The 2026 college football season kicks off on Saturday, August 29, with eight games, highlighted by five contests featuring ACC squads.
North Carolina travels to Dublin to face TCU, beginning Bill Belichick’s second season as head coach of the Tar Heels. Elsewhere, North Carolina State and Virginia meet in Charlottesville, while Stanford hosts Hawaii. The only ranked team to debut is No. 14 USC, who welcomes San Jose State in Week 0.
We’ll break down some of the top players taking the field today for the best CFB DFS picks of Week 0, including USC senior QB Jayden Maiava against San Jose State and NC State QB CJ Bailey in its conference showdown with Virginia.
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Week 0 CFB DFS Picks for PrizePicks – Saturday, August 29
Here are the top CFB picks to target on PrizePicks for Saturday, August 29. Today’s CFB picks for PrizePicks include Jayden Maiava, CJ Bailey, Jeremy Payne, Duce Robinson, and Micah Ford.
USC QB Jayden Maiava vs. San Jose State: 284.5 Pass Yards
- Maiava steered the Trojans’ passing offense to the best EPA/DB (0.40) last season, according to Game on Paper.
- San Jose State finished 122nd in EPA/Pass defensively but allowed less than 200 passing yards in each of its final four contests.
- He led the Big Ten with 3,711 passing yards in 2025, starting with 295 yards in a season-opening win over Missouri State.
- The senior finished below this projection in seven of 13 games last season. He came close in two contests, with 282 yards vs. Purdue and 280 yards in the Alamo Bowl defeat to TCU.
Add Jayden Maiava to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
NC State QB CJ Bailey vs. Virginia: 232.5 Pass Yards
- Bailey reached this projection only five times in 13 outings last season but threw for at least 300 yards in four games.
- In a 35-31 home win over Virginia last September, Bailey finished with 200 passing yards.
- Last season, the Cavaliers held their own defending the pass, ranking 31st in EPA/Pass. The Wolfpack sat 34th in EPA/Pass, an improvement from 42nd in 2024.
- In nine career road games, Bailey has closed with less than 232 yards six times.
Add CJ Bailey to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
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TCU RB Jeremy Payne vs. North Carolina: 77.5 Rush Yards
- In his sophomore campaign, Payne posted a career-high 623 rushing yards, while averaging 56.6 yards per contest.
- Payne faces a UNC rush defense that ranked 113th in EPA/Rush (0.17) a season ago.
- The junior busted 70 rushing yards once in the first eight games but compiled consecutive 100+ yard performances against Houston and Cincinnati during the 2025 campaign.
- Payne averaged 19.0 carries per game in the final three matchups of 2025, which followed putting up 6.6 rushing attempts per game in the first eight contests.
Add Jeremy Payne to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Florida State WR Duce Robinson vs. New Mexico State: 75.5 Receiving Yards
- Robinson was the lone bright offensive spot on the Seminoles last season, compiling 1,081 receiving yards on 56 receptions.
- The senior put together five 100-yard receiving performances, including three consecutive efforts against Wake Forest, Clemson, and Virginia Tech.
- He faces a New Mexico State defense that finished 101st in pass success rate (47%) last season.
- Robinson averaged 82.5 receiving yards per game across seven home games in 2025. That number included an 8-yard output vs. Kent State and a 10-yard performance in a loss to Pittsburgh.
Add Duce Robinson to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Stanford RB Micah Ford vs. Hawaii: 89.5 Rush Yards
- Ford ran over Hawaii in the 2025 opener, racking up 113 yards on 26 carries with a TD.
- He finished with 643 yards in nine games, as he missed a pair of games against Miami and Pittsburgh with a leg injury.
- The New Jersey native closed his sophomore campaign with 150 yards in a 31-10 blowout of rival Cal. That output was more than his previous three games combined.
- Hawaii ranked 92nd defensively in EPA/Rush last season and was 82nd in defensive rushing success rate.
Add Micah Ford to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
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The 2026 college football campaign is finally here with games all Saturday long in Week 0. Will these stars put up big numbers, or will it take time to find their footing in season openers?
Ahead of today’s action, it's time to lock in your CFB picks on PrizePicks to win real money. Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in on your predictions when you're right.
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