College Football Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 12/20/22

With daily fantasy football so popular, it was only a matter of time before it translated to the college level.

FanDuel offers college football daily fantasy contests now in most states, and there's a twist on the NFL ruleset. You select a quarterback, two running backs, three wideouts (which can include tight ends), and a "SuperFLEX" that can be any of those positions.

Finding target data for pass-catchers in college can be difficult, so finding out which players are on the field and getting work can make all the difference. Naturally, there are also more lopsided outcomes in college, so balance game scripts appropriately! Your running back's monstrous first half could lead to a bagel in the second.

Tuesday's two-game slate features the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl between Eastern Michigan and San Jose State, and that's followed by the Boca Raton Bowl between Liberty and Toledo. It has some of the Group of 5's top fantasy producers all season, so let's meet them.

Note: All stats are from PFF.com. All tables are sortable by any category.

The Slate

Talk about playing things straight up.

We've got two 3.5-point spreads -- neither of which is a huge concern for competitiveness. Both of these games carry a 53.5-point total that's in the middle of the road, too.

With no discernible notes here, we move on to identify matchups to target.

Defensive Matchups and Rankings

Note: Higher numbers are easier matchups for the opposing team. Lower numbers are better rankings and tougher matchups.

Here's another reason why I'm so jazzed about this slate.

A lot of my process is based on workload and market shares. Here with these matchups, we've quite literally got four defenses that are in the top half of FBS against both the rush and the pass in terms of yards per attempt (YPA) allowed.

To nitpick, the Rockets have been especially stringy against the pass, and the same could be said about the SJSU Spartans on the ground.

Still, having clean, recent market share data is a massive advantage on this slate. Let's identify the best picks from that mold.

Quarterbacks

There are really three quarterbacks on this slate.

Liberty is a total wild card. They rotated two quarterbacks at points this season, and now they've hired former Coastal Carolina head man Jamey Caldwell with Hugh Freeze leaving for Auburn. I couldn't tell you what their quarterback situation will look like today -- and that goes for most of the roster.

Two of the slate's three options are dual-threat guys: San Jose State's Chevan Cordeiro ($11,200) and Toledo's Dequan Finn ($10,800). Finn (50.2 rushing yards per game this season) outrushed Cordeiro (42.4) this year, so I'd give him a slight nod in terms of the floor.

Taylor Powell ($9,400) is more of a tournament dart. But he's on the underdog side of a small spread, and SJSU is the lowest-ranked pass defense on the slate. I think all three are worth exposure in a tournament build, but the aforementioned pair is ideal for cash games.

Running Backs

Even in a tough matchup, Samson Evans ($9,700) is worth every penny. He's posted an average of 26.7 carries in his past three games. No other back on the slate is above 17.0.

Next in line is the 16.7 carries in the past three games by Toledo's Micah Kelly ($6,300) despite how the salaries break down. He out-carried Jacquez Stuart ($6,800) 17 to 9 in the MAC title game, but this is a backfield that's swung wildly all season. Peny Boone ($5,600) got 15 carries the week prior to the title game. There's gold here; it's just nearly impossible to predict where it'll be.

That's why Kairee Robinson ($8,700) has the salary he does. SJSU is a pass-happy squad (57.3% pass rate; 15th in FBS), but Robinson has a 66.0% rush share for the entire season, gets goal-line work, and can have a sizable workload in favorable-but-not-blowout conditions, evidenced by his 24 totes in the Spartans' last game against Hawaii.

Shedro Louis ($7,400) and TJ Green ($5,900) split work fairly even in Liberty's last game. Lewis had 11 carries to Green's 9, so either could have a decent workload at a not-too-large salary.

Wide Receivers

I'd roster Powell at quarterback if it means I can comfortably squeeze in the two no-doubt stud receivers on the slate.

SJSU's Elijah Cooks ($10,000) saw 48.0% of their looks against Hawaii (12 targets), and he's got a 27.5% target share for the year. The return of Charles Ross ($7,500) would provide more competition to him, but there's zero news on Ross, who hasn't played since October 1st. I can't imagine Ross would have a meaningful role even if he suits up.

Demario Douglas ($8,800) is Liberty's top playmaker and the lone guy I trust for a meaningful role under the new coach. He leads this slate in season target share (30.8%) and got 11 looks in the Flames' last outing.

Despite the lack of production, Jerjuan Newton ($8,400) led his team in targets (6) in the MAC title game. He also ran 37 routes, and it was actually Devin Maddox ($6,500) who was second on the squad in routes run (34). DeMeer Blankumsee ($7,300) caught just the touchdown against Ohio, so he feels a bit point-chasey at the higher salary.

Eastern Michigan's pass game hasn't been near what it was last year with Ben Bryant (before his transfer to Cincinnati), but both Dylan Drummond ($7,100) and Hassan Beydoun ($6,600) flashed skill with Bryant. Drummond is more of a big-play threat (14.3 yards per catch), but Beydoun's 20.5% target share leads the squad.

Tanner Knue ($8,200) has run more routes than both -- on average -- in the past three games, but I'd rather find the salary to get to Douglas or Newton given EMU's three-headed passing attack.