7) vs. Maryland O/U: 47.5
Orange Bowl: Georgia (-19) vs. Florida State O/U: 44.5
Arizona Bowl: Wyoming (-3) vs. Toledo O/U: 44.5
CFB DFS Tools
- DraftKings 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 Picks for Saturday December 30
Quarterback
Payton Thorne, Auburn 
($6,800) vs. Maryland
Thorne is my favorite option on the board at quarterback because he averages 10.4 rushing attempts per game. He's not been very good through the air (62.3% completion rate with 139.3 yards, 1.3 touchdowns, and 0.8 interceptions per game), but that rushing opportunity provides plenty of upside at this price. Moreover, Maryland has been known to give up some positive rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks this year.
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss 
($9,000) vs. Penn State
Dart is the most prolific signal caller on this slate at 24.3 fantasy points, and you're going to have to pay up for him against one of the better defenses in the country. I think this Penn State defense could be vulnerable without cornerback Kalen King, who is a potential first-rounder in the NFL Draft. Dart also has a ton of experience going up against good defenses in the SEC, so I think he and Lane Kiffin will be ready to attack. You can find plenty of value at the other positions which will allow you to go this way.
Drew Allar, Penn State 
($8,100) vs. Ole Miss
I absolutely love stacking quarterbacks in the same game, and I think that's a legitimate option with both Allar and Dart. Because they are more expensive, I could see them being less popular. I'm afraid of playing Georgia's Carson Beck ($8,700) because Florida State's roster has been decimated by injuries and opt-outs. Allar looked great in the passing game at Michigan State with a new offensive coordinator, so I think that can roll into the bowl season as well.
Running Back
Kaytron Allen, Penn State ($6,000) vs. Ole Miss
Allen was the slightly better back for the Nittany Lions in 2023, yet he's cheaper than teammate Nicholas Singleton ($6,400) for this game. With that in mind, I love getting the $400 discount and going with Allen, who is just as potent a playmaker. I expect both backs to get 10+ touches, so I wouldn't argue with having either in your line-up.
Daijun Edwards, Georgia 
($7,200) vs. Florida State
With the Bulldogs, I'm going with the opposite strategy as Kendall Milton ($6,600) is the better value play and, truthfully, was the better fantasy back during the 2023 season. The reason I like paying up for Edwards a bit more is because he catches far more passes. That's valuable in a full-point PPR format, and I'll take that when both backs are projected to get carries. A lot of Milton's fantasy success was dependent on touchdowns, and that's not something that can be guaranteed in a bowl game. It's very likely that both have great games.
Jacquez Stuart, Toledo 
($5,600) vs. Wyoming
Stuart is the only Toledo player that I'm interested in since Dequan Finn transferred to Baylor and their star running back Peny Boone hit the portal. The public perception is that Toledo will mightily struggle with Wyoming's defense, so I like zagging with this pick in case that's not quite right. At the very least, Stuart should see double-digit touches, and that's a positive at this price when trying to project these bowl games.
Also consider: Wyoming Harrison Waylee ($7,800)
Wide Receiver
Dayton Wade, Ole Miss ($3,000) vs. Penn State
Wade has already declared for the 2024 NFL Draft but will appear in the Peach Bowl. It was a breakout season for the senior, with 52 catches (on 77 targets) for 769 yards and four touchdowns. This is an absolute steal, which greatly helps since I'm recommending paying up for the quarterback position. He should be extremely popular at this price, averaging 13.7 fantasy points per game this season.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Penn State ($6,000) vs. Ole Miss
Continuing the theme of a stack for Penn State and Ole Miss, we'll go with the Nittany Lions' top receiver. While he did have just two catches on seven targets over their last three games, those were not matchups that boded well for Lambert-Smith. This will be an entirely different game plan, which I think can play in his favor and your favor if you choose to put him in the line-up. Before that slow stretch, he averaged 5.7 catches (on 8.8 targets) per game in the team's first nine games.
Jay Fair, Auburn ($4,100) vs. Maryland
If you choose to go with Thorne at QB, I don't mind taking a flyer on Fair as this is an extremely good price for a number one receiver. All he needs is four or five catches and a potential touchdown to more than payoff this price. It would make sense that Auburn would be much more motivated to show up to this bowl game than Maryland, which had its star quarterback opt out of the game.
Tre Harris, Ole Miss ($6,900) vs. Penn State
With the money you save from stacking Wade and/or Lambert-Smith, I also love mixing in Harris because I think Ole Miss is the most likely team to air it out on the slate. If you need a little more money, Jordan Watkins ($6,200) is in play, but Harris does provide more upside as he had three games over 30 fantasy points during the 2023 regular season.
Also consider: Maryland Jeshaun Jones ($5,200) & Penn State Theo Johnson ($4400)
