This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
We have hit Week 11 of the college football season and have some handy tools at your disposal for the upcoming FanDuel slates. With all of this information, we aim to arm you as much as possible each week.
Lineup optimizer
Weekly rankings by position
Target share
Team trends
Odds
Defense vs. Position
FanDuel has added another game to the main slate this week, pushing the total to 16 games in Week 11. Oklahoma leads the way in implied points at 49.8 and is favored by a 20.5-point margin at home against rival Oklahoma State. UCF and Michigan round out the teams expected to post 40-plus points this week, though each of the top five teams in implied points is favored by at least 20 points. The Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game also features the highest over/under of the week by a large margin at 79.0. The closest to that game is UCF-Navy, which checks in at just 63.0. This would suggest getting at least a few players from that game would be beneficial.
A full picture of some key statistical categories can be seen in the table below:
Note: All stats are opposing defense. I switched out plays per game for S&P+, which is a metric designed look at passing and rushing defense from an efficiency standpoint, eliminating the opponent factor.
YPA=Yards Per Attempt
Without further adieu, the following are some of the players I may target in the main slate this week.
Quarterback
Elite ($9,600+)
Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (vs. Oklahoma State) $10,700
With him coming off a 40.4-point performance last week against Texas Tech, it will be difficult not to insert Murray into lineups given the expected shootout on the menu. Oklahoma State's defense is beatable both through the air and on the ground, which works out well for Murray and his dual-threat ability. Another big performance should be on tap against the Cowboys on Saturday, and the minimal price difference is negligible in this case.
Secondary Picks: McKenzie Milton, UCF ($10,400), Taylor Cornelius, Oklahoma State, ($10,100)
Mid-Tier ($8,600-$9,500)
Brock Purdy, Iowa State (vs. Baylor) $9,500
Purdy has totaled at least 20 points in each of the four games since taking over under center. Saturday's matchup with Baylor presents one of the worse defenses he's faced since securing the job, and it should provide him with a good opportunity to reach value this week. Baylor's defense comes in at 87th against the pass in terms of S&P+ and is surrendering 2.2 passing touchdowns per contest. The defense has also struggled to cover star wide receivers, and Hakeem Butler more than fits the bill in that regard.
Secondary Picks: Shea Patterson, Michigan ($8,600)
Bargain Bin (<$8,600)
Brandon Wimbush, Notre Dame (vs. Florida State) $4,500
It doesn't get more obvious that this in terms of a bargain bin selection. Wimbush has a history of success and will temporarily retake the reins of a talented Notre Dame offense with Ian Book (ribs) out this week. While Florida State is generally scary in name, that's been far from the case this season. The Seminoles have allowed at least 47 points in each of the last two weeks, and the team that trots out on a weekly basis looks in total disarray. Wimbush has the physical tools and weapons around him to take full advantage of that.
Tournament pick: Brian Lewerke, Michigan State ($7,600)
Running Back
Elite ($9,000 and up)
Karan Higdon, Michigan (at Rutgers) $9,600
Ranking fifth among running backs this week, there is no running back on the board this week with a better matchup than Higdon. Rutgers ranks 116th against the rush in terms of S&P+ and surrenders slate-worst marks of 234.4 rushing yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry. Higdon has rushed no fewer than 19 times in the last five games, so hitting that bare minimum mark alone at the average yards per carry would put him over 100 yards, which he's done in all but one game this season. He should also have a good shot at multiple trips to the end zone before the Wolverines insert backups to close out the game.
Close second on this board is David Montgomery ($9,100) against Baylor.
Secondary Picks: Travis Etienne, Clemson ($10,200), Miles Sanders, Penn State ($9,200)
Mid-Tier ($7,500-$8,900)
Lamical Perine, Florida (vs. South Carolina), $7,900
Perine has worked efficiently out of the backfield this season, averaging a career-best 5.2 yards per carry for the Gators. While that's been quelled slightly the past couple weeks, he still managed more than four yards per carry against a pair of good run defenses in Georgia and Missouri. Perine still received the majority of carries, and the Gators enter this week as favorites over the Gamecocks, which would allow the team to get back to rushing the ball after playing from behind each of the last two weeks.
Secondary picks: Connor Heyward, Michigan State ($7,900)
Bargain Bin (<$7,500)
Greg McCrae, UCF (vs. Navy), $7,300
McCrae took advantage of increased snaps last week against Temple, turning 16 carries into 188 yards and a touchdown. The former walk-on is averaging 9.7 yards per carry on the season and looks to be in a good position for a large chunk of carries again this week against a Navy defense surrendering 5.4 yards per carry and 2.6 rushing touchdowns per contest.
Tournament play: Chris Evans, Michigan ($7,000)
Wide Receiver
Elite ($9,000 and up)
Hakeem Butler, Iowa State (vs. Baylor) $9,600
Butler's target share has risen in the last three weeks to season-high totals of 35 and up to 40 percent. That's resulted in three straight 100-yard receiving games for Butler and that should be the case again this week against a Baylor defense allowing 2.2 passing touchdowns per game and 248 passing yards per contest. The only concern in this contest would be the Cyclones getting out to a lead early without him and relying on the ground-heavy attack, but Butler should get his.
Secondary pick: Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State ($10,100)
Mid-Tier ($7,500-$8,900)
Easop Winston Jr., Washington State (at Colorado) $8,700
Winston got back on track last week against Cal after a pair of subpar performances and is likely the most reliable play of the three nearly evenly priced Washington State wideouts. The matchup is also surprisingly good, as Winston faces a Colorado defense second-worst in the S&P+ rankings against the pass on the slate. With Gardner Minshew slinging the ball and looking to continue his Heisman bid, look for Easop and the Washington State passing game to rack up yardage and points.
Secondary Picks: Lee Morris, Oklahoma ($8,300)
Bargain Bin (<$7,500)
Cody White, Michigan State (vs. Ohio State), $5,200
White and the Spartans offense didn't need much of the passing game last week against Maryland, resulting in him recording just two grabs for 20 yards. However, he was targeted on a quarter of quarterback Brian Lewerke's (shoulder) passes. White has been sidelined for much of the season following a broken hand, but he should return to a starting role now that he's healthy and will likely be heavily targeted again this week as the Spartans try to keep pace with Ohio State. The Buckeyes also have a beatable passing defense that has allowed 7.6 yards per passing attempt and 243.9 passing yards per game this season.
Secondary Pick: Zach Abey, Navy ($6,800)
