College Football DFS Picks: Saturday Night Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 9

We've combined the sites for our Saturday Night advice article, but DraftKings and FanDuel offer slightly different slates. We will begin the essay with seven games shared by both sites and end the article with some picks for the games exclusive to FanDuel.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Washington (-26.5) @ Stanford O/U: 60.5

Tennessee (-3.5) @ Kentucky O/U: 51.5

Air Force (-13.5) @ Colorado State O/U: 46.5

UCLA (-16.5) vs. Colorado O/U: 61.5

Mississippi (-24) vs. Vanderbilt O/U: 63.5

Ohio State (14.5)@ Wisconsin O/U: 45.5

North Carolina (-11.5) @ Georgia Tech O/U: 63.5

The slate is chock-full of lopsided matches, and while we can get value from some of them, I'm going to fade Colorado/UCLA and Air Force/Colorado State. the latter is a weather concern, and the former is a game I think will hit far below the projected game total. We also didn't pay much attention to OSU/Wisconsin due to the low game total.

WEATHER

Air Force/Colorado State: 26 degrees, 90 percent chance of snow

Cincinnati/Oklahoma State: 70 percent chance of rain

CFB DFS TOOLS

• DraftKings College Football Optimizer
• FanDuel College Football Optimizer
• Weekly CFB Matchup Info
• CFB Targets
• CFB Stats
• CFB Team Trends
• CFB Advanced Team Stats with Plays per Game, Pass %, Run % and more    
   

CFB DFS Saturday Night Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 9

 Quarterback

We won't take any huge risks at quarterback. We have several well-established signal-callers available, and we'll need to pay up for them.

Michael Penix, Washington (DK $10,700, FD $11,700) @ Stanford

We're painfully aware of Penix's struggles against Arizona State, but we have to give him the benefit of the doubt against an atrocious Stanford defense. They surrender an average of almost 300 yards per game to opposing passers, and despite the lofty salary, I'm willing to make sacrifices elsewhere to get him involved. You could get matching value from other quarterbacks, but you can't find a better spot for a quarterback on this slate.

Joe Milton, Tennessee (DK $7,500, FD $9,000) @ Kentucky

We will slide past some desirable quarterbacks to get some balance for a SuperFlex spot, and Milton is at a decent price to offset the expense of Penix. Even though Tennesee lost to Alabama last week, Milton still managed to put up 23.7 DKFP with 271 yards and two touchdown passes. Kentucky has an underrated run defense but is forgiving against opposing passers, so I would suspect the Vols to lean more on the passing game in a relatively fast-paced affair. Milton has suffered through a couple of rocky fantasy performances, but these teams are evenly matched, and the game should allow for a lot of offensive output.

Also consider: Haynes King, Georgia Tech (DK $8,400, FD $10,400)

Running Back

Dillon Johnson, Washington (DK $6,800, FD $8,200) @ Stanford

Johnson's DraftKings salary is appropriately priced, but he's an excellent value on FanDuel and should probably be at least $500 higher. Johnson's game against the Sun Devils was incredibly disappointing, but it was a rare blip on the radar for an otherwise prolific offense. After some high-flying antics from Penix, the Huskies should settle into the run game. The blowout potential also makes me consider a flier like Will Nixon (DK $3,900, FD $5,100), who might get extended play in the second half.

Quinshon Judkins, Mississippi (DK $6,900, FD $9,300) vs. Vanderbilt

You can guarantee a high snap count for Judkins, and Ole Miss has had a renewed commitment to the run that is reaping huge benefits for their backfield. Like Washington, this could be another blowout situation, so while Judkins' 567 yards and seven touchdowns are impressive numbers, we must at least mention a backup. Ulysses Bentley (DK $4,400, FD $7,400) is the next man up, and he's a better pivot than Nixon in the previous spot.

Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (DK $5,800, FD $9,500) @ Georgia Tech

I see this as a potential trap game for the Tar Heels, and we should see four sold quarters from Hampton, who can tend to slip under the radar. His exposure has been low throughout the season, but 770 yards, eight touchdowns, and several looks in the passing game shouldn't be ignored. The Yellow Jackets have allowed an average of 222.7 yards per game to opposing rushers.

Also consider: Ray Davis, Kentucky (DK $6,600, FD $10,000) vs. Tennessee

Wide Receiver

Before we make WR selections, I want to spend a bit more time on Washington. Jalen McMillan (DK $6,900, FD $9,500) was a healthy scratch last week for precautionary reasons, and while I understand Washington's need to flex some offensive muscle to prove a point, do they need to risk McMillan in this soft spot? If we are going for an elite for the Huskies, I would rather spend the money on Rome Odunze (DK $8,700, FD $10,200), but he's likely out of reach, considering what we've already spent. I would instead take a chance on Ja'Lynn Polk (DK $6,800, FD $9,400), or Germie Bernard (DK $4,100, FD $6,400) in a cost-cutting measure. Tight end Jack Westover (DK $4,000, FD $6,400) is another worthwhile thought. Since we are going with Penix at quarterback, we'll want to stack at least one option.

Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (DK $5,900, FD $7,500) vs. Washington

Stanford will be playing from behind for most of this game. Although you shouldn't expect another record-breaking performance from Ayomanor, he appears to be the best breakout option for Ashton Daniels and the Cardinal offense. He had eight catches and 90 yards after his monster 294-yard game, which hints at some consistency moving forward.

Ramel Keyton, Tennessee (DK $4,900, FD $6,600) @ Kentucky

We desperately need players in this range, and I think this game gives us the best floor for receivers considering the narrow slate.  Squirrel White is fine, but we need to keep costs down. Keyton gets looks from Milton often enough to make him worthwhile, and he actually has more touchdowns than White.

Also consider:  Barion Brown, Kentucky (DK $5,200, FD $4,000) vs. Tennessee

ADDITIONAL FANDUEL GAMES

Oklahoma State (-7.5) vs. Cincinnati O/U: 52.5

Washington State (-5.5) @ Arizona State O/U: 51.5

James Madison (-20.5) vs. Old Dominion O/U: 49

Quarterback

Cameron Ward, Washington State ($10,800) @ Arizona State

Ward is the only quarterback I would use as a Penix pivot. Despite the Cougars' inconsistency, it's hard not to take a chance on Ward, who has a pass-happy playbook and great receivers to use. The Sun Devils gave Penix fits last week, but he also had a lot of unforced errors. I expect Ward to have more success than Penix had against them, and he will at least be an S-FLEX in many of my FanDuel lineups.

Also consider: Emory Jones, Cincinnati ($9,900) @ Oklahoma State

Running Back

Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State ($10,600) vs. Cincinnati

You may have to make some steep sacrifices elsewhere, but Gordon might be the best running back option across both slates. He's coming off a scintillating 282-yard day against West Virginia, and the Cowboys lean on him every week. He should have a big day against the Bearcats, who struggle in all facets of their defense.

Also consider: Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State ($8,600) vs. Washington State

Wide Receiver

Washington State Receivers @ Arizona State

I'd consider using at least one of these wideouts in this order:

Lincoln Victor ($9,000)

Kyle Williams ($7,900)

Josh Kelly ($7,100)