College Football Single-Game Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 9/30/21 (Virginia at Miami)

Week 4 of the college football season kicks off on Thursday, as the Miami (FL) Hurricanes square off with the Virginia Cavaliers.

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.

All stats come from PFF.com unless otherwise noted.

Player Breakdowns

At The Top

Brennan Armstrong, Virginia ($17,500) - Armstrong will be the chalk MVP choice on Thursday night as the lefty has lit up the box score this season. The junior is averaging 426.3 passing yards per game which leads the nation. He ranks sixth nationally with 13 touchdown passes and he should have little trouble adding to that figure as Miami has surrendered 9 touchdown passes through four games this season.

Dontayvion Wicks, Virginia ($13,500) - Wicks is leading the Virginia Cavaliers in targets (34), receiving yards (460), and touchdown receptions (4). He has been efficient as he’s averaging an impressive 3.7 yards per route run. Additionally, quarterback Brennan Armstrong loves to target Wicks on the deep ball. Wicks has an aDOT (average depth of target) of 19.7. The freshman has emerged as a dangerous threat in Virginia’s passing game.

Charleston Rambo, Miami ($13,000) - Rambo leads the Miami wide receivers with 209 snaps played and 127 routes run, has recorded 26 receptions, 288 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns on 36 targets. All of those figures also lead the Miami (FL) Hurricanes. Additionally, there’s a decent chance he’ll draw Virginia’s, Fentrell Cypress, in coverage at some point. Rambo lines up at one of Miami’s outside wide receiver spots and Cypress has logged 185 snaps at cornerback this season. He has allowed 9 receptions, 163 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns on 14 targets through four games.

Others to consider: D’Eriq King ($16,000 – if he plays).

In The Middle

Billy Kemp IV, Virginia ($11,500) - Kemp IV left last week’s game early with a leg injury. We’ll need to pay attention to his status pre-lock but ff he’s able to go, Kemp IV is a solid play. The senior has been targeted 21 times over the last two games and he’s averaging 7.0 receptions over the last three games. Kemp IV has eclipsed 50 receiving yards in every game this season.

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami ($11,500) - D’Eriq King is questionable for Thursday’s game. If he’s out for the second straight week, Tyler Van Dyke would likely make another start. Van Dyke, a former four-star prospect and was impressive in his first career start. The freshman threw for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns in last week’s 69-0 win over Central Connecticut State. If Van Dyke starts, he may rotate with Jake Garcia ($11,500) at quarterback. Garcia is also a former four-star prospect. I’ll take the quarterback that has guaranteed playing time in this instance (Van Dyke).

Cam'Ron Harris, Miami ($10,500) - Harris leads the Hurricanes in rushing this season as has recorded 272 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns on 51 carries. He’s also evolved into a threat in the passing game. The dynamic running back has racked up 11 receptions, 119 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown reception. He’s in the MVP conversation because Virginia has struggled to defend the run this season. The Cavaliers are allowing an eye-opening 201.2 rushing yards per game (113th nationally). They’ve surrendered five rushing touchdowns through four games.

Others to consider: Jelani Woods ($10,000 – if he plays).

At The Bottom

Mike Harley, Miami ($9,000) - Harley was the Hurricanes leading wide receiver a season ago, and it’s been a slow start for the Hurricanes' slot wide receiver in 2021. However, it’s only a matter of time before he posts a slate-breaking box score. Harley is still heavily involved in the Hurricane's offense. He’s been targeted 25 times through four games, which trails only Charleston Rambo. Additionally, Harley has caught at least four passes in three straight games.

Rashaun Henry, Virginia ($8,500) - Henry leads all Virginia pass catchers with a 22.0 aDOT and he’s drawn 19 targets over the last two games. The senior has run 132 pass routes through four games, which also leads the team. He’s my favorite source of salary relief on Thursday night.

Jaylan Knighton, Miami ($7,500) - Knighton will be making his season debut after missing four games due to a suspension. The freshman was competing for the starting running back position prior to the suspension. He’ll likely operate as the second running back on Thursday night but still has upside as Knighton managed to run for 209 yards, record 135 receiving yards, and score 2 touchdowns despite operating as the third string running back last season (played in nine games).

Others to consider: Keytaon Thompson ($9,500), Xavier Restrepo ($8,000), Key’Shawn Smith ($7,500), Wayne Taulapapa ($7,500 – if he plays), Mike Hollins ($7,000 – if Wayne Taulapapa is out), and Will Mallory ($7,000).

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.