FanDuel College Football: Saturday Main Slate Breakdown for Week 6

FanDuel College Football: Saturday Main Slate Breakdown for Week 6

This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.

As we round into midseason form, we hit the thick of conference play and injury season. This week features a clump of games within a seven-point window for point totals from 64.5 to 57.5 before a dropoff to the lower tier, which includes multiple games with heavy favorites. Check out the full odds in the image below or navigate to our matchups page in the tools section of the article to get a full view of the slate.

College Football DFS Weather (winds 10+ MPH and rain chance 50-plus percent noted)

Maryland at Ohio State - Wids could sit 11-plus MPH all game. Small chance of rain

Virginia Tech at Florida State - Winds may sit in the 11-12 MPH range. Not too concerning

Alabama at Texas A&M - Winds in the 11-12 MPH range for this one as well.

Notable Injuries/Absences for Week 6 in College Football

QB

John Rhys Plumlee, UCF - Has gotten in a full week of practice. Seems Questionable/probable.

Jalon Daniels, Kansas - Won't start Saturday and is viewed as a game-time call to play at all.

Grant Wells, Virginia Tech - Has done some in practice, but his ankle is still bothering him.

RB

Darius Taylor, Minnesota - Status unclear for Saturday with a bye week ahead.

Jovantae Barnes, Oklahoma - Dealing with lingering foot issue following offseason surgery. Hasn't appeared in the last two games.

DeCarlos Brooks, Arizona State - Participated in practice Tuesday, could signal a return to backfield mix.

WR

Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky - No injury update provided on him when asked, so consider him questionable.

Barion Brown, Kentucky - Same deal for Brown as Robinson, no injury update provided.

Jermaine Burton, Alabama - A little banged up going into Week 6. Doesn't sound like a major concern but worth monitoring.

Kyren Lacy, LSU - Listed as probable on the injury report.

Antonio Williams, Clemson - Looking better in practice, though it's unclear if he will be back this week.

Jordan Brown, Texas Tech - Considered day-to-day.

Chris Autman-Bell, Minnesota - Minimal impact in his appearances this season coming back from major knee injury.

Le'Meke Brockington, Minnesota - Ruled out for season this week, expected to see more of Elijah Spencer as a result.

Chris Hilton Jr., LSU - Listed as doubtful on the injury report.

Gavin Blackwell, North Carolina - Expected to return this week.

Devontez Walker, North Carolina - Granted eligibility for 2023.

Ja'Khi Douglas, Florida State - Listed as a co-starter on depth chart this week.

TE

Luke Hasz, Arkansas - Broke his clavicle on the first drive last week.

College Football DFS Tools

Week 6 College Football DFS Plays on FanDuel

Quarterback

Jayden Daniels, LSU ($12,400) at Missouri

Daniels has sat atop the fantasy ranks for much of the season, and there's no reason to anticipate a major change on that front in Week 6. Next up on the docket is a Missouri defense that fares well against the run game but has leaked on the back end, allowing 1,215 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns over five games, allowing more than average fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in four of the last five games. Daniels landing anywhere close to his season average, let alone topping the mark, would earn him more than enough return to provide value, even at the highest price tag of any player on the slate.

Blake Shapen, Baylor ($10,000) vs. Texas Tech

Shapen has just two games under his belt this season but has churned out sizable efforts in the pair, throwing for a combined 596 yards and three touchdowns. The Red Raiders are certainly vulnerable to this facet of the game as well, yielding 1,118 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns in addition to 246 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Texas Tech also plays at a blistering pace, allowing opponents to average 74.4 plays per game. Shapen should get plenty of looks in the passing attack Saturday as a result and could produce his best outing of the 2023 campaign. 

KJ Jefferson, Arkansas ($8,600) at Ole Miss

Looking down the list, Jefferson sticks out against an Ole Miss team that yields 76.0 plays per game to the opposition, the only team higher than Texas Tech and the biggest number on the slate. On top of that, the Rebels surrender 7.8 yards per pass attempt and have allowed 190 rushing yards and three rushing scores through five games. This includes games against Mercer, Tulane versus a backup quarterback, Georgia Tech and an Alabama team in the midst of still settling the position. Jayden Daniels lit up Ole Miss' defense last week, and KJ Jefferson is a quarterback who can produce points both in the air and on the ground. Plus, the Razorbacks are 11.5-point underdogs in this one, which would portend to a sizable reliance on Jefferson if the team is trailing.

Also consider: Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss ($11,500) vs. Arkansas

Running Back

Devin Neal, Kansas ($10,200) vs. UCF

Neal seems like an obvious play yet again against a UCF yielding 31.6 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, trailing only Baylor in that category thus far. That includes sizaebale efforts in each of the last two games from both Kansas State and Baylor. The Jayhawks will likely be without Jalon Daniels again, with Jason Bean already announced as the starter, so it wouldn't be surprising to see a reliance on the ground game and some sizable gains as a receiver out of the backfield, an area the Knights have struggled in this season.

LeQuint Allen, Syracuse ($8,900) at North Carolina

Taking a running back for a 9.5-point underdog may not be the most advisable play in general, but this just seems like a good spot to get involved in this game. Allen has a healthy weekly volume, racking up a minimum of 20 touches in each of the last three games. He's also scored a touchdown in every game this season, and the Orange remain thin among the pass-catching options, so Allen should continue to see looks as a receiver as well. The Tar Heels have surrendered seven rushing scores to opposing running backs through just four games, which bodes well for a potential multi-touchdown game from Allen.

Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State ($8,600) vs. Colorado

In what is becoming a theme for me, Skattebo faces the Buffs this week, who haven't developed the necessary defensive presence to prevent the need for the offense to constantly rack up big scores. There is some concern that Skattebo could yield a handful of reps to DeCarlos Brooks if Brooks is back this week, but Skattebo has seemingly established himself as the team's lead back, carrying the rock a combined 44 times over the last two games. He's also a reliable receiving threat, and this seems like a good spot to deploy him after a down week against a tough Cal defensive front, but Colorado is a far cry from that, allowing 5.1 rushing yards per attempt.

Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech ($8,400) at Baylor

I'm going back to the well here with Tahj Brooks, who I recommended last week at a $1,000 cheaper salary, but I still see plenty of value to be had as the 13-highest running back salary on the slate. Brooks has turned into a workhorse for the Red Raiders, clearing 20 carries in each of the last two weeks. Given the success on the ground and an opponent in the Bears allowing 5.0 yards per carry, 184.0 rushing yards per game and a slate-high 2.4 rushing touchdowns per contest, there's little reason to deviate from the recent game plan. These are two rather uninspiring defenses and two formidable offenses with Shapen back under center, so plenty of points should be scored.

Also consider: Trey Benson, Florida State ($8,300) vs. Virginia Tech; Richard Reese, Baylor ($6,200) vs. Texas Tech

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Luther Burden, Missouri ($10,000) vs. LSU

while I am tempted to go for Nabers and Thomas at the top (see also consider below), I'll go with the other side of the same game. The LSU secondary has left much to be desired so far this season, allowing three of its five opponents to outproduce season totals and two of the five by a sizable difference. Burden is the clear-cut top option in what has been a surprisingly productive Tigers passing attack through the first five weeks, churning out four straight 100-plus receiving games, with double-digit targets in each. There's reason to anticipate at least similar production as he's put up the last few weeks (27.0 FD points per game over last three) in a game where Missouri is an underdog.

Brock Bowers, Georgia ($8,600) vs. Kentucky

After a slow start to the season, Bowers has really turned up the heat in the last two weeks, combining for 17 catches for 278 yards and three touchdowns on 22 targets. Combine that with Kentucky yielding touchdowns to opposing tight ends in each of the last two games, and you have the makings here of another big game for arguably the most talented tight end in the country. The Dawgs are two-touchdown favorites in this contest, and Bowers should help the offense get there, especially against a Kentucky defense that has performed reasonably well against the run.

Tyler Brown, Clemson ($7,900) vs. Wake Forest

The caveat here for Brown is the status of Antonio Williams, who has reportedly made some progress in his return from injury. Assuming Williams isn't ready to rejoin the action just yet, Brown should see plenty of reps in the slot against a Demon Deacons defense that has yielded more points per game than average to three of its first four opponents this season. Given that Brown is coming off nine catches for 153 yards last week and has 237 yards over the last two games, it's tough to see him going back to a peripheral role either way, but the return of Williams would presumably siphon away some looks.

Omarion Miller, Colorado ($6,500) at Arizona State

Similar to Brown, the cat seems to be out of the bag on Miller, a four-star freshman, after he tallied seven catches for 196 yards and a touchdown on nine targets in his first extensive action of the season. Now that the cat's out, it's difficult to see it going back in the bag. Miller is clearly one of the team's better options at wide receiver alongside Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn, at least while Travis Hunter is out. The matchup isn't necessarily the greatest, but the salary is too much of a bargain to deny coming off of last week's massive effort.

Devontez Walker, North Carolina ($5,000) vs. Syracuse

Walker had his eligibility for the 2023 season instated by the NCAA this week, and there's plenty of room for improvement on the outside at the wide receiver position. Walker is the perfect deep threat for star quarterback Drake Maye. While Walker doesn't have the explosive game already under his belt with the Tar Heels like Miller has with the Buffs, he does have a massive season on his ledger with 921 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last year at Toledo. He also has a favorable matchup in tow against an Orange pass defense that looks strong on the surface, allowing just 200.8 passing yards per game, but it has also faced Army, Colgate and a Western Michigan team in flux at the quarterback position, boosting the stats. It all adds up to at least taking a shot on Walker in GPPs, though it's unclear how big his role will be. On the plus side, he's been practicing with the team, so he should have the playbook down.

Also consider: LSU WR pair (Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas) with Jayden Daniels; Roman Wilson, Michigan ($9,300) vs. Minnesota; Theo Wease, Missouri ($7,300) vs. LSU

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Benzine plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Crispy272001, DraftKings: Crispy27.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Benzine
Chris is the college football editor and the Kansas City Chiefs beat writer. He's a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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