AFriedman15 – Aaron Friedman researches and writes college football articles for DFS Army. Aaron is a lifelong resident of the Chicago suburbs and a Northwestern alum and football season ticket holder. College football was Aaron’s first DFS sport and he was thrilled to see it return in 2018. He believes that the thrill, pageantry, and the importance of every game are unparalleled in sports. Aaron enjoys betting on the games and watching everything from #Pac12AfterDark to #MACtion, and especially enjoys the Tuesday-Friday games with so much happening on Saturdays. In real life, Aaron is an IT analyst and with his wife, is the parent to three small dogs. Find Aaron on Twitter at @AFriedman15DFS.
Bowl Slate Overview and Picks:
Quarterbacks:
Core:
Surprise, surprise, the two Heisman QB front runners Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray are at the top of my player pool heading into Semifinal Saturday. Alabama’s ITT is insane and for good reason–who has Oklahoma been able to stop? In the last few weeks of the season, Murray’s Sooners met up with Will Grier and WVU and both QBs went off and I’d be surprised to see the under in this game. Even if backup QB Jalen Hurts gets some snaps –which he probably will– Tua has crushed, even if the games where he only saw three quarters. The two of them are easier to fit in on FD, but it is still doable on DK. Moving down, I love Virginia QB Bryce Perkins who can get close at the fraction of the ownership.
GPP:
On DK, South Carolina QB Jake Bentley will make some of my lines. He is a borderline core/cash and provides some savings with a respectable ITT. FD has the Arkansas State/Nevada game and I do like both QBs if multi-entering a bunch of lineups. They will be drastically under owned and provide some savings, but they are squarely behind Kyler, Tua, and Perkins for me.
Running Backs:
Core:
The best back on the slate is Clemson RB Travis Etienne. DK was right to price him up to be the top RB on the slate. I am finding it easier to fit him in on FD. On DK, I will try to include him on lines where I spend down at QB. With Karan Higdon sitting out for the draft, Michigan RB Chris Evans will take on the lead RB role. I like him across the industry. For DK RB, I like Evans and Virginia RB Olamide Zaccheaus, who is Perkins’ leading receiver even though he is listed as an RB For DK Flex, I do like South Carolina RB Rico Dowdle. To me, he is a safe play with a decent amount of upside.
GPP:
Oklahoma RBs Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks are in play, but who knows how many carries they will get? I haven’t played Alabama RBs that much, but I don’t hate them.
Wide Receivers:
Core:
On both sites, Oklahoma WR Ceedee Lamb will be popular, but with Marquise Brown unsure if he is 100% healthy, I’d rather go with the sure thing in the Oklahoma passing attack. On DK, I like Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle a lot. He has been hot lately, he is somewhat of a TD-dependent guy, so his play translates better on FD.
GPP:
Zach wrote up Alabama WR Devonta Smith. He makes a fine double stack play with Waddle and Tua. South Carolina is also down a lead receiver, Deebo Samuel. In his place South Carolina WR Shi Smith will shift from the slot to the outside, taking over Samuel’s role. There isn’t really a discount for Smith or South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards, the second leading reciever on the team, but they still get to take advantage of distributed catched that would have gone to Samuel. There are a lot of receivers I like for GPP, Notre Dame WR Chase Claypool, Virginia WR Joe Reed, Notre Dame WR Chris Finke, Oklahoma WR Grant Calcaterra, and Notre Dame TE Alize Mack. If you need a FD punt, I would recommend Notre Dame TEs Alize Mack, Cole Kmet (drop score), and Nic Wieshar (drop score).