College Football Player Props & Picks: Week 3 Bets for Jayden Daniels, Shedeur Sanders, Will Sheppard & More
Dustin Bradford/Getty Images. Pictured: Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
- A college football Saturday wouldn't be complete without a few player props.
- Our staff came through with four props for Week 3, including picks for Jayden Daniels, Shedeur Sanders, Will Sheppard and Drake Maye.
- Check out all four of our staff's player props for college football Week 3 below.
The college football player prop market can add extra value to your betting card each week — plus they're fun bets to root for.
This week, our staff found four NCAAF player props with value, including picks for Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Will Sheppard, and, most notably, Shedeur Sanders.
Read on for a full breakdown of all four prop bets.
College Football Player Props for Week 3
In the table below, you'll find each of our college football staff's top player prop picks from Saturday's slate of games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | |
| 3:30 p.m. | |
| 7 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
LSU vs. Mississippi State
By Brett Pund
If you know anything about Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett, you know he loves to call exotic blitzes. However, this can leave his defense vulnerable in the middle of the field, especially against mobile quarterbacks who can evade the rush.
This is precisely why I expect LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels to have a big day with his legs. You only have to look back to this matchup last season to see how this one should go.
In the 31-16 victory, Daniels led all rushers with 93 yards on 16 carries, adding a rushing touchdown. This wasn’t the only contest where he showcased his speed.
When the Tigers faced a Power 5 opponent, the Arizona State transfer topped this number in seven of 10 games, excluding the SEC Championship Game, where he left the game with an injury.
Also, Daniels isn't the only quarterback to have success on the ground against the Bulldogs. Arkansas’ Malik Hornsby ran for 114 yards in Starkville last year when starting for an injured KJ Jefferson.
Meanwhile, Robby Ashford exceeded the century mark for rushing yards for Auburn in the overtime loss at Miss State.
Just last week, Jayden de Laura was the leading rusher for Arizona against the Bulldogs. Daniels is a step up from him.
If LSU wants to cover this spread on the road, Daniels must use his legs.
I believe he'll do just that.
Pick: Daniels Over 53.5 Rushing Yards (Play to 58)
Minnesota vs. North Carolina
Drake Maye is a great quarterback with a bright NFL future. But that has nothing to do with his statistical ceiling on Saturday.
Since offensive coordinator Phil Longo packed up his things for Madison, Wisconsin, Maye’s prospects as a stat-sheet stuffer have suffered. His passing attempts and yards per game are way down (238.5). The Tar Heels have a rising star at running back in Omarion Hampton, and they seem content featuring him prominently. The sophomore feature back gobbled up 26 carries last week against Appalachian State.
But in this game, when it comes to Maye’s passing total, the main ingredient in this Under is his opponent. Minnesota has fielded a top-15 pass defense in three of the past four seasons. And this year, they could be even better.
The Gophers have allowed only 92.5 passing yards per game through the first two weeks. And that was against a Big Ten opponent and a nine-win bowl team in Eastern Michigan. Toss in P.J. Fleck’s desire to shorten the game by running the football, and you see a game script developing that favors passing Unders.
This number is predicated more on Maye’s NFL Draft stock and 2022 breakout season than the on-field realities on Saturday. I’m happy to hop in and take advantage of a number I believe is off by close to 15 yards.
Pick: Maye Under 265.5 Passing Yards (Play to 259.5)
Vanderbilt vs. UNLV
By Alex Hinton
After catching nine touchdown passes last season, Will Sheppard is off to a fast start again. He has caught two touchdowns in each of Vanderbilt’s three games, leading the nation with six. Vanderbilt is among the handful of teams that have played three games already, but it's still impressive.
This week, Vanderbilt is at UNLV for a rare non-conference road game against a Mountain West opponent.
Sheppard's got a prime matchup, given that UNLV is 132nd in Passing Success Rate allowed, 123rd in Havoc created, and 88th in Pro Football Focus's Pass Coverage Grade.
Sheppard only averages 10.9 yards per catch, so he likely won't score on a deep ball. All six of his touchdowns have come inside the red zone.
But that's fine. Vanderbilt should successfully move the ball on UNLV, generating several red zone chances.
Sheppard is the first option that quarterback AJ Swann looks for when Vanderbilt is in the red area. At 6-foot-3, Sheppard is an excellent target on contested catches. He has feasted on Vanderbilt’s non-conference schedule, and I expect him to continue to do so in another prime matchup.
Currently, Sheppard is not available to score two anytime touchdowns on any sportsbook. However, if available before kick, I would also take Sheppard for two at plus odds.
Pick: Sheppard Over 0.5 Receiving Touchdowns (-155)
Colorado State vs. Colorado
By Cody Goggin
Through two games of the Deion Sanders era in Colorado, one thing is clear: the Buffs will throw the ball. Sanders wants his son to win the Heisman.
Colorado is throwing that ball at the third-highest rate in the country. And it's been efficient doing it, with the 18th-highest Passing Success Rate and the 27th-best Passing PPA per play. Even better, the numbers came against two Power Five teams that field far better passing defenses than the Rams.
The Rams rank 127th in Passing Success Rate allowed. They are 110th in Passing PPA per play allowed, too. Having only played one game this year, the Washington State game is all we have to analyze, but I would argue that Colorado might have a better passing attack than their conference foe. Wazzu put up a 67th percentile EPA per dropback in that matchup, alongside a 91st percentile Success Rate. Cam Ward torched CSU for 451 yards.
Shedeur threw 47 times for 510 yards and four touchdowns in his FBS debut against TCU. The Horned Frogs’ defense ranks 64th in SP+'s rankings.
Sanders amassed another 393 yards on 42 attempts against Nebraska’s defense, which ranks 51st in SP+. For context, Colorado State’s defense is currently rated 112th.
Colorado will keep passing the ball as much as they can. And after Jay Norvell’s comments on Coach Prime, I think Deion will be more motivated to keep throwing the ball, potentially running up the score against their in-state rival.
Pick: Sanders Over 341.5 Passing Yards (Play to 359.5)
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