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Not only has college football returned, but DraftKings brought the sport back after ending the CFB DFS games a few years ago. Just in case you are a little rusty, I am going to run through my top college football DraftKings picks for Week 1. These lineup picks are for the main slate of games, which this week DraftKings has limited to the early afternoon contests. The majority of contests feature a lineup with a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, a flex and a super flex.
A super flex spot functions like a traditional flex position, but it's referred to as a super flex since you can start a quarterback. You are going to find it very difficult to compete in games without starting two quarterbacks given their high point totals. One of the main complaints about college fantasy football is there are so many teams and players to keep up with. One of the ways DraftKings is trying to help alleviate this is by splitting up the games into different slates. The more you play college fantasy football, the more fun it gets as you will find it is high scoring, and more players are fantasy relevant. While it is not at the NFL level, information continues to improve which helps you as you are constructing a DFS lineup or setting your starters for season-long leagues.
Week 1 is one of the most challenging weeks as it is hard to tell what players are going to be given opportunities at the beginning of the season. With so much turnover from graduation and players leaving for the NFL, each season is a fresh start which can make predicting starters a bit challenging. This is also what makes college fantasy so fun, and it allows you to exploit your opponents early in the season if you have done your research. There are plenty of bargains to be had, if you know what players have been running with the first team offense throughout the summer. Overall, we are just happy to have college football DFS back, as it has been difficult to find with both FanDuel and DraftKings discontinuing the contests.
Earlier I mentioned you will want to play two quarterbacks, and my other recommendation is to play two dual-threat quarterbacks. There are plenty of college quarterbacks that hurt teams with their legs, and the pure pocket passers do not have the same kind of upside in college fantasy. A perfect example of this was Sam Darnold last season, who was not a great fantasy quarterback at USC even though he ended up being one of the top selections in the NFL draft.
The most expensive players in my lineup are quarterbacks, because if you do not get high production at this position you have no chance of winning a DFS contest. Your quarterbacks can carry you if you can combine them with some sleeper running backs or wide receivers, and there are plenty of candidates at the beginning of the season.
Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @JonDAdams with specific fantasy questions. Make sure to also check out my best picks against the spread for this week. Click the next arrow to see my top college football DraftKings lineup picks for Week 1.