It’s hard to believe, but we’re already into the ninth week of the college football season and the last one before November. That means we’re barely a month away from conference championship games, bowl games, and playoff seeding. We’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves, though; still living in the moment of what Saturday brings. The main slate contains several powerhouses with legitimate National Championship ambitions. As usual, we’re sifting through our projections for you, highlighting the players with the most upside for Week 9 action.
College football is new to FantasyLabs this season. Inside our Player Models, you’ll be able to utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups for your DFS contests.
Or if cash games are more your speed, you can build your lineups alongside our projections with our Lineup Builder. From there, you can hand-build your lineup or lock in a few guys and let the builder optimize the rest based on our projections.
Let’s dive into this week’s slate!
CFB DFS Quarterback Picks
Max Duggan (TCU Horned Frogs): $8,500 DraftKings
The West Virginia Mountaineers are very generous to opposing quarterbacks, allowing the seventh-most passing yards to FBS teams. That’s an advantage Max Duggan doesn’t need as he leads the seventh-ranked TCU Horned Frogs into Mountaineer Field, looking for their eighth-straight win to start the season.
Duggan has been impeccable this year, throwing for 1,870 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just one interception. Other than the first game of the season, when Chandler Morris started and Duggan came off the bench in the third quarter, Duggan has thrown for 278 or more yards each time out.
However, there are more layers to the senior’s fantasy value. The Iowa native has multiple touchdown passes in every start this season and has a tendency to take off in the running game. Opponents cannot corral Duggan, as he’s gone off for more than 50 yards and a touchdown in three of his past four outings.
We are expecting a career-best performance from Duggan on Saturday as he elevates TCU to playoff contenders.
Malik Cunningham (Louisville Cardinals): $8,000 DraftKings
Points will be plentiful when the Louisville Cardinals host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday. Although the Demon Deacons will account for a healthy amount of the scoring, Malik Cunningham should have the Cardinals flying against a subpar defense.
Among ACC teams, Wake Forest has allowed the fifth-most yards per game at 374.0. When we tease out lesser opponents and only consider FBS teams, that number jumps to 400.8, putting the Demon Deacons on the wrong side of the average. Cunningham can exploit those deficiencies, amplifying his fantasy potential.
The dual-threat pivot leads the Cardinals in rushing yards and delivers favorable throwing metrics. The senior has completed 61.8% or more of his passes in four of six starts while throwing touchdown passes in four straight contests. That complements his ability to run it in, with Cunningham crossing the plane himself eight times over the last four games.
Louisville can score at home and is averaging 32.0 points per game in their friendly confines. Cunningham should reach his fantasy ceiling against his conference foes.
Stetson Bennett (Georgia Bulldogs): $8,400 DraftKings
The Georgia Bulldogs are playing like national champions to start the year. Conversely, the Florida Gators’ defense has struggled this year and could get railroaded by a Stetson Bennet-led offense that has scored 39 or more points in five of seven contests.
Bennett has looked exceptional in every capacity this season, but he’s excelled at Sanford Stadium. The fourth-year pivot is completing 74.1% of his passes, with five of his seven touchdown passes coming on home turf. Moreover, four of his five rushing touchdowns have also come as the host, illustrating his improved performances in his friendly confines.
The Gators rank as one of the worst defensive units in the SEC, allowing the fourth-most passing and second-most rushing yards per game. Bennett can beat them with either, making him a top fantasy candidate in Week 9.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Chase Brown (Illinois Fighting Illini): $7,500 DraftKings
It’s always a good day when you can roster Chase Brown. The Illinois Fighting Illini running back was off on a bye last week but is back in action on the main slate in Week 9. According to the FantasyLabs projections, he’s not only one of the best running backs but has the top fantasy ceiling among all the players available.
Brown is playing at a Heisman level. The Canadian has surpassed the century mark in every outing, averaging 151.3 rushing yards per game. His usage on offense doesn’t end there, with Brown emerging as a receiving option out of the backfield. Over the last couple of games, the junior has seven receptions on nine targets for 70 yards and a touchdown.
The limiting factor with Brown has been infrequent trips to the endzone, as the junior has just four touchdowns on the season. Still, we like his appeal against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who have allowed more rushing yards per game than any other Big Ten school. Saturday will be a banner day for Brown.
Deuce Vaughn (Kansas State Wildcats): $7,000 DraftKings
We’re going from one Big conference to another, shining a light on Kansas State Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn as a pre-eminent player to target Saturday. The Wildcats are hosting the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Big 12 action in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Neither team rates highly defensively. Against FBS teams, the Wildcats allow an average of 392.0 yards per game. Oklahoma State is much, much worse, allowing 486.2. That affords Vaughn plenty of space to roam and improve off a couple of disappointing appearances.
Through the first five games of the season, Vaughn totaled 116 or more rushing yards four times. In the two games since then, he’s accumulated just 106 yards total. Granted, he’s seen fewer carries over that stretch, toting the ball just 22 times, which is a benchmark he’s eclipsed in three games already this year. Nevertheless, he remains a priority in the passing game, drawing multiple receptions in four of his past five.
We’re anticipating Vaughn shouldering the offensive burden against the Cowboys and returning to his elite standing as a fantasy producer.
Mar’Keise “Bucky” Irving (Oregon Ducks): $5,700 DraftKings
We are abandoning the top of our projections and scrolling down a little further for a true value play. The Oregon Ducks severely outmatch the California Golden Bears. Although they typically rely on Bo Nix to get things down, we’re expecting Mar’Keise Irving to be a focal point on Saturday.
Irving has been great when called upon, averaging 6.8 yards per carry; however, his volume has also steadily increased throughout the year. The sophomore is coming off a season-best performance, totaling 164 all-purpose yards, 107 of which came on the ground. He was also on the receiving end of a touchdown pass from Nix, Irving’s third touchdown over the previous four games.
The Ducks have nothing to prove against Cal, meaning they could turn to their up-and-coming running back more frequently. Irving has flown under the radar thus far, but people will start to take notice if he sustains his current production.
CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Quentin Johnston (TCU Horned Frogs): $7,200 DraftKings
Between Duggan and wide receiver Quentin Johnston, TCU has a match made in heaven. Since September, the duo has flashed their chemistry and should continue their onslaught against the Mountaineers.
Johnston commands a 26.8% target share in the Horned Frogs’ passing game, which has grown immensely over the past few weeks. Since October 8, the Horned Frogs have played three games, with Johnson absorbing 38 targets, representing 38.4% of the passing plays. He’s made the most of the increased workload, accumulating 460 receiving yards and finding paydirt in all three matchups.
Irrespective of which quarterback you’re rostering, Johnston is a worthy fantasy option. Based on our algorithm, he should excel against West Virginia’s ineffective passing defense and end the day as one of the top-rated wideouts.
Xavier Hutchinson (Iowa State Cyclones): $7,900 DraftKings
Nobody means more to their offense than Xavier Hutchinson. The senior has been targeted 10 or more times in every outing this year, including 13 or more times in four straight. The Oklahoma Sooners have a loose standard on defense, meaning Hutchinson could fly even higher in Week 9.
Hutchinson was scorching out of the gates, recording 128 yards and three touchdowns in a season-opening win. Although his usage has waned, the touchdowns have dried up since Week 3. Hutchinson has been held out of the end zone since the middle of September, despite averaging 109.8 receiving yards per game since then.
Our projections rate Hutchinson above every other wide receiver. The standout wide receiver leads the median and ceiling projections and could easily surpass his implied value if he replicates his touchdown success from earlier in the season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State Buckeyes): $7,400 DraftKings
One of the biggest challenges DFS players face is deciding which Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver to roster on Saturdays. We’re going against the grain, choosing Marvin Harrison Jr. as he rates slightly below Emeka Egbuka in terms of fantasy ceiling while carrying a higher salary.
Harrison Jr. has become a magnet for C.J. Stroud, equaling or out-targetted Egbuka in three straight games. That’s resulted in a productive month for the sophomore, as Harrison Jr. has amassed 211 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 17 catches in October. However, his success isn’t limited to this month, as Harrison Jr. is the team leader in receiving touchdowns and tied for the team lead in targets.
In their lone road game, Harrison Jr. led the Buckeyes in targets, receptions, and touchdowns, crossing the plane three times against the Michigan State Spartans. Those numbers should be replicated against the Penn State Nittany Lions, as Harrison Jr. cements himself as Stroud’s preferred target.
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