Slate Breaker: FD CFB DFS Week 9 (Sat)

Quarterbacks

Play of the Day: Caleb Williams, USC (@ Cal)

Caleb Williams is coming off of a rough stretch of play, but that was against two of the nation's top defenses. This week it is a completely different story. USC plays a weak Cal defense that has gotten roasted by opposing QBs during conference play. They have allowed multiple QBs to rush for a TD. They have allowed multiple QBs to pass for more than 300 yards. They have allowed multiple QBs to pass for 4 or more TDs. And all of this has happened during just 4 conference games. Cal just has not been able to stop PAC 12 QBs this year. Michael Penix is the only other solid PAC 12 QB they have played this year so a QB of Williams' abilities should be able to produce 30+ FD points with a hand tied behind his back.

Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (@ Kansas)

Gabriel has become the second safest play in college fantasy football behind only Jayden Daniels. He has scored at least 23 FD points in every game this year so if you are looking for a guy who will not leave you disappointed then pay up for Gabriel. The only issue with Gabriel is his lack of an elite upside. He needs a rushing TD to have a chance to score more than 30 points and his chances of scoring more than 40 points are very slim. Gabriel is a great option if you are just trying to cash but if you are trying to come away with 1st place I suggest you look elsewhere.

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (@ UCLA)

The boom or bust monster is back. No fantasy has more polarized output than Sanders. He has scored more than 30 FD points in 4 of his 7 games but has also scored less than 20 points in 2 of his last 4 games. Sanders will have another tough task on his hands as he plays a UCLA defense who has not allowed an opposing QB to pass for more than 275 yards all year. Sanders should find success in this game though as he will have to keep this offense moving to compete with UCLA so I like Sanders this week. But if he underperforms he will leave you with 15 or less points and very disappointed.

Garrett Greene, West Virginia (@ UCF)

Greene is starting to look like the next Jayden Daniels. He is a nightmare with the ball in his hands providing at least 13 FD points with his rushing abilities alone in every game but one. The rushing alone provides a solid floor for fantasy players to rely on but he is a decent passer too. He is averaging more than 250 passing yards over his past 4 games so when you pair that kind of passing ability with his elite running ability, Greene has a high ceiling and floor so get him in your lineup.

Emory Jones, Cincinnati (@ Oklahoma State)

Emory Jones has not been an elite passer but he has made up for his deficiencies in the passing game by adding a solid rushing total every game out. Jones has provided at least 40 rushing yards in 5 straight games so his dual threat abilities make him a solid fantasy option nearly every week. This week is a bit different though. Jones plays a Oklahoma State defense who has not been able to contain rushing QBs lately. The Cowboys have allowed their opponent's QB to rush for more than 100 yards in 2 of their last 3 games. If Emory can find space on the ground this week, he could end up being one of the top QBs on the slate.

John Rhys Plumlee, UCF (vs West Virginia)

Plumlee has not had the green light to run freely in this offense. He is one of the top rushing QBs in the nation so when/if he gets that green light to run freely he sees an opening, he will be a slate breaker. Plumlee rushed for more than 100 yards in 5 games last year. This is a bit of a dual edged sword though as he is not a good enough passer to provide fantasy value with his passing alone so if you start him and he still does not have the green light to run, you will leave disappointed. Plumlee is a true gamble until we see him run a bit but if he hits he can win you a tournament.

Braedyn Locke, Wisconsin (vs Ohio State)

Locke's price of just $6,000 is enough to make him a great play. He is a decent QB so he should be able to keep this offense moving and has a relatively decent shot at reaching 20 FD points. If he reached 20 points he would be a great value and would allow you to fill out the rest of your lineup with some absolute studs. The Ohio State defense is very solid so they could completely shut him down, but if he is able to find some success against this defense then he is worth your time.

Running Backs

Play of the Day: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (@ Georgia Tech)

My eyes water a bit when I look at this matchup. I have never seen anything so beautiful. Georgia Tech has not been able to stop opposing RBs all year long allowing an opposing RB to rush for more than 100 yards in 4 straight games. There could not be anyone I would like more in a matchup like this than Omarion Hampton. He has been an absolute stud for this team leading him to completely take over the backfield and become the bell cow for this team. He is a great runner and a solid receiver so he will put up numbers regardless of matchup but with a matchup like this, pencil in 20+ points for Hampton.

Ray Davis, Kentucky (vs Tennessee)

Anytime Ray Davis is on a slate, he is an appealing play. He is just too productive to fade. He has a scoring range of 15-30 FD points. That is QB output so you are basically getting another QB in your lineup. He is worth every penny no matter how high his price gets.

Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State (vs Cincinnati)

This guy has scored 95.6 FD points over the last two weeks. Do I need to say any more about this guy? I did not think so. Ride the hot hand while you can because he has won people a lot of money over the past couple weeks.

Carson Steele, UCLA (vs Colorado)

Steele has taken over a strong UCLA backfield and has produced solid fantasy value. He has averaged 109 rushing yards over his past 3 games and has rushed for 4 TDs over that same span. With a matchup against Colorado, expect another strong stat line from Steele. Colorado has allowed 8 rushing TDs over their last 4 games so expect Steele to come away from this game with at least one score if not multiple. The floor is very solid for Steele, but his lack of receiving work does limit his upside a bit.

Braelon Allen, Wisconsin (vs Ohio State)

Allen is just too good to be this cheap. Sure the Ohio State defensive front has been solid, but Braelon Allen is too good to be stopped for a whole game. Allen has had 99 or more yards in all but one of his games this year and Ohio State is nowhere near the best defensive front they have faced this year so Allen will score at least double digits which would be a respectable value for a player priced just $8,500.

Jaydn Ott, Cal (vs USC)

You need to start whichever lead back is facing USC. Ott and this Cal running game is the focal point of the offense so they should be relied on to help keep pace. If there is one thing I have learned from watching USC is the game is never over until the clock hits triple zeros so Ott and Cal will keep the pedal to the metal which will result in a very solid fantasy day for Ott.

Sione Vaki, Utah (vs Oregon)

Has Vaki gone from a safety to the star of this Utah offense in a matter of weeks? It sure likes it as Vaki almost single handedly carried the Utes to a win over USC last week. He has only really played two games as a running back and he had 2 TDs in each of them. He still has not been fully integrated into the offense so his usage should grow as the weeks go on so if Vaki is the real deal he could put up massive fantasy numbers. He could be the top value of the slate with a price of just $6,500 if the last two weeks were not a mirage.

Wide Receivers

Play of the Day: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State (@ Wisconsin)

MHJ may occupy this spot atop the fantasy receiver rankings for the rest of the year. Ohio State has not been the potent, multifaceted attack that has made this team great in recent years. They have struggled to run the ball and Emeka Egbuka still has been nursing a lingering injury leaving MHJ and Cade Stover to carry the load. Well they have started to realize that no one can guard Harrison and they can throw him the ball every play if they wanted to. With Ohio State heading into the home stretch of their schedule expect MHJ to be highly used resulting in an elite floor for a wide receiver. Since the team's bye, Harrison has 100+ yards and a TD each game and I do not see any reason why this production would slow so you can expect 20+ FD points from him every week so utilize him while you can.

Devontez Walker, North Carolina (@ Georgia Tech)

Well it certainly did not take Walker very long to settle into this offense. After modest production in his season debut when he only had 36 hours to prepare, Walker has taken over the offense. He has at least 6 catches in every game and 130+ yards and at least 1 TD in every game he has played as the starter. He may have a more upside than Harrison, but he does come with some risk. With just two starts under his belt, I am not quite ready to give my full stamp of approval on the elite wide receiver because he could have a game where he only has 9 catches for 80 yards which would be a disappointment at his $10K price. Since we still do not really know what Walker's floor is at this point, he is a bit of a gamble but he is a very fun player to watch. Imagine what a full season of production would have looked like in this offense....thanks NCAA.

Nic Anderson, Oklahoma (@ Kansas)

I did consider putting Anderson above Harrison on the slate. After Andrel Anthony went down for the season, there was some belief that his production would be replaced by a bit of a committee, but the Sooners quickly put those rumblings to rest. Nic Anderson dominated WR opportunities last week. Anderson was already a productive player even before Anthony's injury; but now that he has absorbed most of Anthony's usage, he has become an elite fantasy option. He led the team in targets, yards and TDs a week ago. On a day when Oklahoma struggled a bit, Anderson still ended up with 25 FD points. He has scored in 5 straight games so his usage went from great to elite so do not overlook him or you will regret it.

Travis Hunter, Colorado (@ UCLA)

Hunter is healthy and Colorado gave him way more usage than he had pre-injury to make up for the lost time. He blew out all his previous season highs in his return. He had 13 catches for 140 yards and 2 TDs. It is not just his increase in production that intrigues me, it was his increase in red zone looks that gives him the ability to be a difference maker for DFS players. He did have 2 TDs last game, but he had the chance to double that number with the amount of opportunities he got when they were in the redzone. Hunter has true blowup potential so he is well worth his $7,700 price.

Xzavier Henderson, Cincinnati (@ Oklahoma State)

If you are planning on rolling with Emory Jones this week. then you have to stack him with his former Florida teammate Henderson. The two have shown advanced chemistry resulting in Henderson leading the team in targets in most games. Henderson is also heavily targeted in the redzone thanks to his big frame. The Cincinnati offense can be a bit hit or miss, but if it hits then Henderson is a phenomenal play.

Squirrel White, Tennessee (@ Kentucky)

White finally hit last week catching 10 passes for 111 yards and a TD. This production did lead to a jump in price for White, but he is still too cheap. Until White's price gets above $7K, he will be a relevant DFS option. He is THE guy in this Tennessee passing game and this UT passing game has the potential to be very potent in any game they play so if Joe Milton explodes this week, White will have scored 20+ FD points.

Ricky Pearsall, Florida (vs Georgia)

Pearsall should never be priced under $7K. I know he is playing Georgia but he is a fantasy monster so he will still succeed. He has 13+ FD points in 6 of his 7 games this year and with the ability to take the top off of any defense (yes, even Georgia) he can make his day with just one play. Pearsall receives double digit opportunities every game so he will not leave you disappointed.

Ladd McConkey. Georgia (@ Florida)

There is a bit of risk here, but I absolutely love this play. Following Brock Bowers' unfortunate injury, there is a big void left behind in the passing game. I like McConkey's chances of absorbing most of that work. He has been entrenched in this system for years now so the coaches trust him and he is finally looking fully healthy after opening the year hurt so he looks primed to step into a huge role in this passing game. He looked good last week catching 4 of his 5 targets for 58 so if he doubles his target share he should end up with an explosive performance. Georgia has been cautious with McConkey up until this point of the season, but that is no longer an option. He will end up as the top value at receiver this week.

Zachariah Branch, USC (@ Cal)

This play is a big risk, but he is just too cheap at $5,400. He does not get a ton of usage, but he does get a ton of usage at the goal line. Branch is a menace when he has the ball in open space; so when USC gets inside the 10, there will be at least one play where they try to get Branch in a one on one on the outside where has to just make a man miss and score a TD. This usage has resulted in great results for Branch since he has scored 5 times in 6 games. If he does not score a TD he will probably leave you disappointed since he most likely will not top 40 yards so proceed with caution but the upside is very intriguing,

Dream Team

QB: Caleb Williams, USC (@ Cal)

RB1: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (@ Georgia Tech)

RB2: Jaydn Ott, Cal (vs USC)

WR1: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State (@ Wisconsin)

WR2: Nic Anderson, Oklahoma (@ Kansas)

WR3: Ladd McConkey, Georgia (@ Florida)

Flex: Braedyn Locke, Wisconsin (vs Ohio State)

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