College Football Week 9 is here and it's time to dive into top CFB DFS picks for Saturday's main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. This Saturday's CFB Week 9 main slate is headlined by the Oregon vs Utah matchup, but we also have plenty of other top teams in action like Oklahoma, Texas, Florida State, and Georgia. Plus, there are a few high totals in USC vs Cal, Houston vs Kansas State, and Oklahoma vs Kansas. In this CFB DFS Playbook, we'll break down top college football DFS picks for Saturday's main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel for the early/afternoon games. Check out Pete Cole's playbook for the night slate breakdown. The FanDuel main slate includes some night games as well, but you can check out these top picks when building CFB DFS lineups on both sites. All the CFB Week 9 odds listed below are via DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of this writing. Let's now get into the top CFB DFS picks for Saturday's college football Week 9 slate on October 28th.

 

College Football Week 9 Schedule 

CFB DFS Saturday Main Slate DraftKings

  • 12 pm ET – Florida State (-20.5) at Wake Forest – 52 O/U
  • 12 pm ET – Houston at Kansas State (-17.5) – 60 O/U
  • 12 pm ET – Oklahoma (-9.5) at Kansas – 66 O/U
  • 12 pm ET – West Virginia at UCF (-7) – 58.5 O/U
  • 12 pm ET – South Carolina at Texas A&M (-15.5) – 52.5 O/U
  • 12 pm ET – Indiana at Penn State (-31.5) – 45.5 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET – Duke at Louisville (-4.5) – 46 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET – Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (-20.5) – 45 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET – BYU at Texas (-20) – 50 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET – Oregon (-6.5) at Utah – 47.5 O/U
  • 3:30 pm ET – Georgia (-14.5) at Florida – 49.5 O/U
  • 4 pm ET – USC (-10.5) at California – 66.5 O/U

 

College Football Week 8 CFB DFS Picks

Top CFB DFS Quarterbacks

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Dillon GabrielOUKU940032.181180029.89
Dillon Gabriel is expensive, but we’ve seen his 30-40 DFS upside at his best. One of those big performances could be coming in a high-total matchup against a poor Kansas pass defense. The KU defense is allowing 296.8 passing yards per game in conference play (120th in FBS) and presents arguably the best matchup on the slate. Kansas just allowed Alan Bowman to throw for 336 yards and 2 TDs last game, and also gave up 325 yards to Quinn Ewers a few games ago. In this matchup, Gabriel could throw for 300-400 yards with multiple TDs and add some rushing upside as well. Gabriel is a better per-dollar play on DK than Caleb Williams and Box Nix, who are a bit too expensive.
Jordan TravisFSUWAKE920025.461100025.09
With so many top DFS QBs on the slate like Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, and Dillon Gabriel, we could see Jordan Travis come in lower rostered. That makes him a great contrarian play in GPP or cash lineups in a favorable matchup. Wake Forest has a below-average pass defense, but it also hasn’t faced as potent an offense like Florida State’s. Travis has 30-40 DK upside this week with his passing and dual-threat ability mixed in.
Carson BeckUGAUF870022.98920021.32
For DFS purposes, Carson Beck has been up and down with 35 DK one game and then less than 20 DK in the next. He’s tough to trust in cash lineups, but the GPP upside is there for one of those outbursts. Although Brock Bowers being out hurts, Beck still has plenty of weapons and explosive playmakers to connect with in this UGA offense. The Bowers injury actually may force Beck and the offense to throw downfield more with a better shot at long TD passes. The Florida defense just gave up 313 yards and 4 TDs to Spencer Rattler last game. We could see a similar stat line from Beck.
Garrett GreeneWVUUCF810025.381000024.38
Garrett Greene could go overlooked on this slate, but he’s a strong cash QB play. Greene is a legit dual-threat with the following rushing stat lines in the past three games: 117 yards, 47 yards and 2 TDs, 80 yards and 2 TDs. In turn, he’s posted 25, 44, and 31 DK in these past three games. Meanwhile, UCF has a decent pass defense but it’s terrible against the run. The defense is allowing 255 rushing yards per game in conference play with 14 rush TDs given up over four Big 12 matchups. UCF has already struggled against dual-threat QBs and Greene should offer a solid cash floor with his rushing alone.
John Rhys PlumleeUCFWVU720019.06970018.82
John Rhys Plumlee returned last week for UCF and looked pretty decent on the road against a tough OU defense. He had 23 DK with 3 total TDs (1 rushing, 2 passing) and nearly orchestrated an upset win. Now Plumlee gets a slightly easier home matchup against a West Virginia defense that’s allowing over 400 total yards per game in Big 12 play. The DK price is a season-low for Plumlee and a good buy-low spot as your cash Super-Flex. You can look elsewhere on FD, but the DK discount can provide a solid cash floor for one of the best running QBs in the country.
Max JohnsonTA&MSCAR650011.1830010.77
Max Johnson has looked pretty average since replacing Conner Weigman and he’s yet to eclipse 20 DK in a game this season. However, there’s upside in this matchup. South Carolina’s pass defense is one of the worst in college football, allowing 305 yards per game (130th in FBS). This is the best statistical matchup on the slate, so we have to bump up expectations for Johnson from his recent game logs. Plus, this game is at home with Texas A&M coming off a bye. Consider him as a GPP Super-Flex option.
Fernando MendozaCALUSC580012.08660011.75
In case you haven’t noticed, the USC defense is terrible and it consistently allows opposing offenses to hang around. This week, it’s Cal’s turn to push the Trojans and hold serve in a high-total matchup. Fernando Mendoza presents a very interesting value opportunity against a USC defense that’s allowing 262.4 passing yards per game in conference play (95th in FBS) and a 14:5 TD:INT ratio vs five Pac-12 opponents. Mendoza has now started the past two games for Cal and put up 23 DK vs Oregon State two games ago. The freshman also just had a bye week to prepare and get more comfortable in the Cal offense. At his cheap prices, there’s clear upside in rostering Mendoza in cash or GPP in this home matchup vs a shaky USC defense.

Top CFB DFS Running Backs

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Audric EstimeNDPITT780020.25  
More often than not, Audric Estime has been a trustworthy DFS cash RB this season. His only duds came against Ohio State’s tough defense and vs Louisville when the Irish were trailing/throwing more. Estime has posted 20+ DK in every other game this season. With Notre Dame a big favorites vs Pitt, we should see a bell-cow workload for Estime and a good chance at 100+ total yards with multiple TDs. If you can fit him, he's a safe cash RB stud this week.
Jaydn OttCALUSC770020.12850018.03
The USC defense is still a matchup to target and Jaydn Ott is in a good spot here. The Trojans are allowing 188.4 rushing yards per game in conference play (102nd in FBS) and just gave up 247 rush yards to Utah last week. The last five lead RBs vs USC had these stat lines: 117 yards, 95 yards & 2 TDs, 143 yards, 74 yards & a TD, 111 yards & a TD. It sets up nicely for Ott to put up 100+ yards, a TD or two, and 20+ DK in this matchup. Some may overlook him, but the GPP upside is definitely there to be one of the slate’s top-scoring RBs. Last year vs USC, he had 120 total yards and 2 TDs.
Jonathon BrooksUTBYU750024.511020021.53
With Quinn Ewers out, we should see Texas go with a run-focused offense this week. In turn, Jonathon Brooks would get a heavy dose of carries and anchor cash lineups. He’s already been a stud DFS play anyway, with 23+ DK in four straight games. BYU’s rush defense is allowing 188.3 rush yards per game in conference play (102nd in FBS) and has yet to face a dominant rushing attack like Texas’. Brooks should be locked into 20+ touches with 100+ yards and multiple TDs incoming. He’s arguably the top overall RB play on both slates.
Daijun EdwardsUGAUF730020.48850018.48
In his five games played this season, Edwards has at least 16 DK in each with 19-25 DK in four of them. He’s been very productive in the Georgia offense, averaging 5.8 ypc with 6 rush TDs in five games. When UGA plays tighter games, Edwards is locked into 20 touches or so. Florida should keep this close enough for Edwards to get a comfortable workload and be perfectly fine in cash lineups. He’ll likely go overlooked on this slate, but the floor is there – especially if the offense leans on the run more with Brock Bowers out now. Plus, Edwards is locked into more touches if Kendall Milton sits out. Florida's rush defense is below-average and got lit up by Kentucky's Ray Davis a few games ago (280 yards, 3 TDs).
RJ HarveyUCFWVU620020.17820017.52
West Virginia has struggled against the run during Big 12 play, allowing 179 rushing yards per game and 5.3 ypc. The WVU defense just got lit up by OK St’s Ollie Gordon last week to the tune of 282 yards and 4 TDs. Don’t expect RJ Harvey to match that stat line, but he should still have success in this matchup. Harvey has 100+ total yards in every game this season with a lead back workload and decent involvement as a pass-catcher. He also has 22+ DK in four of seven games. The DK and FD prices are both very affordable in cash for his proven production and the favorable matchup.
CJ Donaldson Jr.WVUUCF610014.04730013.11
This is the best rushing matchup on the slate. UCF is getting torn up on the ground in conference play, allowing a whopping 255 rushing yards per game with 14 rush TDs allowed over four games. Multiple opposing RBs have had success in this matchup and CJ Donaldson should be the next. WVU’s lead back has mostly seen consistent volume, though he’s yet to eclipse 20 DK points in a game. However, this is a glorious matchup and it gives Donaldson plenty of GPP-winning upside at his best. We could easily see him run for 100+ yards with multiple TDs.
Treshaun WardKSUUH580015.6  
Kansas State is deploying a full-on two-man backfield with DJ Giddens and Treshaun Ward both getting a healthy amount of touches in a run-focused offense. Both Giddens and Ward are strong plays this week against a weak Houston defense that’s allowing nearly 200 rushing yards per game in conference play. There are usually enough touches and production to go around for both to be good DFS plays. Ward gets the slight nod for the discount on the DK slate and some better stat lines in the past two games (118 and 89 rushing yards). Giddens is the better GPP play while Ward is a bit safer for cash.
Tawee WalkerOUKU510012.9710011.60
After being suspended last week, Tawee Walker is expected to play this game. If he steps back into the role he had before, the 20 DFS point upside is there for a guy that’s pretty cheap on both sites. Walker had 20 DK vs Texas before the suspension. Unfortunately, the OU backfield is still a bit murky with four guys vying for touches. This matchup is a great one, though. Kansas has a bad run defense that’s allowing 191 rushing yards per game in conference play (104th in FBS) and 5.13 ypc. It’s a risky play until we see what Walker’s workload is, but the GPP upside is there in this favorable spot.
Sione VakiUTAHORE50000650016.15
Ja’Quinden Jackson is back healthy as Utah’s lead RB, but Sione Vaki has exploded onto the scene. The safety is being used as a rusher and receiver out of the backfield while quickly emerging as one of Utah’s top offensive weapons right now. Vaki had 158 rushing yards and 2 TDs two weeks ago vs Cal and then compiled 217 total yards (including 149 receiving) and 2 TDs last week vs USC. Talk about a pair of breakout performances. The Oregon defense is tough, but Vaki’s explosiveness and big uptick in offensive usage warrants GPP consideration at a cheap price.
Isaac GuerendoULDUKE48009.1466008.29
We have a couple of potential value RBs from Louisville this week. Lead back Jawhar Jordan is questionable with a hamstring injury. After he got hurt last game, Isaac Guerendo took on a team-high 13 carries for 38 yards and 2 TDs with three receptions for 31 yards en route to a 21 DK performance. We also saw Maurice Turner get 12 carries for 81 yards. If Jordan is out, both Guerendo and Turner are GPP upside plays as both could split the work. It’s nice that Guerendo had the two TDs in Jordan’s absence, but Turner was more efficient.

Top CFB DFS Wide Receivers

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Troy FranklinOREUTAH830026.54950021.26
The price tags are steep, but Troy Franklin is a stud and has been worth it more often than not. Oregon’s star WR has 30+ DK in four of seven games with 25 DK in another. The matchup on the road at Utah is definitely a tough one and makes Franklin hard to trust in cash. Still, he has the talent and the top-tier target share to smash in GPPs. Most will avoid him because of the matchup, but the ceiling is proven.
Keon ColemanFSUWAKE700018.06830014.99
This week could be a prime bounceback effort from Keon Coleman after he was held to just two catches last game. Coleman has been going back and forth between smash weeks and duds lately, and that trend would suggest a big performance here. The Wake pass defense is below-average and also hasn’t faced an elite offense like Florida State yet. Coleman would get a boost up too if Johnny Wilson sits out. If you’re playing Jordan Travis, then Coleman is the clear pairing in cash or GPP.
Xavier WorthyUTBYU680017.46820014.03
Quinn Ewers being out surely downgrades the Texas passing attack, but Xavier Worthy is still the top WR in the offense. Backup Maalik Murphy is an inexperienced redshirt freshman, but he’s a talented passer and the coaching staff has said that Murphy has the best arm on the team. There’s still upside for Worthy to post a good stat line with Murphy under center, though the offense likely leans on the run more. Worthy is a decent contrarian GPP upside play against a BYU pass defense that ranks 101st in the FBS.
Brenden RiceUSCCAL640015.95800013.82
Per usual, the USC receivers are mostly all GPP-only plays this week. The production and targets are regularly spread out between 3-4 guys and each are priced a bit too high to trust in cash. There’s always a GPP ceiling for these guys, though. You can consider Tahj Washington, Dorian Singer, and Zachariah Branch for the upside. The best per-dollar play might be Brenden Rice, who has the proven 25-35 DK ceiling at his best. The Cal pass defense is one of the worst in college football, so Caleb Williams should shred this secondary and Rice has the potential for 100+ yards with multiple TDs.
Javon BakerUCFWVU590015.87750012.65
Javon Baker came through big time for us last week with 134 yards, 2 TDs, and 33 DK at just $5300 on DK. He’s still cheap enough to roster this week and it’s nice to see the bounce-back effort with Plumlee returning last game. Baker has been a bit up-and-down this year, but the GPP upside is always there as one of Plumlee’s top targets. His ceiling should be raised now with Plumlee healthy and the UCF passing attack a little better.
Nic AndersonOUKU580018.12850015.78
With Andrel Anthony out for the season, Nic Anderson is in a prime spot to be one of Dillon Gabriel’s top targets moving forward. Last week with Anthony out, Anderson put up 30 DK with 105 yards and 2 TDs. He also now has 8 TDs in six games, but the yards and receptions should be safer now with Anthony out. You can also look at Drake Stoops or Jalil Farooq from the OU receiving corps, but Anderson is still cheap enough with plenty of upside.
Evan StewartTA&MSCAR580017.63810014.05
Since he’s underperformed in recent games, we’re getting a discount on Evan Stewart. The Texas A&M passing attack has definitely taken a step back with Max Johnson under center with Conner Weigman injured. Still, Stewart is one of the most talented WRs in the sport and can go off for 100+ yards and multiple TDs in any given week. A GPP-worthy outburst could be coming in this favorable home matchup against a South Carolina defense that’s allowing 300+ passing yards per game. It’s a nice buy-low spot for Stewart.
Dominic LovettUGAUF57009.3167007.62
With Brock Bowers out, someone will have to step up in Georgia’s receiving corps. Ladd McConkey, Rara Thomas, and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint all have the potential to lead UGA in yards and/or receptions this week. Dominic Lovett, though, presents some interesting value. He just had his season-best performance last game after Bowers went out, featuring nine receptions for 72 yards and a TD for 22 DK. The Missouri transfer hasn’t consistently produced for Georgia this year, but Bowers’ absence could result in more targets and a bigger role for Lovett now.
Chase RobertsBYUUT510014.3670011.66
With BYU as a three-score underdog to Texas, we should see the offense throwing more while playing catch-up. That game script makes Chase Roberts, Darius Lassiter, and Issac Rex as decent value plays. Plus, the Texas pass defense has struggled a bit in conference play, allowing 276 yards per game (103rd in FBS). Roberts leads the team in receptions (29) and receiving yards (430) while posting double-digit DK points in four of the last six games.
Taj DavisCALUSC490012.3720010.13
Cal gets a favorable home matchup here against a poor USC defense. We mentioned above how Fernando Mendoza is a decent value QB play in this spot, especially since the Trojans’ pass defense has looked rough in conference play. Well, one of Mendoza’s favorite targets in his two starts has been Taj Davis. The wideout had 7 receptions (on 11 targets) for 93 yards, a TD, and 22 DK vs Utah last game. He also had 6 catches for 63 yards the game before with Mendoza under center. Davis now has at least five catches and 60+ yards in three straight games. He’s a solid salary-saver in cash lineups.
Jaheim BellFSUWAKE420013.86750011.66
Jaheim Bell continues to be a solid DK value play until he gets priced higher. The tight end just had eight catches for 53 yards last game and had four catches for 87 yards the week before. Bell is a top weapon in the FSU offense and has emerged as a reliable target for Jordan Travis. If Johnny Wilson sits, then Bell gets a considerable boost up as the second-best FSU pass-catcher behind Keon Coleman. He’s a bit too expensive on FD, but the cheap DK price is very attractive for double-digit PPR points.
Trey KnoxSCARTA&M40009.5160007.37
South Carolina is dealing with multiple injuries to the receiving corps and it could leave Trey Knox as one of Spencer Rattler’s top targets this week. We have Xavier Legette and Antwane Wells both questionable and Ahmarean Brown doubtful to play. Meanwhile, Knox has 5+ receptions in three straight games and 50+ yards in three of the last four. If he gets a decent volume of targets and receptions, the tight end can produce double-digit PPR points and return value in cash at some cheap prices.

 

CFB DFS Week 9 Core Plays 

DraftKings Cash

  • Jonathon Brooks – Texas
  • Garrett Greene (WVU) or John Rhys Plumlee (UCF)
  • RJ Harvey – UCF
  • Jaheim Bell – Florida State 

DraftKings GPP

  • Dillon Gabriel – Oklahoma
  • Jaydn Ott – Cal
  • Keon Coleman – Florida State
  • Evan Stewart – Texas A&M

FanDuel Cash (Early Games)

  • Jonathon Brooks – Texas
  • Dillon Gabriel – Oklahoma
  • RJ Harvey – UCF

FanDuel GPP (Early Games)

  • Carson Beck – Georgia
  • Brenden Rice – USC
  • Sione Vaki – Utah
  • Dominic Lovett – Georgia
 

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