CFB DFS DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown: Week 9

by Jordan Vanek (vanekjordan) Last Updated 2024-10-25 17:34:54 Premium Content Part of the product CFB Premium

Using his experience as a former scout and staff member at Central Florida under Josh Heupel, Jordan Vanek takes an in-depth look at the upcoming CFB DFS main slate on DraftKings. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan will do a deep dive into the best stacks, running backs, and wide receivers before giving his overall thoughts on some slate strategy.

As we head into Week 9 of the college football season, DFS players have an exciting slate filled with intriguing matchups and high-upside plays. With teams establishing clear identities and weaknesses, there are valuable insights to consider when building lineups. This week’s slate stands out due to the potential for unique lineups, especially with cheap QBs getting high projected ownership and some chalk plays that could easily fall short. Whether you’re entering single-entry contests or large-field MME contests, this guide will highlight critical strategies, including single-high and two-high coverage analysis, player usage insights, and top stacks that could give you an edge.

This weekend, I’ll be skipping 150-max entries, so my player pool is a bit more focused, and I’m steering clear of some chalk plays that don’t quite fit my strategy. It’s another slate where I’m drawn to contrarian plays, which offer clear opportunities to gain an edge—or potentially miss—against the field. With a lineup of high-upside, lower-owned options, there’s plenty of potential to capitalize on unique builds and differentiate from standard strategies.

If you have any questions about my analysis or the slate overall, feel free to reach out in the RotoGrinders Discord.

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CFB DFS DraftKings Picks: Top Stacks, Running Backs, & Wide Receivers for Week 9

At this point in the season, teams have largely revealed their identity, having shown much of what their offense and defense will look like for the remainder of the year. This section will focus on identifying any glaring mismatches or clear advantages that stand out on the slate. These are the situations you should be aware of when building lineups, as they present obvious opportunities to exploit. Keep an eye on matchups where one team shows a clear weakness or strength, allowing you to take advantage of favorable positions on both sides of the ball.

Single High vs. Two High

Single-high coverage refers to a defensive scheme in which one safety is positioned deep in the middle of the field, primarily responsible for defending against deep passes and offering support over the top. This setup leaves cornerbacks in one-on-one matchups with wide receivers, creating opportunities for big plays if the receivers can win those battles. Teams such as Washington, Notre Dame, Illinois, TCU, and Tulane frequently use this approach.

I expect Notre Dame to continue using single-high coverage against Navy, as they will likely want an extra player in the box to defend against the triple-option offense. This matchup should be exciting to watch, and hopefully, Navy can pull off the upset.

In contrast, two-high coverage deploys two safeties deep, each covering one half of the field. This scheme provides better protection against deep passes but leaves the defense more susceptible to runs or short passes underneath. Teams like Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, BYU, and Oregon State often rely on two-high coverage to prevent explosive passing plays.

Oregon State’s frequent use of two-high coverage with their front seven helps explain their struggles against the run. I expect them to stick with this approach, as they have yet to make any adjustments, which could set up Jaydn Ott for a huge day.

Man vs. Zone

Man coverage is a defensive scheme in which each defender is assigned to cover a specific offensive player throughout the play. Teams that heavily rely on man coverage include Oregon State, Notre Dame, Washington, and Illinois. The one team I’m curious to watch in this regard is Illinois, especially against Oregon. Man coverage may not be ideal in that matchup, but it’s part of Illinois’ identity—and Tez Johnson could thrive in that setup.

On the other hand, zone coverage requires defenders to guard specific areas of the field rather than individual players. Although defenders may occasionally find themselves in one-on-one situations when an opponent enters their zone, their primary responsibilities are based on the defensive call. Teams that frequently use zone coverage include Navy, Indiana, Texas, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and BYU.

Stacks

Will Howard ($7,900, QB, Ohio State)

Jeremiah Smith ($7,300, WR, Ohio State) or Emeka Egbuka ($6,900, WR, Ohio State)

If Nebraska manages to challenge Ohio State in any way, a double stack of Howard with Smith and Egbuka would be viable options for GPPs. However, with that being unlikely, my primary plan is to stack Howard with just one of these WRs. In lineups where I don’t go this route, I’ll likely pivot to TreVeyon Henderson ($6,000), as I anticipate Ohio State will put up a high point total in this game. Additionally, I expect them to limit Quinshon Judkins’ ($7,100) usage following his recent hand surgery.

Nebraska tends to play a lot of single-high coverage, which, as shown below, often directs the ball toward these Ohio State WRs when they see that look. This coverage approach could open up significant opportunities for Ohio State’s passing game, making their wide receivers even more appealing.