College Football Bowl Season is in full swing and we've got you covered with picks coming throughout the week and weekend. If you have real time questions make sure to hit up @cascarruthers on Twitter for lineup help.
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If you want to see how these plays and some others fit into cash game and GPP lineups for Saturday 12/27 you can purchase a CFB pack that includes:
4 Saturday FD Lineups
3 Saturday DK Lineups
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Game Preview
Tis the day after Christmas and all through the house, all the TV’s are on….You get the point. After a one day pause for some holiday or something we have football again. The Heart of Dallas Bowl will feature Illinois versus a feisty Louisiana Tech team. The best player on the field will be Tech’s underrated back, Kenneth Dixon. Dixon rushed for over 1200 yards and scored 26 touchdowns (5 receiving). All that should come in handy against Illinois’ 120th ranked rushing defense. Sokol has been admirable at quarterback throwing for 29 touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions. Tech doesn’t feature a slew of talented receivers, but Trent Taylor is dangerous enough to draw the defenses attention. Illinois has been slightly better on offense, but far from consistent. They have put together some nice offensive games and even though Josh Ferguson is a talent at running back, it has mostly been through the air. They could struggle against a reasonably tough Tech defense.
Players to Watch
(LaTech) Cody Sokol, Kenneth Dixon, Trent Taylor
(Ill) Josh Ferguson, Mike Dudek
Fantasy Analysis
Dixon’s tag is high, but it stands to reason he can still hit value against a very suspect Illinois defense. The offense runs through him so his floor should be fairly set based on the expected volume and he is the surest bet to score a touchdown. Sokol makes a nice GPP play, but he is a little too inconsistent for your cash game needs. Trent Taylor is in play as well. I don’t really envision any Illini players making my lineups. I don’t think Ferguson will have a good game, but he is capable so feel free to use him as a contrarian GPP play. Dudek may find a GPP or two as well, depending on his price.
Game Preview
So this one literally sounds like a bowling alley, it honestly may be for all I know. When this one is all said it done the score may resemble that of a bowling score. North Carolina takes on Rutgers in what could become a track meet. Marquis Williams will be the star attraction and he should find success both through the air and on the ground against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers usually has a stingy defense, but they are little down this year ranking 103rd against the rush and 67th against the pass. That could be an issue. Thankfully UNC ranks 113th against the rush and 102nd against the pass so Rutgers should be able to score some points. Rutgers will be led by Gary Nova and Leonte Carroo and you should expect the two to hook up a few times on Friday.
Players to Watch
(UNC) Marquis Williams, TJ Logan
(Rut) Gary Nova, Leonte Carro
Fantasy Analysis
As much as I’d like to pick either Goodwin or Peoples since they are filling in for the injured Paul James there is just too much uncertainty around the workload split. Either back could have a real nice game and comes with serious upside given the opponent. Leonte Carroo can definitely be used in GPP’s and is a borderline cash game play. UNC is a little weird in the fact they score a decent amount of points, but they don’t have a clear offensive weapon. Logan is a decent back, but doesn’t typically see enough volume. Davis & Switzer are okay on the outside, but are nothing more than a punt play. Marquis Williams is the bread and butter for the Tar Heel offense. He is in play across all formats although he does come with a little more risk compared to other options at this price point.
Game Preview
To cap the night off we feature a bowl game directly from the Deep Web featuring the UCF Knights versus NC State. It’s rumored that Dread Pirate is financing the game from prison and he will soon be accompanied by Charlie Shrem. Shrem is former Bitcoin executive who allegedly facilitated deals for Bitcoin via Silk Road. If all of that was lost on you I recommend looking it, it’s a good read. Okay, back to football. This is a virtual home game for the Knights as its being played in St Petersburg, a spring break hot spot. The Knights are a solid 9-3 and although they don’t have much star power they play good team football and are very tough on defense. They currently rank 101st in total offense, but come in at number 3 overall on defense and defense wins championships, or in this case the Bitcoin Bowl. NCST will likely have a tough time moving the ball with any kind of consistency. Brissett has done a fine job for the Wolfpack, but UCF presents a very difficult task. I just don’t see State being able to make enough plays and the young Knights will grind out another victory.
Players to Watch
(UCF) Justin Holman, William Stanback, Brashad Perriman
(NCST) eeshh, Jacoby Brissett
Fantasy Analysis
I’m a believer in the Knight defense and will only be playing Brissett as contrarian GPP play and even that’s a risky bet. The Knights, on the other hand, are a different story. If you’re looking for value you can stop your wagon here. Since they don’t excite people on offense the prices are a bit discounted. Stanback and Perriman are the clear ones at their respective positions and should be considered across all formats. NCST isn’t great on defense so even a young Knight offense should be able to find some holes.
Game Preview
Okay folks we have 5 bowls on the docket today and we open with the Military Bowl featuring the Hokies from Virginia Tech versus the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati is coming off a strong season finishing 9-3 (7-1 AAC) while VaTech had a disappointing season by their standards. The win against Ohio State is a good one, but they also suffered some bad losses. The 6-3 loss at Wake Forest sticks out like a sore thumb (I tried to think of something catchy, but couldn’t). Michael Brewer is a Texas Tech transfer and I expected a better season from him. It could be the receivers or it could be him. The Hokies still have a solid defense (not like years past, but still tough) and rank 17th in overall defense. Cincinnati and their 29th ranked offense will have their work cut out for them. The Bearcats are led by Gunner Kiel along with a deep and talented receiving corp. Kiel can really sling it and he has about 4 or 5 very capable receivers to work with. He is also prone to some real clunkerish type games. Kiel vs the Hokie secondary will likely be the key to the game for both teams.
Players to Watch
(Cin) Gunner Kiel, Shaq Washington, Mekale McKay, Chris Moore, Max Morrison
(VTech) Michael Brewer, Cam Phillips, Isaiah Ford, Bucky Hodges
Fantasy Analysis
This is the exact type of game I loathe with every ounce of passion I have in me. The Hokies offense is terrible, but so is Cincinnati's defense. This creates a dilemma. The Hokie players will be dirt cheap and for good reason, but with the Bearcat defense being soft it could mean unexpected production and ultimately these guys crushing their price. Depending on how things shake out I could see myself using any of the VTech players as punt options or GPP fill-ins. Except Brewer, I will be running him in approximately 0% of my lineups. Conversely, Cincinnati has a strong offense, but Tech has a tough D. Now the Cincinnati players are relatively cheap, but it’s because they spread the ball and not for a lack of total offense. Kiel is typically the guy to target, but his price will likely exceed his return so I would keep him strictly as a GPP play. As for the skill position guys; I’m only running them if it comes down to the money and I can’t avoid it.
Game Preview
Now this should be a good game and I wouldn’t be totally shocked if Duke pulls off the upset. In terms of unranked schools, Duke would certainly be in the conversation as one of the better teams around. Known for its hoops, Duke has slowly built some program momentum and is steadily gaining respect on the national stage. This is a great opportunity for Duke to get a marquee win against a ranked school. In order to do that, Boone will have to protect the ball, they will need to get the ball in Crowder’s hands as often as possible, and the Blue Devil defense will have to slow down DJ Foster. The Sun Devils aren’t quite the same explosive team from a year ago, but losing a guy like Marion Grice is hard to absorb. They do have some quality wins (at USC, Stan, Utah), so they didn’t have too much of a drop off. They have talent and speed at just about every position, which is a point the Duke program is yet to reach. There could be some matchup issues for Duke and if Foster is feeling it, look out Dukies. Prediction: Devils win.
Players to Watch
(ASU) Taylor Kelly, DJ Foster, Jalen Strong
(Duke) Anthony Boone, Jamison Crowder
Fantasy Analysis
Boone is the wild card for me in this matchup. I’ll have him in GPP’s for sure, but in terms of cash games he may present just a smidge too much risk. He is an off and on kind of guy, but with ASU’s 100th ranked pass defense the matchup may be too much to resist. If Boone is seeing the field well and taking care of the ball he will serve you well across the board. And if Boone is doing his thing you can be sure Crowder will be doing his thing as well. Crowder is in play regardless on your thoughts about Boone. They get him the ball as often as possible and he is the Blue Devils best playmaker by a country mile. Sigh, DJ Foster, sigh. What Foster are we going to get? Foster took over for the departed Marion Grice and opened the season with 200+ yard games. Duke is somewhat deficient in stopping the run so Foster could light it up. Kelly hasn’t been running the ball like he was last year so I feel his price has climbed beyond reasonable value. Jalen Strong’s price has fluctuated throughout the year and his price going into this game will ultimately determine his fate. He’s good and a safe bet to score, but his price, at times, has been well above the expected production.
Game Preview
The third game of the day features our first SEC team, South Carolina, facing off against the Miami Hurricanes. Miami enters the game having dropped its last three games and I don’t suspect it will get any easier taking on the Gamecocks. The Hurricanes are led by Duke Johnson who is arguably the best back in the ACC. Johnson had a great year finishing with over 1500 yards rushing to go along with 10 touchdowns and very robust 7.0 YPC. Johnson is also a threat out of the backfield with 370 yards receiving and another 3 scores. How Johnson goes is how the Hurricanes go. Johnson’s counterpart, Mike Davis, could have tough go of it against Miami’s 38th ranked run defense. Davis had a terrible year compared to last season, but the talent and ability are still there. SC moved to a little more of passing team this year and that could be a reason for Davis’ struggles. The Ol’ Ball coach undoubtedly has something up his sleeve and this game should take a full 60 minutes to decide.
Players to Watch
(MIA) – Brad Kayaa, Duke Johnson, Clive Walford
(SC) – Dylan Thompson, Mike Davis, Pharoh Cooper
Fantasy Analysis
I love Duke Johnson in this game. He is the heart and soul of the Hurricane offense and they will look to get him involved every way possible. SC has had some trouble stopping the better running backs and Johnson certainly falls into that category. His tag is high, but compared to the field I still think he offers strong value with the highest floor. Walford is the best tight end of the slate, but it looks like he will miss the game due to injury. The SC guys will mostly be GPP for me except Cooper. He is far from the safest guy around, but his upside makes him worth the risk. If Thompson has time in the pocket I think he will be able to get Cooper the ball in space to make some plays.
Game Preview
Hopefully the Duke ASU or SC Mia game goes into quintuple overtime because this PSU vs. Boston College game will be about as much as playing Bridge with someone else's 90yr old grandma. Seriously, this game may end 5-2. PSU has had some off field issues (I’m sure you heard) that resulted in the loss of scholarships, etc. They are also dealing with a new coach this season and boy did the offense take a step back. Hackenburg has a huge arm and at one point I considered him a top QB prospect. That may still materialize, but only time will tell. PSU still has one of the best defenses in the country and shouldn't have too much trouble stopping an anemic Boston College offense. Tyler Murphy's best attribute is what he can do with his legs, but that typically won’t work long term against such a stout defense. This game screams boring.
Players to Watch (God help you)
(PSU) Christian Hackenburg, Bill Belton/Akeel Lynch, Daesean Hamilton
(BC) Tyler Murphy
Fantasy Analysis
The only thing this game offers is a couple punt options from PSU. Belton, Lynch, Hamilton can all be used as low end punt options if you really need to squeeze a cheap guy in there. I wouldn't touch anyone from BC with your bankroll let alone my own.
Game Preview
Now we're talking, Nebraska vs. Southern Cal. This game has the making to be the best of the day. Cody Kessler took a huge step forward this year in his passing game and has been totally crushing it over the past month or so. He finished the year with 36 passing touchdowns to only 4 interceptions. Buck Allen hasn't had to do much because of Kessler's success, but don't be fooled that dude can boogie. Nebraska has a pretty tough defense ranking 26th against the pass and 47th overall, but I'm not sure they will be able to slow down the Kessler to Agholor connection. Nebraska is a run first team and with Abdullah in the backfield USC will have to played disciplined defense or he will find the seam and boom, to the house he goes. Abdullah seemed to lull down the stretch so hopefully the lengthy rest will rejuvenate his battery. If the Cornhuskers cant get the run game going it will be a long miserable day for them.
Players to Watch
(USC) Cody Kessler, Javorius Allen, Nelson Agholor
(NEB) Tommy Armstrong, Ameer Abdullah
Fantasy Analysis
The money is tight, but man it just makes me uncomfortable to skip on Kessler and Agholor. Kessler can throw 5 touchdowns in the blink of an eye and Agholor is a matchup nightmare, but Nebraska has been tough against the pass. Its an interesting dilemma since in order to land Kessler/Agholor you will have to get creative with the rest of your lineup. I'm not really feeling anyone on the Nebraska side. Abdullah & Armstrong are fine GPP plays, but neither has been great over the past few games. Abdullah was dealing with a minor leg injury so its very plausible e just got a bit worn down and will be able to kick it into high gear Saturday night.
If you want to see how these plays and some others fit into cash game and GPP lineups for Saturday 12/27 you can purchase a CFB pack that includes:
4 Saturday FD Lineups
3 Saturday DK Lineups
for $3 by clicking the PayPal button below. This service is separate from our NFL and NBA projection systems.
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