DFS: Saturday's College Football Lineup Optimizer

If you're a believer in the idiom "Variety is the spice of life," college football DFS is the game for you. Forget one 15-game football slate or one or two MLB slates; FanDuel offers four separate games to play just for Saturday's college football games. That doesn't even include the mid-week matchups you can play too.

You can go with the all-day slate, which features a whopping 15 games to choose from and dramatically increases the player pool. Or you can play a 12-game late afternoon slate, or even a 10-gamer starting at 8 p.m.; that one has an $80,000 GPP tournament, with a $9,000 grand prize available.

But the big prize Saturday is in the Early tournament, with a $100,000 Hail Mary tournament featuring a $10,000 grand prize. That slate features some of the biggest names in college football, too, with Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and Wisconsin taking the field, among the 15 games. You might find more value in the other games, but your biggest chance to win is in the Early slate, so that's what we'll have the Lineup Optimizer focus on.  

Here is the Optimal Lineup for FanDuel's Early CFB Saturday slate, as of Thursday afternoon.

Note: The Optimizer will produce multiple lineups throughout week based on news and other factors leading right up to kickoff. The lineup Chris spotlights in his daily column may be significantly different than the lineup you receive from the Optimizer later in the day.

Washington State QB Luke Falk @ Rutgers $8,900
Key Stat: Top projected player at position

With Mike Leach running things we know Washington State is going to throw a ton. The Cougars attempted 771 passes last season and passed for 5,732 yards, about one-third of which went to Falk. Falk wasn't terribly impressive in his first game of the season, as he had just 20.4 FD points in a disappointing loss to Portland State, but he had 33-plus in two of his  final three games to close out last season, very impressive numbers. On sheer volume alone, Falk should be a very valuable option all season long, making him a worthy gamble at all times.

Arkansas RB Alex Collins vs. Toledo $9,300
Key Stat: Top projected player at position

Collins dropped 10 pounds from his 2014 playing weight, and the newly svelte rusher tore up UTEP for 127 yards on just 12 carries in the opener. Nick Chubb is the bigger name, but our projections think Collins is the better play this week.

Mississippi RB Jaylen Walton vs. Fresno State $5,500
Key Stat: Only RB below $6,000 projected for 20+ FD points 

Walton's role is a bit tough to pin down, since he's never had more than 113 carries in a season and had just three in the opener. On the other hand, he only needed those three carries to rumble for 65 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and you have to figure he'll have a bigger role against an FBS opponent, even if he peaks at around 10 carries.

Ohio State WR Braxton Miller vs. Hawaii $7,300
Key Stat: No. 1 projected player at position

We're all-in! The Optimizer only needed one game from the converted quarterback to buy into Miller as one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country. It helps that that one game saw him score twice on eight touches, while averaging 12.2 yards per carry and 26.3 per reception. Miller has big-play ability and gets to go up against a Hawaii team that won just four games and allowed 30-plus points five times last season.

Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell vs. Fresno State $5,800
Key Stat: Hit value in 35 percent of games last 12 months

Treadwell looked like he was developing into a star last season, as he had 632 yards and five touchdowns in nine games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. He made his return in Week 1 and was solid, hauling in four passes for 44 yards in a walk over Tennessee-Martin. Fresno State should put up a better challenge, but we're still projecting a 38-point offensive showing from Ole Miss, so don't expect them to be slowed too much. If Treadwell can find the form he showed last season, he could be a steal.

Washington State WR Dom Williams @ Rutgers $5,500
Key Stat: Hits value in 49 percent of simulations

If there's one thing Williams has proven over the last two seasons, it's that he has a knack for finding the end zone. The 6-2 senior had 16 touchdowns in 24 games as a sophomore and junior. He's a big play guy in a pass-happy offense and should get plenty of targets, making him a very solid choice at this price.

Fresno State TE Chad Olsen @ Ole Miss $2,200
Key Stat: Top projected scorer at TE

If the Optimizer hits, you could get a huge bargain at tight end, a position that is woefully shallow for Saturday. No player tops the $4,000 mark, and Olsen is one of just four projected for more than 10 FD points. He has just 15 receptions in nine career games, including just two for 35 yards in the Bulldogs' opener last week. However, six of those receptions found the end zone, a pretty good pace for any player, let alone a tight end. With so few options, why not go for the guy with a nose for the end zone?