NCAAF

College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Saturday 10/2/21

Week 5 of college football is here! FanDuel's college football DFS main slate on Saturday includes 14 games.

In case you're unfamiliar with how it works, you can check out the rules and scoring on FanDuel, where you can hit the lobby each week to see the full array of slates and contests being offered.

As for the basics, your roster consists of a quarterback slot, two running backs, three wide receivers (which also includes tight ends), and one "Super FLEX". In the Super FLEX spot, you can insert one player from any position, including quarterbacks.

Here, our goal is to help you field a roster full of fantasy goodness, and in true numberFire fashion, we'll use our DFS projections, game projections, and market share report to tackle as many slates as possible in the lead-up to the College Football Playoff. In this piece, we are breaking down Saturday's main slate, which locks at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Let's look at which players are in great spots as well as identify some players with low salaries who will allow you to roster the high-salary players.

Quarterbacks

Bryce Young, Alabama ($11,200) – The sophomore is well on his way to becoming Alabama's next star quarterback. Young has recorded at least three touchdown passes in all four games this season. He's averaging 281.0 passing yards per game. There's a good chance Young's usage will skyrocket against the Mississippi Rebels. In Alabama's two competitive games, Young averaged 36.5 passing attempts. In Alabama's two blowout wins against FCS opponents, Young averaged 24.5 pass attempts. This should be a competitive game.

Matt Corral, Mississippi ($10,500) – Corral is putting up video-game numbers. The Heisman candidate is averaging 332.3 passing yards per game (eighth nationally) and 52.7 rushing yards per game. He has accounted for 15 total touchdowns through four games. The matchup with Alabama is tough, but we've already seen one dual-threat quarterback find box-score success against the Crimson Tide.

DJ Uiagalelei, Clemson ($8,600) – It's been a major struggle for DJ U and the Clemson Tigers' offense in 2021. Perhaps the pressure will be off the Tigers and the offense will bounce back now that they've suffered two losses. DJ U was the nation's top overall quarterback recruit in the class of 2020. His dual-threat ability provides him with a solid floor. DJ U is averaging 40.0 rushing yards per game. He is also surrounded by a talented set of wide receivers. It's only a matter of time before he rediscovers his form from 2020.

Zach Calzada, Texas A&M ($6,800) – The sophomore has been pressed into action due to an injury to opening day starter Haynes King. The Texas A&M Aggies have taken the training wheels off of Calzada. They are letting the first-time starter sling the ball around the field. Calzada has attempted 107 passes over his three starts. The scoreboard doesn't seem to be an impediment, either, as the Aggies have won two of those games. On tap is a date with the Mississippi State Bulldogs' vulnerable pass defense. The Bulldogs rank 98th nationally in passing yards allowed (252.5 passing yards per game). Additionally, they've surrendered 10 touchdown passes through four games. Calzada is an excellent salary-saver at quarterback.

Others to Consider: Max Duggan ($10,500), Casey Thompson ($10,200), Anthony Brown ($9,700), Desmond Ridder ($9,500), Connor Bazelik ($8,800), and JT Daniels ($7,600).

Running Backs

Tyler Badie, Missouri ($10,300) – The versatile running back has recorded an impressive 86 touches through four games. He's truly one of the rare workhorse running backs in college football. Badie is averaging 104.3 rushing yards per game. The senior leads the Missouri Tigers with 20 receptions. Badie has scored at least one touchdown in every game and has eight total touchdowns this season. I like his chances of adding to that total. The Tennessee Volunteers have allowed 10 touchdowns through four games.

TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State ($8,800) – Henderson entered this season with massive expectations as the nation's top running back recruit. Through four games, the freshman has emerged as the Ohio State Buckeyes' top option in the backfield. Henderson is leading all OSU running backs in snaps (108). He has exploded for 424 rushing yards and six touchdowns over the last three games.

Brian Robinson Jr., Alabama ($8,400) – Robinson Jr. is expected to be available for Saturday's projected shootout with Mississippi. The Crimson Tide's leading rusher suited up for last week's game but did not receive any playing time. Anyway, Robinson Jr. has eclipsed 60 rushing yards in all three games that he's played in this season. The senior has three total touchdowns this season. He's a good bet to find the end zone this week as Mississippi has coughed up five rushing touchdowns through three games.

Eric Gray, Oklahoma ($6,200) – Gray has emerged as the Oklahoma Sooners' primary running back. He has out-snapped backfield mate Kennedy Brooks 82 to 54 over the last two games. Due to increased playing time, Gray has seen his usage increase dramatically. He has recorded 15-plus touches in two straight games. The junior is averaging a crisp 5.0 yards per carry. If you need a salary-saver at the running back position, Gray should be your target.

Others to Consider: Bijon Robinson ($11,500), Jerome Ford ($8,200), CJ Verdell ($8,500), Noah Cain ($8,100), Tiyon Evans ($7,400), Kobe Pace ($7,000), and Nathaniel Peat ($6,000 - if Austin Jones is out).

Wide Receivers

Garrett Wilson, Ohio State ($9,000) – Wilson hasn't been held back by inconsistent quarterback play. The Ohio State star has either scored one touchdown or cleared 100 receiving yards in all four games this season. Additionally, he's averaging nearly 10 targets per game (39 targets). Up next is a date with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Rutgers is allowing 12.5 yards per completion. That bode wells for Wilson and his team-leading 14.5 average depth of target.

John Metchie III, Alabama ($8,500) – Metchie is off to a slow start this season. However, he's logging a ton of snaps (191 through four games) and leads the Crimson Tide with a 23.8% market share. It's only a matter of time before Metchie puts a monster dent in the box score. This week could be the week that happens. Alabama leads the slate with an eye-opening implied team total of 47.0. Additionally, this game should be a major pace bump for the Crimson Tide. Mississippi ranks fourth nationally with an average of 85.5 offensive plays per game. Meanwhile, Alabama ranks 85th with 68.0 offensive plays per game.

Keke Chism, Missouri ($6,900) – Chism benefits from playing in a pass-first offense. The Tigers' offense is favoring a 58.5% to 41.5% pass-run split. Chism is Missouri's lone "full-time" receiver. He has logged 238 snaps through four games (Tauski Dove is second with 157 snaps). Additionally, the lanky pass-catcher is averaging 8.0 targets per game over the last three games. Chism is leading the Tigers with 183 receiving yards.

Jalen Wydermeyer, Texas A&M ($5,500) – Wydermeyer recorded 12 touchdown receptions over his first two seasons with the Aggies. Through four games, he has found pay-dirt just one time. I'd like to think he's due for some positive touchdown regression soon. Additionally, it's rare to find a player in Wydermeyer's salary range that is leading his team in target share. The big tight end is commanding a 21.1% target share to pace the squad.

Others to Consider: Chris Olave ($9,400), Jameson Williams ($9,200), Dontario Drummond ($8,800), Xavier Worthy ($8,400), Justyn Ross ($8,000), Jonathan Mingo ($7,900), Jordan Whittington ($7,700), Quentin Johnston ($7,600), Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($7,100), Ainis Smith ($6,500), Braylon Sanders ($6,400), Jadon Haselwood ($6,000), and Jahleel Billingsley ($6,000).