College Football DFS Week 3 Picks & Projections - Sept. 14
The first few weeks of college football have brought a lot of excitement. We saw some of the best teams in the country grab big wins while witnessing a massive upset to a top five team at home.
College football Week 3 is shaping up to be another great Saturday, as we have conference matchups popping up and a top-25 matchup. Below, we’ll cover the top college football picks for DFS and PrizePicks in Week 3 from Georgia vs. Kentucky, Oregon vs. Oregon State, and Alabama vs. Wisconsin
On the PrizePicks CFB board, you can see all the Week 3 projections for players' passing, rushing, and receiving yards, plus much more. Let’s lock in on some of the top college football picks for Week 3 on Saturday, September 14.
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No. 4 Alabama vs. Wisconsin
Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: Fox, Fox Sports app
QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama – More than 174.5 Passing Yards (Goblin Pick)
The important thing for Alabama at the start of the season is that they’re winning games, but based on how they are playing, they will find it difficult when conference play starts.
You might look at their scores and think that isn’t true, but if you watched the first three quarters last week — although they won 41-16 — you know they aren’t championship-ready.
Last year's game against South Florida was a struggle, but that was due to not having a reputable quarterback, as Milroe was benched for that game.
This year, he was in the lineup. He should have torched a Bulls secondary that allowed 281.7 passing yards per game last year, but he managed just 194. Bama also only held a 21-16 lead with six minutes left.
Milroe should be able to handle a Wisconsin defense that wasn’t good last year. While they made changes and added veterans through the portal, there are still questions, especially on the defensive line.
This needs to be a breakout game for Milroe if he wants to stay in the Heisman conversation.
RB Justice Haynes, Alabama – More Than 27.5 Rushing Yards (Goblin Pick)
Haynes and Jam Miller will help Milroe move the ball against a below-average Wisconsin run defense that ranks 84th according to PFF.
Haynes looks to be the favored back in this lineup, as he has played more snaps. Haynes is a big back but has speed and can get through the secondary if he finds an open lane.
If Haynes can get production, it will open up the passing game for Milroe. Plus, if Alabama can get their offense going, Haynes should be able to help close out the game on the ground.
QB Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin – More Than 1.5 Interceptions (Demon Pick)
After a couple of years in Miami, Van Dyke hit the transfer portal and came to Wisconsin. During his freshman year for the Hurricanes, he burst onto the scene, and many thought he would bring the program back to glory. After that, there wasn’t much success, including injuries that derailed him.
He has a great arm and likes to make big plays, but he often takes risks, which has hurt him in the past. In his final two seasons in Miami, he threw for 29 touchdowns, but when you compare that to his 17 interceptions, it raises concerns.
Last year, Van Dyke threw 12 interceptions on 13 turnover-worthy plays, including four straight games with at least two interceptions against ACC opponents. It’s fair to say he likely won’t fare well, especially if Wisconsin is forced to throw to stay in the game.
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No. 9 Oregon vs. Oregon State
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX, Fox Sports App
QB Dillion Gabriel, Oregon – Less Than 307.5 Passing Yards
Oregon has the potential to be a great team, and 2-0 looks great, but some things still need to be fixed.
The first issue is the offense. While it has a ton of talent, it has not met expectations. Dillon Gabriel has one of the best arms in the country, and he can make explosive plays, but they have relied on that chunk yardage too much to move the ball.
Those plays might not come against Oregon State. They have a great secondary and can put pressure on the quarterback. This Ducks’ offense has not played well yet, and I think they get exposed, which will reflect poorly on Gabriel.
TE Terrance Ferguson, Oregon – More Than 3.0 Receptions
With that inability to get explosive plays, the Ducks will have to find a different approach to win this game.
Gabriel should be looking for Ferguson to gain yards and move the chains. He mostly runs five-yard slant routes over the top of the box, and they could use that on second downs to get to a third-and-manageable or try to spread out the secondary to get him open in the middle for a first down.
When the defense is focused on Ferguson, it could set up a big play, so look for the tight end to get a lot of work.
RB Jam Griffin, Oregon State – More Than 0.5 Rushing + Receiving Touchdowns (Demon Pick)
To pull off the upset, the Beavers need to go at their own pace: play slow, run the ball, and win the time-of-possession battle.
They have a great duo that will attack the line and wear Oregon down.
If we’re being completely honest, Jam Griffin and Anthony Hankerson are both great options. Both are bruisers; they run through the line of scrimmage and fight for yards after contact.
When you have two guys who can do that efficiently, it’s tough, because most of the time, the same group of defensive linemen are playing these snaps, while the Beavers can continually rotate in fresh runners. Look for the Beavers to establish it with Griffin and Hankerson.
No. 1 Georgia vs. Kentucky
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, ESPN+
QB Carson Beck, Georgia – More Than 250.5 Passing Yards
There’s no doubt that Georgia continues to be the best team in college football. The offense is great behind QB Carson Beck, and the defense continues to smother opponents, allowing just six points through two games.
Beck is making a case for being the first quarterback to be taken overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He currently has a 185.5 passer efficiency rating, and his seven touchdowns are the second-most in the FBS.
He’ll face his first real challenge of the year against Kentucky, which has limited opponents to 285 yards passing across two games. If the Wildcats play like they did when South Carolina came to town, it will be another sad week in Lexington.
Last season, Beck torched the Kentucky secondary with 389 passing yards and four touchdowns against an average pass defense. However, they are not much better in coverage this year, with a 63.1 PFF pass coverage grade so far.
Expect Beck should put big numbers again in what should be a Georgia win.
RB Trevor Etienne, Georgia – Less Than 73.5 Rushing Yards
Kentucky has an excellent run defense again this year, just as it has in years past. The team has several standouts on its defensive front, including DT Deone Walker, a potential top-ten NFL Draft pick.
The Bulldogs plucked Etienne from their SEC rival Florida. He has been limited at the start of the season, so we haven’t seen his true potential quite yet.
He missed the game against Clemson in Week 1 and had just five carries in Week 2 against Tennessee Tech. There are a lot of other players in this backfield who can contribute, including Branson Robinson and Nate Frazier.
This will be a much tougher battle for Georgia, but I don’t believe they’ll test him too much, especially when the game script shows Georgia should move through the air.
QB Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky – Less Than 121.5 Passing Yards
The rumor is Mark Stoops tried to leave Kentucky for another job, and where there’s smoke, there’s fire. When there is a group of over 100 men you tried to abandon, they won’t play hard for you, and that’s what seems to be happening.
That said, this is Vandagriff's revenge game. He transferred over from Georgia, which is why he never got much playing time.
Against South Carolina, he completed just 3-of-10 passes for 30 yards. That’s horrible no matter who you play. Now he has to face one of the best defenses in the country. It’s unlikely we’ll see Kentucky have much success through the air here.
Lock In on College Football DFS on PrizePicks
The season has just begun, but at PrizePicks, we’re already in mid-season mode. The CFB board has many choices for everyone looking to make their Saturday even better.
With new matchups and projections every week, you’ll have some of the best players in the nation to choose from to build your lineup. Just pick more or less on at least two player projections to get started.
Keep checking the Playbook for PrizePicks CFB picks all season long, and we’ll bring exciting content all the way until they crown a National Champion.
Follow John Supowitz on X: @ImThatSupi
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