Below are positional rankings for the 19-game early slate of DraftKings contests on Saturday with some commentary along the way. Keep in mind that salary has a giant impact on a player’s ranking. 

QUARTERBACK

1. Seth Russell – $9,300 – Baylor
2. Trevone Boykin – $9,200 – TCU
3. Skylar Howard – $6,500 – West Virginia
4. Drew Lock – $4,300 – Missouri
5. Tommy Armstrong – $7,100 – Nebraska

Seth Russell is the highest in market price, but he is also the safest play. With an Over/Under of 90 points, plenty of fireworks will be on display. Russell has been stellar with his 38.6 FPPG, which coincides with his 15 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He is coming off a game where he threw six touchdowns, this may be hard to achieve this week, but I can see four-five touchdowns on the horizon.

Trevone Boykin is right under Seth Russell for average points per game (37.7) and has thrown one less touchdown to go with one less interception. Boykin likes to make up yards on the ground as well as in the air. He has thrown for over 450 yards in his last two games and had nine touchdowns to go with it. He will be tested more against Texas than he was against Texas Tech or SMU, so expect those numbers to drop down a bit. Do not be too concerned as Texas also struggles on defense as they are ranked 98^th against the pass.

Skylar Howard produced an 85.2 accuracy percentage that placed him seventh in the country in the Week 4 victory over Maryland. Don’t expect as much output as the names above, but Howard can hold his own, He has averaged 27.8 points per game and hovers around 300 yards passing on an average basis. He has improved each week in his touchdowns, throwing four last week against Maryland. He also takes care of the ball throwing only one interception.

Drew Lock has not much to go on. He will start his first game this Saturday against South Carolina. He has been seen on the field but only thrown 25 passes in four games with one touchdown and one interception in separate games. The Gamecocks have a weak defense, so this may make a good punt play. South Carolina is ranked 78^th against the pass, so Lock should have plenty of opportunities.

Tommy Armstrong is going to blow up, just like his price tag. His $7,100 price point is a bump in the road, but he has scored three or more touchdowns in three of four games. He also makes the magic happen with his legs. He will throw nearly 40 passes per game, and as long as he stays away from giving up three interceptions against (Miami) he should do well. His average point total is 29.9 per game.

RUNNING BACK

1. Shock Linwood – $7,300 – Baylor
2. Nick Chubb-$8,600-Georgia

3. Daniel Lasco – $5,700 – Cal
4. Jordan Howard – $7,200 – Indiana

1. Ezekiel Elliot – $8,400 – Ohio State
2. Dalvin Cook – $8,800 – Florida State

7. Patrick Skov – $5,700 – Georgia Tech

Shock Linwood has gone over the 100-yard barrier in back-to-back games, and last week he rushed for 158. Also in his last two games he has four touchdowns, three came against Lamar, and the other was against Rice. This week he will face Texas Tech, who is ranked 118^th against the rush. Linwood should find plenty of room to roam, and I predict he outscores his average of 22.1 points per game.

Nick Chubb has 599 yards rushing on 71 attempts to go along with seven touchdowns. He averages 30.2 points per game, and, therefore, his high price tag of $8,600. The Bulldogs will face Alabama this week, and they are brutal against the run (4^th in the nation). The Crimson Tide are tested too, playing #19 Wisconsin in week one and #3 Ole Miss in week three. Nick Chubb will be tested, but he should prevail.

Daniel Lasco, I like his value here. The Bears will face off against Washington State, who are ranked 81^st against the run. They are tough against the pass however as they are 35^th, which means carries for Lasco. He is averaging 16.4 points per game and averages nearly 70 yards per contest.

Jordan Howard is averaging 29.1 points per game and has scored four touchdowns in two games. It helped that three came in one game against SIU. He has averaged over six yards per carry and has gone over 100 yards rushing in all four games. His biggest game came against Western Kentucky as he rumbled for 203 yards. He won’t add much to the passing game and going against Ohio State that ranks  33^rd in the nation against the run.

Ezekiel Elliot has 77 carries on the season already but has five touchdowns and an average of 24.7 points to go with it. He does add another dimension to the passing game, as he has caught eight passes for 51 yards. He has gone over 100 yards each game and now will face the Hoosiers of Indiana. The Hoosiers are good against the run (45^th in nation) but horrid against the pass (118^th in the nation).

Dalvin Cook is the highest running back listed this week but has a tough test against the Wake Forest defense. He is averaging 158.7 yards on the ground to go along with his 29.4 points per contest. He did get injured in the game against Boston College, but has had an extra week to get healthy and should be good to go. He won’t add much in the passing game, but I see Wake Forest having a difficult time stopping him.

Patrick Skov has been able to find the end zone each week up until his last game against Duke. He hasn’t broken the 100-yard barrier and doesn’t fit in the passing game, but his price tag and facing North Carolina defense that is 109^th against the run are two separate issues. I think Skov returns to the end zone and outscores his average of 18.6 points per game.

WIDE RECEIVER

1. Keevan Lucas – $6,900 – Tulsa
2. Josh Doctson – $7,600 – TCU
3. Aaron Brubridge – $6,400 – Michigan State
4. David Gilden – $4,200 – Oklahoma State
5. Devin Lauderdale  – $4,800 – Texas Tech
6. Reginald Davis – $4,300 – Texas Tech
7. River Cracraft – $6,500 – Washington State

Kevan Lucas has been a target machine with his 19 receptions for 342 yards and five touchdowns. He will be using his talents at home to take on Houston, who is ranked 112^th against the pass. Lucas is averaging 30.1 points per game and has scored two touchdowns in two of his three games played.

Josh Doctson has 35 receptions with 593 yards and six touchdowns to go along with his 34.2 points per game. He has scored five times in the last two games, and last week against Texas Tech he had 18 receptions for 267 yards with three touchdowns. He makes a good combo play with Teyvone Boykin as the Texas Longhorns cant stop anyone.

Aaron Brubridge has 24 receptions with 405 yards receiving and four touchdowns. He has averaged 24.4 points per game. He stumbled a bit against a tough Central Michigan defense, but should find more open room against a significant less ranked defense in Purdue. He should put up near eight receptions for over 100 yards and at least one touchdown.

David Gilden for his price tag comes down with over three receptions per game and has scored three scores in four games. His 17.1 points per game average scream punt and is an excellent filler for your wide receiver slot. He will be facing a Kansas State defense that struggles against the pass as they are ranked 76^th overall.

Devin Lauderdale comes with a little higher price tag than Gilden, but he also averages over five points per game than David Gilden (22.6). Lauderdale has 13 receptions with 307 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Texas Tech has one of the worst defenses in the nation as they are ranked 107^th against the pass and 118^th overall, and this should help Seth Russell spot Lauderdale all game.

Reginald Davis could make a good combo with Devin Lauderdale as both come cheap. Baylor has a strong defense as they are 20^th in the nation against the pass, but Texas Tech is 4^th in passing offense. Davis is a major contributor and has 13 receptions for 248 yards and three touchdowns. He also makes a good punt option.

River Cracraft has put together a nice season considering he is with Washington State. On the season, he has 17 receptions with 230 yards and just one touchdown. He averages 16.3 points per game which makes his $6,500 price tag difficult one to land. He does have 15 receptions and 104 yards over his last two games with his sole touchdown. Cal’s passing defense is rigid, but they can be exploited. This game is set to be an over/under of 70.5 points, which means quality time for Cracraft.