Welcome back college football fans! We’ve got a small but fun slate of games this Friday night & it’s time to build some winning lineups to kickoff Week 3. This playbook will only focus on the DraftKings slate in terms of pricing, but feel free to play on FanDuel with the same players as well. If you have any questions on specific players or lineup builds, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @dan_servodidio or on the Discord and I’ll try to help out! Without further ado, let’s dive into the Friday night DFS CFB slate for September 17th! 
 

THE SLATE (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook): 

7:30 pm ET -- UCF (-7) at Louisville -- 67.5 O/U

9 pm ET -- Maryland (-7.5) at Illinois -- 60.5 O/U

Highest Implied Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)

UCF -- 36.25 points vs. Louisville

Maryland -- 34 points vs. Illinois

Louisville -- 29.25 points vs. UCF

Illinois -- 26.5 points vs. Maryland

QUARTERBACKS

Quarterbacks
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Dillon GabrielUCFUL860034.95  
On just a two-game slate, Gabriel stands out as the best QB and should be locked into cash lineups. This matchup vs. Louisville should be a track meet and the UCF offense is potent enough that the run and pass game can both be productive for DFS in high-scoring contests. Through two games, Gabriel has put up 300+ passing yards in both and is responsible for seven total TDs already. Plus, he even adds a decent floor of rushing yards with 107 through two weeks so far. You can fool around in GPP’s, but Gabriel is your QB in cash.
Taulia TagovailoaUMDIL800026.17  
Considering the UCF-Louisville total, Tagovailoa will likely be less popular in cash than both Gabriel and Cunningham with most people stacking the two together. Even so, the Maryland QB makes for a great play on this short slate after he’s gotten off to a great start this season. His completion rate is at 76% and he’s thrown three TDs apiece in both games thus far. Against West Virginia in Week 1, Tagovailoa had 332 yards and three scores - a stat line we could easily see from him against a shaky Illinois defense. Though he doesn’t bring any dual-threat upside like Cunningham, Tagovailoa could easily outperform him with his passing stats.
Malik CunninghamULUCF760031.21  
While most of us will be playing Gabriel at QB, putting Cunningham in the Super-Flex is a great strategy to simply stack this game. Louisville should score plenty of points in a high-scoring matchup that should end up in an offensive back-and-forth shootout. The Cardinals offense revolves around Cunningham as a dual-threat playmaker and his DFS floor is thus pretty high with that rushing volume added in. He’s already rushed for four TDs through two games and his 79 rush yards in Week 1 vs. Ole Miss is more representative of what we can expect this week. The UCF defense is nothing scary and Cunningham will easily get his yardage through the air and on the ground.
Brandon PetersILUMD6400-0.1  
Peters is back under center for the Illini after he got knocked out of the opener with a shoulder injury. It’s obviously risky rostering a QB returning from injury, but the price tag is very cheap for a guy who could rack up stats in a high-total game - especially if he’s throwing more often while trailing to Maryland. Peters only played in a few full games last year and wasn’t too impressive in them - though he did have a 3:0 TD:INT ratio and brings some dual-threat upside with his legs. On this slate, no one will play him in cash - but feel free to fire up in GPP’s because he could provide 20 DK if he scores once or twice on the ground.

Also Consider: 

None

RUNNING BACKS

Running Backs
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Isaiah BowserUCFUL590032.2  
The UCF offense is so fast-paced and high-scoring that both the passing and running game can put up stats for us in DFS. So don’t be afraid of stacking up the Knights on this short slate and lock down the majority of offensive production with Bowser, Gabriel and some WRs in the same lineup. Bowser is the clear-cut lead back in this attack after he racked up 172 rushing yards on 33 carries in the season opener and then scored four times on the ground last week. He’s way too cheap and should be a cash lock without any other top-tier RBs in action.
Tayon Fleet-DavisUMDIL530017.7  
Back in Week 1, we saw Fleet-Davis put up 123 rushing yards on 18 carries with four catches added in vs. West Virginia. That type of stat line is definitely in play here against a questionable Illinois rush defense that’s allowed two 100-yard rushers in three games already. Fleet-Davis is now the clear lead back in an offense that allowed Jake Funk to have some big games last year as the No. 1. You can easily roster him and stack up anyone else you want on this slate for cash.
Jalen MitchellULUCF490010.6  
With Javian Hawkins off to the NFL, it’s Jalen Mitchell now as Louisville’s lead back as he won the starting job over Hassan Hall. Last week in a more run-heavy offense with an early lead, Mitchell had 90 yards on 18 carries and even added in three catches for 25 yards. We could see Louisville try to lean on the run more to keep the UCF offense off the field and control the clock - which would put Mitchell into a solid workload for this price tag. The risk with Mitchell and all Cardinals RBs, though, is that Cunningham vultures TDs in the red-zone - which has been true over the first two games this season. Still, Mitchell has the GPP upside to go for 100+ yards and score once or twice this week in a high-scoring game.
Chase BrownILUMD45009.65  
With Mike Epstein ruled out, Chase Brown is once again the lead back for Illinois. Last week when Epstein sat, Brown had seven carries for 41 yards and a TD while adding four catches for 28 yards. He led the backfield in touches by a notable margin and the 5.9 ypc average is impressive. The rushing numbers could’ve been better if Illinois wasn’t trailing for much of the game. Let’s not forget that Brown racked up 110 yards and two scores on 26 carries back in Week 0 vs. Nebraska. He could realistically put up those numbers against a Maryland defense that’s shaky against the run. The price is way too low for Brown here and you can easily fit him in cash lineups.

Also Consider

Isaiah Jacobs -- Maryland ($3,700) 

Jakari Norwood -- Illinois ($3,000) 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Wide Receivers
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Jaylon RobinsonUCFUL810017.85  
Robinson is rightfully the most expensive WR on this slate as the top target for Dillon Gabriel in a high-scoring UCF offense. In the season opener, Robinson went off for 140 yards and a TD on six catches and that’s the type of production we can expect on a weekly basis when the Knights are in tighter games like this one. He only had two catches last week, but it was a blowout win where the starters didn’t play the whole game. Expect a higher volume of targets against a shaky Louisville defense.
Dontay Demus Jr.UMDIL720028.05  
Maryland’s offense may go overlooked on this slate with everyone stacking UCF, and Dontay Demus Jr. is a high-upside WR who’ll be much less popular than Jaylon Robinson. In the first two games, Demus had six catches and a TD in both and went for 128 and 133 yards. He’s a clear top target for Tagovailoa and should post a similar stat line weekly for a high-scoring offense that leans on the passing game more often. If you’re not paying up for Robinson, then Demus is the top WR to roster in GPP’s to differentiate.
Rakim JarrettUMDIL550023.05  
The Terps’ receiving corps is top-heavy with Demus Jr. and Jarrett seeing a ton of targets from Tagovailoa. When comparing the two, Jarrett is definitely a better value based on the prices and similar production over two games thus far. Jarrett has six catches and a TD in both games and went for 122 yards in the opener vs. West Virginia. He shouldn’t be about $2000 less than Demus right now and should see more popularity than his teammate.
Brandon JohnsonUCFUL500018.4  
While Jaylon Robinson and Ryan O’Keefe are the two headliners in the UCF receiving corps, Brandon Johnson is a solid cheaper exposure to this offense. He’s been very active over the first two games with 12 total receptions for 128 yards and a TD in both. It’s encouraging to see him establish an early rapport with Dillon Gabriel already grad transferring from Tennessee. Expect Johnson to be popular for those of us looking to stack UCF as he’s a lot more affordable than Robinson/O’Keefe as a pairing with Gabriel.
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Isaiah WilliamsILUMD470015.7  
In terms of targets and receptions, Williams is dominating in both areas among Illinois’ pass-catchers. He has 19 catches and 34 targets through three games and as he built a clear rapport with backup QB Artuer Sitkowksi. Maybe things change with Peters back under center, but Williams seems like the most dynamic playmaker in this receiving corps. The converted QB quickly earned a starting WR role this offseason after the position change and he’s immediately been the Illini’s top receiver. On this short slate, Williams stands out as one of the best values at sub 5k. He could see a ton of targets and receptions for a safe floor with Illinois likely trailing vs. Maryland.
Daniel BarkerILUMD380014.5  
The whole Illinois offense is cheap on this slate and Barker is one pass-catcher who stands out at sub-4k. The tight end is the team’s top returning receiver in terms of catches and yards from last season and he should be a top target for QB Brandon Peters moving forward. Barker caught a TD from Peters in one of the only full games the QB played last season. He had five grabs for 74 yards and two scores two weeks ago with Sitkowski under center. For this price, we could easily get 12-15 DK from Barker with a safe floor of targets - especially if Illinois is trailing.
Marshon FordULUCF35005.3  
It’s tough to get a good read on the Louisville receiving corps right now. Through two games, no one has stepped up as the clear top target for Cunningham following the offseason NFL departures of Tutu Atwell and Dez Fitzpatrick. So if you want exposure to a Cardinals pass-catcher, going with a cheaper guy is the right move until we get more answers. Last year, Ford’s six TDs trailed only Atwell (7) for the team and he might be the most trustworthy option for Cunningham. The tight end had four catches for 50 yards in the season opener as he led the team in yardage. We can throw out his dud performance last week in a blowout win - but the aforementioned stat line is a great floor for his current price. And he could easily find the end zone in a high-scoring game as Cunningham's top red zone target.

Also Consider

Ryan O’Keefe -- UCF ($6,300)

Braden Smith -- Louisville ($4,800)

Jeshaun Jones -- Maryland ($4,500)

Ahmari Huggins-Bruce -- Louisville ($3,400)

Jafar Armstrong -- Illinois ($3,000)

DK Cash
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBDillon GabrielUCFUL35$8,600
Pivot     
RBIsaiah BowserUCFUL32.2$5,900
Pivot     
RBTyron Fleet-DavisUMDIL17.7$5,300
Pivot     
WRJaylon RobinsonUCFUL17.9$8,100
Pivot     
WRBrandon JohnsonUCFUL18.4$5,000
PivotRyan O'KeefeUCFUL15.7$6,300
WRIsaiah WilliamsILUMD15.7$4,700
Pivot     
FLEXChase BrownILUMD9.7$4,500
PivotMarshon FordULUCF5.3$3,500
S-FLEXMalik CunninghamULUCF31.2$7,600
Pivot     
      
DK GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBTaulia TagovailoaUMDIL26.2$8,000
PivotDillon GabrielUCFUL35$8,600
RBJalen MitchellULUCF10.6$4,900
PivotChase BrownILUMD9.7$4,500
RBIsaiah BowserUCFUL32.2$5,900
Pivot     
WRDontay Demus Jr.UMDIL28.1$7,200
Pivot     
WRRakim JarrettUMDIL23.1$5,500
Pivot     
WRDaniel BarkerILUMD14.5$3,800
Pivot     
FLEXJaylon RobinsonUCFUL17.9$8,100
Pivot     
S-FLEXBrandon PetersILUMD-0.1$6,400
Pivot