At the end of game day, every point counts. The college football daily fantasy value picks below may not be the best players; in some cases they may not even be the second best player, but they might just give you an edge on Saturday and for a good price point too! These are the players to throw in when you only have a few thousand fantasy dollars left and are looking to fill a position with a player that still has upside. All prices are shown using FanDuel prices and whether it is an early or late matchup is indicated. Below are 10 of this week’s players that have been playing well, have a desirable match-up this week and that I believe are worth consideration for those final slots on your team.
QB – Justin Worley – Tennessee – $5,500 (Early)
Worley took a beating last week playing against a good front 7 from the University of Georgia. He was injured in the game taking the helmet of a defender against his elbow, sidelining him for almost 16 minutes of game time. He did return to the game and threw for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns against the 57th ranked pass defense in the country. The team and Worley have confirmed that he is full strength and will play in the match up this weekend against Florida. If you decide to invest your fantasy dollars into other positions this weekend, Worley is a good value pick at QB. Look for Worley to excel again against a Florida pass defense that is ranked 110th in the country and allowing almost 300 yards passing per game!
RB – Breon Allen – East Carolina – $6,000 (Early)
Allen had a massive game last week, piling on 211 yards and 2 touchdowns in only 18 carries. This season Allen is averaging a massive 9.9 yards per carry. The key is getting the carries in the East Carolina offensive system. Last week was Allen’s first time with carries in the double digits, however this week against an SMU rush defense that is ranked 120th in the nation they should be looking to get him the ball again! I expect Allen to get the carries needed to put up big points again this week against a very poor defense.
RB – Ezekiel Elliott – Ohio State – $5,800 (Early)
Elliott had his biggest week of the season last Saturday putting up major numbers against a physical Cincinnati defense. 182 yards on the ground and added 51 more through the air; 112 of those yards were after contact! Elliott’s biggest upside going forward this week and into the rest of the season is that he finally received the workload a back of his quality deserves, getting 28 carries on the day. If the Ohio State offensive scheme continues to hand him the ball and not rely on the legs of Quarterback J.T. Barrett; Elliott will be in for a big week against a Maryland defense, which is giving up over 200 yards per game (100th in the NCAA).
RB – Charles Jones – Kansas State – $5,700 (Late)
Jones has been a touchdown machine so far this season for Kansas State. He is averaging 2 touchdowns and 70 total yards per game. His rushing yardage may be a little low but by adding his touchdowns into the mix his point value goes way up. Last week against UTEP he had only 12 carries, during which he scored 3 times and added 76 yards. This week the Wildcats will be facing the Texas Tech Red Raiders whose 121st rushing defense in the country has been allowing 260 rushing yards per game. I expect Jones to get the ball for at least 12-15 carries again and continue his 2 touchdown per game performance.
WR – Zach Pascal – Old Dominion – $5,400 (Early)
So far this season Pascal has been a model of consistency. Other than one game he has averaged 105 yards per game with 3 touchdowns in the other 4. Last weekend he had 110 yards on 8 receptions; the week before that he had 111 and a touchdown on 6 receptions. He leads Old Dominion in receptions this year with 33 and 439 yards. He competes with Antonio Vaughn for targets but Pascal is currently outpacing him in those 2 categories. They have a tough match up against undefeated Marshall this weekend, but look for them to be throwing a lot in the game especially if they get behind early.
WR – Mario Alford – West Virginia – $5,800 (Early)
Mario Alford and Kevin White have been having a great year so far for the Mountaineers. The pair has racked up 940 yards receiving on 70 receptions and adding 7 touchdowns. If you don’t want to spend the extra $2,000 fantasy dollars to get Kevin White (who has 633 of those yards) a great option is taking Alford at the cheaper price. Alford is undersized at 5-9, 175 lbs but he plays bigger than his frame with his elite speed. He has proven himself to be a good route runner and a great compliment to White on the other side of the field. Alford has really taken a step forward the last 2 weeks gaining 232 yards on 18 receptions and 3 touchdowns. Look for him to continue to get looks in this Homecoming match up vs. Kansas and have a strong day.
WR – Kenny Bell – Nebraska – $5,600 (Late)
Kenny Bell’s biggest competition comes from his own teammate, Running Back Ameer Abdullah. Ameer (if you have been living under a rock) has been having an amazing season, basically carrying the Cornhuskers on his back. Even though Bell will never get the amount of touches Ameer will in a game, he is a great option as a value wide receiver this week. The Huskers will be facing Michigan State, who is number 4 in the country against the rush, allowing only 78 yards per game. I expect them to look to the air more in order to try and stretch the safeties out and give their premiere running back more room. Bell will be the one to benefit from these plays; he leads the team with 389 yards averaging over 20 yards per catch. He has gotten in the end zone twice in the last two games. If Michigan State plays their usual game against the rush, I expect Bell to have a 100 yard 1 TD day.
WR – DeAndre Smelter – Georgia Tech – $5,400 (Late)
DeAndre Smelter has quietly been having a great year for Georgia Tech. He has gained over 100 yards in every game he has played, averaging 113 per game. He has pulled in four touchdowns this season making him almost a lock to get 100 yards and 1 TD going forward. Miami has had a good pass defense this season but in a competitive game Georgia Tech will lean on their top receiver to find room in the defense. A good running quarterback in Justin Thomas, as well as many carries from running back Zach Laskey will give more room to Smelter on the outside.
TE – Bucky Hodges – Virginia Tech – $3,500 (Early)
Tight ends are always a tough pick but a good choice at value this week is Bucky Hodges. The Hokie caught 8 passes last week for 88 yards and a score and he has 3 touchdowns this season. Now you might say those numbers aren’t amazing but combine that with the fact Virginia Tech is playing North Carolina this weekend who happens to have the second to worst pass defense in the country giving up an average of 353 yards per game! Virginia Tech will look to take advantage of this poor defense with their passing game.
TE – Clive Walford – Miami – $3,500 (Late)
Saturday is tough picking for tight ends but I like Clive Walford in this match up. He is a big 6’4” target who is leading the Hurricanes in receptions this season. The team relies heavily on their running back Duke Johnson, but will look to Walford in the endzone on redzone passing downs. Walford has pulled in 3 touchdowns this season along with 229 yards. If Walford gets those looks in the redzone it could be another solid day for Miami’s tight end.
