College Football Picks

The end of the college football season has officially arrived! It’s a bittersweet moment every season, but the 2024 season will be kicking off before we know it.

Bookmark this page, because this is where our DFS experts will share their top picks for each and every college football weekend.

Our Favorite CFB Picks Today

The college football season is officially over, with No. 1 Michigan blowing out No. 2 Washington in the College Football Playoff title game. Congrats to the Wolverines! Save this page and check back here starting in the fall for some more exciting college football DFS picks!

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Underdog does a great job of giving plenty of options for Group of 5 midweek games, as you can see above. So you know you’re in good hands for big Saturdays where there are a ton of games on the slate. For college football fans, Underdog is a great place to play DFS pick’em contests.

Introduction

We love college football here at Saturday Down South. Passionate college football fans celebrating big wins and lamenting disappointing losses is what fall is all about!

The intensity of an SEC Saturday is even higher, though, when you have the chance to win real money making picks on user-friendly DFS apps!

I started getting into daily fantasy sports when I was living in California, where DFS is the only game in town. Even though I now live in Illinois, where everything is legal, I still find myself going back time and time again to my favorite DFS apps like Underdog, Sleeper, Boom, Betr, Vivid Picks and more. I truly am a “daily” fantasy sports player.

On this page, we’re going to take you through some of the strategies for beginners and advanced DFS players. We’ll also list out a few common mistakes to avoid as you get started on your college football DFS journey. Bookmark this page, too, because we’re going to be updating the top section with our best picks a few times each week.

Strategies for CFB Picks

1. Understand the new timing rules

College football timing rules changed at the start of the 2023 season. The clock no longer stops for first downs unless it’s inside the final 2 minutes of either half. That’s not a huge change, but it does affect the pace of play. There are a few less plays every game, which makes picking the “higher” options a little riskier than it has been in years past. The stat lines are slowly starting to adjust, but for 2023, there is a bit more value on the “lower” options in pick’em contests.

2. Know the weather as the season wears on

While snow is a rare occasion at SEC games (especially once you get away from Missouri and Kentucky), November can be quite blustery elsewhere around the country. Big Ten weather is something you can picture, though. Michigan-Ohio State in the snow. Wisconsin running backs galloping through a white out. Iowa struggling on offense through a blizzard … OK, well, Iowa’s offense struggles no matter the conditions, but you get the idea. Don’t be caught off guard picking Ohio State’s QB to go above and beyond his passing yards total if the Buckeyes are heading to Minnesota in a snowstorm.

3. Check strength of schedule

There are always teams out there that beat up on inferior opponents and get thumped when they try to step up to play with the big dogs. For example, if an SEC team plays a weak nonconference schedule and then goes up against Georgia or Alabama, you probably shouldn’t expect that team’s running back to put up similar numbers to what he had against the nonconference foes.

Advanced Strategies

1. Consider game script and pace of play

Through Week 8 of the 2023 college football season, USF was running an FBS-high 83.6 plays per game. At No. 133 (last) in the FBS was Kentucky, running only 55.3 plays per game. That matters. Every play from scrimmage that your player runs gives him a better chance of reaching his “higher” total. Against teams like USF, “higher” picks are more feasible. Against squads like Kentucky that take the air out of the ball, you might want to consider “lower” options.

Additionally, game scripts can make or break your contests. If you pick a running back from a mid-level team to go over his rushing yards total against an elite team like Georgia, Alabama, Washington, Ohio State and others, you might be in for heartbreak. The chances are that those elite teams will take an early lead and your player will be in a “negative” game script, trying to catch up on the scoreboard. Teams in negative game scripts tend to pass more.

Common Mistakes

1. Not correlating your picks

If you expect a ton of offense in a game, then perhaps it makes sense to take a quarterback to exceed his passing yards total and a running back from that same team to exceed his rushing yards total. But if it will likely be a game that finishes with under 50 total points, it’s not a good idea to pick both a QB and an RB to exceed their totals. Pick one and don’t get stuck regretting your decision when both of them don’t exceed their projections.

2. Letting your bias blind you

College football fans are a passionate lot, and that’s a great thing. It’s what makes each Saturday in the fall so special. But don’t let your bias blind you when you’re making your picks. If you’re an Alabama fan, don’t always ride the “higher” options when it comes to Tide players. Also don’t avoid a tasty Auburn higher/lower option just because you hate the Tigers. DFS is all about earning cold, hard cash, so don’t be afraid to welcome any and all picks you think you can get right!

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Adam Spencer

A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the news editor at Saturday Down South and across all Saturday Football brands.