This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
These days, bowl season is expansive, but in a way that leaves each day a bit more on the shallow end of the pool. We get games nearly every day, but oftentimes the number of bowl games tops out at three. This Friday, though, the schedule deepens. Maybe not deep enough to hit the high dive safely, but deep enough to at least get fully submerged. There are five bowl games with the first starting at 12 p.m. ET. These are some notable bowls and some notable programs, too. I will go through each of them, and while doing so hit any injury news or fresh transfer-related news for the teams in action.
Oklahoma-Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl: Wide receiver Deion Burks, who missed eight of the last nine game of the season for Oklahoma, is fully expected to be a go in this game. You likely know Jackson Arnold hit the portal, but Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes is also off the depth chart. With Blake Horvath back at full strength, Navy is good to go.
Georgia Tech-Vanderbilt in the Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Tech's leading receiver Malik Rutherford is going into the portal, so he likely will not play. The Commodores are in good shape.
Texas Tech-Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl: The Red Raiders have been hit hard. In addition to offensive coordinator Zach Kittley off to take Florida Atlantic's head coaching job, top wide receiver Josh Kelly is skipping the bowl to get ready for the NFL Draft, and starting quarterback Behren Morton is out after shoulder surgery. And yet! Arkansas will almost assuredly be without its top two backs (Ja'Quinden Jackson and Rashod Dubinion) and three of its top four receivers (Andrew Armstrong, Tyrone Broden, and Jordan Anthony) so it is in even rougher shape.
Syracuse-Washington State in the Holiday Bowl: You probably know John Mateer, the quarterback many considered the best player in the transfer portal, has already left Wazzu for Oklahoma. The Cougars also lost yet another head coach, and there are some other portal losses who are considered questionable here, but receiver Kyle Williams is not one of them and he's the team's top weapon. Syracuse looks fine to me.
USC-Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl: Miller Moss and Zachariah Branch have transferred out of USC, and Woody Marks is getting ready for the NFL Draft. Running back Le'Veon Moss has been out for weeks now, so that isn't new for the Aggies, and at quarterback it's definitely the Marcel Reed show, as Conner Weigman has dipped out after losing the gig.
Alright, enough of the downer part of the proceedings. Onto the recommendations.
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FanDuel CFB DFS Plays for Friday, December 27
Quarterback
Taylen Green, Arkansas ($10,300) vs. Texas Tech
Green is not the best at airing it out. He did run for 521 yards and seven touchdowns, but he only threw for over 300 yards twice. He did that against Oklahoma State, and Mississippi State, who he also tallied five passing touchdowns against. Now, you could rightly point out those were two of the worst defense in FBS football. Well, in addition to allowing 34.5 points per game, the Red Raiders were one of two FBS defenses to allow over 300 yards per game passing.
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt ($9,600) vs. Georgia Tech
You know your friend, either in the present or from your childhood, you occasionally had to remind, "Hey, it's just a game?" That's Diego Pavia. At a time of the year when motivation can be questioned, I have a feeling Pavia take this bowl game very seriously. He threw 17 touchdowns against four picks while adding 716 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. The guy sued to play another college football season. He will leave it all on the field Friday.
Will Hammond, Texas Tech ($8,800) vs. Arkansas
Hammond is a true freshman who only saw spot action this season, but this could be his coming-out party. He wouldn't be the first young backup to step in for a bowl game and get people excited for the next season to start. The Razorbacks played Arkansas-Pine Bluff, UAB, and Louisiana Tech in non-conference play and still managed to give up 244.2 passing yards per game, which is worse than Mississippi State.
Salary-Saving Dice Roll: Zevi Eckhaus, Washington State ($7,500) vs. Syracuse
Running Back
LeQuint Allen, Syracuse ($10,800) vs. Washington State
If there is going to be a team that is justifiably going through it right now, it's Washington State. The Cougars gave up over 170 rushing yards per game, and then lost a head coach and the inevitable transfer portal surge that follows. Allen may have topped out at 901 rushing yards, but he scored 14 touchdowns on the ground and is a real passing-game threat. He added 61 catches for 484 yards and three scores.
Amari Daniels, Texas A&M (8,200) vs. USC
Texas throttled Daniels in the season finale, but there is nothing alarming about seeing college football's best defense do that to you. The Longhorns barely allowed over 100 yards per game on the ground and 13.3 points per contest. In the four prior games Daniels had at least 80 rushing yards and scored in three of those outings. The Trojans are not the Longhorns. They allowed 140.4 rushing yards per game, but in their last matchup gave up 258 rushing yards and three rushing scores to Notre Dame.
J'Koby Williams, Texas Tech ($6,800) vs. Arkansas
I have three dice rolls at running back, each of them second on the depth chart but with opportunity possible. There was some surprise when the Red Raiders listed Tahj Brooks on the depth chart as he's already said he's going pro. Williams' fellow freshman Cameron Dickey is questionable with an undisclosed injury. Arkansas is better against the run than the pass, but unless Brooks is trying to cap his Texas Tech run on a high note Williams should be in line for maybe 20-25 touches here.
Rodney Hill, Arkansas ($6,500) vs. Texas Tech
As I mentioned, the Razorbacks will miss their top two backs. Texas Tech allowed 148.1 rushing yards per game so it is also below average on this front. Hill didn't do a ton this season, but Braylen Russell ($7,500) only did anything against Mississippi State, and that's not enough for me to shell out an extra $1,000 in salary.
Salary-Saving Dice Roll: Alex Tecza, Navy ($5,900) vs. Oklahoma
Wide Receiver
Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse ($8,700) vs. Washington State
A tight end with five 100-yard games on the season is a rare sight in modern college football. Gadsden now gets to set his sights on an in-flux Cougars squad that gave up 255.3 passing yards per contest. I would not be surprised if he adds another 100-yard outing to his resume Friday.
Noah Thomas, Texas A&M ($7,200) vs. USC
I grant you that Marcel Reed likes to run the ball, and that is when he does best. However, against Auburn with Reed under center Thomas had five catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn has a better pass defense than USC, so in a bowl game I don't see the opposition offering a worrisome threat to Thomas. It's not like Reed is out there running the triple option.
Isaac TeSlaa, Arkansas ($7,100) vs. Texas Tech
TeSlaa had just 25 catches for 428 yards and three touchdowns, but he is also the only one of the top four Razorback receivers that is expected to play. The competition for targets has thinned out, and the opponent gave up more passing yards than Oklahoma State and more points than Mississippi State. Hopefully TeSlaa enjoys a day as the number-one guy for Arkansas.
Coy Eakin, Texas Tech ($6,700) vs. Arkansas
The Red Raiders like to throw the ball. Ever heard that? Eakin was the number-two guy for the team but still got targeted 78 times. He turned those targets into 45 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns. I know Morton is out, and a true freshman Hammond is in, but Kelly is also out and he ate up 129 targets. Eakin should get a ton of looks from Hammond against Arkansas, and that's exciting at this salary.
Salary-Saving Dice Roll: Chase Lane, Georgia Tech ($6,500) vs. Vanderbilt
