NCAAF

College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 10/24/19 Single-Game Slate

Matt Hiatt Oct 24th, 2019
Shane Buechele has a fantastic matchup on Thursday night. Which other players do we expect to have a good game?

Week 9 of the college football season kicks off Thursday night with a matchup between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and Houston Cougars.

For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.

MVP Consideration

Shane Buechele, SMU ($15,500) - Buechele has the led the Mustangs to their first top-25 ranking in 33 years. The junior signal caller is averaging 303.1 passing yards per game, which ranks seventh nationally. He's tossed at least two touchdown passes in each of the last six games. The prolific passer has a phenomenal matchup as the Mustangs take on the Houston Cougars Thursday night. Houston is ranked 124th in passing yards allowed (allowing nearly 300 yards passing per game). Buechele should have no issues lighting up the Cougars' pass defense that has given up at least two touchdown passes in six games this season.

Xavier Jones, SMU ($15,000) - The versatile running back has rushed for 751 yards and 12 touchdowns on 143 carries. He's also caught 11 passes for 52 yards. The senior has topped 105 yards rushing in three straight games. Jones has at least two touchdown in five games; he's scored at least one touchdown in all seven games this season. His 14 total touchdowns ranks third nationally.

James Proche, SMU ($14,000) - Proche has caught at least seven passes in all but one game this season. The ultra-productive wide receiver has at least one touchdown reception in six straight games. Proche's 10 receiving touchdowns ranks 11th nationally. The senior should have no problem exploiting Houston's porous secondary on Thursday night. Through seven games, the Cougars' pass defense has been hit up for 18 touchdowns.

Reggie Roberson, SMU ($12,500) - Roberson and teammate James Proche form an impressive receiving duo for the Mustangs. Roberson has at least four receptions in all seven games this season. He was unstoppable in last week's 45-21 win over Temple; the junior wide receiver caught 8 passes for 250 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. Roberson ranks fifth in the nation with an average of 113.6 yards receiving per game. He has six touchdown receptions through seven games.

Clayton Tune, Houston ($11,000) - Tune will be overshadowed by the SMU offensive stars and makes for a contrarian MVP on the single-game slate. The Cougars' signal caller has been dealing with a hamstring injury but is likely to start at quarterback this week. He missed last week's game with the Connecticut Huskies. In four career starts, the sophomore signal caller is averaging 198.5 passing yards, 33.5 rushing yards, and 2 total touchdowns per game (he started two games this season and two games in 2018). If you're rostering Tune, make sure he's active and didn't suffer any setbacks pre-game.

Value Plays

Marquez Stevenson, Houston ($10,500) - Stevenson burst onto the college football scene in 2018 by recording 75 receptions, 1,019 yards, and 11 total touchdowns. It's no surprise that the junior is the Cougars' leading wide receiver in 2019. Stevenson has 29 receptions, 445 yards receiving, and 4 touchdown receptions. Houston will need a big game from their electric playmaker if they have any hope of knocking off the 16th-ranked SMU Mustangs.

Bryson Smith, Houston ($10,000) - Smith started out this season as a reserve wide receiver. Due to two key offensive members taking redshirts early this season, Smith has seen his role change in recent weeks. The Cougars will line up the diminutive speedster all over the field. That includes lining up Smith in the backfield as a "wildcat" quarterback. In the Cougars' previous two games, Smith has amassed 56 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 14 carries. He's also thrown for 105 yards and a score.

Kyle Porter, Houston ($9,500) - Porter should operate as the Cougars' lead back with Patrick Carr (the starter) out this week with an injury. The junior running back has topped 100 total yards in two straight games. According to the Cougars' team beat writer, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle, Porter is the team's offensive MVP midway through the season.

Kylen Granson, SMU ($7,500) - While he's overshadowed by SMU's two star wide receivers (Proche and Roberson Jr.), Granson is quietly on pace for a career season. The tight end has 16 receptions, 279 yards receiving, and 2 touchdown receptions. Granson has topped 50 yards receiving in four games. Most importantly, rostering Granson at his cheap price tag will allow you to spend up on the high dollar players.

Others to consider: Jeremy Singleton, Myron Gaillard


Matthew Hiatt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Hiatt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username easternmh. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.