Welcome back college football fans & DFS players!! The CFB season continues with a full Week 3 Saturday slate - and Fantasy Alarm has you covered! This playbook will cover the early afternoon main slate of games while Pete Cole will have the night slate for you! 

Before we dive in, a quick note that we’re only focusing on the DraftKings slate of games for this playbook, but feel free to play on FanDuel with the same players below. 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 main early afternoon DFS CFB slate for September 18th! 

THE SLATE (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)

  • 12 pm ET -- Nebraska at Oklahoma (-22.5) -- 62.5 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- Coastal Carolina (-14) at Buffalo -- 58 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- Michigan State at Miami FL (-6) -- 56.5 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- Virginia Tech at West Virginia (-2.5) -- 50.5 O/U
  • 12 pm ET -- Cincinnati (-3.5) at Indiana -- 49 O/U
  • 1 pm ET -- Minnesota at Colorado (-2.5) -- 48.5 O/U
  • 2:30 pm ET -- Purdue at Notre Dame (-7) -- 58 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Georgia Tech at Clemson (-28) -- 52 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Alabama (-14.5) at Florida -- 59.5 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- USC (-8) at Washington State -- 62.5 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Florida State at Wake Forest (-2.5) -- 62.5 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET -- Tulsa at Ohio State (-24.5) -- 61 O/U

Highest Implied Team Totals (per DK Sportsbook Odds)

  1. Ohio State -- 42.75 points vs. Tulsa
  2. Oklahoma -- 42.5 points vs. Nebraska
  3. Clemson -- 40 points vs. Georgia Tech
  4. Alabama -- 37 points vs. Florida
  5. Coastal Carolina -- 36 points vs. Buffalo
  6. USC -- 35.25 points vs. Washington State
  7. Wake Forest -- 32.5 points vs. Florida State
  8. Notre Dame -- 32.5 points vs. Purdue
  9. Miami FL -- 31.25 points vs. Michigan State
Quarterbacks
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Spencer RattlerOUNEB950028.24  
If Oklahoma is on the slate, then Rattler is inevitably a top QB option as the headliner for a high-scoring offense. Considering he’s notably cheaper than C.J. Stroud this week, expect Rattler to be popular as the top pay-up QB - especially since OU is projected to score 40+ points in a high total game. In a blowout win last Saturday, the Heisman hopeful tossed five TDs and put up 33 DK points. Even though that came in a soft matchup, Rattler has the potential to throw for 300+ yards and 3-4 TDs every week in a pass-happy, uptempo Sooners offense that features the QB position being the playmaker. Roll him out in cash or GPP as the Nebraska defense shouldn’t slow him down.
Bryce YoungBAMAUF920026.42  
DFS CFB players will have to make the tough decision whether to pay up for Stroud, Rattler or Bryce Young as their QB1. Honestly, Young doesn’t deserve to be the cheapest of the three and he could garner plenty of exposure from the casual fan who simply stacks Bama. Judging from the first two games under new OC Bill O’Brien, it looks like Young will be fully expected to be the headliner in this high-powered offense that no longer has a clear workhorse back like Najee Harris. Instead, the attack is more pass-centric and it will result in big statlines from Young every week. Against Miami in the opener, he threw for 344 yards and four TDs - numbers we could easily see in a back-and-forth, high-scoring matchup vs. Florida. If you’re not going Rattler, then Young is the move in cash.
Desmond RidderCINCYIU860026.61  
On any other slate, Ridder would be an absolute steal at this price compared to the guys above him. However, we have to think twice about it in a low-total matchup on the road vs. Indiana where DFS production may be tough to come by. Even still, Ridder provides plenty of dual-threat upside as he can score once or twice on the ground and throw for multiple TDs as well to come through - like he did in Week 1. Since Cincinnati wants desperately to win every game on its schedule to possibly make the Playoff - expect Ridder to be busy on offense, whether he’s throwing or running it. It’s hard to pay up for him when you can go Bryce Young for not that much more in cash - but Ridder makes for an excellent GPP option who could go lower-owned.
Jack PlummerPURND790023.86  
If we look at how Notre Dame games have gone thus far, this matchup vs. Purdue could easily end up being a back-and-forth shootout with the Irish defense being very shaky. If that’s the case, then look for Plummer to have a big game statistically. Not only does he get a decent matchup here, but the Boilermakers’ offense could also be throwing more often while trailing and with an injury to their lead RB. Over the first two games, Plummer has been very sharp with a 74% completion rate and 6:0 TD:INT ratio. In the opener, he had 300+ yards and two scores - a stat line we could easily see this time around with upside for more. He makes for an interesting Super-Flex option in GPP’s.
Adrian MartinezNEBOU730031.24  
While Oklahoma’s offense will put up its points, the defense also allows plenty of opposing teams to hang around - a trend that’s been true in recent years and seems like it’s continuing this season. Case in point: Tulane scored 35 on OU back in Week 1 and nearly pulled off the upset. So Adrian Martinez is definitely in play here in a high-scoring environment where he’ll have to do a ton with his arm and legs to keep Nebraska in it. The rushing floor/upside combo is what we love about Martinez, who ran for two touchdowns in Week 1 and racked up 112 rushing yards last week. Granted those performances came against subpar defenses - but Oklahoma won’t do much to prevent Martinez from getting his DFS production. He makes for an excellent cash Super-Flex choice.
Davis BrinTLSAOSU48009.2  
Much like Oklahoma, the Ohio State defense isn’t as tough as the name-brand would suggest as this matchup allows for tons of DFS production from opposing offenses. The Buckeyes have given up 31 and 35 points in back-to-back games to open the season and could easily allow Tulsa to get some points this week. There should be tons of throwing for Brin as the offense plays catch-up - and this price tag is way too low to ignore for GPP’s. Even if he provides 15 DK or so, the savings would allow you to roster another stud somewhere else in your lineup. Last week vs. Oklahoma State, he only threw for 224 yards with no TDs - but he had a 70% completion rate and added 37 rushing yards. We might see a similar performance this week with the possibility he contributes on the scoreboard too.

Also Consider: 

  • C.J. Stroud -- Ohio State ($10,000) 
  • D.J. Uiagalelei -- Clemson ($8,800)
  • Sam Hartman -- Wake Forest ($7,800) 
  • Jayden De Laura -- Washington State ($7,400) 
  • Kedon Slovis -- USC ($7,200)
  • Payton Thorne -- Michigan State ($7,000)
  • McKenzie Milton -- Florida State ($6,100)
Running Backs
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Kyren WilliamsNDPUR720022.4  
Despite posting 20+ DK points in back-to-back games to open the year, Williams remains very affordable and should end up being popular in cash once again. As the Irish’s lead back, he’s gone for 100+ total yards, 19+ touches and a TD in both games with plenty of involvement in the passing game too. The ND offense is basically Williams and tight end Michael Mayer being the big playmakers and both will be leaned on to avoid the upset here vs. Purdue. If you compare Williams to the three RBs priced above him (Reese White, Miyan Williams, Trey Potts), he’s much safer for cash and gives you a little savings.
Kenneth Walker IIIMSUMIA710032.55  
Remember when Walker dropped 264 rushing yards, four TDs and 53 DK on Northwestern in the season opener?! Though we can’t expect a repeat of that performance, he should post some good numbers against a shaky Miami defense. Walker only saw seven carries for 57 yards last week, but he wasn’t needed much in a blowout win over Youngstown State. Judging from his 23 carries and big-time game in Week 1, it looks like Walker will be the workhorse in this offense after he transferred from Wake Forest in the offseason and won the starting job. The price tag is very attractive for someone who has a clear upside against a subpar rush defense.
Christian Beal-SmithWAKEFSU590016.4  
We can look to target against the Florida State defense every week and the Wake offense could go a bit overlooked on this slate despite the favorable matchup. Beal-Smith is now the Demon Deacons’ lead back with Kenneth Walker gone and he could easily go for 100+ yards and multiple scores this week - something we’ll happily take at sub-6k. Though he hasn’t seen much work this season in a pair of blowout wins, Beal-Smith is averaging 6.7 ypc with 134 yards on 20 carries and three TDs. It’s possible we see that statline over a full game this week. He's a great play in all formats at a very affordable price tag.
Cam'Ron HarrisMIAMSU540011.6  
Sometimes a play emerges by default and that’s partially the story here with Harris. The Miami backfield has almost no depth behind him right now as Donald Chaney Jr. is out for the season with a torn ACL and Jaylan Knighton is still serving a four-game suspension. Last year, Chaney and Knighton were the only other ‘Canes RBs (besides Harris) to have more than 20 carries in the season as they both played second-fiddle to Harris. So it’s basically QB D’Eriq King and Harris as the viable rushing threats for the offense - so expect a ton of work to fall on the team’s No. 1 back. Despite all that, Harris is coming off a solid outing vs. App St when he had 91 yards and a TD on 18 carries. We can throw out the previous performance vs. Alabama - but last week’s stat line would be nice at this price tag.
Will ShipleyCLEMGT530011.4  
Clemson’s backfield is a weird situation right now. With Travis Etienne off to the NFL, many presumed Lyn-J Dixon to take over as the lead back. However, he’s lost trust from the coaching staff and is now listed third on the depth chart. Meanwhile, it’s Will Shipley and Kobe Pace as co-starters this week and both are way too cheap to ignore considering Clemson is a big favorite against a poor Georgia Tech defense. Shipley gets the slight nod over Pace because he was a higher recruit and been a bit better statistically than the latter through two games. This is a GPP play only, though, because we don’t know the workload will shake out between Shipley and Pace - but one or other could easily have 100+ yards and multiple scores this week.
King DoeruePURND46007.05  
With Zander Horvath out, Doerue will presumably be Purdue’s lead RB for the time being. There’s talk that Dylan Downing and Ja’Quez Cross will be used too, but Doerue should see the majority of touches in this backfield as the elder statesman. Last week in a soft matchup vs. UConn, the junior finished with 74 rushing yards and a TD on 12 carries after Horvath got hurt. The rushing workload is hard to trust in a game that Purdue might be trailing - but this very cheap price tag is impossible to ignore in a surprisingly favorable matchup. Notre Dame’s rush defense has been very shaky this season as it allowed 264 yards and three TDs on the ground to Florida State in the opener and then 114 yards to Toledo’s Bryant Koback last week. Rostering Doerue in cash is a little risky, but the matchup and value is definitely defensible.
Shamari BrooksTLSAOSU39008.6  
Oddly enough, the Ohio State rush defense is not strong this season and it could be a sneaky spot to roster the Tulsa running backs. One or both of Deneric Prince and Shamari Brooks could easily go for 100+ yards and a TD in this game - and both are way too cheap to ignore for GPP’s. The Buckeyes gave up 203 rushing yards to Minnesota in Week 1 and then 269 rush yards to Oregon last week with Mo Ibrahim and CJ Verdell both having 100+ yards and multiple scores. It’s tough to say which of Prince or Brooks (or either) can have that type of stat line Tulsa splits the work between them and rides the hot hand. The savings on Brooks is very attractive, though, and it might be a matter of time until he’s seeing more weekly touches than Prince.

Also Consider: 

  • Reese White -- Coastal Carolina ($7,700)
  • Trey Potts -- Minnesota ($7,300)
  • Jashaun Corbin -- Florida State ($6,800)
  • Max Borghi -- Washington State ($6,700)
  • Jarek Broussard -- Colorado ($5,700)
  • Deneric Prince -- Tulsa ($5,500)
  • Cam’Ron Harris -- Miami FL ($5,400)
  • Vavae Malepeai -- USC ($4,700)
  • Kobe Pace -- Clemson ($4,800)
Wide Receivers
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Chris OlaveOSUTLSA810029.15  
If Ohio State is on the slate, then Chris Olave is a top play at WR. He’s one of the best wideouts in the country and a top playmaker for a high-scoring Ohio State offense. Olave went for 117 yards and two TDs in the season opener then followed up with 12 catches for 126 yards last week. He’s clearly a top target for QB C.J. Stroud and can take any reception to the house. It’s hard to roster Olave in cash this week considering the blowout possibility and potential for OSU to lean on the run game in an easy win. Still, he could be the highest-scoring player on the slate with a ceiling game here.
David BellPURND770033.05  
We mentioned above how Purdue QB Jack Plummer is an interesting high-upside play this week - and his top receiving target is definitely an option too. Bell is a proven DFS stud after he totaled 625 yards, 53 receptions and eight TDs through only six games last year. In 2021, he’s already put up at least six catches and 120+ yards in both games so far and should be busy as a pass-catcher again here. Purdue could be throwing more often than not in a potential shootout with Notre Dame - and Bell is clearly Plummer’s favorite target. He’s perfectly fine for cash or GPP.
Michael MayerNDPUR730028.55  
It’s not often we see a tight end priced this high for DFS, but that’s how good Mayer has been this season. He’s the clear top receiving option for Jack Coan and is a big mismatch for opposing defenses with his size/speed combo. Mayer went for nine catches for 120 yards and a TD in the opener and then followed up with seven receptions for 81 yards and two scores last week. He’s a candidate to find the end zone every game as Notre Dame’s top red zone weapon (along with Kyren Williams) and he can easily score twice like he did a week ago. The price tag is hefty, but Mayer has proven he’s worth it.
Garrett WilsonOSUTLSA640023.85  
Another week and another slate where Garrett Wilson is still too cheap. He was the cash lock last week at $5900 and came through with eight catches for 117 yards and a TD. At least he’s in the 6k range this time around, but he’s still the better value when compared to Chris Olave. There’s a chance OSU doesn’t pass as much this week in a likely easy win over Tulsa - so Wilson’s upside may be capped. Even so, he should still post solid numbers to return value. Expect Wilson to be popular in cash once again as he should be priced above 7k to actually fade him.
Jadon HaselwoodOUNEB520013.3  
Though Marvin Mims is the headliner in the OU receiving corps, Haselwood is the better value as long as he’s priced this low. Rattler spreads the ball around so much that it’s tough to fully pay for Mims unless he’s performing miles ahead of the other Sooner pass-catchers - and he’s not. Haselwood, meanwhile, is getting more playing time than originally expected with Theo Wease sidelined and he has four receptions in back-to-back games - providing a solid floor for cash. He also caught two TDs last week before the starters went out in the blowout win. If you’re looking for cheap OU exposure to pair with Rattler, this is the way to go over Mims (though we'll get to another one soon).
PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Tahj WashingtonUSCWSU500013.15  
One of the injuries to watch on this slate could make Tahj Washington a fantastic play. Trojans star WR Drake London reportedly hurt his back last week, though he’s expected to play vs. Washington State. If for some reason London sits for this 3:30 ET kickoff, then Washington would likely be the top target for QB Kedon Slovis and is way too cheap to fade in cash. If London does play, the Memphis transfer has actually been involved plenty as USC’s No. 2 WR - with six catches for 47 yards last week and four grabs for 56 yards and a TD in the opener. At 5k, he can easily give you 15-20 DK in a high-total game for an offense that will be motivated to score a ton following Clay Helton’s dismissal.
Calvin Jackson Jr.WSUUSC490016.4  
USC’s defense looked very questionable last week when it gave up 42 points and nearly 400 total yards to Stanford at home. On the road here vs. Washington State, we could see the Cougars take advantage of the matchup and rack up tons of yards through the air. The WSU receiving corps is basically down to Travell Harris and Calvin Jackson Jr. being the top targets with Renard Bell out for the season and Jamire Calvin now at Mississippi State. Through two games, Jackson leads the team in receiving yards (168) and he’s a week removed from having seven catches for 91 yards. At sub 5k, this is a great cash play for a seemingly safe floor of targets in a game that may end up being an offensive shootout.
JoJo EarleBAMAMIA450010  
Finding cheap avenues to the highest-scoring offenses in DFS is always a great strategy - and Earle is a way to do that with Alabama. Though John Metchie and Jameson Williams are the first two Tide receivers to look at, both are a bit too expensive with how spread out the production can be at times. Earle, meanwhile, is a highly-recruited true freshman who drew high praise from the Bama coaching staff in camp and now he’s earned a role in the offense right away. While he was quiet in the opener, Earle had seven catches for 85 yards last week and seems to be carving out a rapport with Bryce Young. He’s too cheap for the potential to post 15-20 DK in a high-scoring Alabama offense.
Isaiah LikelyC-CBUFF440010.2  
While we all want to roster Jaivon Heiligh from the Coastal receiving corps, Likely continues to be the better value with a very safe floor for cash. The senior tight end has five catches in both games so far and it’s only a matter of time until he finds the end zone. He’s the clear-cut second target behind Heiligh for QB Grayson McCall and should continue to see a healthy amount of targets. On the road in a game that Coastal will want to win convincingly, expect Likely to get enough receptions and yardage to return value for cash - and he may win you GPP if he scores.
Mario WilliamsOUNEB410015.5  
We mentioned earlier how Haselwood is a good cheaper way to get OU exposure over Mims - but Williams might be the best per-dollar play until he creeps higher in salary. The true freshman has emerged as a legit weapon for Rattler and the Sooners offense. He’s caught a TD in both games and his 10 total receptions leads the team so far. It’s very encouraging to see the youngster be this involved so early as a real target for Rattler - and there’s a good chance this is the cheapest we see him for the rest of season. Feel free to roll Williams out in cash because all he needs is 12-15 DK to pay off the cheap tag - but there’s upside for him to smash value with a TD or two.

Also Consider: 

  • Jaivon Heiligh -- Coastal Carolina ($8,300)
  • John Metchie III -- Alabama ($7,100)
  • Jayden Reed -- Michigan State ($6,900)
  • Justyn Ross -- Clemson ($6,200)
  • Samori Toure -- Nebraska ($5,600)
  • Jaxon Smith-Njigba -- Ohio State ($5,500)
  • Travell Harris - Washington State ($5,500)
  • Kevin Austin Jr. -- Notre Dame ($5,100)
  • Josh Whyle -- Cincinnati ($4,200)
  • JuanCarlos Santana -- Tulsa ($3,800)

Example Lineups

DK Cash
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBSpencer RattlerOUNEB28.2$9,500
Pivot     
RBKyren WilliamsNDPUR22.4$7,200
Pivot     
RBKenneth Walker IIIMSUMIA32.6$7,100
Pivot     
WRMario WilliamsOUNEB15.5$4,100
Pivot     
WRCalvin Jackson Jr.WSUUSC16.4$4,900
PivotJoJo EarleBAMAUF10$4,500
WRIsaiah LikelyC-CBUFF10.2$4,400
Pivot     
FLEXCam'Ron HarrisMIAMSU11.6$5,400
PivotChristian Beal-SmithWAKEFSU16.4$5,900
S-FLEXAdrian MartinezNEBOU31.2$7,300
Pivot     
      
DK GPP
Pos.PlayerTeamOppFPPGSalary
QBDesmond RidderCINCYIU26.6$8,600
Pivot     
RBWill ShipleyCLEMGT11.4$5,300
PivotKobe PaceCLEMGT7.6$4,800
RBShamari BrooksTLSAOSU8.6$3,900
Pivot     
WRDavid BellPURND33.1$7,700
Pivot     
WRMichael MayerNDPUR28.6$7,300
Pivot     
WRJoJo EarleBAMAUF10$4,500
Pivot     
FLEXKing DoeruePURND7.1$4,600
PivotJarek BroussardCOLMINN14.7$5,700
S-FLEXJack PlummerPURND23.9$7,900
PivotJayden de LauraWSUUSC24.40$7,400