CFB DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks For 10/26: Saturday Playbook

As we approach Week 9 of the college football season, it's the perfect moment to re-engage with the CFB DFS picks with a fresh perspective. The upcoming matchups are thrilling, presenting numerous chances to take advantage of players who are finding their rhythm. 

At this point, we have accumulated sufficient data to highlight reliable performers and spot those with CFB DFS projections who are ready for a breakout, making our selections vital this week. 

*Be sure to tap into our expert Week 9 CFB Best Bets while you're at it!

CFB DFS Picks, Daily Fantasy Playbook & Schedule: October 26th

With Week 8 behind us, it's time to refine our strategy and finalize our Week 9 CFB DFS picks. 

Let’s analyze the upcoming games and strive to maintain the positive momentum of this season!

CFB DFS Lineups: Quarterbacks

Chandler Morris, North Texas Mean Green

I honestly don’t love the top-priced options this week simply because of their matchups. You know who does have a really good matchup though? Morris, who has quietly put up 33.7+ fantasy points in 3 straight games. I expect this game to be a shootout, with Morris being the key cog behind NT’s offense.

Riley Leonard, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Rinse and repeat here. We’ve been keen on Leonard for a while now as he’s just been as steady as they come for CFB DFS projections. He’s had no less than 24.2 fantasy points but no more than 38.5 since Week 3. He gets an interesting matchup against Navy, but it’s been encouraging to see Leonard have more success through the air vs. just with his legs the past couple of games.

Will Howard, Ohio State Buckeyes

He might be my favorite QB on the whole slate, and he comes with a heck of a discount. Nebraska has been up and down defensively all season, but they have yet to face an offense like Ohio State. Like the man above, he’s been consistently consistent all season and there’s no reason to believe he can’t repeat past performances in Week 9.

CFB DFS Lineups: Running Backs

Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech Red Raiders

Brooks had another monster game last weekend with 125 rushing yards along with a score. Even better, he caught the most passes he’s caught all season (4) and recorded his highest receiving yardage total (22) as well. The Red Raiders shouldn’t have much of an issue scoring against TCU, with Brooks being the focal point.

Makhi Hughes, Tulane Green Wave

Here’s another guy in that aforementioned Tulane vs. North Texas matchup. Hughes has been a force all season long with multiple games of either 120+ total yards or 2+ touchdowns. The Mean Green have struggled to move the ball through the passing game, so I expect Hughes to be relied upon abundantly in a game where they’ll need to keep pace with NT’s scoring to win.

Roman Hemby, Maryland Terrapins

Hemby had his second-best fantasy performance of the season against USC in Week 8, yet he only had 4 carries. He was able to add 6 catches for 52 yards though, and one of those carries he had gone for a score. No matter the game script, Hemby gets double-digit touches every single game and has 5 touchdowns on the season.

Jaivian Thomas, California Golden Bears

You’ll want to monitor Cal starting RB Jayden Ott before slotting in Thomas for any CFB DFS picks. If Ott is a no go, Thomas is a fantastic play against a dreadful Oregon State run defense. When Ott has been out, Thomas has put up some solid numbers, including 21.9 fantasy points a week ago. Amazing value depending on the injury situation.

CFB DFS Lineups: Wide Receivers

Tre Harris, Ole Miss Rebels

Injuries have hit Harris hard over the past few weeks, but outside of the game against South Carolina, that hasn’t stopped his production. He returned back to prominence with a 7-102-1 line against LSU last week and, like we said before, he’s matchup-proof. Don't have to worry about that this week against OU, though – slot him in.

Jeremiah Smith/Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Buckeyes

Take your pick here, really. You could even roll with both and it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Smith and Egbuka have shown up week in and week out and, as was stated above, a matchup against Nebraska shouldn’t fear anybody. At least one of them is good for 100+ yards and a touchdown, if not both.

Darius Lassiter, BYU Cougars

With a touchdown catch in 4 of 6 games this season, Lassiter has been one of my favorite cheaper options. He’s priced the highest he’s been all campaign this week, but that’s perfectly fine against an atrocious UCF pass defense. He has 3 straight games of 5+ catches and 86+ receiving yards with a score in 2 of those contests.

Trent Walker, Oregon State Beavers

Another cheap gem for Week 9 CFB DFS picks? Yes, please. Walker has done everything you would want a fantasy receiver to do EXCEPT catch touchdowns. He has just 1 on the season yet is consistently seeing double-digit targets almost every week. Some positive TD regression is coming, and it very well could come against this Cal defense.

Daniel Jackson, Minnesota Golden Gophers

I could essentially just repeat what I just stated above for Jackson, too. With just 1 TD on the season, I like him to increase that total against a porous Maryland pass defense. Jackson has now recorded at least 7 catches in 3 of Minnesota’s last 4 games, with at least 17.8 fantasy points in those same 3 contests.

Core CFB DFS Lineup Picks: QBs, RBs & WRs

Quarterbacks

• Chandler Morris, North Texas Mean Green
• Riley Leonard, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• Jake Retzlaff, BYU Cougars
• Will Howard, Ohio State Buckeyes

Running Backs

• Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech Red Raiders
• Jordan James, Oregon Ducks
• Makhi Hughes, Tulane Green Wave
• Roman Hemby, Maryland Terrapins
• Ty Son Lawton, Indiana Hoosiers
• Jaivian Thomas, California Golden Bears

Wide Receivers

• Tre Harris, Ole Miss Rebels
• Jack Bech, TCU Horned Frogs
• Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes
• Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Buckeyes
• Darius Lassiter, BYU Cougars
• Giles Jackson, Washington Huskies
• Trent Walker, Oregon State Beavers
• Daniel Jackson, Minnesota Golden Gophers

College Football DFS Player Pool: Saturday, 10/26