Ivan Herrera 
Welcome back to another exciting season of CFB! We are starting Week one action on Saturday with a big 14-game slate. This slate is filled with great options in all three positions. 11 of the top 20 Heisman candidates are featured on the slate.
Core Plays:
The QBs:
Bo Nix (ORE) $10,100:
The first of the four QBs in this article who are in the top 20 in Heisman odds. He was one of the best quarterbacks last season, as he finished the year with over 4000 total yards and 43 touchdowns. It will be a long night for Portland State with Bo Nix lining up as quarterback for the Ducks. Portland State ranks as the second-worst defense, allowing 450 yards per game last season. With the dual-threat ability of Nix, he should be able to attack the defense however he wants. Will like to add that he might only play two to three quarters since Oregon should win big.
Dillon Gabriel (OU) $9,100:
Oklahoma and Gabriel struggled a bit last season, going from a CFB hopeful to a six-loss team. I fully expect Gabriel’s and Oklahoma’s comeback tour to begin in Week One against a weaker Arkansas State side. Although Gabriel struggled last season, he still finished with 3168 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Michael Penix Jr. (UW) $8,400:
Penix Jr. is the best-throwing quarterback on this slate. In his first season with the Huskies, Penix Jr. threw for 4641 yards and 31 touchdowns. With two great receivers (I’ll talk about them in a bit), his numbers shouldn’t go down. The matchup against Boise’s 5th-ranked pass defense may keep his ownership low, but no team was able to spot Penix Jr. and his receivers last season, and I don’t think Boise State’s defense will either.
The RBs:
Blake Corum (MICH) $6,900:
The best RB last season returns after missing the CFPs last year. Despite missing the last few games, Corum still managed to finish the year with 1463 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. In the nine games prior to being ruled out for the rest of the season, Corum averaged 30 DK points. He will still be the lead back in Week 1 and beyond, but the return of Edwards will lower his ceiling, but he is still a slate-breaking RB.
Audric Estime (ND) $7,200:
I fully expect Estime to pick up where he left off last week. Against Navy, Estime ran for 95 yards and a touchdown while adding two catches for 26. This week against a worse Tennessee State rush defense, Estime will likely improve on those numbers as Notre Dame shouldn’t have any difficulty moving the ball
Braelon Allen (WISC) $6,700:
Allen feels like the most underrated RB in CFB. He is rarely mentioned when talking about the best RB in CFB, but Allen is a legit top-tier back. Last season, he ran for over 1200 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on a team that had very little to offer in the passing game. This season, he should see fewer stacked boxes with Tanner Mordecai coming over from SMU. His numbers should improve, and his first test comes from a Buffalo side that ranked 91st against the run, allowing 167.9 yards per game.
Quinshon Judkins (MISS) $6,600:
Judkins was part of one of the best two-headed monster backfields with current LA Ram Zach Evans. But now that Evans has departed, this becomes a one-man show, and Judkins is more than capable of handling the majority of the load. Despite having to share the backfield, Judkins still managed to rush for 1567 yards and 17 touchdowns. The first test for Judkins as the main back is against a Mercer side that gave up 156 rushing yards in Week Zero against a weak North Alabama side.
The WRs:
Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU) $9,100:
There is a reason Harrison Jr. comes into this season as the non-QB with the best odds to win the Heisman. Last season, he had 1263 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. On DraftKings, he had seven games with 25 DK points or more; he only played 13 games last year, so he finished with 25+ in more than half of his appearances. The old saying in football is “A TE is a young QB’s best friend,” and while I agree with that, a superstar WR makes for pretty good company too. In his matchup last season against this Indiana team, Harrison Jr. had seven catches for 135 yards and a score. His teammate, Emeka Egbuka ($7,400), is also a great option.
Troy Franklin (ORE) $7,700:
Franklin comes into the season as Bo Nix’s top target. He finished last season with 61 catches for 891 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 5.1 catches per game last season, and outside of the game against Colorado, he caught at least three balls every game. Like mentioned with Bo Nix, Portland State should allow a lot of yards both through the air and on the ground, so expect Franklin to have a successful game.
Xavier Worthy (UT) $6,600:
With the loss of RB Bijan Robinson to the NFL, Texas moves on to their next superstar. Worthy had 760 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 60 passes. QB Ewers is a popular pick for the Heisman, and for him to prove his supporters right, he would need to target Worthy early and often.
Rome Odunze/Jalen McMillan (UW) $7,300/$6,900:
I’m going with a duo of Husky WRs with this entry. Both guys finished last season with over 1,000 yards and 75 catches. Both guys should see at least five receptions against Boise, as Penix Jr. is, like I mentioned earlier, one of the best-throwing QBs in CFB. While I do like both and their pricing is almost identical, I’ll rank Odunze slightly ahead of McMillan as reports out of Washington have him as the “main” target for Penix Jr.
The Pivots:
The QBs:
Sam Hartman (ND) $9,700:
Playing his second game as a member of Notre Dame, Hartman looks to build on the impressive performance he had against Navy. He had an easy day, throwing for 251 yards and four touchdowns against Navy. On paper, the Tennessee pass defense is slightly stronger than the one Hartman saw against Navy, but Hartman has shown his entire career that he has no issue slinging the ball against any opponent.
Joe Milton lll (TENN) $8,700:
Another player who has big shoes to fill, Milton comes in as a QB with a lot of potential in Tennessee’s offense. The loss of WRs Hyatt and Tillman from last season’s team isn’t great, but they still have a solid WR group. Milton made eight appearances last season, completing 53 out of 82 for 971 yards and 10 touchdowns. Their Week 1 opponents, Virginia, have a solid pass defense, but Milton and Tennessee’s fast-paced offense should be able to move the ball against them.
Kyle McCord (OSU) $9,900:
Officially named the starter as I was writing this article, McCord steps into the best spot for a young QB. McCord only attempted 20 passes last season as Stroud’s backup. Stepping into the starter role, McCord has two of the top receivers to work with. While I like McCord and his weapons a lot, I have him as a pivot because he is still an unknown.
Tanner Mordecai (WISC) $8,900:
The SMU transfer is joining an interesting team. As mentioned earlier with Allen, Wisconsin has a top-tier RB, but over the years they have been missing a QB that can get defenses away from stacking the box. Enter Mordecai, who threw for over 3,500 yards and 33 touchdowns last year at SMU. A matchup against a Buffalo side that struggles against the run should see plenty of throwing lanes for Mordecai to connect with his new WRs.
Other QBs to consider: Quinn Ewers (UT) $7,700. Jaxson Dart (MISS) $7,200. Emmett Morehead (BC) $7,600. Shaedeur Sanders (COL) $7,000. Dante Chachere (PORST) $5,700. Taylen Green (BSU) $6,800.
The RBs:
Bucky Irving (ORE) $6,100:
Another Duck makes the list of plays I like for tomorrow’s slate. Irving comes into this game off of a successful season. In 2022, Irving had 1357 total yards and 12 touchdowns. Like mentioned with Franklin and Nix, the Ducks should have no issue moving the ball against Portland State, so Irving is a great play.
TreVeyon Henderson (OSU)
Henderson is going to be part of a two-headed monster in the backfield alongside Miyan Williams. While that will hurt his carries like it did last season, both should still get enough touches to go off on any slate. Week one against Indiana is a good chance for both backs to establish themselves, as Indiana ranked 100th last season against the run. McCord starting will also allow the OSU RBs to see more touches, as Ryan Day would not want to fully put the pressure on his new QB in week one.
Other RBs to consider: Jonathon Brooks (UT) $5,300. Jabari Small (TENN) $5,800. Emani Bailey (TCU) $5,400. Ray Davis (UK) $7,100.
The WRs:
Ryan O’Keefe (BC) $6,100:
A transfer from UCF looks to take over the role played by current Baltimore rookie Zay Flowers. With UCF last season, O’Keefe didn’t have the best production, but that was mainly due to the crowded WR room there. With a smaller WR room at BC, O’Keefe should improve on his 725 yards and five touchdowns. In his first game as an Eagle, O’Keefe draws a good matchup against a NIU team that ranked 91st in pass defense last season.
Jayden Thomas (ND) $6,600:
Thomas started the season against Navy the same way he finished the bowl game against South Carolina. Thomas caught four passes for 63 yards and a score. Along with his teammate Greathouse, it seems like they will be the two that fill the hole that was left with TE Michael Mayer’s departure to the NFL. A game against Tennessee State is a perfect way for Thomas to continue to cement himself as the guy at ND.
Adrel Anthony (OU) $4,800:
Anthony is a Michigan transfer who should see more opportunities with OU than he did with Michigan. His numbers during his two-year stint in Michigan don’t stand out, as he only had 328 yards and four touchdowns. But since joining OU, he has worked his way into a starting spot, and with his style of play, he should be targeted by Gabriel early in this game against Arkansas State.
Other WRs to consider: Ja’Tavion Sander (UT) $3,700. Barion Brown (UK) $5,500. Bru McCoy (TENN) $4,800. Darien Chase (PORST) $3,900. Xavier Weaver (COL) $5,600. Eric McAlister (BSU) $4,100.
Drago’s Best Bets:
- Boston College -8.5
- Washington -14
- Washington State -10
- North Carolina vs South Carolina over 63.5
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