By this point in the year, we were expecting more clarity on who the playoff teams might be. But as we head into the final month of the regular season, there are still so many unknowns. Conference standings are a mess; only Indiana and Ohio State stand out as virtual locks to make the postseason, and there’s no telling who the fifth conference winner will be to join the 12-team CFP field. We’re keeping a close eye on things as we head into the stretch drive, starting with a crucial Week 10 slate.
We’ve got you covered for DFS purposes, highlighting our preferred players from Saturday’s main slate.
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Let’s dive into this week’s slate!
CFB DFS Quarterback Picks
Cade Klubnik (Clemson Tigers): $7,600 DraftKings
Rewind the clock back to August. The Clemson Tigers were sitting in fourth in the Top 25 and priced as -5.5 home chalk versus LSU in the season opener. It took just a few weeks before their season completely unraveled, and now the Tigers are fighting to stay bowl eligible over the last few games of the season. While their team success has fallen well below expectations, Cade Klubnik remains a top fantasy quarterback on the Week 10 main slate.
First, we need to address his playing status. After a productive week in practice, Klubnik is listed as probable ahead of Clemson’s test versus the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. The Tigers’ quarterback hasn’t played since a Week 7 win over Boston College but is primed to suit up for this pivotal intra-conference showdown.
From an analytics perspective, Klubnik is cleared for takeoff against the Blue Devils. The senior was just finding his rhythm before the ankle injury, throwing for 897 yards and eight touchdowns across his last three outings. More impressively, Klubnik completed a whopping 71.1% of his passes, while averaging 38.0 pass attempts per game.
The Tigers need Klubnik at his best if they hope to compete with a Duke squad that is still in the running for the ACC crown. Thankfully, the former Heisman Trophy frontrunner has shown that he was deserving of that laudation with his most recent efforts. He comes at a discounted rate, but we have full confidence that Klubnik will live up to his potential on Saturday.
Sawyer Robertson (Baylor Bears): $9,100 DraftKings
Sawyer Robertson enters the Week 10 main slate as one of the highest-salaried quarterbacks. Still, we are confident in his ability to reach his fantasy ceiling as his Baylor Bears take on the UCF Knights in Big 12 action.
Without a shred of defensive integrity, Baylor’s success is contingent upon its offensive attack. In that regard, Robertson remains the engine that drives the Bears downfield. Already, the senior pivot has accumulated 2,513 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, putting him on pace to wildly surpass his previous career highs of 3,071 and 28, respectively.
Further, Robertson projects as an ideal progression candidate on Saturday against the UCF Knights. He was held to just 137 passing yards in last week’s loss to Cincinnati but has otherwise been punching the lights out. Over his three previous starts, Robertson had thrown for a combined 1,056 yards, or 352.0 yards per game. Expect swift and quick improvement in Week 10, as he works his way back toward his season averages.
While he fell well short of his passing yards benchmark in his most recent start, Robertson did manage to keep his multi-touchdown streak intact. The Bears’ field general has thrown no fewer than two touchdowns in any contest this season.
We’ve seen UCF rely on its defense throughout the campaign, but this is a classic flatspot for the Knights, who are coming into this Big 12 clash off a bye. A slow start could doom the Knights, and we expect Robertson to make them pay. He’s a top contender to end the day as the premier fantasy performer.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Isaac Brown (Louisville Cardinals) $7,400 DraftKings
The Louisville Cardinals flew under the radar to open the season, but we’ve seen them reach new heights with their more recent performances. They’re most famous for knocking off the previously second-ranked Miami Hurricanes at home, and that has forced even the most casual observer to take notice. Miller Moss has excelled at various points this season, but the Cardinals wouldn’t be in ACC contention without Isaac Brown leading the offense out of the backfield.
Like a meteor flying through space, Brown has been unstoppable this season. Still, the Cardinals’ running back has reached peak efficiency with his latest efforts. He’s coming off a monstrous 205-yard performance against Boston College, reaching that lofty benchmark on just 14 carries. A more cynical mind may point toward the inferior opponent to validate his production. While that’s partly true, Brown did churn out 113 yards on 15 carries against the Hurricanes in Week 8. Altogether, that puts him up to 652 yards on just 75 carries, yielding 8.7 yards per rush attempt on the season.
Unfortunately for the Blacksburg faithful, the Virginia Tech Hokies don’t possess the same caliber defense they’ve grown accustomed to. They rank in the bottom half of the country in total and scoring defense, giving up 367.1 yards and 29.9 points per game. Just two weeks ago, Georgia Tech gashed the Hokies for 481 yards, with 268 of those coming on the ground.
After starting the season as an alternative rushing option, Brown’s workload has grown with each passing week. The underclassman has earned the lion’s share of touches, and we expect him to deliver another slate-leading performance on this week’s main slate.
Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame Fighting Irish) $9,000 DraftKings
A tepid start to the season forced us to look toward other running backs, but Jeremiyah has rounded into shape over the past few weeks. The Heisman Trophy contender has excelled in recent outings, and we expect Love’s mastery to be on full display against the lowly Boston College Eagles.
Four weeks into the season, Love was held relatively in check. While scoring has always been a strength, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back mustered just 341 rushing yards on 66 rushing attempts (4.8 yards per carry) across the four-game sample. However, Love has dialed up production over his last three. The junior is up to 417 across the more recent stretch, surpassing the century mark in all but one of those contests and averaging a more robust 7.2 yards per carry. Still, Love remains below his career average of 6.3 yards per carry on the season, implying additional growth is on the horizon.
Not surprisingly, we’re expecting significant progression versus BC. The Eagles rank as one of the worst defenses in the FBS, giving up over 410 yards per game. With 184.3 of those coming on the ground, including 5.1 yards per carry, Love is sure to continue his torrid pace into Week 10.
As is the case with any blowout, Notre Dame will turn to the run game more frequently as it tries to control the clock against the Eagles. Love will be the primary beneficiary, and we predict he will have no problem reaching 100 rushing yards for the third time in four games. Combined with his elite scoring abilities, he’s projected as our median and ceiling leader on the main slate.
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CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Malachi Toney (Miami (FL) Hurricanes) $5,900
The Miami (FL) Hurricanes are looking to re-establish themselves as National Championship contenders. An unsuspecting loss to Louisville a few weeks ago cast the Hurricanes to the edge of the College Football Playoff picture, but they can be counted on to put together another dynamic offensive performance against the SMU Mustangs.
Carson Beck has been a revelation for the Hurricanes, and he’s brought Malachi Toney with him. The freshman pass-catcher has totaled 562 receiving yards on 43 receptions this year, adding three touchdowns for good measure. With the bulk of his production coming over the past few weeks, Toney is still a prime buy-low candidate DFS punters need to be aware of.
Granted, Toney found the end zone in his first game of the season, but his production did not match his potential early in the campaign. He was held to 82 yards or fewer in each of his first four, accumulating 268 yards across that sample. In the three games since, the Miami native has jumped to 294 yards while eclipsing 100 receiving yards in two of those three contests. More importantly, Toney’s usage metrics point toward sustained output. He’s been targeted 26 times over his last three games, accounting for a 28.3% target share.
SMU has been notoriously bad at defending the pass this year, getting torched for an average of 281.6 yards per game. Toney plays an integral role in Miami’s passing attack and should thrive against an inferior secondary on Saturday.
Chris Bell (Louisville Cardinals) $7,600
Chris Bell has quietly asserted himself as one of the premier pass-catchers in college football. The Louisville Cardinals’ standout has been Miller Moss’ preferred target all season, and he’s primed for another strong showing in this week’s clash versus Virginia Tech.
Bell has all the hallmarks of an elite receiver. Standing 6’2″ and weighing 220 pounds, Bell epitomizes the modern-day NFL-caliber wideout. We’ve seen him use his frame to his advantage week after week, already setting a career-best with 48 receptions and needing just 50 more yards to pass his previous high of 737 receiving yards. Given his recent form, Bell should have no problem surpassing that benchmark in Blacksburg.
Moss has turned to Bell more frequently of late, and that’s reflected in his fantasy output. Over his past four games, the senior has a mind-numbing 490 receiving yards, while exceeding 135 receiving yards in three of those four outings. His output doesn’t end there, as Bell has totaled five receiving touchdowns, including a pair of two-score games. With 52 targets over that four-game sample, there is no doubt that Bell will continue his onslaught against the Hokies.
We typically defer to a quarterback-wide receiver stack, but the scoring potential between Chris Bell and Isaac Brown is too good to pass up. Combined, the Cardinals’ duo should account for most of Louisville’s offensive production and scoring, making them the ideal combination to roster in Week 10.
Carnell Tate (Ohio State Buckeyes) $5,600
The Ohio State Buckeyes stand out among the rest as the best team in college football. Through nine weeks, the defending National Champions remain perfect, thanks in part to their uncanny offensive abilities. While Jeremiah Smith has stolen the limelight, we’re shifting focus to Carnell Tate as the Buckeyes host the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium.
Low-key, Tate has been the Buckeyes’ best wide receiver this season. The junior has an astounding 81.0% catch rate, pulling down 34 of his 42 targets. Further, he’s virtually matched Smith in every offensive category despite a lighter workload. Tate sits just 15 yards shy of Smith for the team lead, yielding just one fewer touchdown. Altogether, it’s easy to see why Tate is the team leader in yards per reception, but it’s less clear why his salary is so much lower than Smith’s in Week 10.
The once-feared Penn State defense is no more. Over the past few weeks, their reputation has been eroded by ineffective efforts. They dropped decisive losses to Oregon and UCLA, failing to keep pace with the likes of Northwestern and Iowa over their past two. Now playing in one of the most unforgiving venues in the country, we’re anticipating another flat performance from Penn State at The Horseshoe.
Opposing defenses have been busy keying in on Smith, and that’s allowed Carnell Tate to run freely. That will be the case again on Saturday as Ohio State hunkers down for a rivalry clash against the Nittany Lions. Assuredly, Smith will produce, but you can get similar production out of Tate for a fraction of the cost. With that, we’re going all-in on Tate as our preferred wide receiver in this Big Ten showdown.
Pictured: Cade Klubnik
Photo Credit: Imagn
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