CFB DFS: Week 8 Thursday & Friday Slates (Preview)

 

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Virginia vs. Georgia Tech

Point-Spread: G-Tech -3.5

O/U Total: 45.5

Implied Score: G-Tech 24.5 – UVA 21

Weather: 58 degrees / 0% rain / 6 mph winds

 

Georgia Tech:

 

Top Play(s) – RB Hassan Hall ($5,200) Funny what occurs when coaching changes happen. You get a sense of how certain players were viewed. Hall has played in all six games but has taken over the starting job full-time since Geoff Collins was fired with 37 carries combined against both Duke and Pittsburgh – more than he had in the first four weeks. Total number of rushing attempts for running backs not named Hassan Hall in those two games? Five. Hall is the guy in the Tech backfield right now. 

 

Fade – WR E.J. Jenkins ($5,000) The former South Carolina transfer is second on the team in targets (23) and did play 54 of 76 offensive snaps in Week 6 against Duke. But it looks as though Leo Blackburn and Jenkins play the same spot on offense at the RWR designation, and we hit on why we like Blackburn moving forward here below. Only reason Jenkins is the highest-priced Tech receiver is his team-leading two receiving touchdowns.   

 

Bargain Bin – WR Leo Blackburn ($3,100) The 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman return from injury in Week 6 against Duke and made an immediate impact with 3-49-1 on five targets. Per the Georgia Tech beat writer, Blackburn “should be the go-to guy the remainder of the season.” Very interesting statement.  

 

Pivot Play – WR Nate McCollum ($4,900) If Hall weren’t the top play, it would be McCollum who is coming off a seasons-best 101 yards and a touchdown, converting on all eight of his targets. 22% target share isn’t a lot on the surface, but next closest receiver for Tech sits at just 13% so McCollum is pretty clearly the WR1.  

 

Best of the Rest – QB Jeff Sims ($6,200) Sims is considered day-to-day but would suspect he plays on Thursday as there really hasn’t been indication otherwise this week. The junior QB is coming off his best performance of the year against Duke with 227 passing yards and two scores, while also rushing for 90+ yards on the ground. That’s now consecutive games since Collins was fired that Sims accounted for double-digit carries as a runner. As long as we get a clear bill of health, Sims is likely to be in my lineups, facing a UVA defense that just gave up 30 fantasy points to the Louisville backup quarterback.  

 

Injury Notes – WR Malachi Carter ($4,400) Carter is also said to be day-to-day, but listed on the team’s game week depth chart. His status is not nearly as important as Sims. Carter might now be the 4th or 5th option in the passing game.  

 

Virginia:

 

Top Play(s) – WR Keytaon Thompson ($6,000) Thompson has been, quite literally, the only good thing about the Virginia offense this season. Double-digit targets in each of the last four games. Four or more catches in all six games. 

 

Fade – RB Perris Jones ($6,100) I do not care that Georgia Tech is 13th in the ACC in rush defense and 114th in rush play success rate. Jones’ opportunities have been decreasing with every passing week, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the staff get an extended look at freshman Xavier Brown ($3,400) coming out of the bye week.   

 

Bargain Bin – Sackett Wood Jr. ($3,000) All five of Wood’s targets have come in the last two games. Georgia Tech is allowing 7.0 FPPG to opposing TE1s on the season.  

 

Pivot Play – QB Brennan Armstrong ($7,000) UVA has scored just 17 points in each of the last two games, yet Armstrong has averaged 20 FPPG in both contests. Far from what we expected of Armstrong, but is that good enough for this two-gamer? Georgia Tech is giving up just over 20 FPPG to opposing QB1s on the year, and Armstrong is still averaging double-digit rushing attempts per game. Maybe the team figured a few things out during the bye that will lead to improvement? Grasping at straws here…

 

Best of the Rest – WR Dontayvian Wicks ($5,600) Hey, maybe the Louisville game was a jumpstart to a rebound in the second half of the year after finding the end-zone for the FIRST TIME ALL SEASON. Even if you thought there was significant regression incoming for the UVA offense, you wouldn’t have predicted Wicks’ first TD coming in Week 6. Wicks is still tied for the team lead in target, averaging 10 a game, though his conversion rate (41.7%) and drops (8) are still dreadful. The biggest detriment to both Wicks and Lavel Davis ($5,100) this week is the Georgia Tech secondary which has been surprisingly good. Tech is 11th in suppressing explosiveness in the passing game and have allowed the second-fewest FPPG to opposing WR1s in the entire country. Wicks and Davis make their bread and butter down the field where Georgia Tech’s strength is. 

 

Injury Notes – WR Billy Kemp ($3,500) The senior slot receiver is expected back this week, though was still in a green non-contact jersey as of Monday. I will not be considering Kemp at all this week, but my instant reaction is how, if at all, does this effect Keytaon Thompson with both players operating in the slot. 

 

 

 

 

To gain access to all of theCFFsite’s exclusive DFS content, as well as Weekly Player Projections, click here to see membership options for the 2022 season.

 

If you are a Heisman Member of theCFFsite, click here to view full article.

 

 

 

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