Week 6’s DFS pick ’em board has a little bit of everything, and the headliner is obvious: Georgia vs. Alabama in prime time. That matchup drives one of the three plays worth circling, but the slate also offers a couple of angles tied to quarterback efficiency and backfield usage.
The first target is Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell going higher than 8.5 rush attempts. Russell has averaged just over seven rushing attempts per game through his first five outings, and in college those sacks count as rushes too.
That matters here because he should have opportunities to break loose as a runner against Georgia, but the sack total could help this number just as much. Russell has been sacked multiple times in every SEC game so far, and now he draws what might be the conference’s best defensive front.
Between scrambles, designed runs and the pressure he’s likely to face, this feels like a path to double digits.
Another quarterback play points to West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins Jr. higher than 151.5 passing yards. Hawkins was a hit on the over last week, and the case stays pretty simple: he doesn’t throw a ton against Power 4 opponents - about 21 attempts per game - but he’s made those chances count.
He’s topped 9 yards per attempt in four of his first five games, and that efficiency is the backbone of the bet against Arizona. The Wildcats are 71st nationally in EPA allowed per drop-back, according to Game on Paper, which leaves room for Hawkins to keep producing on limited volume.
The lone running back play on the slate goes the other direction: LSU’s Dilin Jones lower than 92.5 rushing yards. Jones has basically owned LSU’s rushing workload outside of garbage time, and there isn’t much reason to expect Harlem Berry to suddenly take on a major role in tight games.
Berry had just one carry before the fourth quarter in LSU’s most recent SEC game, even though the two did split time against McNeese last week. Jones should still lead the way in touches, but the number looks inflated.
He’s projected for about 18.5 carries, which works out to roughly five yards a pop, and he hasn’t cleared that average in any game this season. If Kentucky’s defense doesn’t hold up and the game gets out of hand, Berry could also pick up more late work and keep Jones under the number.
In Other News...
LSU Enters Kentucky With One Big Edge And A Real Concern
LSU got a clean bill of health change-wise on its final injury report for the Kentucky game, while the Wildcats are dealing with a more damaging list on the other side. Kentucky will be without defensive lineman Kalen Edwards, and that matters in a matchup where trench play already shapes how both teams want to control the game. For the Tigers, the headline is not a new setback, but the chance to lean on an edge that has been there since the report first came out.
Still, LSU is not exactly walking into this one untouched. The Tigers will be missing five players, including linebackers Whit Weeks and Charles Ross II, safety Dashawn Spears, wide receiver Phillip Wright III and tight end Trey'Dez Green, which leaves the roster thinner in a few key spots. Even so, the most intriguing part of the matchup may be how LSU's running game holds up against a Kentucky defense trying to absorb its own injury losses and keep the Tigers from dictating the pace. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Freshman WR Is Forcing A Rethink Before Kentucky
LSU has spent plenty of effort rebuilding its wide receiver room through the transfer portal under coach Lane Kiffin, adding nine newcomers and creating one of the rosters most watched battles for snaps. But after the McNeese game, true freshman Corey Barber Jr. made a real case to be part of the conversation, giving the Tigers another young option to consider as they sort out who belongs on the field.
The timing matters because Kentucky is next, and the competition is not just about depth anymore. Kansas State transfer Jayce Brown is still in the mix, but Barbers breakout has forced LSU to at least rethink how the rotation should look going forward, with both players expected to keep fighting for playing time this week. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Know This Kentucky Series Has Never Felt Normal
LSU and Kentucky spent a stretch meeting every season from 1952 to 2002, and even with LSU holding the upper hand in the series, the matchup never settled into anything routine. There were old Kentucky wins from the Bear Bryant era, and there was the kind of back-and-forth history that makes this SEC pairing feel a little off-kilter compared with more familiar league rivalries.
More recently, the game has kept finding ways to look strange, including LSUs dramatic finish in 2002 and Kentuckys latest victory over the Tigers in 2021, a 42-21 result in Lexington. For LSU fans, the memory bank on this series is full of odd turns and uncomfortable surprises, which is part of why Kentucky week has never quite felt normal. [Read more 🡒]