Bowl Slate Preview (Dec. 31)

It’s New Year’s Eve, and we have a tremendous college football slate on tap with five total games. In addition to the four bowl games, the quarterfinals of the CFB Playoffs begin Tuesday as well. For a full breakdown of the next two days of action, be sure to check out the latest episode of the CFB SuperShow.

In this breakdown, we will cover any relevant opt-outs or player news, highlight top DFS options and provide you with best bets for each matchup. Let’s get into it.

ReliaQuest Bowl

Alabama vs. Michigan 

(Bama -16.5, O/U 45)

Opt-Outs/Transfers/Injuries

Michigan: QB Alex Orji (transfer but available to play), RB Donovan Edwards (Opt-out), RB Kalel Mullings (Opt-out), TE Colston Loveland (Opt-out), WR Tyler Morris (transfer)
Alabama: RB Justice Haynes (transfer to Michigan), WR Kendrick Law (transfer to Kentucky), WR Caleb Odom (transfer to Ole Miss), Kobe Prentice (transfer to Baylor)

Michigan is decimated with opt-outs while Bama remains mostly intact with their most important players. The key to the game will be which team can control the ground game from the jump. Jalen Milroe is an elite dual-threat, and the Tide will obviously have a huge advantage at the position with Michigan utilizing Davis Warren and Alex Orji.

With Edwards and Mullings out, the Wolverines will turn to freshman Jordan Marshall and the little-used Benjamin Hall for the ground game. Jam Miller is extremely cheap for DFS purposes and will likely see a big spike in touches with Haynes off to Michigan. Meanwhile, teenager Ryan Williams is a playmaker whose best days are still to come. Did you hear he is only 17? (eyeroll)

DFS Targets

Jalen Milroe
Jam Miller
Ryan Williams
Germie Bernard
Jordan Marshall

Best Bets

Ryan Williams Over 61.5 Receiving Yards (-114, FanDuel)
Jam Miller Over 64.5 Rushing Yards (-114, FanDuel)

Sun Bowl

Louisville vs. Washington

Washington -1.5, O/U 49.5

Opt-Outs/Transfers/Injuries

Louisville: QB Tyler Shough (opt-out), WR Ja’Corey Brooks (opt-out), RB Keyjuan Brown (transfer), RB Mo Turner (transfer), WR Jadon Thompson (transfer), Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (opt-out), Jimmy Calloway (transfer)
Washington: No fantasy relevant players have opted out at this time, but stay tuned.

The Cards will be rolling with Harrison Bailey at QB with Shough out. He hasn’t played any meaningful snaps since early in the season, so it’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the table. I expect them to lean heavily on Isaac Brown and the ground game, as the Huskies defense has been putrid all year against the run. They’re much better against the pass which doesn’t bode well for Bailey. Brown is an elite option across the board and should cause huge issues for the Dawgs. Duke Watson will also get touches at the position. 

Caullin Lacy will play after deciding to redshirt earlier this year. These non-playoff bowl games are technically exhibitions and don’t count toward your redshirt, so Lacy will get the start Over Brooks. This is huge news for the Cards, as he is a total stud at WR and is the future of the program for next year.

The Huskies will start Demond Williams at QB, which is what they did in the season finale against Oregon. Will Rogers is still around, but it makes too much sense for the Huskies to get the true frosh as many reps as possible heading into next year. He is a fantastic option at a cheap price and can be considered a core play for DFS formats. 

Jonah Coleman and freshman Adam Mohammed will get the reps at RB. There is continuity at receiver with Denzel Boston, Giles Jackson, Jeremiah Hunter and Keleki Latu all playing.

DFS Targets

Demond Williams
Denzel Boston
Giles Jackson
Keleki Latu
Isaac Brown
Caullin Lacy

Best Bets

Over 49.5 Total Points (-112, FanDuel)
Demond Williams Over 195.5 Passing Yards (-117, Caesars)
Isaac Brown Over 95.5 Rushing Yards (-114, FanDuel)

Citrus Bowl

South Carolina vs. Illinois

South Carolina -8.5, O/U 49.5

Opt-Outs/Transfers/Injuries

South Carolina: RB Rocket Sanders (opt-out), QB Robby Ashford (transfer but available)
Illinois: Pat Bryant (opt-out), RB Kaedin Feagin (injured)

With Rocket Sanders preparing for the NFL Draft, the Gamecocks will lean on Oscar Adaway and JuJu McDowell at the RB position. Adaway has flashed production in the past during his time at North Texas when he rushed for at least 500 yards in back-to-back seasons. 2025 Heisman candidate LaNorris Sellers will also be looking to put on a show today and is one of my favorite plays of the day for fantasy but also to just watch take the field. He has his full cadre of pass-catchers available with wideouts Jared Brown, Nyck Harbor, Mazeo Bennett and TE Josh Simon all playing.

Luke Altmyer has his work cut out for him against the SC defense even with potential opt-outs on that side of the ball. They’ll have to establish a good ground game with Josh McCray and AIdan Laughery. Zakhari Franklin becomes the de facto alpha with Bryant out, a role he excelled in during his time at UTSA, when he was a 1,000-yard receiver.

DFS Targets

LaNorris Sellers
Oscar Adaway
Josh Simon
Mazeo Bennett
Aidan Laughery
Zakhari Franklin

Best Bets

South Carolina -8.5 (-110, DraftKings)
LaNorris Sellers Over 50.5 Rushing Yards (-117, Caesars)
Zakhari Franklin Over 60.5 Receiving Yards (-125, Caesars)

Texas Bowl

Baylor vs. LSU

Baylor -4, O/U 63.5

Opt-Outs/Transfers/Injuries

Baylor: DeQuan Finn (transfer)
LSU: CJ Daniels (transfer to Miami), Kyren Lacy (opt-out), Mason Taylor (opt-out), Kamorreun Pimpton (opt-out)

This has shootout written all over it, and we will definitely want plenty of exposure to this game for DFS purposes. Sawyer Robertson is a slate-breaking option at QB and will probably be way lower rostered than he should. For large-field tournaments, he is a top option. However, when it comes to a primary build, we are going heavy Bryson Washington and he has the ability to be the highest scoring player on the slate. He has eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground for the year, which was aided by the fact that he broke the century mark in four straight games. Robertson has all of his weapons available in Hal Presley, Josh Cameron, Ashtyn Hawkins, Michael Trigg and Monaray Baldwin.

Garrett Nussmeier will have his work cut out for him with his top options opting out, but the Baylor defense has been a fantasy friendly unit so he should find success regardless. Aaron Anderson is a top option today as I’m expecting him to absorb a ton of the available targets that would normally go to Lacy or Taylor. Josh Williams and Caden Durham are solid tournament looks at RB today with both being really strong pass-catchers out of the backfield. They should also see a nice bump in overall targets. Trey’Dez Green looks to be taking over as the starting TE and is a pretty solid source of salary savings on both sites. I will be locking in Anderson and Washington everywhere.

DFS Targets

Sawyer Robertson
Bryson Washington
Baylor Receivers
Aaron Anderson
Caden Durham
Josh Williams
Trey’Dez Green

Best Bets

Baylor ML (-166, DraftKings)
Bryson Washington Over 102.5 Rushing Yards (-114, FanDuel)

Fiesta Bowl (CFB Playoffs Quarterfinals)

Penn State vs. Boise State

Penn State -11, O/U 54

Penn State pasted SMU by a score of 38-10 in the first round and did so with Drew Allar having a mediocre game. I expect a much better performance from Allar and his all-world TE Tyler Warren here. The duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton was borderline unstoppable in the first round and will be utilized heavily as they test the Boise State defensive front. Warren is a premium pay up, but I’m looking to get the PSU RBs into my various builds.

For Boise State, it’s all about Ashton Jeanty. The passing game led by Maddux Madsen and his quality group of pass-catchers has been solid this year, but they’re going up against one of the best defenses they’ve faced so far. A heavy dose of Jeanty is in order, and his elite skills of getting yards after contact will be even more important than usual. Jeanty is extremely expensive as usual, but he is unfadeable on FD where you need his TD upside but more of a luxury option on DK. If you can fit Jeanty, you do it, but with my priorities being with Sellers and Washington, that may be difficult to do.

DFS Targets

Nicholas Singleton
Kaytron Allen
Tyler Warren
Ashton Jeanty
Matt Lauter

Best Bets

Kaytron Allen Over 52.5 Rushing Yards (-117, Caesars)
Over 27 Total 1st Half Points (-115, Caesars)

PrizePicks Plays

LaNorris Sellers Over 49.5 Rushing Yards
Kaytron Allen Over 63.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards
Demond Williams Over 195.5 Passing Yards