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Arkansas vs. Memphis
- Point-Spread: Ark – 6.5
- O/U Total: 62.5
- Implied Score: Ark 34.5 – Mem 28
- Weather: 83 degrees / 19% rain / 5 mph winds
Arkansas:
Top Play(s) – QB Taylen Green ($8,400) Last week quelled some concerns about how Taylen Green would fair once he got into SEC play, where he failed last season in college fantasy, averaging just 18 points per game. 39 fantasy points scored vs. Ole Miss and now gets a matchup against a G5 opponent that will be able to keep up with the Razorbacks on the scoreboard. Green is arguably the top play on the slate.
Fade – RB Braylen Russell ($5,400) Funny how things workout in college football. In the offseason we had an RB battle between a 4-star recruit in Russell against a Buffalo and New Mexico State transfer in RB Mike Washington ($6,900). It feels like currently that would heavily favor Russell being the incumbent and former highly touted recruit. Instead, Washington has a stranglehold on the RB1 job, with his YPC average being double the amount of Russell (4.1). Russell would only be in play here in a blowout scenario, which this is not. Memphis has been stout against the run the last two weeks, limiting Georgia State and Troy to under two yards a carry.
Bargain Bin – WR Jalen Brown ($3,100) I thought this Arkansas WR room would be a mess after bringing in a billion transfers in the offseason. It turns out we have a fairly condensed room so far, especially on the boundary where Brown starts opposite WR O’Mega Blake ($6,200). Brown is second behind Blake in most receiving categories and was targeted a team-high eight times vs. Ole Miss last week. Argument could be made he’s the better bang for your buck option among the two.
Pivot Play – WR CJ Brown ($3,900) CJ Brown would be the third option among the Razorback receivers, as we’re seeing more of a split in the slot where Raylen Sharpe is also rotating in. Brown is third in targets (13) and receptions (9). The other Brown (Jalen) and Blake are the priority options among Arkansas pass-catchers.
Best of the Rest – WR O’Mega Blake ($6,200) Blake won’t see the target share that Andrew Armstrong did a year ago, as the Razorbacks have more options in 2025, but Blake is the clear and obvious WR1 with close to 30% of the team’s receiving yardage so far. Memphis’ secondary has allowed 15 receptions the last two weeks to opposing WR1s, though game script did play a factor with the Tigers dominating both Troy and Georgia State.
Injury Notes – n/a
Memphis:
Top Play(s) – RB Sutton Smith ($6,600) Assuming Greg Desrosiers is out again this week, Smith should continue getting the bulk of the work on Saturday, coming off his best performance of the year with 113 yards and a touchdown vs. Troy. The high-level numbers aren’t that bad, but advanced stats paint a different picture, with Arkansas ranked 121st in rush D success rate. Memphis has run the ball far more in 2025.
Fade – WR Marcello Bussey ($3,400) Bussey was fourth among Memphis receivers in playing time vs. Troy last week and has seen his snap counts decrease since Week 1, while Cortez Braham’s playing time has gone the other way.
Bargain Bin – RB Makari Bodiford ($3,000) Remember Brandon Thomas? The guy that rushed for 35 touchdowns in the last four seasons as the team’s backup. Bodiford seems to be filling that role as the team’s running option inside the 20. Bodiford holds an 8-3 advantage in red zone attempts over Sutton Smith.
Pivot Play – QB Brendon Lewis ($7,700) We know the limitations with Lewis as a passer, but we’re expecting heavy utilization this week with his legs, especially given the Tigers will be down one running back in the backfield. The Razorbacks just allowed 62 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to the Ole Miss QB last weekend. The last two QBs to face Arkansas have each tallied 15 rushing attempts as well.
Best of the Rest – WR Cortez Braham ($3,500) Braham is the top target for the Tigers as he was brought over late in the transfer portal window from Nevada. Who else played at Nevada last year? Starting QB Brendon Lewis. Braham’s playing time has increased with each passing week as he’s further grasped the playbook. WR Jamari Hawkins ($3,200) is the second pass-catching option for Memphis, having converted on all 10 of his targets to start the season. Limit to one Memphis pass-catcher per lineup with Lewis’ limitations as a passer.
Injury Notes – RB Greg Desrosiers Jr. (Questionable), WR CJ Smith (Questionable)
SMU vs. TCU
- Point-Spread: TCU -7
- O/U Total: 64
- Implied Score: TCU 35.5 – SMU 28.5
- Weather: 82 degrees / 16% rain / 5 mph winds
SMU:
Top Play(s) – WR Romello Brinson ($4,100) I know Brinson wasn’t a huge factor in SMU’s Week 3 win over Missouri State, but DraftKings did see what the senior wideout did the first two weeks right? Brinson is tied for the team lead in targets (18) and leads the team by himself in all other receiving categories. Expect Brinson to have one of the highest ownerships on the slate at this cost. The one cause for concern is the return of WR Jordan Hudson ($3,400) who is expected back this week from injury. Do we see the SMU receiver situation of the last couple years where nobody was fantasy relevant in the room?
Fade – RB Derrick McFall ($4,000) McFall was at one point the leader in the clubhouse to be the Mustangs’ RB1. Now, the receiver turned running back is more of a gadget option, being utilized as a runner and receiver on reverses, screens, etc. That kind of role is not enticing at $4k.
Bargain Bin – WR Jalen Cooper ($3,700) or WR Yamir Knight ($3,100) Very interested to see how the dynamic of the WR room changes, if at all, with Hudson back in the lineup. Does Cooper shift inside into the slot? Does it remain status quo? Does Knight build off last week’s performance where he caught a season-high 66 yards on six targets? Will we see a big rotation like we have in the last few seasons with SMU? All SMU receiver options are cheap enough, and there will be enough points scored Saturday that all are options most likely.
Pivot Play – RB TJ Harden ($5,500) The thought from some all offseason was that this would be a committee and SMU would not have Brashard Smith-like option in 2025. Maybe not to that level, but Harden is the clear RB1 in the room with five rushing touchdowns on 34 attempts combined in the last two games. Can’t be the price-point here either.
Best of the Rest – QB Kevin Jennings ($7,900) SMU was off last week against Missouri State, including Jennings who threw for 281 yards and just one touchdown against a below-average defense. This should be a bounce back opportunity against a TCU secondary that was lit up last week by Abilene Christian to the tune of 276 yards and two scores. Small sample size with just two games played but the Horned Frogs are already 112th in pass D success rate. Game stack potential here with cheap salaries and high game total.
Injury Notes – n/a
TCU:
Top Play(s) – QB Josh Hoover ($8,200) Taylen Green and Josh Hoover is likely to be the QB combination I have the most exposure to on Saturday. The junior QB is ninth in the country in yards per game through the air (310 YPG), facing a secondary that is 95th in pass D success rate.
Fade – RB Jeremy Payne ($4,100) Kevorian Barnes did not practice on Tuesday. Your guess is as good as mine as to who would get first cracks at carries should he miss Saturday’s contest with as many as four options vying for the spot. Redshirt freshman Nate Palmer is second on the team in rushing yards, and Trent Battle has two touchdowns to lead the team – both of whom are cheaper than Payne.
Bargain Bin – WR Joseph Manjack ($3,000) Blatant pricing mistake for a player that is a starter on an Air Raid offense that just went for 100+ yards last week. Like Romello Brinson above, Manjack will be one of the highest owned players on the slate. If looking for a reason to potentially fade the crowd with Manjack, he shared the slot with highly touted freshman WR Ed Small ($3,000) who caught two touchdowns while converting on all six of his targets. Small got first-team action during fall practices and could be pushing for more playing time.
Pivot Play – WR Eric McAlister ($6,900) For those that drafted McAlister in college fantasy, it’s been a slow start, but not ready to push the panic button quite yet. If McAlister doesn’t get it done on Saturday, then we can ask those questions. Against North Carolina, coverage was shaded his way to where McAlister wouldn’t be a major factor. And then tough to judge a performance against an FCS school where the Horned Frogs are up multiple touchdowns the majority of the game. McAlister still leads TCU in routes run this season and has been on the field for almost every offensive snap.
Best of the Rest – WR Jordan Dwyer ($5,500) The far-and-away leader on the team in targets (17), receptions (14) and yardage (225). Because of the pricing of TCU receivers and the volume at which TCU throws the ball (52%), stacking multiple wideouts in a lineup is a feasible strategy. Just five TCU receivers saw targets in a blowout situation, which bodes well for a tight rotation in what should be a very competitive matchup.
Injury Notes – RB Kevorian Barnes (questionable)
Texas Tech vs. Utah
- Point-Spread: Utah -3.5
- O/U Total: 56.5
- Implied Score: Utah 30 – TT 26.5
- Weather: 69 degrees / 9% rain / 5 mph winds
Texas Tech:
Top Play(s) – TE Terrance Carter ($3,600) A ranked road matchup at a 10:15 am local start time against the No. 8 scoring defense in the country doesn’t scream fantasy success. Particularly when the production has been so spread out for Tech among the receivers and running backs. Carter gets the nod because he’s cheap, has the second most receiving yards on the team and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (3).
Fade – RB Cameron Dickey ($6,500) Sure, Dickey will probably get 12-15 carries in this game and could hit value with that projected volume. But he still doesn’t pass the eye test for me as a good running back, averaging a yard less per carry than RB J’Koby Williams. Utah is 26th in yards allowed per game on the ground through three weeks and 24th in rush D success rate.
Bargain Bin – WR Reggie Virgil ($4,500) The Miami (Ohio) transfer leads the team in targets (18), second in receptions (11), first in touchdowns (3) and second in routes run among Texas Tech pass-catchers.
Pivot Play – QB Behren Morton ($7,600) Morton is having an exceptional start to the season with 11 touchdowns and just one interception in three games, which is tied for most on the country. Morton is also second in the nation behind only USC’s Jayden Maiava in passer rating. Competition level does need to be considered as Tech has faced three cupcakes to begin the year. That said, anything Utah has done defensively against the pass can also be taken with a grain of salt too, as the Utes have dominated Cal Poly, Nico Iamaleava and Wyoming – also cupcakes.
Best of the Rest – RB J’Koby Williams ($5,800) Williams will split carries with Dickey, but what’s more intriguing with the sophomore back is the receiving usage the last two weeks with 10 receptions on 11 targets. Williams had 116 yards against Oregon State last week. WR Coy Eakin ($5,500) and WR Caleb Douglas ($5,800) are part of the three-man rotation at receiver that doesn’t have a true No. 1 between them. Truthfully a guessing game each week as to which Tech wideout is the preferred option, which diminishes their value.
Injury Notes – n/a
Utah:
Top Play(s) – WR Ryan Davis ($4,600) The New Mexico transfer has emerged as Devon Dampier’s top receiving options in the passing game with over 140 receiving yards and 16 receptions combined over the last two games. It should be of no surprise considering Davis and Dampier’s connection from last year where the slot receiver was second on the team in targets behind Luke Wysong.
Fade – RBs. I don’t see a path to either Wayshawn Parker or Naquari Rogers hitting value here for a multitude of reasons. For starters, they ain’t cheap. The Tech defense is second in the country in yards allowed on the ground and No. 2 in rush D success rate. And most importantly, the coaching staff seems intent on splitting the carries 50-50 so long as both are healthy and producing.
Bargain Bin – TE Hunter Andrews ($3,200) or TE Dallen Bentley ($3,200) The Utes can change offensive coordinators, but tight end usage will always be a thing so long as Kyle Whittingham is around. Andrews looks to be Brant Kuithe 2.0 with his usage in the run game with 12 attempts for 108 yards and a touchdown so far. Meanwhile, Bentley is second on the team in targets (14), catches (11), routes run, and first in touchdowns (2).
Pivot Play – QB Devon Dampier ($8,700) Put Dampier’s passing aside for now. In nine of Dampier’s last 10 games dating back to last year with New Mexico he’s had double-digit rushing attempts. In six of his last eight games to close the 2024 season Dampier had two or more rushing touchdowns. In two of three games in 2025, Dampier has accounted for 80 or more rushing yards. Gut feeling – Utah leans on their star quarterback in this highly-anticipated matchup with major CFP ramifications.
Best of the Rest – WR JJ Buchanan ($3,000) or WR Tobias Merriweather ($4,000) The Utah passing game has essentially been just Ryan Davis and the two tight ends to start the year. Buchanan and Merriweather are the second and third starters, respectively, but have combined for just 131 receiving yards and nine catches in three games.
Injury Notes – n/a
Syracuse vs. Clemson
- Point-Spread: Clem – 16.5
- O/U Total: 55.5
- Implied Score: Clem 36 – Syr 19.5
- Weather: 81 degrees / 3% rain / 4 mph winds
Syracuse:
Top Play(s) –
Heisman Members can view the full write-up here (click).
To access to all of theCFFsite’s DFS content, including Weekly Player Projections, become a Heisman member. Click here for membership options.
For one-week access to theCFFsite’s DFS content and Weekly Player Projections, select that option from the 2025 Membership Options.
