CFB DFS Top Plays: Week 2 – Saturday Main

Editor’s Note: We may not write up every player we consider to be a top play. Be sure to consult the chart at the bottom of the page. This page will be updated as necessary.

Looking for a DFS Optimizer? ETR has partnered with The SOLVER and FantasyLabs to provide multiple options to our subscribers. Make sure to get the best price and ETR projections synced with the product by signing up directly through our links: The SOLVER, FantasyLabs.

Understanding optimal lineups for cash games is extremely important, even if you only play tournaments. Players in our cash pool are the ones we believe are the most underpriced, have the best floor/ceiling combo, and typically feature a relatively tight range of outcomes. These are the best plays on the board when considering price, context, and positional scarcity. These are usually pretty good options for GPPs as well.

The optimal GPP lineup will typically mix some of these cash-type plays with higher-variance options, often in correlated lineups. In cash games (where roughly 50% of the field gets paid out), we don’t worry about ownership, game stacks, or correlation. In large-field tournaments, we should be much more mindful of ownership. For more tournament content, check out our projections, and Friday’s live show, Establish The Show: The College Years, with Alex Hardin, Ben Pritchett, and Sean Newsham.

These are our Top Plays considering the following factors: mean projection, matchup, upside, and value. Ownership is NOT considered here. Generally speaking, these players are what we consider to be “head-to-head and 50/50 considerations”.

They are listed in price descending order (NOT ranked by “best play”). At the bottom, you’ll find suggested rankings by site once salary is accounted for.

QUARTERBACK

Payton Thorne (AUB – DK $7,800, FD $9,700) – Thorne is one of the more sneaky dual-threat quarterbacks in college football, as many would be surprised to see he rushed for over 500 yards last season (likely because most just refuse to watch Auburn games). Beyond his ability to provide a solid rushing floor, the prospects of the Auburn offense are much improved with Derrick Nix coming over from Ole Miss to be the offensive coordinator. We expect both a pace and pass rate increase (top 30 in plays per minute in the opening week and a 60% pass rate in a blowout). Add in a few new weapons like five-star Cam Coleman and Penn State castoff KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and we have a recipe for fantasy success. Auburn wideouts are so cheap that he will likely drag at least one with him if he hits in a big way. GPP Recommendation: 1 to 2 pass catchers in stack.