The 2022 college football season is fast approaching. For those who enjoy having a little skin in the game, betting can present a problem.
Approximately half of the states with legal sports betting allow both in-state college betting and player props. The rest have some sort of restriction preventing fans from going all in on their favorite team and/or players.
For those in Virginia (or any college-restricted state) who don’t want to travel out of state to place bets on in-state teams, there is a solution: college daily fantasy sports (DFS).
You have likely played NFL DFS or at least have an idea of what it is since daily fantasy sports have been made extremely popular by platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel.
Let’s take a look at some tips and strategies you can use when building CFB DFS lineups.
Look at Point Totals
Just because you can’t bet on point totals set by sportsbooks doesn’t mean you should avoid them. Odds makers give DFS players a great starting point for making lineups. In order to win a contest on DraftKings or FanDuel, you need players who are stuffing the stat sheet. Putting up big fantasy numbers is difficult in games where not many points are being scored.
Take Liberty’s Week 1 matchup against Southern Miss for example. DraftKings has the over/under set at 51.5. Compare that to the 68-point total in the matchup between SMU and North Texas and it becomes clear which game you would want to target.
Beware the Blowout
Game totals are important but don’t just build your lineup based on the highest point totals you see. Another key piece of information to look at in addition to the game total is the spread. There’s far less parity in college football versus the NFL, so it’s not uncommon to see games get out of hand quickly and for second and third-string players to get opportunities.
The 64.5-point over/under in USC’s game against Rice looks fantastic until you realize the spread is a whopping 35 points. It’s very likely we see the starters for USC get bench duties at some point during the game, limiting their fantasy upside and making it hard to trust in your CFB DFS lineups.
Do Your Research
This sounds obvious, but there is far less college fantasy football content out there compared to the NFL and also less news available from traditional sources. Turn on your television Sunday morning and you basically can’t escape football updates – the same can’t be said for college games.
Twitter is a fantastic place to find news from beat writers that frankly won’t be covered on the big networks. Looking up team rankings and statistics for offense and defense is a simple step that could help you be profitable. Several websites track these numbers throughout the season and can assist in finding matchups you want to exploit.
Prioritize Quarterbacks
In NFL DFS, a common strategy is to “pay down” at quarterback to open up salary for other positions. For college DFS, however, quarterback isn’t a place where you want to get cheap. One of the main differences between NFL and CFB DFS is the “superflex” spot in college lineups. Here, you are able to start an additional quarterback. Starting two quarterbacks with a skill set like former Flames quarterback Malik Willis is a no-brainer. The players who have the ability to rack up yards and touchdowns on the ground as well as through the air are fantasy cheat codes.
Check for Bonus Offers
Similar to online sportsbooks, daily fantasy platforms also offer new user promotions to entice potential customers. Not taking advantage of the DraftKings DFS promo code or any other platform is the literal version of leaving money on the table.
Be aware, however, if you’ve already signed up for a DraftKings or FanDuel sportsbook account you won’t be able to use a DFS promo code. On the plus side, DraftKings and FanDuel allow you to pair your sportsbook account with your DFS account. This means you can share the same bankroll between both platforms for ease of use and no additional deposits.
