Week 10 college football DFS must-starts: So. Many. QBs.
The A-list options at quarterback this week are mind-boggling. Our Matthew Coca makes sense of it all in his Week 10 look at the must-starts for your FanDuel lineups.
By
Matthew Coca
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5 min read
November is going to be the biggest month for college football this year. Playoff rankings were just released and now teams know where they stand.
Tough, ranked matchups are going to make or break Fantasy options. I shy away from some marquee games that do not take place in the Big 12. Look for me to completely fade Florida State at Clemson. On the other hand, TCU at Oklahoma State? I'm all over it.
Last week's question marks have turned into this week's buffet at the quarterback position. It could be a week where the best option is to just flip a coin when trying to pick the right guy. Or you could go with multiple lineups, attempting to take advantage of the different guys at the helm. Trevone Boykin, Greg Ward Jr., Deshaun Watson, Luke Falk and Patrick Mahomes are all on this slate.
Outside of the matchup that Stanford's Christian McCaffrey has, it is difficult to find another running back that could have an explosive game. Florida State's Dalvin Cook is coming off injury and has to go into Clemson, who allows just 109.1 yards per game on the ground (20th in the country). Arkansas' Alex Collins has a very difficult matchup against Ole Miss on the road, who is also a top-25 rush defense, allowing 121.6 yards per game.
Must Starts
Quarterbacks - Trevone Boykin, TCU (at Oklahoma State); Luke Falk, Washington State (vs. Arizona State); Greg Ward Jr., Houston (vs. Cincinnati)
Running Backs - Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (at Colorado); C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame (at Pittsburgh); Corey Clement, Wisconsin (at Maryland)
Wide Receivers - Josh Doctson, TCU (at Oklahoma State); Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (vs. Arkansas); Gabe Marks, Washington State (vs. Arizona State)
Tight Ends - Austin Hooper, Stanford (at Colorado); Hunter Henry, Arkansas (at Ole Miss); Evan Engram, Ole Miss (vs. Arkansas)
Stanford at Colorado: Only two teams this season have not scored a rushing touchdown on Colorado this year -- Hawaii and Nicholls State. The Buffs are ranked No. 102 in the nation in rushing defense, surrendering 201.6 yards per game. In five conference games this season, opponents have rushed for 244 yards per game. Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman ran all over this Colorado defense to the tune of 163 yards and two touchdowns. If only Stanford had a running back who was capable of doing that. If only …
Oh wait! Stanford's Christian McCaffrey -- a Heisman candidate -- posted his second lowest score of the season in last week's game at Washington State. McCaffrey had 107 rushing yards in the win, but he failed to get in the end zone for just the second time in October. After monstrous games against UCLA and Washington, the 15.3 FanDuel points he posted against Washington State should not scare you. McCaffrey will be a lock to bounce back this week against Colorado.
Colorado has two of the more reliable wide receiver options in Shay Fields and Nelson Spruce. Both are averaging double digits in FanDuel points this year and are still solid options if you see the Buffs playing from behind. Spruce has not put up the touchdown numbers you would like to see, but he is a full-time PPR monster. He has not had fewer than six receptions in a game this season. Fields posted a 29.9 FanDuel point game against Arizona so you know how high his ceiling can be.
Cincinnati at Houston: Can you say shootout? That's exactly what this game will be. When you get the No. 5 team in total offense squaring off against No. 7, you have to see it as an investment opportunity.
The averages for each defense look good, but when you check into the numbers, you realize looks can be deceiving. The opponents for both teams have been very bad. Houston and Cincinnati combined to outscore UCF 111-17 in consecutive weeks. That will surely make your defense look better than it is.
Both starting quarterback options in this game could be considered great plays. Whether it is Gunner Kiel or Hayden Moore, Cincy's offense is built to throw no matter what. In last week's game, Kiel was a perfect 15-for-15 passing with 319 yards and five touchdowns. Moore was 11-for-15 for 154 yards and one touchdown before he was taken out of the game with a chest injury. The odds of Kiel being perfect against Houston are slim, but I still see him having great production.
When it comes to Houston, Greg Ward Jr. is a name everyone should know by now. The production has not been that great his last two games, but one came against an SEC opponent (Vanderbilt). Cincinnati should not scare anyone away from playing Ward, who ranks No. 54 in total defense in the country. His dual-threat ability is going to come back into play in this game. I am no fortune teller, but I am expecting at least 35 points from him.
Cincinnati wide receiver Shaq Washington and Houston wide receiver Demarcus Ayers are the only two guys I would play if you are going that route. Washington leads the Bearcats in receiving by a wide margin and same goes for Ayers with the Cougars. Cincinnati likes to spread the ball around, but Washington has remained a key factor. Ayers has emerged as the No. 1 target for Houston and has recorded at least five receptions in every game this year.
TCU at Oklahoma State: If there is one player giving LSU's Leonard Fournette a run for his money in the Heisman debate it is TCU signal-caller Trevone Boykin. Last week, Boykin was so good that the opposing head coach -- West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen -- actually gave him a high-five after he zipped through the entire defense for a big gain. If you take away the first game of the year against Minnesota, Boykin is averaging 43.57 FanDuel points. Nobody is as reliable as Boykin. Texas Tech just threw for 480 yards and four touchdowns against Oklahoma State, so you could expect another big game from Boykin here.
Just like in Boykin's case, another offensive player on this team is in the Hesiman chatter -- wide receiver Josh Doctson. He leads the nation in receptions (71), yards (1,250), yards per game (156.3) and second in receiving TDs (14). Doctson is a threat to any defense in the country and when he has a guy like Boykin throwing him the football, he will always be a must-play.
Oklahoma State does not have many Fantasy factors. Quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and J.W. Walsh split time so I would stay away from them. Only once this season has a running back on the team gone for 100-plus yards, and that was back in September. The only player you might want to take a shot on is receiver James Washington. He has 10 receptions for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games. Much of that has to do with how bad Texas Tech's defense is, though.
Under-the-radar finds: Nate Sudfeld, QB, Indiana (vs. Iowa); Wendell Smallwood, RB, West Virginia (vs. Texas Tech); Keith Marshall, RB, Georgia (vs. Kentucky); Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia (vs. Kentucky); Ricky Jones, WR, Indiana (vs. Iowa); Ian Sadler, WR, Texas Tech (at West Virginia); C.J. Conrad, TE, Kentucky (at Georgia)
