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Dr. Saturday's daily fantasy picks and advice for Saturday's games

Thursday’s daily fantasy lineup didn’t do as well as I would have liked, though I did hear some people did finish in the money. I finished about a point out. I got some great performances out of my quarterback and receivers, but I definitely didn’t get enough production from my running backs and the lack of touchdowns doomed me in the end.

But it was only the first day and there’s a whole Saturday full of games to rectify my poor Thursday. So let’s find some winners.

QUARTERBACK

Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee ($10,000)
On Thursday I went for a bargain quarterback and it paid off. This time, I’m picking the best guy off the board.

Dobbs is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback (you’ll learn that I favor these guys), so there’s a lot upside with the high price point. Dobbs played in six games a year ago, had eight rushing touchdowns and nine passing. He’s going to be a lot more comfortable now that he’s had some time in Butch Jones’ system and he’s more familiar with his playmakers. And going against Bowling Green defense that lost seven starters from a group that allowed 33.5 points per game a year ago is definitely a plus. Dobbs is worth the high price.

RUNNING BACK

Alex Collins, Arkansas ($9,400)
Collins is another guy with a big price tag because he has a huge upside. With Jonathan Williams out for the season with a knee injury, Collins becomes the Razorbacks feature back behind what many believe is the country's best offensive line.

Collins ran for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns while sharing the backfield. He’ll probably share it again, but he will be the feature guy and get the bulk of the touches.

The only concern in this game is that UTEP loves to go slow. It wants to whittle down the clock so that its opponents get as few touches as possible. Still, the Miners did allow 176.8 rushing yards per game a year ago.

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford ($7,000)
So when you go big in two spots, you have to find bargains at some others. A lot of people (including myself) believe this is going to be a breakout season for McCaffrey, who had 796 all-purpose yards as a true freshman a year ago. Stanford has been preaching all offseason that it needs to get McCaffrey more touches and he’s a good pick here because of his versatility. He’ll be used in the backfield, on screens, in the slot and definitely in the return game, so there’s a lot of opportunity for McCaffrey to get points.

WIDE RECEIVER

MarQuez North, Tennessee ($6,200)
This is probably the biggest gamble of the day for me. North missed the final three games of last season because of season-ending shoulder surgery and before that, he didn’t have the greatest numbers because of inconsistent quarterback play. He also missed part of fall camp because of a tweaked knee. However, North is the Vols most talented receiver and he has to show that at some point, right?

As noted above, Bowling Green is not good on defense. Dobbs has a lot of guys to throw to, but it’s going to be important to get North’s confidence up early. North didn’t have a game with more than 68 yards last year, but I see a better opening performance, especially with Pig Howard out because of suspension.

If you don’t like North in this sport, you would be OK with James Quick from Louisville ($6,000) or even Bowling Green’s Roger Lewis ($6,200).

Jordan Westerkamp, Nebraska ($5,000)
I definitely felt this was a value spot for Westerkamp, who had 44 receptions for 747 yards and five touchdowns a year ago. The good thing about Westerkamp is he has great hands. If the ball is thrown anywhere near him, chances are he’s going to catch it.

With Kenny Bell gone, Westerkamp should get more targets, especially since he already has a good rapport with quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. And BYU allowed 269.7 passing yards per game a year ago, which was 112th in the country.

Geno Lewis, Penn State ($4,900)
The third receiver is always about finding the best bargain, especially when you’ve spent big on other positions. Lewis is Penn State’s No. 2 receiver behind DaeSean Hamilton ($6,200), but he had 55 catches for 751 and two touchdowns a year ago, including seven catches for 82 yards and a score in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College.

The Penn Sate offense was a little inconsistent last year, but quarterback Christian Hackenberg ended the 2014 season with the best performance of his career and the hope is that he can carry that momentum into 2015. Make no mistake, Temple is a quality team and it was especially good on defense. That unit returns 10 starters from a year ago. Last year, Hackenberg only threw for 112 yards and had two interceptions. Here’s hoping he comes into this game wanting to make amends for that performance.

TIGHT END

Mike Gesicki ($2,300)
I know, I know, I just got done telling you how great the Temple defense is and how quarterback Christian Hackenberg struggled against the Owls last season. That said, Gesicki, who had 11 catches for 114 yards as a freshman last year, should be better after a year of experience. Hackenberg is going to need a safety valve and Gesicki has the skill and athleticism to be that guy. And quite honestly, he’s the best value at this price point.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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