Week 10 DraftKings College Football Preview
It's Thursday and you know what that means: It's time for the Week 10 Outkick the Coverage DraftKings preview, easily the single most exciting thing that's happened in college football this week that doesn't include Jim Harbaugh using the words "steak" or "milk."
Last week was a bit of a rollercoaster for us; Josh Rosen's hot tub time machine didn't quite push him to the soaring heights we were expecting, but thankfully Baker Mayfield filled in in Rosen's absence, threw four touchdowns, and much like Alabama in the initial playoff poll, we somehow ended up better than expected.
It was great.
But at the same time, we don't play DraftKings to finish "better than expected"... we play DrafKings to "win millions," which is why we're here to do this DraftKings preview bigger and better than ever before.
If you've never indulged in DraftKings before, well you've been missing out.
Here's what you need to know:
- Private contest for Outkick The Coverage readers
- Free for new users or $3 to enter
- Only 200 spots so join quickly!
- $600 in prizes
- First place wins $200
- Top 44 scores win money guaranteed
- Starts Saturday, November 7th at 12:00 PM EST
- Salary Cap Style Drafting. $50,000 to select 9 players.
- Roster Format: 2 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, and 2 Flex.
And here's who we're picking this week.
Quarterback:
Trevone Boykin, TCU ($9,400)
Look, I could sit here and spit out all kinds of data and stats. I could tell you about Boykin's touchdown to interception ratio, his yards per completion, wins above replacement, OPS + slugging and rebound margin, but I'm not going to do that. You don't have the time. Plus, all those stats aren't even football related anyway, which would kind of defeat the purpose.
Regardless, there's one reason, and one reason only I am in fact putting Boykin in my lineup this week: I'm sick and tired of sitting there on a Saturday afternoon (or Thursday night, like last week on FS1) and watching Boykin run over, around and through another overmatched Big XII defense, all while I sit there motionless like Butch Jones going over a play-sheet in the fourth quarter game of a tight game, and thinking to myself "Why the hell don't I have Trevone Boykin in my lineup?"
There's never a good reason, and it's never going to happen again, dammit!
In terms of his price, yes Boykin is expensive, but I don't care. He's the single most dynamic player in the country this season, and has been --- without a doubt --- the single most consistent daily fantasy quarterback in college football all year long.
So you can go ahead and crunch the numbers, look at his BABIP, wins above replacement, first serve percentage, or whatever stat you want.
As for me?
I just don't want to feel stupid on Saturday afternoon when Boykin is throwing for multiple touchdowns, running past his opponents, and high-fiving the opposing team's head coach, all while I sit there sulking in the corner.
I'm putting Boykin in my lineup.
Dane Evans, Tulsa ($7,400)
You know who me and Dane are? We're basically like Ted and Robin from "How I Met Your Mother." Back in the day (or "Week 3" as some might call it) we got off to a great start; I added him to my DraftKings lineup, he threw four touchdowns against Oklahoma and it really did seem like our relationship was going to last forever. But then I told him I loved him, he threw zero touchdowns and a pick the following week against Houston, and things just haven't been the same since.
Yet despite all that turmoil... I just can't quit Dane Evans.
Now don't get me wrong. I've tried to move on, and tried to put other quarterbacks in my DraftKings lineup in the months since, but it just hasn't felt right. It hasn't felt the same. It didn't feel like that magical afternoon me and Dane Evans were conquering the virtual, daily fantasy world together.
And call me a hopeless romantic, but I really do think this is the week we rekindle our relationship.
Dane (who threw four TD passes two weeks ago, mind you) is facing a UCF pass defense which is simply atrocious. The Golden Knights are allowing an average of 260 yards per game, 9.1 yards per completion, and a staggering 22 passing touchdowns through just eight games this season.
If there was ever a week for me and Dane to work things out and make up, this feels like it.
Running back:
Wendell Smallwood, West Virginia ($6,400)
First of all, you guys all know my long-standing, years in the making, No. 1 DraftKings edict, right?
Go ahead and say it with me now, folks: Always stack your lineup with as many players facing Texas Tech's defense as possible. Don't question it. Don't overthink it. Just do it. If someone offered you a stack of a cash, you wouldn't say "Hmm, I need to go crunch the numbers, I'll be right back" would you?
Of course not. You'd take the money and run.
And beyond that, if you are going to put as many guys in your lineup as possible who are facing Tech's defense, why not start with Smallwood, who isn't just leading West Virginia in carries (121), yards (791) and rushing touchdowns (five), but is also third on the team in catches with 19.
Those are insane numbers, especially for a guy going up against college football's worst defense.
And frankly, you'd be out of your mind if you don't figure out a way to get Smallwood in your lineup.
Remound Wright, Stanford ($4,100)
There are three certainties in life:
1. Death
2. Taxes
3. And Remound Wright stealing goal line touchdowns after Christian McCaffrey leads Stanford all the way down the field.
Honestly, it happens every week. It's like clockwork.
The simple truth is that after spending so much money on Boykin, Evans and Smallwood I had to cut costs somewhere else. And if I'm going to cut costs, why not do it with a running back who is averaging over a touchdown a game, and will likely get two or three more against a lousy Colorado run defense on Saturday?
Like Smallwood above, I'm not going to overthink it here.
I'm adding Wright to my lineup.
Wide receivers:
Matt VandeBerg, Iowa ($4,300)
Alright, it's confession time: As of roughly eight minutes ago, if you had said the name "Matt VandeBerg" I would have had absolutely no idea who the hell you were talking about.
Was he that famous chemist I saw selling customized beakers on TV at 3 a.m. the other night? That guy who tried to convince me to buy life insurance at the car wash three weeks ago? The weirdo who smelled like cat pee that my sister brought to dinner a few weeks ago?
I honestly wouldn't have had any idea.
But in doing exhaustive Google research in those eight minutes, I've come to discover that Vandeberg is in fact Iowa's best receiver, and Iowa is in fact facing the worst pass defense in college football (Indiana) this week.
That was enough for me to add VandeBerg to my DraftKings lineup this week, and should be enough for you too.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to see if my customized beakers arrived in the mail yet.
Be right back...
Tim White, Arizona State ($5,000)
Nope, they weren't there. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.
Anyway, let's shift gears and talk about Arizona State, easily one of the most disappointing teams in college football this year, who also doubles as one of the most uninteresting as well.
As a matter of fact, I can only think of three reasons to ever watch one of their games this year.
1. To see Todd Graham pacing down the sideline with his spectacular, Garth Brooks headset.
2 For any random crowd shot of ASU coeds in the student section.
3. Tim White, the best wide receiver in college football you've never heard of.
That's right, while the world goes gaga over White's teammates Devin Lucien and D.J. Foster, White has been as good as either, tallying 41 catches this season (tied with Lucien for the second most on the team) with twice as many touchdown catches (six) as either.
Going up against a Wazzu pass defense which is good, but not great, expect a big day from White.
Kolby Listenbee, TCU ($4,800)
For the same reasons I added Boykin to my lineup, I'm adding Listenbee here.
Again, I'm not going to waste anyone's time with stats here, but instead ask one, simple question: When it's Saturday night, and you're exhausted from ignoring your family for 12 straight hours while watching college football, how do you want to remember the day? As one where you made tens of thousands of dollars playing DraftKings? Or as an idiot, because you read this article and didn't listen to my advice?
The ball is in your court.
But I'm adding Listenbee to my lineup. And so should you.
FLEX:
James Washington, Oklahoma State ($4,500)
Take the last four paragraphs I just wrote about Listenbee, cross out any reference of "TCU" add "Oklahoma State" and you have the logic behind my selection of Washington here.
Look, the simple truth is that the over/under in this game is 76 points... 76!!!
Somebody's got to score points on both sides.
Washington feels like as good a bet as any for Oklahoma State.
Mikel Horton, Kentucky ($4,100)
This pick is subject to change if Stanley "Boom" Williams is able to play this weekend.
But if he isn't, Horton is a straight steal at $4,100, after tallying over 100 yards in Williams' absence last week.
Be ready to flip the script and adjust your lineup on the fly depending on Williams' status. But as of right now, he's a great bet.
Aaron Torres is a contributor to Outkick the Coverage and FOXSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres, Facebook or e-mail at ATorres00@gmail.com.