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

DraftKings and FanDuel share seven games on this week's Saturday night slate, and FanDuel has added one additional game to its offering. We'll find a couple of important options in that extra game, so we'll cover it at the end of the article.

SLATE OVERVIEW

Miami (-20.5) vs. Florida State O/U: 54.5

Texas A&M (-1.5) vs. LSU O/U: 54.5

Michigan (-4.5) vs. Michigan State O/U: 39.5

Penn State (-6.5) @ Wisconsin O/U: 48

Kentucky (-1.5) vs. Auburn O/U: 44.5

Kansas State (-9) vs Kansas O/U: 54.5

SMU (-11) @ Duke O/U: 48.5

Utah (-4) @ Houston O/U: 37 (FANDUEL ONLY)

There are a few games that won't attract a lot of attention from me this week. Michigan-Michigan State, Peen State-Wisconsin and Kentucky Auburn are mostly no-shows in my endorsements. We're buying into the high totals of the other games, but as usual, I invite you to inspect those teams for contrarian options that I am not considering. I imagine Penn State will draw a lot of attention as you explore, but keep in mind Penn State's pace. They rank 85th in the country with an average of only 66.3 plays per game.

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 Slate Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 9

Quarterback

Cam Ward, Miami (DK $10,100, FD $12,800) vs. Florida State

Ward is expensive, but just plug and play him. We'll find a way to afford him later. It could be a long day for the Seminoles as they travel down to Miami to face one of the country's most explosive offenses. Miami's defense can yield a lot of points to opponents, but Florida State's offensive attack is still anemic, ranking 129th in offensive yards per game. They also rank 127th with an average of only 3.7 third-down conversions per game. All signs point to Ward getting plenty of opportunities and staying on the field to build his Heisman resume.

Avery Johnson, Kansas State (DK $7,500, FD $10,000) vs. Kansas

Johnson is one of two guys I am considering for the S-FLEX. Johnson is the more expensive option, and It just depends on how much salary cap flexibility you'll need as you fill out your roster. Playing an intrastate rival at home is a great spot for Johnson. He had a down game with two interceptions against BYU last month, but that's about it. He's been very productive in every other game with good totals on the ground and through the air. Kansas is also somewhat forgiving against the pass. Interestingly, Kansas State is even worse against the pass, making Jalon Daniels and intriguing contrarian options available.

Conner Weigman, Texas A&M (DK $5,800, FD $8,000) vs. LSU

It'll be important to check in before the game to make sure that Weigman and Marcel Reed won't be sharing snaps.  A wildcat here and there is fine, but we don't want to get involved in a timeshare under center. Assuming he plays a full game, Weigman is our S-FLEX budget pivot off of Johnson, and one could argue that Weigman directs a more potent offense. The presence of Reed creates some risk, but Weigman could be well worth it if you do due diligence before kickoff.

Running Back

DJ Giddens, Kansas State (DK $7,400, FD $10,100) vs. Kansas

We can make some concessions at wideout, so I don't mind spending a bit more for Giddens, who's one of the best backs in the nation. Kansas gives up an average of 161 yards to opposing rushers, so Giddens is set up for an optimal game at home.

Le'Veon Moss, Texas A&M (DK $5,500, FD $9,500) vs. LSU

The elevated salary on FanDuel makes him less viable, but you can't beat the number on DraftKings. LSU has had difficulty stopping opposing offenses but is stronger than most against the run. Weigman is a great pocket passer who can force the defense to back off the line and provide some room for Moss.

Wide Receiver

Samuel Brown, Miami (DK $4,200, FD $5,800) vs. Florida State 

We definitely want to target Miami's wideouts, and I elected to save some cash by taking Brown over Xavier Restrepo, who is more expensive. The senior has popped up as Ward's top option a couple of times this season, and he has 24 receptions for 371 yards and two touchdowns through seven games. Granted, his numbers pale compared to Restrepo, and I'm fine using the pricier option if you can afford it. Otherwise, Brown is a good way to get involved in the action.

Luke Grimm, Kansas (DK $6,000, FD $7,300) @ Kansas State

A couple of down games from Grimm affected his salary, making him a great value opportunity against a Kansas State defense that struggles against the pass. Grimm had some huge totals earlier in the year and would be rated as one of the best wideouts on the slate if you exclude his last two performances.

Dane Key, Kentucky (DK $5,000, FD $6,500) vs. Auburn

I drilled down a bit to look for guys with a lot of targets against questionable defenses and landed on Key. He has 35 caches on a whopping 64 targets and has turned that into 500 receiving yards. He only has two touchdowns on the season, but his PPR numbers should help boost a scoreless total. His quarterback is unreliable, but Key gets a good dose of his receptions.

Also consider: Jayce Brown, Kansas State (DK $4,600, FD $6,600) vs. Kansas

Utah @ Houston (FANDUEL ONLY)

I have no plans to target any Houston players, but two offensive options for Utah are appealing against Houston's weak defense. Brant Kuithe ($6,800) and Micah Bernard ($7,800) are both appealing options that can save you money over our other high-priced options. Isaac Wilson has been inconsistent at quarterback, but Kuithe is a very visible target who has taken some pressure off. Bernard is still the top running back option, and Utah likes to pound the ground after assuming a lead. Houston will deliver a lot of three-and-outs for Utah to take advantage of, so I'll be using these two liberally on FanDuel.