This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
After a slightly down week in terms of marquee games, we aren't short on those in Week 9. However, top-tier matchups typically don't pay as many dividends for the daily fantasy purposes. Clemson tops the charts with 46.8 expected points, with Alabama (43.8) and Oklahoma (40.5). In terms of over-under, the Big 12 (unsurprisingly) once again leads the pack. Texas Tech-Kansas checks in at the highest mark of 64.5, while Iowa State-Oklahmoa State is second at 64.0 and UCF-Temple (60.5) rounds out the 60-plus over-under totals.
Week 8 Review
QB
Kellen Mond, Texas A&M 
($9,900): 16.5
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson 
($9,500): 24.0
Sam Hartman, Wake Forest 
($7000): 16.6
RB
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin 
($10,800): 17.9
D'Andre Swift, Georgia 
($9,200): 29.7
Breece Hall, Iowa State 
($6,000): 39.1
WR
Sage Surratt, Wake Forest ($9,800): 20.5
Jhamon Ausbon, Texas A&M ($8,000): 7.2
Justyn Ross, Clemson ($8,000): 14.0
Deshaunte Jones, Iowa State ($7,700): 8.6
DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Stats
- Odds
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
- DFS Main Slate Primer
Matchup Info
Link to matchup chart for sorting/research purposes
Note: RotoWire expected scores are generated by a mathematical equation excluding special teams and points directly off turnovers (from what I understand).
Week 9 Plays
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma 
($11,800) at Kansas State
Hurts clearly falls into the matchup-proof category at this point, scoring no fewer than 36.32 points in games against FBS teams this season. That could be important this week against a Kansas State defense that has allowed just 6.1 passing yards per attempt, 152.5 passing yards per game and 0.5 passing touchdowns per contest. The matchup combined with Hurts' extreme price tag will likely lead to a drop in ownership, but I'm confident that the slate-worst 5.8 yards per rush allowed by the Kansas State defense. Hurts has run for a touchdown in his six games versus FBS opponents, topping 100 yards in three of those tilts, and the Kansas State defense allowed 115 rushing yards to TCU quarterback Max Duggan last week. It wouldn't be shocking to see him go over the century mark in the rushing category again Saturday as the senor continues to build his Heisman resume.
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson ($9,500) vs. Boston College
Coming off of a three-touchdown performance last week against Louisville, Lawrence's price tag remained steady for Saturday's contest. Passing yardage shouldn't be hard to come by this week against the 94th ranked SP+ defense that surrenders 288.0 passing yards per game, 8.2 passing yards per attempts and 2.3 passing touchdowns per tilt, third-most on the slate. Boston College is slightly more stout against the run than Louisville, which also may factor in to a slightly larger usage of the passing game.
Max Duggan, TCU 
($7,500) vs. Texas
Duggan is coming off his best fantasy performance of the year last week, when he neared 23 points thanks to 115 rushing yards. While he's unlikely to repeat that success on the ground, Texas has proven extremely vulnerable against the pass this season. The Longhorns give up a slate-worst 310 passing yards and 2.6 passing touchdowns per game. Duggan also received some reinforcements in the passing game over the last couple weeks, with Taye Barber rejoining the action last Saturday and Mikel Barkley (undisclosed) expected back in action this week. A full allotment of pass-catchers should allow Duggan to take advantage of a lackluster Texas pass defense.
Running Back
Najee Harris, Alabama 
($9,500) vs. Arkansas
There's a fairly simple explanation for this selection: no Tua. The Crimson Tide host Arkansas without their Heisman signal-caller in a game where they remain favored by 32 points. Given Mac Jones' limited experience under center and Arkansas' struggles against the run, I expect to see a lot of Harris and the running game. The junior toted the rock a season-high 21 times last week to close out the contest. The Razorbacks yield 4.8 yards per carry to opposing backs, so a 20-carry workload should place 100-plus rushing yards well within reach for Harris as the Crimson Tide aim to salt away the clock in the second half.
Pooka Williams Jr., Kansas 
($9,100) vs. Texas Tech
Williams posted a season-high 35.5 FanDuel points on 25 carries for 190 yards and two touchdowns last week versus Texas, and Saturday's slate-high 64.5-point over-under suggests another high-scoring affair is on tap for the Jayhawks. The Red Raiders' defense is nearly a mirror image of Texas statistically, except that they let up more rushing yards and touchdowns per game than the Longhorns. As the workhorse for the Jayhawks in a game that shouldn't require Kansas to throw as much, Pooka should be positioned well for a huge workload and output again Saturday.
Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M ($7,500) vs. Mississippi State
Spillar has emerged as the primary running back for the Aggies over the last two weeks, handling 42 percent of the carries last Saturday against Ole Miss to produce a season-high 15.7 points. That effort came against an Ole Miss rush defense allowing just 3.7 rushing yards per carry and 124.3 rush yards per game. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, give up 4.4 yards per tote and 152.3 rushing yards per contest, not to mention they've allowed 1.9 rushing scores per game. Spiller's price hasn't quite changed to reflect his increased role, so he should be worth the price tag Saturday.
Wide Receiver
Justyn Ross, Clemson ($8,000) vs. Boston College
While it's a weekly battle between Ross and Tee Higgins, Ross is still the safer play of the two given his healthy status. Ross checks in at $100 cheaper than Higgins, and Higgins logged just one grab last week before sitting out the rest of the game. The Tigers continue to coast by ACC opponents and Saturday should be more of the same. As a result, I would anticipate the coaching staff withholding the star wideout from significant acion until he's 100 percent healthy. The team has been mum on Higgins' status for Saturday as of this writing, so it's no guarantee he will see a full allotment of work Saturday.
Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State, 
($8,900) at Iowa State
Wallace's Iowa State matchup doesn't appear particularly favorable on the surface, but it's worth noting that the Cyclones haven't faced any of the high-powered passing attacks of the Big 12 yet. The toughest passing opposition Iowa State has seen to date comes in the form of Baylor, where quarterback Charlie Brewer went for 307 passing yards and three touchdowns. Wallace sports the second-highest target share percentage on the slate and is coming off of back-to-back 15 target games, so he should be able to turn in another strong day Saturday.
Taye Barber, TCU ($5,500) vs. Texas
Barber saw his first taste of action last Saturday against Kansas State, logging four grabs for 37 yards. This week presents an opportunity for the sophomore wideout to smash those numbers, with a Longhorns team on the schedule that is surrendering north of 300 yards passing per game. Barber was targeted seven times last Saturday, trailing only Jalen Reagor in that department, yet his price tag still ranks sixth on the team. A breakout game could be on tap for him Saturday.
Wild Card: Mikel Barkley, TCU ($4,500) vs. Texas
Barkley is the big unknown in the TCU wide receiver group. He has yet to play in a game for the Horned Frogs this season, but he's expected to be available Saturday. The sophomore wideout reportedly impressed during camp, which could position him as a contributor at a position that hasn't done much outside of Jalen Reagor, who has also struggled a bit. The real question is how much, if at all, Barkley will take the field during Saturday's contest.
