This article is part of our DraftKings College Football series.
CFB DFS: DraftKings Week Zero Main Slate Breakdown
Whoa Nelly, we are so back. Week 0 is here, and that means we're about to get treated to a funky appetizer before we dig into the main course next week. DraftKings is rolling out a five-game main slate to kick things off, and opted to keep it night-focused so that means no Notre Dame-Navy. That's not a bad thing, though, and the five games on the menu combine to make a fun and interesting slate.
Slate Overview
We've got one game that stands out above the rest -- USC vs San Jose State (66.0) -- in terms of the totals on this slate while Louisiana Tech vs FIU (58.5) and Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii (55.5) are the other expected high-scoring affairs. San Diego State vs. Ohio is expected to be the most competitive game on the slate, which is an important detail to consider before writing it off due to the lower total (49.0).
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CFB DFS Picks: Quarterback
To Caleb or not to Caleb, that is the question. On the one hand, he's the best player in college football, USC is going to hang 50 points and it's a short slate so why bother getting cute? On the other hand, USC has bigger fish to fry and should be able to handle San Jose State without exposing Williams to four quarters of play.
Last year when USC opened with Rice, Williams was dominant (86 percent completion rate, 11.3 YPA, 2 PaTD) but he threw just 22 passes and had six rush attempts. USC was a 33-point favorite in that contest and checks in as 30.5 point favorites in this spot, so it wouldn't be surprising to see a similar stat line this time out.
Let's project Williams for somewhere in the 25-30 FPts range. While that's not great ROI on a $9,900 price tag, there are two remaining questions. Are there two other quarterbacks on this slate that we can project for a similar output? And are the savings on fading Williams worthwhile to allocate at other positions?
In all, Williams is basically a must-play in cash games and close to a must-play in GPPs, though I wouldn't fault anyone for trying a Williams-less build for differentiation's sake in tournaments. Just know that you'd be risking fading a player kicking off a legitimate Heisman Trophy defense. Let's break down the rest of the quarterback crop on this slate.
Hank Bachmeier ($5,800) Louisiana Tech 
vs. Florida International 
Saving at quarterback isn't always the easiest thing to do in a lineup build, especially when you're sifting through the sub-$6K options. The heat gets turned up on your quarterback decision when the main slate is just five games and one of the quarterbacks is the aforementioned Caleb Williams. Luckily, though, Hank is here to help us out.
The former Boise State quarterback should have easier sledding in Conference USA and gets to debut against FIU, which is projected to have the 128th-ranked defense in the country by SP+. Even by the conventional numbers, FIU's defense looks putrid. It allowed tons of yardage both through the air and on the ground last season and couldn't get off the field, either, as the Panthers were on the field for 76.1 plays per game on average last season, the 13th most in FBS.
Bachmeier settles into a pass-happy offense with plenty of surrounding talent at receiver, so this is a great setup for him, especially at a sub-$6K investment.
Diego Pavia ($7,400) New Mexico State 
vs. Massachusetts 
Last season, Pavia struggled in Week 0 and it was actually Gavin Frakes who looked like the future starter for NMSU. Things changed over the course of the season, though, and Pavia found his footing from Week 9 onward to notch a 13:2 TD:INT at 10.2 YPA along with 406 rushing yards and four rushing scores in his final six games.
Now entrenched as the starter and familiar with the offense, Pavia could very well take another step forward this season. Catching UMass in Week 0 will only help matters as the Minutemen are expected to have one of the worst defenses in college football yet again.
The spread here is just -7 in favor of NMSU, so the blowout risk is far less than some of the other games on this slate. That means we should get a full four quarters of Pavia running and throwing, and against that defense, we'll get some quality production as a result.
This game has the lowest total on the slate, and New Mexico State is not an up-tempo or pass-first type of team, so the stacking options along Pavia aren't great unless you're looking to go very contrarian with your build.
CFB DFS GPP Quarterback Play
AJ Swann ($8,500) Vanderbilt 
vs. Hawaii 
You see a Vanderbilt quarterback check in with the second-highest salary on the slate among starting QB's, you see Vanderbilt's offensive tendencies from 2022 (98th in plays per game, 93rd in pass play percentage), and you see legitimate options elsewhere for thousands of dollars cheaper and Swann ends up on your fade list for this slate. Totally reasonable.
In a tournament, though, differentiation is a big factor and this is a Week 0 slate that's bound to have some wild twists. Swann, for his own part, was fine relative to expectations last year in his first collegiate season with most of his game experience coming against a brutal SEC draw. There should be more here than the numbers (58.1 completion percentage, 6.4 YPA) suggest.
There's also the matchup detail. Hawaii ranks 120th in Bill Connolly's SP+ projections for this season and 116th in defense. Vanderbilt routed Hawaii in Week 0 last year and had to travel 4,300 miles to do so. Now the shoe is on the other foot with Hawaii coming to Nashville and I think we could see something of a repeat in terms of results.
Going with Swann also gives you access to a Vandy passing stack with Will Sheppard ($5,000) who is interestingly priced below teammates Jayden McGowan and Quincy Skinner despite carrying a 35 percent target share. This is a duo that could pop Saturday and with my expectation that Swann will have a low rostership percentage, it's also a stack that could help you gain leverage on other entrants.
CFB DFS Picks: Running Back
Charvis Thornton ($5,400) Louisiana Tech vs. Florida International
With Marquis Crosby sidelined and Tyre Shelton nicked up, Thornton is set to lead the backfield Saturday. Louisiana Tech is a pass-first team, but with the Bulldogs checking in as double-digit favorites, there should be plenty of backfield opportunities on tap. Going against an FIU defense that coughed up 229.8 rushing yards per game at a 5.5 YPC clip will only help matters.
Thornton was in a reserve role behind Crosby last season but even with the small sample (80 carries), there were some positive indicators. He averaged 5.8 YPC and also finished the season in style with a 132-yard, 1-touchdown performance against a solid UAB defense.
The game script sets up well for Thornton and with a soft matchup and a projected lion's share of the workload, he's a strong play from the mid-tier of backs on this slate.
MarShawn Lloyd ($7,400) USC 
vs. San Jose State 
The USC transfer (see what I did there?) is set to make his debut for the Trojans on Saturday night. On the USC depth chart, Lloyd is listed as a co-starter alongside Austin Jones. While Jones has more experience within the offense than Lloyd, it's Lloyd who is the more talented of the two and yet he checks in for $400 cheaper on DraftKings.
Both should see plenty of work, and picking between the two is tricky given that the savings will likely draw the field to Lloyd instead of Jones, so the Jones backers could get some significant leverage if he ends up being the big producer. I'll be using both in lineups but my official suggestion is for Lloyd as I think he has the home run-hitting ability to turn 10-12 carries into 3x value.
Cam Davis ($5,000) San Diego State 
vs. Ohio 
San Diego State's offensive philosophy may not be as run-heavy under Ryan Lindley as it once was, but this is a stable of running backs that will still get some work against a leaky Ohio run defense. Davis is listed as the starter and is $600 cheaper than Kenan Christion, who is another interesting play on this slate.
Davis' numbers last season (3.3 ypc, 1 TD on 46 attempts) won't wow you, but we're seeking volume here and the indication is that he's first in line for carries. Ohio gave up nearly 5.0 YPC last season, so Davis pushing for 15 carries Saturday should put him in line to return value.
CFB DFS Running Back Play
Sedrick Alexander ($3,700) Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii
The freshman is listed as the third running back on the Vanderbilt depth chart, but reports out of camp suggest that he might be the best back on the team already. Top 50 running backs that hail from the state of Texas don't often end up at Vandy.
Patrick Smith (also known as "Cheeks" according to Vanderbilt's depth chart) should get the start and see a healthy chunk of the carries while the game is competitive. With how the game went last year and the current spread for this matchup, though, we should end up seeing Vanderbilt turn to its freshmen and depth pieces, and that's where Alexander should get the opportunity to return solid value on a bargain-bin salary figure.
Monte Watkins ($3,400) New Mexico State vs. Massachusetts
It's tricky to know exactly how the backfield work will be split up by the Aggies with three viable backs in the mix. Luckily, New Mexico State is one of the most run-heavy outfits in FBS (16th in run play rate last season) and UMass couldn't stop a nosebleed on the ground last year (235 RuYD/G) and it's probably safe to assume that even if they improve there, they still won't be a top 50 type of run defense.
Again, there are pitfalls here as Watkins will be part of a committee and quarterback Diego Pavia can scoot a bit in his own right with 600 rushing yards last season. Still, Watkins is cheap and has decent pedigree as a former TCU commit. He's the cheapest way to get exposure to an NMSU rushing attack that should be able to pick up yardage at will against the Minutemen.
CFB DFS Picks: Wide Receiver
Will Sheppard ($5,000) and Jayden McGowan ($6,400) Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii
Both of these players are viable even in non-AJ Swann lineups, and it's hard not to be tempted to use both if you are using Swann.
The case for Sheppard is clear-cut. He had a 35 percent target share last season (10/game) and scored nine touchdowns, which was three times as many as any other Vandy wideout. His catch rate was just 50 percent, but with some improvement from Swann, that number should tick up. It also helps that the opponent is Hawaii, which allowed just under 300 passing yards per game last season. Targets and touchdowns are what we're chasing when we roster Sheppard on this slate.
McGowan is significantly more expensive, and given Sheppard's target volume and bargain price, Sheppard should be the most popular Vandy receiver. Let's not leave McGowan out of the equation, though. He posted promising numbers as a freshman and his role translated to a strong 70 percent catch rate. So while his volume may not be as robust as Sheppard's, McGowan is more efficient in converting targets into receptions.
Both have the potential to go off against Hawaii, and while Sheppard is conventionally the better play based on price and role, McGowan will be in plenty of my lineups as well.
Dorian Singer ($7,700) USC vs. San Jose State
Being the highest-priced receiver on the slate in a setup where USC is a massive favorite and therefore may not have its starters in all game suddenly makes Singer a bit less of a slam dunk Saturday than you might think.
Still, though, Singer is USC's prized offensive transfer from this cycle and has already locked in a starting spot on the depth chart. Singer torched last season with 1,105 yards and six touchdowns, and that was with Jayden de Laura as his quarterback. The upgrade to Caleb Williams is significant. Even if Singer sees just 6-7 targets Saturday, there's a pretty strong likelihood that he converts those opportunities into massive production. The case to fade him is understandable -- he's expensive and might not play four quarters -- but if he crushes it, then Singer's faders could have a hard time cashing.
Cyrus Allen ($5700) Louisiana Tech vs. Florida International
With Tre Harris gone, Allen has a chance to really come into his own this season. He's Louisiana Tech's strongest big-play threat, having racked up 500 receiving yards and four touchdowns on just 22 receptions last season. Smoke Harris ($6,600) has a higher target floor, which makes him useful on DraftKings, but his 6.34 YPT mark and 9.7 YPR mark on 102 targets last year lead to concern about him converting those opportunities into big plays and touchdowns.
Allen is my pick from the Louisiana Tech receiving corps given the potential target gains along with his established per-target explosiveness, but using Allen and Harris is something I'll explore in lineups where I'm also playing Hank Bachmeier.
Jacoby Jones ($6,200) Ohio @ San Diego State
Sam Wiglusz ($7,100) is the top-billed Ohio receiver and with good reason. He reeled in 73 of 99 targets for 877 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Wiglusz isn't the only Ohio receiver worth targeting Saturday, though.
Jones had a 12.72 YPT (yards per target) mark on 61 targets last season and averaged 17.2 YPR. That YPT figure is nearly two full yards clear of any other pass-catcher on this slate who had at least 40 targets last season. So, again, volume and explosiveness are both boxes we can check here with Jones.
