DFS Picks: Top plays for the College Football Playoff national title game
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At last, the College Football Playoff is down to just 2 teams. Ten-seed Miami faces 1-seed Indiana for a national championship. The U will officially return to the national stage, or the Hoosiers will cap off one of the greatest rebuilds in all of sports.
In the biggest game of the season, big players will have to make big plays.
Let’s take a look at some of those names and search for DFS angles to attack from the national championship.
CFP National Championship DFS predictions
Below are 4 DFS picks for the national title game that can be found across some of the best apps for daily fantasy sports on the market. New users can hit the banner below each player pick and our SDS sign-up bonus will be applied to your account.
Last week: 4-0
2025 season: 26-26
Indiana WR Charlie Becker higher than 47.5 receiving yards
With shuffling availabilities in the secondary, Miami could be hard-pressed to send heat at Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza early on in this game. The first-half suspension of Xavier Lucas looms large, and it could lead to a big day for Indiana’s No. 3 receiver — Charlie Becker.
When kept clean, Mendoza has been untouchable this postseason. He has an 84.4% completion rate, an average of 11.6 yards per pass, 8 touchdowns to 1 interception, and a 96.0 passer grade, according to PFF. With Miami needing to commit attention to slowing Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., Becker could have another big day, and he has had plenty of them lately.
Becker has 614 receiving yards and 30 catches this season. More than 500 of those receiving yards and 24 of those catches have all occurred since Nov. 1. Becker has cleared 47.5 receiving yards in 6 of his last 7 appearances. The only time he was held under 48 yards was a 56-3 win over Purdue on Nov. 28.
Via Sleeper
Miami RB CharMar Brown higher than 0.5 rushing + receiving TDs
Miami’s Marty Brown is coming off a 14-carry performance against Ole Miss in the CFP semifinals. That was just the third time all season he has received double-digit carries in a game. Brown is the change-of-page option behind Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami’s top tailback. Still, Brown has 8 rushing scores this season.
He has a touchdown in each of his last 2 appearances after not playing in the first-round win over Texas A&M. Brown got back-to-back carries inside the 5 against Ole Miss, the second of which he scored on. Six of his 14 carries against the Rebels came in the red zone or in short-yardage/need-to-have-it situations. He filled a similar role in the quarterfinals, when his touchdown came from a carry inside the 5.
All 8 of his rushing scores this season have come from inside the 5. Miami might be able to run on the Hoosiers thanks to its super-sized offensive line, but I don’t expect the Hurricanes to make a habit of breaking off explosives. That’ll put a premium on red zone conversions, and Brown is the guy Miami goes to when it needs points down in close.
Via Dabble
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza higher than 0.5 first-half passing TDs
I mentioned Miami’s secondary situation earlier. I expect Indiana to come out looking to throw some haymakers early. Taking advantage of a shorthanded secondary will pull the Hurricanes out of their preferred style of play and put the IU defense in a position to make some plays off Carson Beck. And there’s no reason not to trust Mendoza right now.
The Heisman Trophy winner threw 5 touchdown passes in the semifinal win over Oregon, and he threw 3 touchdowns in the quarterfinal win over Alabama. Mendoza has multiple touchdown throws in 4 of his last 5 games, and the only interception thrown during that stretch came against Ohio State — one of the best secondaries in the FBS.
Miami’s secondary is much improved from where it was a year ago, but there are still some places for Mendoza to take advantage. The Hoosiers have jumped out to huge early leads in both of their first 2 Playoff games. Maybe they don’t light up the scoreboard like they have, but Mendoza will certainly be allowed to throw it around the yard and try.
Via Underdog
Miami RB Mark Fletcher Jr. longest run lower than 15.5 yards
IU also ranks in the 99th percentile for stuff rate, per Game on Paper. The Hoosiers have given up an average of 2.9 yards per run this season, and no team in the country has given up fewer gains of 10 yards or more on the ground. In 15 games, IU has given up 25 runs of 10 yards or more. The big runs they’ve given up have been big, but they have been few and far between.
To that end, Fletcher has not been a player who routinely pops runs this year. He has 34 runs of at least 10 yards, which ranks second among all ACC players. He has just 4 runs that gained at least 20 yards. Fletcher can force missed tackles, but his 3.7 yards-per-carry average after first contact ranks 36th among qualified power conference running backs. Miami’s offensive line does a lot of the heavy lifting, and that group will have its hands full with this elite Indiana front. That is the matchup to watch in this game.
Via Underdog
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
