College Football DFS: Friday Week 9 Picks and Strategy for DraftKings and FanDuel

College Football DFS: Friday Picks

Halloween is creeping closer and closer, and we've already hit Week 9 of the college football season. With weekday matchups already in full swing, plenty of teams will have played by the time the Friday slate kicks off. Still, Friday night gives us our first power conference game of the week, along with several of the Group of Six's best teams. As such, there are plenty of intriguing players and matchups to dive into.

DraftKings and FanDuel are both up and running Friday night, and below we break down some of the best plays on each slate.

Friday College Football DFS Slate Overview 

This slate has the potential to be largely predictable and status quo, but it could also quickly devolve into madness. There's two heavy favorites — North Texas and Boise State — and a surprising underdog in the California Golden Bears. 

The ACC game, California vs. Virginia Tech, is expected to be a nail-biter with the Hokies as 4.5-point favorites despite a lowly 2-5 record. Both defenses have been susceptible to both the run and the pass this season, but Virginia Tech looks particularly vulnerable, having given up 30-plus points in two straight games. What's more, California has one of the most exciting young gunslingers in the sport. 

Still, the worst defense on this slate is easily that of the Charlotte 49ers, who must face a top-25 passing attack in North Texas fresh off a bounce-back win. The Mean Green passing attack looks mightily appealing in this one, but on the flip side, Charlotte could find some success running the ball as North Texas allows over 200 yards per game in that category. 

Out in the Mountain West, Boise State is another big favorite against lowly Nevada. The Broncos sit at 5-2, having just handed UNLV its first loss of the season, while Nevada and head coach Jeff Choate cling to a 1-6 record. In this matchup, Nevada's secondary (allowing 217.7 passing yards per game) looks like the matchup to exploit. 

College Football DFS Tools

• FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
• Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
• Advanced Lineups Page
• Stats
• Team Trends
• Targets
• Defense vs. Position
• Team Rankings

DFS Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for Friday, October 24

QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California vs. Virginia Tech ($7,400 on DraftKings, $8,600 on FanDuel)

I liked Sagapolutele for both slates last Friday as well, and I'll rock with him again in Week 9. He scored two touchdowns — one through the air and one rushing — last week in the win over North Carolina, though his passing was suspect as he completed just 53.8 percent of his throws for 209 yards. Still, the true freshman gunslinger remains incredibly talented and well worth the price tag, considering he's just the fourth-most-expensive quarterback available on both slates. Sagapolutele has been a touch inconsistent this year, sure, but if there's any defense he has a great chance to do damage against it's Virginia Tech's. The Hokies allow 26.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks while surrendering 234.4 passing yards per game (the worst of any defense on the slate) and 8.4 yards per attempt. 

RB Kendrick Raphael, California vs. Virginia Tech ($6,200 on DraftKings, $8,200 on FanDuel) 

As porous as the Hokies' pass defense has been, they're certainly not great against the run, allowing just under 150 rushing yards per game and 2.0 rushing touchdowns per game. Raphael, meanwhile, has been an absolute workhorse for the Golden Bears with LJ Johnson, Brandon High and Jayden Parker all banged up. The three aforementioned tailbacks will sit out once again Friday night, meaning Raphael should get all the work he can handle. Across the last three games, Raphael has 65 carries for 267 yards and four scores. What's more, Virginia Tech allows an average of 22.0 fantasy points to tailbacks. Take the workhorse guaranteed to get plenty of touches against a weak defense. 

WR Jacob De Jesus, California vs. Virginia Tech ($6,100 on DraftKings, $8,100 on FanDuel)

I'm not saying De Jesus will replicate the absurd target share he saw last week against North Carolina (19 passes came his way), but regardless, the wideout is clearly the best option if you want to get in on this California passing game, which you absolutely should. He's been easily the Golden Bears' most consistent receiver, averaging 10.3 targets per game, which he's parlayed into 57 catches for 406 yards and three touchdowns. And once again, the Hokies deploy the most porous passing defense on the slate. Bet on De Jesus' floor, and understand that after he saw nearly 20 targets last week, there might not be a ceiling. 

Also Consider: WR Trond Grizzell, California vs. Virginia Tech ($4,300 on DraftKings, $6,800 on FanDuel) 

DraftKings College Football DFS Picks for Friday, October 24

Drew Mestemaker, North Texas ($8,500) vs. UNC Charlotte ($12,200 on FanDuel) 

Mestemaker is the most expensive signal caller available on both slates, but he's much more of a bargain on DraftKings as he's only $400 more expensive than the next priciest quarterback, as opposed to FanDuel where that difference is $1,100. Meanwhile, you're getting a highly productive gunslinger who's tossed for 1,850 yards, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions with four rushing scores as well. That makes him an appealing play regardless of the opponent, but it'd be hard to find a more enticing matchup than UNC Charlotte, as the 49ers allow 221.9 passing yards per game and 2.3 passing touchdowns per game while surrendering 31.0 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, the sixth-worst mark in the nation. 

RB Cameren Smith, UNC Charlotte ($4,600) vs. North Texas ($5,400 on FanDuel) 

As heavy underdogs as the 49ers are in this one, they could find some success running the football against a surprisingly permeable North Texas defensive front. Though the Mean Green have been very solid in lots of defensive metrics, particularly against the pass, they surrender a staggering 203.1 rushing yards per game, as well as 22.4 fantasy points per game to running backs. Smith, meanwhile, looks like the play in the Charlotte backfield, as Rod Gainey logged just one carry last week against Temple while Smith had 11 carries as well as three receptions. What's more, he's actually cheaper than Gainey even though he looks like the safer play. 

WR Chris Marshall, Boise State ($5,200) vs. Nevada ($7,400 on FanDuel) 

Latrell Caples is curiously the pricer option on both slates, but why not roll with the Broncos' leading receiver, Marshall, for a bargain? Again, he's easily the top wideout in Boise with 440 receiving yards, and he's coming off a 96-yard, one-touchdown outing against UNLV in Week 8. Caples, meanwhile, has just one catch for seven yards over the last two games. Marshall is clearly the Broncos' receiver to roll with, and as just the 7th-priciest wideout on DraftKings, you can't afford not to scoop him up, especially against a bad Nevada pass defense that ranks just 64th nationally in yards per game allowed. 

Also Consider: WR Trond Grizzell, California ($4,300) vs. Virginia Tech ($6,800 on FanDuel) 

FanDuel College Football DFS Picks for Friday, October 24

QB Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech ($10,000) vs. California ($7,800 on DraftKings) 

Drones is the third-priciest quarterback on both slates, but he could be a solid middle-tier play on FanDuel. The Hokies' signal-caller is a dual threat that stresses defenses with his arm and his legs, racking up 1,397 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 277 yards and five scores this fall. He has multiple touchdowns in every game but two this season, and while California has been stingy against quarterbacks, the best passing game it played (Duke) did just fine with 265 yards and two touchdowns. The Golden Bears also haven't played a mobile quarterback of Drones' caliber yet in 2025, so it'll be interesting to see how they defend him. Bottom line: Drones is relatively cheap and has plenty of ways to produce fantasy points against a defense that shouldn't keep anyone up at night. 

RB Dylan Riley, Boise State ($10,200) vs. Nevada ($6,800 on DraftKings) 

Riley is certainly pricey, but he's also certainly worth it. The sophomore tailback has a stranglehold on the Broncos' backfield in recent weeks, piling up 302 yards and a score on 33 carries the last two games. Meanwhile, Nevada's run defense doesn't appear equipped to slow him down, as it allows 157.0 rushing yards per game on the ground as well as 25.5 fantasy points per game to tailbacks, the third-worst mark in the Mountain West. Furthermore, with Boise State favored by 21.5 points, this could be a blowout, which would mean plenty of carries for Riley as the Broncos try to possess the ball and drain the clock. Ride the hot hand against a middling defense here. 

WR Ayden Greene, Virginia Tech ($6,100) vs. California ($5,300 on DraftKings) 

Greene is the 6th-priciest wideout on DraftKings, but just the 12th-most expensive on FanDuel. That could be highway robbery, as he's the Hokies' leading receiver this season with 21 grabs for 331 yards and a touchdown. California's pass defense has been solid, but Greene will still be the unquestioned top option at receiver, and he's only received fewer than five targets in a game once this season. Virginia Tech's below-average passing game may turn some away, but if you're looking for a sneaky option who could very feasibly outperform his price point, Greene is the man. 

Also Consider (if healthy): WR Miles Coleman, North Texas ($7,700) vs. UNC Charlotte ($5,800 on DraftKings)