theCFFsite • DFS
CFB DFS: Week 1 – Saturday Main Slate
Matchup-by-matchup analysis with top plays, fades, pivots, bargain options, injury notes, and Mike’s Core Four.
★ Top Play↓ Fade↔ Pivot$ Bargain Bin+ Best of the Rest! Injury Notes
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IMPLIED SCORE
Aub 32.5 – Bay 26
WEATHER
95 degrees / 17% rain / 5 mph winds
Baylor
★Top Play(s) – WR Gavin Freeman ($4,500)
Freeman will be our top projected WR this week for the Bears after transferring over from Oklahoma State this offseason. In a recent 247Sports article on the Baylor site this week, the team’s beat writer predicted Freeman to be the team’s best receiver in 2026 with the consistency that he’s shown throughout fall camp. Baylor’s WR1 the last two seasons has averaged 7.5 targets per game with a combined 19 receiving touchdowns (Josh Cameron).
↓Fade – RB Caden Knighten ($4,500)
Fade Knighten as the RB2 behind Dawson Pendergrass who we expect to handle the bulk of the carries so long as he’s healthy. Pendergrass is a favorite of the coaching staff that averaged 15 FPPG in the final six games of 2024. The RB2 for Baylor should only receiver about 10 touches at max per contest.
↔Pivot Play – QB DJ Lagway ($6,500)
Last season, Baylor leaned heavily on the air attack, throwing at a 56% clip and ranked second nationally in pass attempts per game behind only Florida Atlantic. Do we see that again in 2026 with DJ Lagway now at quarterback? Projection is adequate for this pricing, and as a near touchdown underdog, the game script is favorable. As a mostly non-runner, if playing Lagway you should be pairing him with at least one Baylor WR.
$Bargain Bin – WR Louis Brown IV ($4,800)
While Freeman is the top projected WR this week, there’s still a non-zero chance that WR1 distinction is given to Brown who was added back to the roster after hitting the portal after last season. Brown has experience in the system having been with the team previously and will start outside on the boundary where the WR1 has been the last two seasons. Brown has over 1,200 yards in his college career.
+Best of the Rest – WR Dre’Lon Miller ($5,400)
We have Miller third in the WR pecking order, yet has the highest salary on DK. Where Miller could have an advantage this season is his established relationship with DJ Lagway having been high school friends coming from the state of Texas. Miller also has 144 career rushing yards and could get some opportunities in the backfield or on jet sweeps.
Auburn
★Top Play(s) – QB Byrum Brown ($7,800)
Brown has a very attainable salary for one of the most competitive and potentially higher scoring matchups on the slate. The USF transfer has been a top five fantasy quarterback in two of the last three seasons, with over 3,800 yards of total offense in both 2023 and 2025. His passing acumen may struggle to translate moving up a level to the P4, but we know what Brown offers on the ground, and will likely finish with 175+ rushing attempts should he stay healthy for all 12 games. No need to pair Brown with any receiver with his rushing abilities.
↓Fade – RB Omar Mabson ($5,500)
Mabson looked to be seizing control of the Auburn RB2 job early in fall camp but appears as though RB Bryson Washington ($4,900) has made up some ground in the competition late. This is also a revenge spot for Washington facing his former team, so would not surprise us to see the staff give Washington a few more reps on Saturday. The RB2, whether it be Mabson or Washington, is not overly valuable in this system regardless, averaging just eight touches per contest.
↔Pivot Play – RB Jeremiah Cobb ($6,000)
Cobb was one of only a few holdovers from the previous regime yet appears locked into the RB1 role after nearly rushing for 1,000 yards last season. While we expect Auburn to run the football with success against Baylor, the system does tend to favor a committee approach, averaging just 26% of the volume share between multiple running backs and the QB.
$Bargain Bin – WR DeShawn Spencer ($3,200)
Spencer was a priority dynasty stash this offseason as the true freshman was an early enrollee and immediately impressed with nine receptions for 93 yards in the team’s spring game, garnering MVP honors. That momentum carried into the fall where Spencer will be a chess piece behind the starting trio and will be moved around the offense.
+Best of the Rest – WRs.
The starting wide receivers will all be USF transplants in Chas Nimrod, Jeremiah Koger and Keshaun Singleton, with Nimrod being the most impressive of the bunch coming out of the spring. The WR1 under head coach Alex Golesh started in the slot in three of the last four seasons and might’ve been all four had Nimrod not been limited to just six games due to injury. Order of priority for me would be Nimrod <- Koger <- Singleton.
MEMBERS-ONLY ACCESS
theCFFsite’s
Heisman Members can view the
full article, and
Heisman/All-American Members can access the
Weekly Player Projections. Become an
All-American or Heisman Member for our exclusive members-only content and access to theCFFsite Discord, or access this week’s DFS write-up and Player Projections with a
one-week membership pass.
See 2026 membership options here.
