Slate Breaker: FD CFB DFS Bowl Season (12/29)

Quarterbacks

Play of the Day: Seth Henigan, Memphis (vs Iowa State)

Henigan has been the model of consistency with 18 or more FDP in every game. A lot of that success is likely a result of playing in the American, but he still succeeded against tough defenses like Tulane and Missouri. Iowa State is a fairly tough defense but they are stronger against the run so Memphis will be forced to pass a lot so Henigan should succeed even against a stronger defense. Henigan has passed for a monstrous 293 yards per game and has scored multiple TDs in every game except one so there are no other QBs on this slate who provide the floor that Henigan does.

Brady Cook, Missouri (vs Ohio State)

Cook has been absolutely terrific this season, but the Ohio State defense does concern me. Ohio State allowed the fewest passing yards per game in the entire country but the best QBs they have faced are Austin Reed and Sam Hartman so that metric could be a bit of a mirage. Brady Cook has also beat some good defenses while passing through the SEC gauntlet so a tough matchup is not overly concerning. His floor was 16 FDP against the nation's top defense, Georgia, so at the very least he will not leave you with nothing. Ultimately, Ohio State is not happy to be in this bowl game after missing the playoffs so I would not be surprised if they came out a bit flat and got steamrolled by this Missouri team.

Devin Brown, Ohio State (vs Missouri)

Brown has been the most polarizing player on this entire slate. I keep flipping between him being a must play and a must fade. He lost the QB competition to Kyle McCord and when McCord was not passing to Marvin Harrison, this passing attack was abysmal. With Marvin Harrison likely out, this passing attack could be a train wreck. Luckily, Brown is not solely reliant on his passing work to be a fantasy producer since he is a phenomenal athlete and could produce a lot of his points with his feet. Brown will either be the top scoring QB on this slate or the lowest scoring QB and I really cannot get a read on which it will be. If you want to take the ultimate gamble, roll the dice with the dynamic dual threat QB, but if you feel very confident about the rest of your lineup and you just want someone who will not leave you disappointed then look elsewhere.

Steve Angeli, Notre Dame (vs Oregon State)

Angeli is a relative unknown with just 25 career passing attempts, but he has looked great in that limited action. He has a 76% completion percentage and a 4:1 TD to INT ratio, but a lot of that production has come in blowout games against backups so I would not take those numbers as true metrics of his talents. Overall, Notre Dame is a program filled with plenty of talented recruits and while they may all be young, he should have enough weapons to succeed if he is able to handle the pressure of this moment. Angeli is risky, but with a price of just $7,200, he is worth the risk.

Running Backs

Play of the Day: Abu Sama, Iowa State (vs Memphis)

Did you see this guy the last time Iowa State played??? He finally got his chance as the lead back and immediately had a career day with 276 yards and 3 TDs on just 16 carries. He is undoubtedly an elite playmaker after a performance like that so I am not worried about that game being a one off fluke and I will be looking to put him in any lineup I can now and all of next year. He also gets the worst run defense on the slate. Even while playing the majority of their games in the American, Memphis still allowed 170 rushing yards per game so a BIG 12 O line should dominate this defensive front and Sama will have a monster game.

Cody Schrader, Missouri (vs Ohio State)

Schrader has only gotten better as the season has gone on. He has scored at least 18 FDP in 7 straight games and 18 FDP would be a lackluster performance by his standards with 27.1 aFDP over that span. He now gets one of his toughest matchups of the season since he plays an Ohio State defense who has bottled up RBs all season long. Schrader is matchup proof though as he was able to score 20+ FDP against Georgia. Schrader is a very safe play with elite upside.

TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State (vs Missouri)

With a lot of turnover and inconsistency with this Ohio State offense, Henderson and this OSU running game will be relied upon as the only part of this offense that will resemble the potent juggernaut that almost reached the playoffs. The potential of Henderson being limited in this game does worry me since he is projected to be a high draft pick, but he does not need a ton of production to produce. He only got more than 20 carries twice all year but still averaged more than 20 FDP so he can succeed even if he is limited.

Deshaun Fenwick, Oregon State (vs Notre Dame)

Fenwick will be the lead back for Oregon State to close out the season and he is very capable of handling the increase in workload. Fenwick has rushed for over 100 yards in all but one of the games that he has received at least 15 carries. Notre Dame is a tough run defense, but with a lackluster QB now leading this Oregon State offense, Fenwick will be given as much work as he can handle. The elite usage will be enough for Fenwick to deliver value since he is just $7,000.

Wide Receivers

Play of the Day: Luther Burden, Missouri (vs Ohio State)

Burden is an elite receiver and he is an underclassman so you know he will be an active participant this week. Burden did slow down a bit down the stretch but still had a double digit floor so he is the best option you will find on this slate with Marvin Harrison likely out. Ohio State is a great defense, but Burden is an even better receiver so he should be able to overcome just about any matchup. If you are going to pay up for a receiver then look no further than Burden.

Memphis WRs (vs Iowa State)

I love this Memphis passing game this week. They will be forced to pass in order to beat Iowa State and they have the best pair of WRs outside of the Power 5. Roc Taylor started the season as the top target, but he did fall off a bit down the season with less than 60 yards in 4 of his last 6 games. A big reason for Taylor's drop in production is due to the emergence of Demeer Blankumsee. Demeer only recorded more than 80 yards once in his first 4 games, but hit the 80 yard mark in 6 of his final 8 games. Both of these guys could pop off in any game, but I definitely lean towards Blankumsee with his high end usage down the stretch.

Silas Bolden, Oregon State (vs Notre Dame)

The switch from DJ Uiagalelei to Ben Gulbranson is a big downgrade for Bolden, but he does at least have some chemistry with Gulbranson following their season together in 2022. Bolden was not great but solid last year scoring nearly 7 FDP but that number will see a big uptick thanks to the developments Bolden has made as a player over the past year. Oregon State will be without a lot of their top options so with a ton of usage and some chemistry with his old QB, Bolden could be in line for a huge day.

Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State (vs Missouri)

Egbuka is an elite option if Marvin Harrison is indeed out. He has been a great slot receiver during his time at Ohio State and nothing helps a young inexperienced QB more than a reliable slot WR who knows what they are doing. Devin Brown is not the best of passers so he could torpedo Egbuka's fantasy day, but if Brown is at least a competent passer then Egbuka will be very busy and productive.

Barion Brown, Kentucky (vs Clemson)

The Clemson defense will be a very tough matchup for Devin Leary and this Kentucky offense so their best way to attack them will be on the edge in the running game and with short passes, two things that Brown is great at. Brown is used to heavy usage as he has led the team in targets in the majority of their games. Brown and this Kentucky offense may not have a monster game, but he is just $6,200 so he does not need 100+ yards and multiple TDs to return solid value.

Jaden Greathouse, Notre Dame (vs Oregon State)

Greathouse does not have much playing time to rely on with this pick since he has just 16 career catches, but it is his redzone and jump ball abilities that make him a very appealing fantasy option. Greathouse is great near the endzone as he has scored a TD on an absurd 31% of his catches so expect him to be a prominent part of this offense anytime they get close to the endzone. If this Notre Dame passing attack ends up being successful, it will have come as a result of a strong performance from Greathouse.

Dream Team

QB: Steve Angeli, Notre Dame (vs Oregon State)

RB1: Cody Schrader, Missouri (vs Ohio State)

RB2: Abu Sama III, Iowa State (vs Memphis)

WR1: Luther Burden III, Missouri (vs Ohio State)

WR2: Demeer Blankumsee, Memphis (vs Iowa State)

WR3: Jaden Greathouse, Notre Dame (vs Oregon State)

Flex: Seth Henigan, Memphis (vs Iowa State)

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