Week 6 of the college football season is here! This means that we’ve got another week to play Underdog Fantasy College Football Pick’em. We have a massive slate to choose from. This week’s top picks return a few old friends and a few new names to help give you a winning Pick’em entry.
Underdog Fantasy College Football Week 6 Higher/Lower Plays
We do have a Dillon Gabriel play, but no, it isn’t passing yards. We also have more than one lower play and a couple of higher plays that you need to work into your selections for Underdog Fantasy College Football Pick’em.
Iowa State vs. TCU: Rocco Becht Higher 234.5 passing yards
Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht has only cleared 234 passing yards once this season. So, why take him to go higher on Saturday? He played a conference opponent with a soft pass defense in Ames in Week 4. Becht managed to throw for 348 yards as the Cyclones won 34-27. Becht has a similar setup with TCU at home in Week 6 and should clear the number.
TCU ranks 116th in the nation in pass yards allowed per game. The Horned Frogs allow 283.8 yards on average. The Horned Frogs were lit up by Colorado in Week 1. They’ve also allowed over 250 yards passing to SMU and over 200 yards passing to Houston. They’ve contained Nicholls St. and West Virginia to under 200 yards passing, but neither offense racks up yards through the air.
Rocco Becht should be able to find the soft areas in the TCU pass defense and clear 235 passing yards for the second time this year.
Minnesota vs Michigan: Athan Kaliakmanis Lower 162.5 Pass + Rush Yards
Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has cleared 162.5 pass + rush yards in three out of five games this year. He only went over by half a yard against Louisiana-Lafayette, but it counts.
Eastern Michigan and North Carolina held Kaliakmanis in check and kept him under 160 pass + rush yards. He’s likely to struggle against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday. He’s only averaging 149.0 yards passing and 18.2 yards rushing. If he plays to his average, he just barely clears the number.
However, the Wolverines’ defense ranks among the stingiest in the nation. Michigan is 12th in the nation against the run and sixth in the nation against the pass. Nebraska quarterback Henrik Haarberg managed 199 yards passing and -2 yards rushing last week. Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt somehow racked up over 200 total yards against the Wolverines in Week 4. Wimsatt averages 184 pass + rush yards per game and is a legitimate dual threat.
In their three non-conference wins, the Wolverines held opposing quarterbacks under 163 yards passing and rushing. Kaliakmanis struggles against mediocre teams, and the Michigan defense is possibly the best he’ll face all year. Kaliakmanis isn’t accurate enough to do damage through the air, and he’s not quick enough to really rack up yards on the ground. There’s also a non-zero chance that he will sit late in the game. The Wolverines’ defense will simply be too much for a quarterback who’s a bit of a work in progress.
Kaliakmanis should struggle and won’t clear 163 yards passing and rushing on Saturday. Look to go lower in your Underdog Fantasy College Football Pick’em entry.
Arizona State vs. Colorado: Elijhah Badger Higher 61.5 receiving yards
The Arizona State Sun Devils have struggled with injuries at the quarterback position this year. They’ve had four different players see action under center so far this year. According to recent reports, Trenton Bourguet should start on Saturday. That may be good news for receiver Elijhah Badger on Saturday. Badger leads the Sun Devils in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns, and he gets a tasty match-up against the Colorado Buffaloes.
While Colorado can rack up yards on offense, they can also give them up just as easily on defense. The Buffs are 128th in the nation in yards against, with a staggering 480.2 yards allowed on average.
Badger has gone over 61.5 receiving yards in three out of five games. One of his misses was a Week 1 match-up against Southern Utah in which he was suspended for the first half. He managed to go over 62 yards receiving against Cal, USC, and Oklahoma State. He should manage to do the same on Saturday against a soft Colorado defense that still won’t have Travis Hunter back from a lacerated kidney.
Badger has managed to succeed despite issues at quarterback. You’ll want him to go higher in your Underdog Fantasy college football Pick’em entry on Saturday.
LSU at Missouri: Jayden Daniels Higher 305.5 Passing Yards
Under normal circumstances, Jayden Daniels would be among the very top contenders for the Heisman Trophy right now. He’s thrown for 16 touchdowns against only two interceptions. He’s gone over 300 yards in all but one of his first five starts. The only miss was against Grambling State, and Daniels still threw five touchdown passes. He also averages about 60 yards rushing per game and has picked up three rushing touchdowns.
However, LSU is unlikely to contend for a spot in the College Football Playoff (invitational). They’re also about one more loss away from being unranked. Heisman voters tend to want a player who’s in contention for the top individual honor to be playing for more than a Gator Bowl invite.
Daniels is an absolute machine through the air this year, and the books have set the number at only 305.5 passing yards for this week’s match-up against Missouri. The Missouri Tigers have averaged 264.8 passing yards allowed per game this year. Their pass defense is ranked 101st in the nation, and Daniels should have no trouble finding open windows on Saturday.
The Tigers’ numbers are a bit padded by games against South Dakota and Middle Tennessee State. They just finished watching Vanderbilt’s Ken Seals throw for 259 yards against them. If Seals goes over 250 yards against this Tigers defense, Daniels should have no problem going over 300 for the fifth time this year.
Look to go higher on Jayden Daniels’ passing yards in your Underdog Fantasy college football Pick’em entry this week.
Oklahoma at Texas: Dillon Gabriel Lower 9.5 rushing attempts
Honestly, this one looks like Underdog Fantasy made a mistake. Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel has only rushed 10 times or more in a game once this year and only three times in the last two years. Gabriel is capable of using his legs when he needs to, but it’s not how Oklahoma uses him. He’s better off getting a comfortable pocket and picking teams apart through the air.
Jalen Milroe ran 15 times against Texas in Week 2, but that’s how he needs to be used. Baylor’s Sawyer Robinson ran 10 times against Texas in Week 4, but he ‘gained’ -14 yards. Kansas only had Jason Bean run seven times against the Longhorns in Week 5. Bean was known for racking up carries, especially when he was playing under Les Miles.
Texas currently has the 18th-best rush defense in the country. While yards aren’t the same as attempts, teams run the ball 30.8 times per game on average. Oklahoma runs the ball 39.8 times per game on average, with 21% of their rushing attempts by quarterbacks.
If Oklahoma runs to their average and sticks with their normal usage, Gabriel should only get about eight rush attempts. Also, keep in mind that their usage rate is skewed a bit. Backup quarterback Jackson Arnold picked up a few rushes in garbage time. If it’s just Gabriel, it’s closer to seven rushing attempts per game.
This is an oddly high rushing attempt total for a quarterback who isn’t known, at least recently, for racking up double-digit attempts. Look to go lower on Dillon Gabriel’s rushing attempts for your Underdog Fantasy College Football Pick’em entry.
Are you looking for even more college football betting tips and picks? Check out The College Football Experience podcast hosted by Colby Dant, Patty C, and NC Nick. Not enough? Take a look at the FCS edition and The Big 12 Experience for even more picks and expert-level breakdowns. Listen to our experts, place your bets, and let it ride!
