CFB DFS DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown: Week 9

by Jordan Vanek (vanekjordan) Last Updated 2025-10-24 16:13:12 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 for Week 9. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan’s deep dive into the best stacks, running backs, and wide receivers is a must-read before you start building your lineups.

Week 9 gives us one of the weakest RB slates of the season, which means the main focus should shift toward quarterbacks. I also think the projected chalk this week is pretty fragile. I love a few of the game environments and will be targeting them heavily in my builds. With so many high-scoring QB spots on the slate, getting the RB position right becomes even more important — and there are a few options I’m higher on than the field seems to be.

Our CFB DFS projections will help you identify who’s chalk and who might be the fragile piece of the slate. They’ll be updated constantly on Saturday as news breaks, giving you a strong read on ownership and lineup edges. Our projections team will also be posting updates in the RotoGrinders Discord, so make sure you’re in there as often as possible.

CFB DFS DraftKings Picks: Top Stacks, RBs, & WRs for Week 9

There are several man-heavy defenses on this slate, and a few of them consistently give up big plays. Arkansas is the prime example — four of the last five quarterbacks they’ve faced have averaged over 8 yards per dropback, and four have scored 30+ DK points. The only complication is the Auburn QB situation, with Hugh Freeze still not fully committing to Jackson Arnold as the starter.

On the other side of the coverage spectrum, Indiana represents the beginning of the zone-heavy defenses. UCLA’s offense has looked fun in recent weeks, but this matchup is a serious step up. Curt Cignetti has installed a well-structured defense built on concepts from his time with Nick Saban, and I’d be surprised if UCLA finds success through the air in this one.

Kansas plays a ton of two-high coverage, and I’m very interested to see how that holds up against Kansas State. So far this season, it’s been a boom-or-bust approach — they’ve either completely shut down opposing quarterbacks or been shredded. Brendan Sorsby and Beau Pribula both had strong performances, while Tayven Jackson, Nicco Marchiol, and E.J. Warner were extremely inefficient against this scheme. This matchup should tell us a lot about where Kansas truly stands defensively.

Memphis, meanwhile, lives in single-high coverage — and I love what that means for Bynum Brown. He’s been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the nation versus single-high looks, and the stakes of this game only elevate his appeal. If Memphis catches the looks they expect, Brown is set up for another big performance through the air.

Game Stacks

Sawyer Robertson ($8,700, QB, Baylor)

Michael Trigg ($6,100, WR, Baylor) and/or Josh Cameron ($5,500, WR, Baylor)

Caleb Goodie ($3,700, WR, Cincinnati) and/or Joe Royer ($3,500, WR, Cincinnati)

Brendan Sorsby ($7,400, QB, Cincinnati)

Robertson leads the country in passing yards against Cover 3, and Cincinnati plays Cover 3 at one of the highest rates in the nation (per SIS). When Robertson gets that coverage, Michael Trigg and Josh Cameron have typically been the ones driving his production — both are very efficient against it, and Cincinnati hasn’t faced a tight end with Trigg’s skill set.

You can certainly stack Robertson with just one of them, but historically, his path to being optimal usually comes when two of his pass-catchers hit.

Baylor has struggled against slot formations this season. Sorsby has been spreading the ball around, but the two primary targets lately have been Caleb Goodie and Joe Royer. I’d lean toward playing just one, but in this game environment, it’s definitely possible both could pay off.

Baylor had major issues defending Kansas State’s tight ends, and I expect Cincinnati to scheme opportunities for Royer. They’ve also had trouble defending the perimeter all year, and that’s where Goodie — along with Jeff Caldwell — has consistently been involved.

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