The first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff continues with three games today, Saturday, Dec. 21. SMU vs. Penn State, Clemson vs. Texas and Tennessee vs. Ohio State are on the docket, and The Sporting News has everything you need to build your DFS lineup with the best sleepers and value plays to help you dominate your DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft tournaments this weekend.
Before we get to our DFS picks and sleepers for the CFP, check out these promo codes and bonuses from top DFS sites and apps. Click one or more of these links to claim great welcome offers:
DFS is all about getting the best value out of your players in your lineup. Winning the big jackpots is all about hitting on your high-value players and identifying the sleeper plays that don't cost much but will have big days. Finding the balance is difficult, but that's why we are here to break it all down for you.
We aim to help you identify the gems in the first-round CFP games on DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft. We specifically focus on sleepers, which is far more challenging than picking the top performers. The people who win in DFS are the ones who find the sleepers that are inexpensive but perform like stars.
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FanDuel has the "Sat CFB Playoff Wishbone" contest today with $20,000 in guaranteed prizes and a $5,000 first-place prize for an entry fee of $9
Best DFS sleepers and value picks for College Football Playoff first round: Quarterback
Drew Allar, Penn State vs. SMU (DK:$7,300 | FD: $10,700)
Allar has been excellent this year and has taken significant strides in his second season as Penn State's starting quarterback. He has not always put up huge numbers, but much of that has to do with Penn State blowing out so many opponents. Oftentimes, Allar has not gotten the chance to be aggressive, as Penn State has let off the gas and cruised to victories.
Looking at a few of the close games that the Nittany Lions have played, Allar has lit it up. When Penn State went to overtime with USC earlier this year, Allar threw for 391 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 32 yards. Allar threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns in the Big Ten Championship, while rushing for 54 and another score. Expect Allar to be at his best in the CFP and have a big game against an average SMU defense.
Kevin Jennings, SMU vs. Penn State (DK:$7,700 | FD: $9,200)
Kevin Jennings may be the least heralded quarterback starting for any of the playoff teams on Saturday. Coming out of high school, Jennings was a low three-star recruit, and he is not one of those players who transferred to find his starting spot. He played a little as a freshman and redshirted. He was the backup quarterback last season, and now he has earned the starting job and led the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff.
Jennings has thrown for 3,050 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only thrown eight interceptions this year. He has also rushed for 379 yards and five touchdowns, as he is an underrated dual-threat quarterback. He plays his best in the biggest games, like when he nearly led SMU to a comeback over Clemson in the ACC Championship, throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing for 35 and another score. That 34.66 DFS point performance is something we think he replicates against a Penn State defense that just gave up 45 points to Oregon in its last game.
Best CFP sleepers and value picks for first round: Running back
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee vs. Ohio State (DK:$8,200 | FD: $9,200)
Sampson is the top performing running back playing in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The big thing with using a considerable amount of our budget on a player is whether they consistently score a lot of DFS points. Sampson is doing just that every week, giving him a high floor.
Over the Volunteers' last eight games, Sampson has scored over 20 DFS points seven times and over 30 points three times. His only game under 20 points came when Tennessee beat UTEP, 56-0, and Sampson had a season-low in carries. In Tennessee's three games decided by fewer than 10 points this season, Sampson has scored at least 27.9 DFS points.
Kaytron Allen, Penn State vs. SMU (DK:$5,000 | FD: $7,000)
Allen is coming off a huge game in the Big Ten Championship, and while he typically shares the backfield with Nicholas Singleton, there are some injury concerns surrounding Singleton. Either way, DFS players can expect Allen to get more touches, which could lead to another big game.
Allen has 14 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown to go with three receptions for 15 yards in the Big Ten title game. Allen is a power back at 5-foot-11, 229 lbs, and SMU's ACC defense is not used to seeing backs with this type of player. Expect Penn State to feed Allen early and often.
Best CFB DFS sleepers and value picks for CFP: Wide receiver
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State vs. Tennessee (DK:$5,500 | FD: $8,400)
Egbuka has not been the No. 1 wide receiver many expected this season after the breakout of freshman Jeremiah Smith. Egbuka, though, is still the sure-handed veteran in the Ohio State receiving core. He has been more consistent than Smith in the biggest games.
Egbuka had 21 DFS points against Indiana, 27.3 DFS points against Oregon, and 34.1 against Iowa. He has shown up in the biggest moments, and we expect he will do the same against Tennessee on Saturday.
Antonio Williams, Clemson vs. Texas (DK:$6,100 | FD: $8,600)
Williams is the big play threat for the Clemson offense, and more often than not, he has come up with several long catches in the Tigers' biggest wins this season. Over the last three games, Williams has had at least one catch of 30+ yards. He has also had at least five catches and 50+ yards in three straight games.
Clemson has to score the football against Texas since they'll likely be trailing. That should lead to Williams getting extra targets. Expect him to come up with some big plays.
Tyler Warren, Penn State vs. SMU (DK:$7,200 | FD: $9,700)
A tight end, Warren is listed as a wide receiver for college football DFS formats. He is the number-one receiving option for the Nittany Lions. He is a unicorn who can line up on the line, in the slot, or outside. At 6-foot-6, 257 lbs, he is a massive target but an excellent athlete, especially for his size. Over his last five games, he has had at least six receptions and 65 yards.
Warren is the safety valve for Drew Allar but also makes big plays, as he can stretch defenses down the seam. He has at least one catch of 20+ yards in the last six games and also gets a few carries a game, posting several 30+ rushing yards games this season.
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