Penn State vs. Clemson
- Point-Spread: Clem -3.5
- O/U Total: 48.5
- Implied Score: Clem 26 – PSU 22.5
- Weather: 35 degrees / 61% rain / 10 mph winds
Penn State:
Top Play(s) – ***RB Kaytron Allen ($7,700) Allen being listed as our top play comes with the biggest asterisk that you could ask for as there’s very little incentive for the senior running back, with an NFL future, to play in this meaningless game. Interim HC Terry Smith has already hinted at some Penn State players playing only limited reps in the game. Allen is only to be considered if there’s some confirmation before Saturday that he’ll play the entire game.
Fade – QB Ethan Grunkemeyer ($7,300) There’s enough eligible options on the slate to not consider a quarterback that failed to score more than 14 fantasy points in any of his four starts this season.
Bargain Bin – RB Corey Smith ($4,000) No Penn State running back outside of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen carried the rock during B1G play, so it’s difficult to decipher which underclassmen running back would get the starting nod if Allen were to opt out. Smith was the first name out of Terry Smith’s mouth when discussing the running back position to the media last week, and On3 mentioned that “it appears Smith will be the first one up. How the carries shake out from there is anyone’s guess.” Clemson will be without 7 of its top 12 defensive players based on snap counts in this game, many of which from the front seven.
Pivot Play – WR Koby Howard ($3,200) Longshot dart throw play because it sounds like all three starting receivers for PSU are expected to suit up Saturday. That said, both On3 and 247Sports spotlighted Howard as another player to watch, as the new coaching staff should make it a priority to keep the freshman in the fold. Howard had just five catches this season but averaged just under 20 YPC.
Best of the Rest – TE Andrew Rappleyea ($3,200) Rappleyea caught a pair of touchdowns in the final two games of the regular season, including a season-best 75 yards in the finale vs. Rutgers. Clemson allowed over 11 FPPG to tight ends this season, and we’d prioritize Rappleyea for our lineups over any Penn State wideout.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – RB Nick Singleton (out)
Clemson:
Top Play(s) – A Clemson WR. The Clemson passing game should look relatively normal on Saturday with most of the components expected to play. WR TJ Moore ($4,800) will serve as the team’s WR1 with Antonio Williams declaring for the NFL and Bryant Wesco remaining out due to injury. WR Tyler Brown ($3,400) will start in place of Williams in the slot, where he filled in during Week’s 2-3 earlier in the year when Williams was nursing an injury. Brown was targeted seven times in those two games, compiling six catches for 52 yards. Nothing about that jumps off the page but could do a lot worse for a WR at $3.4k that now has 76 career receptions under his belt. WR Tristan Smith ($3,900) will likely start with Cole Turner announced out on Friday. All three Clemson WRs are playable.
Bargain Bin – TE Christian Bentancur ($3,600) Strong close to the year for the 4-star redshirt freshman with 17 combined fantasy points in the last two games. He’ll start again most likely with Olsen Patt-Henry out due to injury.
Pivot Play – QB Cade Klubnik ($8,400) At this stage in the year, even on a 7-game slate, we’re looking for certainty with our lineups, and there are several QB situations that remain up in the air as of mid-week. Clemson is not one of those. Penn State allowed just around 20 FPPG to quarterbacks this season and were torched in the season finale by Athan Kaliakmanis for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Penn State will be without its defensive coordinator who took the same job at Tennessee and will be without multiple starters due to opt outs.
Best of the Rest – RB Adam Randall ($6,100) Teams can run on Penn State, as the Nittany Lions finished 93rd in rush D success rate, 69th in explosive run plays allowed, 68th in stuff rate and 13th in the B1G in yards allowed on the ground. What’s unknown currently is how Clemson plans to divvy up carries between Randall and prized freshman RB Gideon Davidson ($4,200). Dabo could give Randall a heavy workload as he did against South Carolina in Week 14 with 24 rushing attempts, or do we see a 50-50 split with the coaching staff looking to the future? Both should be considered.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – WR Antonio Williams (out), WR Bryant Wesco (out), TE Olsen Patt-Henry (out), WR Cole Turner (out)
Connecticut vs. Army
- Point-Spread: Army -8.5
- O/U Total: 44.5
- Implied Score: Army 26.5 – UConn 18
- Weather: 31 degrees / 36% rain / 8 mph winds
Connecticut:
Top Play(s) – WR Skyler Bell ($7,900) Another asterisk for a star player on the slate. Bell committed to the Senior Bowl already, so it was thought that he might skip out on the game considering a makeshift coaching staff and to protect his future. As of Tuesday writing this, though, Bell plans to play this weekend and is trying to convince other Huskies already in the portal to play too. Bell finished the year as the No. 1 fantasy wide receiver in all of college football, ranking third in the country in targets (141), second in receptions (102), second in receiving yards (1,282) and second in touchdowns (13). Playable against any opponent.
Fade – QB. Murky situation here. Joe Fagnano is in the portal – we are projecting him out at the moment unless his teammates convince him to play. QB Nick Evers, our projected currently, is a transfer portal candidate which could alter his availability. If both are out, UConn could be down to its 4th stringer. No thanks. Army allowed just 17 FPPG to quarterbacks this season.
Bargain Bin – TE Louis Hansen ($3,600) The former Michigan transfer went six games this season without recording a single catch but left his best for last with 7-86-0 on eight targets in the finale vs. Florida Atlantic. Hansen is the full-time starter at tight end Saturday with Juice Vereen hitting the portal this week.
Pivot Play – RB Cam Edwards ($6,200) Edwards hit the portal after the coaching change but confirmed he will play on Saturday. That could change between now and then but operating under the information we have. And Edwards could be in for a full dosage of rushing attempts, with UConn’s RB2, RB3 and RB4 in the transfer portal. Army ranked 88th in rush D success rate and 111th in stuff rate but did finished 15th in explosive run plays allowed which is Edwards’ bread and butter. Good play but need confirmation he’s full go.
Best of the Rest – WRs. Probably won’t consider any WRs outside of Bell, unless we get surprise news that he’s out or Fagnano is in. WR Reymello Murphy ($4,000) and WR Shamar Porter ($3,200) will be the two starters running alongside Bell. Army did not allow a single 100-yard receiver all season long, fwiw.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – QB Joe Fagnano (out), RB Victor Rosa (portal), RB Mel Brown (portal), RB MJ Flowers (portal), TE Juice Vereen (portal), WR John Neider (doubtful)
Army:
Nothing to see here in terms of opt-out questions – that stuff doesn’t happen at places like Army or Navy when it comes to bowl games. And the DFS formula for Army is simple – either QB Cale Hellums ($8,200) or RB Noah Short ($5,000) …and that’s it. The Knights ranked No. 1 in the country in 2025 in run play rate at 86% with Hellums and Short combining for 58% of that rushing output.
UConn played Air Force earlier in the year, who run a similar style of offense to Army, and the Falcons rolled up 290 yards on the ground in that matchup, though they were limited to just 16 points in the game. In fairness, Air Force did lose their starting quarterback midway through the game which contributed to the outcome. There’s a good chance Hellums will be the quarterback I’ll have the most exposure to on the slate.
Georgia Tech vs. BYU
- Point-Spread: BYU -4.5
- O/U Total: 56.5
- Implied Score: BYU 30.5 – GT 26
- Weather: 76 degrees / 0% rain / 5 mph winds
Georgia Tech:
Top Play(s) – QB Haynes King ($9,000) King finished the season as QB10 in college fantasy football, scoring 20 or more fantasy points in 10 of 11 starts this season, and 27 or more fantasy points in nine of those contests. BYU allowed just 15 FPPG to quarterbacks during the regular season but slumped down the stretch, giving up 20+ fantasy points to UCF’s Tayven Jackson, and then were obliterated in the B12 championship vs. Texas Tech. King has thrived in his two bowl games with Georgia Tech, combining for six total touchdowns. King should not be short on motivation with this being his final collegiate game.
Fade – RB Jamal Haynes ($5,200) Haynes struggled for much of the year, averaging just over four yards a carry, with his numbers declining all over the board. BYU allowed a combined 21 FPPG to opposing backfields this season, and there will be a three-way split for carries between King, Haynes and backup Malachi Hosley. Bad matchup and committee are not words you want to see in the same sentence.
Best of the Rest – WRs. No reason to force a Georgia Tech wideout in any lineup, given the Yellow Jackets are just 94th in pass play rate, but the rotation will be condensed with Isiah Canion considered doubtful according to HC Brent Key. WR Eric Rivers ($5,100) and WR Malik Rutherford ($4,600) should command the majority share of the targets, with WR Dean Patterson ($3,400) filling in as Canion’s replacement on the outside. There’s no pattern of boundary or slot receivers having majority success against this BYU defensive scheme.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – WR Isiah Canion (doubtful)
BYU:
Top Play(s) – WR Parker Kingston ($6,200) or WR Chase Roberts ($5,500) Expecting a more pass-heavy script from the Cougars than we were accustomed to seeing during the regular season, with BYU’s top two running backs out, along with a potentially hobbled Bear Bachmeier. Kingston and Roberts dominated the target share for much of the year at 49%, with 58% of the receiving production and 10 of the 14 touchdowns. I’ll have at least one BYU receiver in each lineup I construct.
Bargain Bin – RB Enoch Nawahine ($4,000) Massive risk here given Nawahine has just 15 rushing attempts on the season and just 62 rushing attempts over a four-year college career. But teams have run all over Georgia Tech in the second half of the year, ranked 15th in the ACC in yards allowed on the ground with 10 rushing TDs given up over the last four games in the regular season. The depth chart sans LJ Martin and Sione Moa has Nawahine listed with an OR designation, so there’s no guarantee gets the start either. Will be monitoring pregame reports to see who is lining up primarily with Bachmeier in the backfield.
Pivot Play – QB Bear Bachmeier ($8,700) Projection is solid, and the matchup is great, with Georgia Tech giving up over 23 FPPG to quarterbacks in the regular season. QBs were scoring about 22% more fantasy points in their matchups against Georgia Tech than their seasonal average. The concern is how healthy Bachmeier is, after suffering a foot injury in the B12 title game vs. Texas Tech which severely limited his mobility. Rumor was Bachmeier was in a boot the week after the game. Pregame status need monitoring before rolling out Bachmeier in lineups.
Best of the Rest – TE Carsen Ryan ($3,800) Ryan finished third on the team in targets (49), receptions (37), and was one of just four players on the entire BYU team to record a receiving touchdown in 2025. Ryan barely leaves the field, playing over 85% of the team’s offensive snaps. Georgia Tech allowed nearly 12 FPPG to tight ends this season, one of the higher numbers on the slate.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – RB LJ Martin (out), RB Sione Moa (out)
Miami (Ohio) vs. Fresno State
- Point-Spread: Fres -5.5
- O/U Total: 42.5
- Implied Score: Fres 24 – MOH 18.5
- Weather: 66 degrees / 10% rain / 6 mph winds
Miami (OH)
Top Play(s) – RB Jordan Brunson ($4,900) Snoozer of a bowl game if you like offense and high-end fantasy production. It won’t be easy sledding for the Miami (Ohio) run game, but there’s a shot at which Brunson gets some traction on the ground. Fresno State finished the year 3rd in the Mountain West in yards allowed on the ground but ranked just 73rd in rush D success rate and gave up 23 FPPG to opposing backfields. Miami (Ohio) had one of the better run blocking groups in the MAC, ranked 39th in line yards.
Fade – QBs. Freshman Tommy Gotkowski will likely start, just as he did over the final month when Dequan Finn quit the program. Are we confident that Gotkowski plays the entire game? Not if the MAC championship was any indication, getting benched halfway through for backup Henry Hesson. Fresno State allowed just 16 FPPG to quarterbacks this season.
Bargain Bin – WR Keith Reynolds ($3,800) or WR Braylon Isom ($3,200) Reynolds is a former Washington transfer who finished third on the team in targets (51) and receptions (35) and did have a 120-yard performance early in the year at Rutgers. Isom scored 2 touchdowns in the season finale vs. Ball State and will start in place of Kam Perry on the outside. Isom slides into Perry’s role as the team’s deep threat with a 15.9-yard aDOT as a freshman. Expect to see a shot play or two against a Fresno secondary that was 93rd in explosive pass plays allowed.
Best of the Rest – WR Cole Weaver ($4,600) Weaver will function as the team’s WR1, and was heavily-targeted in the second half of the season, averaging 5.2 catches on 8.2 targets over his last six games. Limit one Miami (Ohio) receiver per lineup.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – WR Kam Perry (portal)
Fresno State:
Top Play(s) – n/a. Fresno State is one of the least appealing teams for fantasy purposes in all of college football. A non-running quarterback, a full-fledged running back by committee and a leading receiver that had fewer than 500 receiving yards this season. Do not feel required to have any exposure to the Fresno State offense on a 7-game slate like this.
Fade – QB EJ Warner ($7,800) Bet the over on EJ Warner’s 0.5 interception prop. Warner has tossed 48 combined interceptions in his four-year collegiate career, facing a Miami (Ohio) secondary that led the MAC in interceptions.
Bargain Bin – WRs Not Named Josiah Freeman. See below for quotes on Freeman’s availability for Saturday. If Freeman were to not play or be limited, the starting trio would comprise of WR Ezekiel Avit ($3,600), WR Jahlil McClain ($3,900) and highly touted freshman WR Harold Duvall ($3,000), who is reportedly “having a great month of practice and would be well-positioned to fill those (Freeman’s) reps.” Miami (Ohio) allowed 44 combined FPPG to opposing team’s WRs, so having some exposure to one of the Fresno State wideouts makes some sense.
Pivot Play – RBs. Rayshon Luke is expected to return for 2026, but his availability for Saturday is in question according to Fresno State’s 247 beat writer. Per the update, “the combination of Bryson Donelson, Brandon Ramirez, Elijah Gilliam and Johnathan Arceneaux may all be deployed if Luke is still not a full go. RB Bryson Donelson ($5,100) would be the preferred option of the bunch, leading the Bulldogs in rushing attempts, despite failing to live up to his offseason expectations. But again, having a Fresno back in a lineup is not required, with the Miami (Ohio) defense allowing just 20 combined FPPG to opposing backfields this season.
Best of the Rest – WR Josiah Freeman ($5,700) Quote from the same 247Sports article – “I’m hearing the efforts for Josiah Freeman to get an extra year of eligibility are looking promising. It’s not necessarily a given that he’d spend that year here, but Freeman is still practicing with the team and is expected to suit up for the Arizona Bowl. Whether he plans to try for the NFL Draft, come back, or transfer, Freeman’s availability may not mean he plays the full game as usual.”
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – RB Rayshon Luke (questionable), WR Josiah Freeman (questionable)
North Texas vs. San Diego State
- Point-Spread: UNT -3
- O/U Total: 54
- Implied Score: UNT 28.5 – SDSU 25.5
- Weather: 54 degrees / 8% rain / 9 mph winds
North Texas:
Top Play(s) – A North Texas WR. Be ready to pivot on Saturday with incoming news as to who is playing and not on the North Texas side with several opt-out candidates. WR Wyatt Young ($7,100) finished the year as WR9 in college fantasy football, while ranked 3rd in the nation in receiving yards (1,209) and 11th in touchdowns (10). He’s an opt-out candidate, though, with three years of eligibility remaining. WR Cameron Dorner ($4,800) is the likeliest starter to play as he is out of eligibility after this year and has shown enough to warrant being on an NFL roster next year with 845 yards and six TDs. WR Landon Sides ($3,300) WR Miles Coleman ($3,900) and WR Terrence Lewis ($3,100) comprised the primary five-man rotation at receiver North Texas deployed in the second half of the year. Whether it’s Mestemaker or Poffenbarger at QB, we don’t anticipate the offense changing drastically with the offensive staff still in place, aside from HC Eric Morris.
Bargain Bin – TE Tre Williams ($3,700) Williams finished the year fourth on the team in routes run, playing over 85% of the team’s offensive snaps, and third behind only Young and Dorner with five receiving touchdowns. Williams barely left the field in the last three games, playing 98% of the team’s snaps.
Pivot Play – QB Drew Mestemaker ($4,500) and / Or RB Caleb Hawkins ($9,500) Well if this isn’t bowl szn at its finest for CFB DFS with the nation’s leading passer being min priced. We’d be very cautious here because Mestemaker is one of several opt out candidates, as he’s getting a BAG this offseason from some P4 school. That said, as of Tuesday Mestemaker was still practicing with the team. So, this will be a gameday decision for Mestemaker and DFS players alike. Should Mestemaker sit, QB Reese Poffenbarger ($6,900) would get the starting nod, and likely not a significant downgrade either. Remember this past offseason when it was a neck-and-neck battle for QB1 between the two? San Diego State allowed just 12 FPPG to quarterbacks this season.
As for Hawkins, it was confirmed Friday that the RB1 is healthy and “ready to go” for the bowl game. Does that mean he plays his full allotment of snaps? No way to predict. (1) He’s getting PAID this offseason from a P4 school. (2) Hawkins left the conference title game and was seen in a boot on the sidelines in the second half. RB Ashton Gray ($4,200) or RB Kiefer Sibley ($4,000) would start in Hawkins’ place if we see a gameday surprise, facing a SDSU defense that excelled against the run, ranking 8th in success rate, 25th in limiting explosive run plays and 26th in EPA.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – Watch for all the soon-to-be Oklahoma State players for potential opt outs.
San Diego State:
Top Play(s) – RB Lucky Sutton ($5,700) Sutton was the San Diego State offense in 2025, finishing the year with 1,237 yards and 10 touchdowns, while ranking ninth in attempts per game at 19.92. North Texas finished dead last in the American in yards allowed per game on the ground, 126th in stuff rate, 124th in rush D success rate and 10 rushing touchdowns in its last five games.
Fade – QB Bert Emanuel Jr. ($7,200) Long-time CFB DFS players are very familiar with Emanuel, a former Central Michigan transfer that is a running back disguised as a quarterback. Admittedly, there’s extreme upside for a player that has rushed for 293 yards in a game previously, back in 2022 as a freshman. We also can’t advise playing a “quarterback” that was a backup to a player in Jayden Denegal that did not throw for more than 200 yards in any of his final six games in the regular season.
Pivot Play – RB Christian Washington ($4,200) The former Coastal Carolina transfer ran for 70+ yards in each of this last three games, and we expect a very run-heavy script from the Aztecs given who is at quarterback.
Best of the Rest – WR Donovan Brown ($3,900) Brown filled in admirably for the injured Jordan Napier with 60 or more receiving yards in three of his last four games. While a run-heavy script is anticipated, Brown doesn’t necessarily require volume, averaging 16 YPC with a 15.5-yard aDOT. Limit one SDSU receiver per lineup because there’s a realistic chance the Aztecs don’t throw for more than 100 yards on Saturday. WR Jaylon Hawkins ($3,000) would be the only other possible option for SDSU as he was targeted 10 times over the last two games.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – QB Jayden Denegal (out), WR Jordan Napier (out), WR Jacob Bostick (out)
Virginia vs. Missouri
- Point-Spread: Mizzou -4
- O/U Total: 45
- Implied Score: Mizzou 24.5 – UVA 20.5
- Weather: 68 degrees / 0% rain / 5 mph winds
Virginia:
Fade – QB Chandler Morris ($8,000) Expecting a mostly full roster on the Missouri side, with the previously-reported opt outs on the offensive side for the Tigers. That means Morris faces a defense that allowed just 16 FPPG to quarterbacks in the regular season, were 15th in EPA per pass play and 12th in pass D success rate. Not to mention Morris potentially playing without his two best offensive playmakers.
Bargain Bin – WR Eli Wood ($3,300) Virginia benefitted for much of the year by not incurring many injuries at wide receiver but will potentially be without Trell Harris who left the ACC title game early due to injury. Wood, a 6-foot-1 redshirt sophomore stepped in vs. Duke and caught three passes and a touchdown on five targets.
Pivot Play – WR Cam Ross ($4,600) or WR Jahmal Edrine ($4,100) Edrine’s production tapered off towards the end of the season but ranked third on the team in targets (66), receptions (42) and was first among all UVA pass-catchers in routes run. Ross ranked second on the team in every receiving category, and both will benefit should Trell Harris miss the contest. Three of the last four leading receivers to face Missouri this season played in the slot, where Ross lines up 87% of the time.
Best of the Rest – RB Harrison Waylee ($4,100) The reports as of Friday morning are still up in the air as to whether or not J’Mari Taylor will participate Saturday with an NFL career likely in his future. Waylee, the former NIU and Wyoming transfer, would start in Taylor’s place should he opt-out of the game, and has been more integral in the offense of late anyways with double-digit rushing attempts in each of his last three games. Waylee is playable if Taylor is out, but the matchup isn’t overly enticing with Missouri ranked 11th in rush D success rate, allowing only 16 FPPG to opposing backfields.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – WR Trell Harris (questionable), RB J’Mari Taylor (questionable)
Missouri:
Top Play(s) – RB Ahmad Hardy ($6,900) 95% of your lineup builds should include Hardy who has confirmed he will return to the Tigers in 2026. Hardy is 143 yards shy of the single-season school rushing record held by Devin West from 1998. High-level numbers show the UVA defense ranked 21st nationally in yards allowed on the ground. Dig a little deeper and the Hoos are 85th in EPA per run play and 61st in stuff rate. Teams can run on Virginia, especially a top five back in the country.
Fade – QB Matt Zollers ($6,800) Non-running freshman quarterback facing a defense that allowed just 16 FPPG to QBs during the regular season. We’d be surprised if the Missouri staff allows Zollers to throw the ball more than 20 times. On 77 attempts this season, Zollers averaged just 5.7 yards per attempt with one big time throw according to PFF.
Bargain Bin – WR Donovan Olugbode ($3,700) See Marquis Johnson and Josh Manning entering the portal? That’s a direct result of the emergence of 4-star freshman Donovan Olgubode, who saw his playing time increase in the month of November, on the field over 73% of the time in the last four games. There’s a chance Olugbode is the WR1 for the Tigers on Saturday if we see a surprise opt-out from Kevin Coleman.
Pivot Play – RB Jamal Roberts ($4,800) We’re likely to see a *very* run-heavy script from the Tigers, particularly if they get an early first quarter lead just as Mizzou did in the Week 14 win over Arkansas where the team attempted just seven passes all game. Roberts has double-digit rushing attempts in three of his last four games. Roberts had 22 red zone rushing attempts in 2025.
Best of the Rest – WR Kevin Coleman ($4,900) Team leader in targets (80), catches (63), routes run and double the number of receptions as the next closest Missouri pass-catcher. Extreme risk rostering any Missouri receiver with the potential this game plays out as the Week 14 Arkansas matchup. Max one Missouri wideout per lineup.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – QB Beau Pribula (portal), WR Josh Manning (portal), WR Marquis Johnson (portal), TE Brett Norfleet (out)
LSU vs. Houston
- Point-Spread: Hou -3
- O/U Total: 41
- Implied Score: Hou 22 – LSU 19
- Weather: Dome
LSU:
Fade – QB Michael Van Buren ($7,500) MVB failed to impress as a starter in the final three games, combining to completed just 60% of his throws and three combined touchdowns. And that was not against a murderer’s row either, facing a G5 opponent and the worst scoring defense in the SEC in Arkansas. Houston allowed just 15 FPPG to opposing QBs this season, and this is probably Van Buren’s last start as a Tiger with Lane Kiffin likely bringing in a transfer this offseason.
Bargain Bin – WR Chris Hilton ($3,000) Hilton was arguably the biggest bust in all of college fantasy football, projected by some to be LSU’s WR1, but wound up with just 55 yards on seven catches for the season. It’s very possible that Hilton is a complete non-factor again on Saturday just as he’s been all year. But the little birdie in the back of my head continues to say, “go look back at what Hilton has done in previous bowl games.” 53 yards and a touchdown in 2023 vs. Wisconsin. 113 yards and a touchdown vs. Baylor last season. He’s going for 20 fantasy points or 0 points on Saturday, no in-between.
Pivot Play – TE Trey’Dez Green ($5,200) Green was one of the few bright spots on the LSU offense, scoring a team-high five receiving touchdowns in his sophomore season. Houston struggled some at defending tight ends this season, allowing 6-80-0 to UCF’s Dylan Wade and 4-55-1 to Arizona State’s Chamon Metayer.
Best of the Rest – RB Harlem Berry ($4,800) or RB Caden Durham ($4,400) Interesting spot for both Berry and Durham heading into this matchup. Are they looking to put on tape for incoming head coach Lane Kiffin, vying for a role as the Tigers’ RB1 for 2026? Or is this a showcase for other head coaches around the country, with the likeliest scenario being Kewan Lacy following his HC and OC to Baton Rouge? Either way, LSU should be able to run some on Houston which ranks just 107th in rush D success rate and 65th in stuff rate.
Starting WR trio should comprise of WR Zavion Thomas ($4,200), WR Barion Brown ($4,700) and WR Kyle Parker ($3,600). Parker played well in relief of Aaron Anderson in the slot earlier in the year when he was out with injury, including 75 yards and a TD vs. South Carolina in Week 7. No LSU receiver averaged more than 11 FPPG this season, so there’s no need to jam any of this group in a lineup.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – QB Garrett Nussmeier (out), WR Aaron Anderson (out), WR Nic Anderson (out)
Houston:
Top Play(s) – WR Amare Thomas ($6,300) The UAB transfer made a smooth transition to the P4 level, finishing the regular season as the team leader with 906 yards and 10 touchdowns on 89 targets. When asked what Thomas wants for Christmas by the media, the WR1 said, “96 yards so I can get to 1,000.” We know LSU will be down at least one starting cornerback, if not more when it comes time for kickoff.
Bargain Bin – WR Koby Young ($3,000) or WR Harvey Broussard ($3,200) WR2 and WR3, respectively, since the season-ending injury to Stephon Johnson back in October. Neither has made much of an impact but are on the field quite a bit. Young has played over 81% of the team’s offensive snaps over the last five games.
Pivot Play – TE Tanner Koziol ($5,000) Koziol finished first on the team in receptions (65), second in targets (83 and second in yards (651). Between Koziol and Thomas, the duo combined for 15 of the 22 receiving touchdowns, 60% of the team’s receiving production and 54% of the target share. LSU allowed close to 11 FPPG to tight ends this season, the second highest number on the slate. Koziol is playable with Thomas or without, given Houston’s target funnel in the passing game.
Best of the Rest – QB Conner Weigman ($8,500) I have Weigman as my QB3 on the slate behind Haynes King and Cale Hellums. The projection is strong, but LSU was stout defensively in 2025 despite the down year, allowing just 16 FPPG to quarterbacks in the regular season. RB Dean Connors ($5,600) was strong down the stretch, scoring 16+ fantasy points in each of his last three games. LSU will be without each of its starting linebackers on Saturday which could open up the run game. Connors is also a factor as a receiver out of the backfield, with two or more receptions in all but one game this season.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – n/a
Mike’s DK Core Four:
- QB Cale Hellums, Army
- RB Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
- RB Lucky Sutton, San Diego State
- QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Mike’s FD Core Four:
- QB Cale Hellums, Army
- RB Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
- RB Lucky Sutton, San Diego State
- QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech
