It’s hard to believe that we’re already past the halfway point of the college football season. Nine weeks ago, we started this magical journey, and there’s just over a month left before we head into Championship Weekend. The silver lining is that there is still plenty up for grabs, as teams clamor for positioning in the standings and a coveted spot in the College Football Playoff. That’s the case again on Saturday, as we dig into a pivotal Week 9 slate.
We’ve got you covered for DFS purposes, highlighting our preferred players from Saturday’s main slate.
College football is back at FantasyLabs. Inside our Player Models, you’ll be able to utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 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.
Here’s a brief snippet of what our models look like:
Let’s dive into this week’s slate!
CFB DFS Quarterback Picks
Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati Bearcats): $7,400 DraftKings
The Cincinnati Bearcats are one of four ranked Big 12 teams and find themselves squarely in championship contention with a perfect 4-0 record in conference play. They will be looking to enhance their resume with a Week 9 win over the Baylor Bears. Brendan Sorsby has been letting it rip this season, and there’s no reason to believe that Baylor will offer any resistance.
Simply, Sorsby has been sensational this season. The Bearcats quarterback is throwing for 245.4 yards per game and has already tossed 17 touchdowns through the first seven games. Additionally, he’s churned out six touchdowns and 340 rushing yards on 58 carries, cementing his position as one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. More importantly, we’ll see him excel against an inferior Bears’ defense.
While Baylor is sitting at a respectable 4-3 this season, those wins have come in spite of its lackluster defensive efforts. The Bears rank 106th in total defense, hemorrhaging 407.0 yards per game. They’re bad at defending the pass but objectively worse when it comes to preventing the run. Opponents are motoring for 179.9 rushing yards per game, with several other dual-threat quarterbacks putting together Heisman-worthy performances against the Bears.
Sorsby will thrive in Week 9 and is one of the top projected signal-callers in both median and ceiling projections. With Baylor giving up 928 yards over its last two games, the Bearcats are primed to keep the ball moving all afternoon long. Sorsby is the linchpinon offense, and we expect him to reach his fantasy ceiling at home.
Haynes King (Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets): $8,600 DraftKings
Since the start of the season, we’ve seen a gradual increase in Haynes King’s fantasy salary. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ pivot has led his team to a 7-0 start to the season and seventh in the Top 25 rankings. There’s still work to be done, but King should deliver another game-changing performance against the defensively vulnerable Syracuse Orange.
Like the aforementioned Sorsby, King is a fantasy gold mine under center. The senior has been one of the most efficient throwers in the FBS, completing 70.6% of his passes for 196.0 passing yards per game and a 142.5 quarterback rating. However, King’s defining characteristic is his unmatched rushing ability. Over the past few weeks, he’s surpassed Jamal Haynes as the team’s leading rusher, busting out for 560 yards and 10 touchdowns on 101 carries.
King will have no problem flaunting his full skill set against Syracuse. The Orange continues to rate as one of the worst defenses in the country, giving up an average of 421.9 yards and 29.9 points per game. Those flaws have been exposed in recent weeks, with their last three opponents averaging 33.0 points per game, a benchmark the Yellow Jackets should have no problem surpassing.
While his salary continues to increase, King remains a premier fantasy threat on the main slate. We’re anticipating another standout performance against the defensively weak Orange, with King vastly exceeding the implied value of his current valuation. Don’t be surprised if he ends the day as the top performer on the main slate.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
J’Mari Taylor (Virginia Cavaliers) $6,700 DraftKings
It’s time to take note of another ACC squad that isn’t getting the respect it deserves. The Virginia Cavaliers have quietly gotten off to a 6-1 start, which includes an equally impressive 3-0 start in conference play. They enter Saturday’s intra-conference battle against the North Carolina Tar Heels as -10.5 chalk, implying heavy run usage as they control the clock and tempo in Chapel Hill. With that, J’Mari Taylor looks like the running back stud everyone should target.
Taylor’s performance this season is analogous to the program as a whole. The North Carolina native has asserted himself as a legitimate threat, but very few people have taken notice. Taylor has been the bell cow out of the backfield, accumulating 512 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 108 carries while adding 102 receiving yards on 19 receptions. That every-down potential has helped the Cavs establish themselves as the 20th-ranked total and ninth-ranked scoring offense.
DFS players should expect another monumental fantasy performance against the inferior Tar Heels. UNC has been out of its depth in conference play, going 0-2 against ACC foes while getting out-gained in both contests. Across that modest sample, North Carolina has given up eight touchdowns, 59 points, and 782 yards, setting the stage for another dominant effort from the Cavaliers.
Taylor’s inclusion in the passing game sets him apart from other running backs on the main slate. He’s toted the ball 60 times over the past three games and has found paydirt in two of those three contests, but his 11 receptions on 15 targets exceed what most other running backs are capable of. Taylor and the Cavaliers won’t take their foot off the pedal on Saturday, with Virginia’s running back reaching his fantasy ceiling against the Tar Heels.
Greg Desrosiers (Memphis Tigers) $7,600 DraftKings
Saturday’s clash between the Memphis Tigers and South Florida Bulls could very well be a preview of the AAC Championship Game. The Tigers suffered a crushing and unexpected defeat last week, dropping a 31-24 decision to UAB as -23.5 chalk. Still, a bounce-back effort is anticipated, as Memphis reasserts itself against the conference frontrunners at home.
The Tigers have been one of the top rushing teams in the FBS, and that’s been thanks to increased involvement from Greg Desrosiers. Dual-threat quarterback Brendon Lewis leads the team with 86 carries, and Sutton Smith has been used more consistently since the start of the season; however, Desrosiers has emerged as a top rushing threat. After earning just 13 rushing attempts through his first two games, the senior has earned 44 carries over his last three. Over that stretch, he’s totaled 331 rushing yards, including a monstrous 204-yard showing against FAU.
But Desrosiers’ fantasy contributions aren’t limited to carries out of the backfield. He’s also served as the more reliable pass-catching back for Lewis. Desrosiers has caught all 10 of his targets over his last two games, yielding 65 receiving yards and a touchdown.
With Lewis listed as day-to-day, the Tigers’ game plan will inevitably rely on increased involvement from Desrosiers. He has proven to be the more reliable contributor in both passing and rushing plays and is due for a more substantive workload against the Bulls. Now is the time to roster the Tigers’ running back before more people start to catch on.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with our Sleeper promo code.
CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Omar Cooper (Indiana Hoosiers) $6,900
Few people expected the Indiana Hoosiers to be one of the last remaining undefeated teams in the country. Yet, here they are sitting 7-0 and atop the Big Ten as they get ready for what should be a one-sided affair in Bloomington. Indiana’s offensive assault has been the hallmark of its success, which should continue in a Week 9 tilt versus the UCLA Bruins.
The Hoosiers are equally comfortable deploying their rushing and passing attack, but we’re anticipating heavy reliance on their aerial attack against UCLA. Wide receivers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper have been 1A and 1B in the passing game, but the latter has become the more noticeable threat in recent weeks.
Cooper’s tepid start to the campaign has been forgotten with his latest efforts. The Indiana native has six or more receptions in four of his last five, totaling 25 catches, 306 yards, and seven touchdowns across that sample. His elite output is supported by increased production, as Cooper has absorbed at least seven targets in each one of those contests, yielding an average of 8.1 targets per game.
Elijah Sarratt has stolen the limelight, but Omar Cooper has earned a more substantive workload. He’s led the way in targets in three of his last five, showing that he’s more than capable of leading the passing attack. The Bruins will likely deploy safety coverage on Sarratt, setting Cooper up for success on the main slate. We’re deferring to the junior in Week 9.
O’Mega Blake (Arkansas Razorbacks) $6,800
Another week, another main slate where O’Mega Blake isn’t getting the respect he deserves. The Arkansas Razorbacks’ wideout is coming off his best performance of the season and should have no problem replicating that success versus the Auburn Tigers in Week 9.
Blake was unstoppable against Texas A&M last week. The 6’2″ pass-catcher pulled down seven of eight targets for 118 yards and a touchdown against one of the top teams in the country. That represents the fifth time this season that Blake has eclipsed six receptions and the fourth game in which he’s found the end zone.
In reconciling his current form with his production metrics, Blake is due for another slate-leading effort. The South Carolina native has 10 or more targets in three of his previous four, accounting for a beefy 30.0% target share. Further, Blake has seen a slight dip in his catch rate across the four-game sample, implying that another seven-for-eight pass-catching performance is on the horizon.
Auburn has failed to contain opponents’ passing attacks in recent weeks, and the Razorbacks are one of the best in the country and making it rain. Taylen Green has built chemistry with O’Mega Blake, and that relationship will reach new heights in Week 9. Assuredly, Blake will reach the pinnacle of his production against the Tigers.
Anthony Evans (Mississippi State Bulldogs) $5,300
We’re absconding from our usual stacking strategy in favor of the top value on the board — bar none. Anthony Evans enters the main slate with a diminished $5,300 salary, but the Mississippi State Bulldogs’ wide receiver is capable of so much more than implied.
Evans is coming off his second 100-yard receiving game of the season. Astonishingly, Evans hauled in all 11 targets against the Florida Gators, highlighting his defining characteristic — he is one of the most reliable pass-catchers in the country. Since the start of the season, the Texas native has pulled down a 77.8% catch rate; however, that number has jumped to 94.1% over his last two outings.
Combined with his increased usage in the passing game, Evans looks like the most underappreciated fantasy asset in college football. He has totaled 27 targets over his past three games, hitting double-digits in all but one of those contests.
The Texas Longhorns’ defense stands up well against the run, but they have been much less effective at defending the pass. The Longhorns sit a distant 40th in pass defense, a far cry from their fifth-ranking in run defense. Mississippi State will be forced to turn to the air more frequently, as the Bulldogs try to keep pace with their guests on Saturday. That will necessitate more involvement from Anthony Evans, and we predict he will respond with another tidy fantasy performance. Look no further, Evans is the premier value on the main slate.
Pictured: Brendan Sorsby
Photo Credit: Imagn
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
College Football DFS Picks: Week 1 CFB Saturday Main Slate Breakdown (Sat. 9/3)
College Football DFS Picks: Week 3 CFB Saturday Main Slate Breakdown (Sat. 9/17)
College Football DFS Picks: Week 10 CFB Saturday Main Slate Breakdown (Saturday, 11/4)
College Football DFS Picks: Week 9 CFB Saturday DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown
