CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Saturday Main Slate
Week 3 is upon us, with many teams slated to close out nonconference action before kicking off the conference schedule grind. We've got a 14-game slate on hand here but minimal exposure to non-power conference opponents. The only three non-power teams on the slate are South Florida, Tulane and Ohio, who all have wins over power-four programs already this season. Oregon State is also in the mix, if you want to quantify them as a non-power opponent at this point.
Texas Tech headlines our implied scores in Week 3 at 43.0, with USC and Ohio State (40.5 each) also crossing the 40-point implied barrier. Oregon (38.0) and Miami (37.0) are the only others to top 35 implied points.
Texas Tech is doing the heavy lifting to reach the 62.5 game total, though Oregon State is expected to contribute nearly three touchdowns at 19.5 implied points, leaving us with a 23.5-point spread.
Ole Miss-Arkansas is the contest with the close game shootout appeal that is typically ideal when aiming to stack both sides, matching the top game total (62.5) on the slate, with each club expected to supply at least 28 points.
College Football DFS Weather (winds 15+ MPH, precip. chance 50-plus percent and hot/cold temps noted)
USF at Miami - Decent chance for rain throughout
Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Week 3
QB
Billy Edwards, Wisconsin 
- Unlikely to suit up Saturday
RB
Jam Miller, Alabama 
- Game-time decision for Week 3
Maurice Turner, Tulane 
- Game-time call versus Duke
Bryan Jackson, USC 
- Sat out last week, status uncertain
Trelain Maddox, Georgia Tech 
- Out again
Kannon Katzer, West Virginia 
- Getting closer to practicing
Jahiem White, West Virginia - Out for season
WR
Ryan Williams, Alabama - Expected to play
Antonio Williams, Clemson 
- Listed questionable
De'Nylon Morrissette, Purdue 
- Out last week, status uncertain
Jaden Bray, West Virginia - Out for season
Chauncey Magwood, Purdue - Missed last week, status uncertain
Frank Covey, Northwestern 
- Considered day-to-day
Prince Strachan, USC - Sat out last week, status unclear
Dallas Wilson, Florida 
- Out this week
Bryson Jones, Texas Tech 
- Probable to play
TE
Trey'Dez Green, LSU 
- Questionable on report but not expected to play
College Football DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
- Advanced Lineups Page
- Stats
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
Week 3 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel
Quarterback
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU ($9,300) vs. Florida
The Nuss bus hasn't exactly hit his stride quite yet, throwing for sub-240 yards in each of the first two games, but I think that is about to change when conference play hits Saturday.
On deck is a Gators defense that just allowed Byrum Brown to rack up 263 passing yards against them. Nothing against Brown, but he's not exactly viewed as a pro-level passer, while Nussmeier is viewed as a likely first-round pick and possible first-overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He's blessed with a talented wideout room to boot, and he's got something to prove after a slow start to the year. The Gators have yet to allow a rushing TD on the season and have surrendered just 2.7 yards per carry, as well, so the run defense seems a bit more formidable than the pass.
Jake Retzlaff, Tulane ($9,800) vs. Duke
Tulane is a club that has CFP aspirations as the G5 representative, but they have some power conference hurdles to clear before those come to fruition. While the Green Wave showed out against Northwestern in Week 1, they also only squeaked by South Alabama post-Gio Lopez last week.
Gone is Makhi Hughes to Oregon (which hasn't gone particularly well for him thus far), who put the team on his back last season to the tune of 265 carries for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Tulane doesn't have a replacement for that in this year's crop of backs, and Retzlaff is a successful power conference-level quarterback who is only at Tulane due to an honor code violation at BYU. He's a dual-threat under center and will likely be asked to put up big numbers in this one, and I like his chances to deliver a fantasy-worthy outing versus a Duke defense yielding 8.3 yards per pass attempt through two weeks.
Nicco Marchiol, West Virginia ($7,500) vs. Pittsburgh
Marchiol was yanked from last week's contest, so this is a risky play and will need to be monitored to ensure Marchiol is still the guy when kickoff rolls around, but lest we forget that just two weeks ago Marchiol put up 24.6 points before sitting down early due to it being a blowout win.
To be fair, it was Robert Morris, and last week was only Ohio, but Marchiol can still get it done on the ground and through the air, and Pitt's new formula circa 2024 involves an offensive scheme that should yield plenty of plays in both directions here.
There's definitely risk, but the roster percentage should be low as a result. At this salary, I'll take a look.
Also Consider: Julian Sayin, Ohio State 
, ($10,800) vs. Ohio
Running Back
The Top Dog
Waymond Jordan, USC ($9,700) at Purdue
After handling just five totes in the opener, Jordan received 16 last week, doubling the eight Eli Sanders received, which included some totes when things got out of hand.
This is the first Big Ten matchup of the year for the Trojans, and you can bet they'll want to pour it on in West Lafayette before taking out their starters.
Jayden Maiava and the prolific passing attack is certainly another direction to turn in this one, but my primary target in this offense will be Jordan against a Purdue front that has faced just Ball State and Southern Illinois through two weeks, skewing the numbers into looking decent.
The Boilers allowed 200 rushing yards per contest on the nose last year, including the second-most rushing TDs in all FBS (33). I'm not convinced it's that much better.
Mid-Tier Targets
Adam Randall, Clemson ($8,400) at Georgia Tech
Randall has cemented himself as the clear lead back for the Tigers, handling a 68 percent carry share last week and a 47 percent carry share for the season. Adding to Randall's appeal is his wide receiver background, leading him to six catches through his first two contests in the backfield.
Randall compiled 25 total touches -- 21 carries and four catches -- last week versus Troy, and he should continue to warrant a heavy dosage of touches.
Running backs on the Yellow Jackets' only FBS opponent this year, Colorado, tallied 17 carries for 96 yards and seven grabs for 44 yards and a score in the receiving game. Randall is certainly capable of replicating a similarly healthy stat line, and his salary is far from a deterrent.
Mike Washington, Arkansas 
($7,200) at Ole Miss
Washington hasn't tallied more than nine carries in a contest to date, but they've also won the first two games by 45 and 42 points, so plenty of players got run.
When they get consolidated, which I anticipate Saturday, Washington should be at the front of the line for carries. Quarterback Taylen Green is going to handle his fair share of the totes, and Braylen Russell should also be in the mix, but Washington seemed to separate himself in camp and is the lead back on the depth chart.
Washington is averaging 10.8 yards per tote on the year, and Seth McGowan averaged 6.2 yards per carry last week against Ole Miss.
Bargain Options
J'Koby Williams ($6,100) and Cameron Dickey ($5,600), Texas Tech vs. Oregon State
FanDuel may have made a whoopsie with the pricing here on the Texas Tech backs. Sure, Adam Hill ($7,600) was the most productive of the Red Raiders' rushers last week, but the vast majority of his work came when the contest was well in hand.
Williams and Dickey are the primary backs here, and both should be featured for this week's highest scoring club. I tend to lean toward Williams a bit more because he's shown more receiving chops than Dickey to date, but throwing either/or in this lineup (or both if you want to get crazy) is fine.
The Beavers are 0-2 and have allowed 34 and 36 points in the first two games. This defense is leaky, and the Red Raiders play fast. It wouldn't shock me if Texas Tech hits 50 or more here.
CharMar Brown, Miami 
($6,000) vs. USF
Speaking of teams that like to play fast, USF is one of those squads. Well, in turn, the Bulls' opponents have averaged 75.0 offensive plays per contest.
Miami is still a sizable favorite (-17.5) in this one, and Brown has etched out a regular role in the offense, claiming 15 in the opener versus Notre Dame. Last week's seven-carry showing keeps his salary at a manageable rate, but that was a blowout.
Mark Fletcher ($8,700) still seems like the lead back here, but Brown should see his fair share and is $2,700 cheaper, so I'd take my shot here.
Kevin Riley, Alabama ($5,400) vs. Wisconsin
Some of Riley's value hinges on the status of Jam Miller ($7,500), who is questionable for Saturday's tilt. If Miller winds up playing, Riley's role could be muted a bit, and I may be passing on Riley at this salary.
But, if Miller sits another week, Riley proved the most productive back a week ago and was getting totes early in the contest, rather than when things turned into a blowout.
Overall, he posted 17 touches, including six catches, and no other back has separated himself to date, so this is definitely a viable option in the backfield for a Crimson Tide team sporting a 33.0 implied score. The matchup doesn't look great, but the combined salary, implied team total, and production speak to some potential value.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The Top Dogs
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State ($11,000) vs. Ohio
I couldn't go through the whole article without getting to a Buckeye. Despite Ohio's upset win over West Virginia and the Bobcats' close loss to Rutgers in the opener, Vegas views this contest as an unsurprisingly one-sided affair.
While Carnell Tate is a solid No. 2 in the wide receiver corps, he doesn't quite command the attention and target share that Emeka Egbuka did last year.
Smith is on another level here and has totaled a combined 15 targets through two games, turning his five last week into 119 yards and a pair of scores. I wouldn't be shocked to see a similar line this week as he aims to build his Heisman candidacy.
Ryan Williams, Alabama ($8,600) vs. Wisconsin
As a Wisconsin alum, it pains me to put another Crimson Tide player on this list, but Williams is simply too quality a talent to be priced so low on the list.
Sure, Wisconsin's pass defense has been decent through the first two contests, allowing 5.8 yards per attempt, but they've also faced Miami (Ohio) and Middle Tennessee.
Watching those contests, there were some open receivers who had some sizeable gains, and that concerns me.
Williams is an explosive wideout who can turn those types of plays into long touchdowns, and his talent level should have him closer to the top of the board, especially in a Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb offense.
Mid-Tier Targets
Malachi Toney, Miami ($7,800) vs. USF
Miami was searching for a player to fill in the shoes of the targets vacated by the departures of last year's trio, Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George and Isaiah Horton, and Toney appears to be one of the key pieces to that puzzle.
The true freshman has amassed 12 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown through the first pair of contests, and, as mentioned, the Hurricanes face a Bulls squad that likes to play with pace.
I think the Bulls keep this close enough for long enough to keep the passing game involved for a while, and Toney is the lead man in that room, sporting a 25.8 percent target share thus far. CJ Daniels leads the way with three receiving scores thus far, but Xavier Restrepo led the team with 11 receiving scores last season, operating out of the slot, where Toney plays.
Barion Brown, LSU ($7,400) vs. Florida
Brown is becoming what many hoped Chris Hilton would become last year and into this year. He's the most consistent deep threat for the Tigers thus far, averaging 9.3 yards of depth per target. Only Hilton, Kyle Parker and Trey'Dez Green average more.
Brown's target percentage per route (39.1) leads the team, and he should handle plenty of them Saturday in the first conference matchup of the season.
Bargain Options
Eli Raridon, Notre Dame 
($5,700) vs. Texas A&M
We're back in tight end territory here, so I'll have to be cautious. I did caution that RJ Maryland was a risky play last week, and that didn't pan out, but my Jack Endries play certainly did.
Raridon isn't quite an Endries-level player, but Notre Dame also doesn't boast the same level of talent as the Longhorns at wide receiver. Raridon claimed nine targets in the opener, and the Fighting Irish are likely going to need to throw the ball again in this one.
Carr completed 63.3 percent of his passes in the opener and operated reasonably well for his first career start, and Raridon should again serve as Carr's safety blanket in this one.
Zavion Thomas, LSU ($5,200) vs. Florida
This is my second LSU wideout I've recommended despite the Tigers' implied score of only 27.0. I'll likely be careful and not deploy both in the same lineup, but Thomas is simply a weapon the coaching staff wants to get involved.
After he turned four touches into 45 yards in the opener, he was more involved last week, handling four catches and six carries, which he converted to 89 total yards.
Thomas is a little smaller at 5-foot-10, 192 pounds, so finding pay dirt may not happen every week, evidenced by a lack of a TD through two games, but, like I said, he's a weapon who will get enough volume to be a threat to score on any given week. At this salary, the juice is worth the squeeze.
Malik Rutherford, Georgia Tech ($5,000) vs. Clemson
Rutherford's Week 1 production was a bit of a mirage, as he only played a handful of snaps before an injury sidelined him for most of the game.
Despite the additions of Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson this offseason, Rutherford proved to be the top target in the passing attack last week, totaling six targets and turning them into five grabs for 62 yards.
Clemson has held opposing rushing attacks to just three yards per tote so far this season, but opposing wideouts have compiled 27.3 fantasy points per game, ranking eighth on the slate. Thus, the Yellow Jackets will likely have to throw the ball this week to keep pace, and Rutherford, at this salary, could turn in a fantasy-worthy effort if he finds paydirt for the first time in 2025.
