FanDuel College Football: Week 9 Picks

FanDuel College Football: Week 9 Picks

This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.

CASH-GAME TARGETS

QUARTERBACK

Cody Kessler, USC at California ($8,000)

Kessler is unlikely to offer rushing production and could plausibly take a slight negative in the category, but this is a reasonable price for a quarterback with Kessler's passin-touchdown production. The over/under is pushing 70, and California has a way of initiating shootouts. The Golden Bears just gave up 399 yards (8.5 YPA) and three touchdowns through the air to Josh Rosen.

Honorable mention:Brandon Doughty - Western Kentucky at Old Dominion ($9,400), Mason Rudolph - Oklahoma State at Texas Tech ($7,000)

RUNNING BACK

Anthony Wales - Western Kentucky at Old Dominion ($7,700)

At this point, Wales should be thought of no differently than Leon Allen before he got hurt. Would you start Leon Allen against Old Dominion at $7,700? You would, and you wouldn't need to think twice. Wales' price will keep going up as the season moves along, so buy this screaming bargain while you can.

Akrum Wadley - Iowa vs. Maryland ($6,800)

Leshun Daniels is back from his ankle injury this week, but Wadley made clear two weeks ago that he's the better option of the two, and it's likely coach Kirk Ferentz noticed. Playing on the road against a Northwestern defense that has impressed, Wadley took 26 carries for 204 yards and four touchdowns, and now he gets to face a far weaker Maryland defense. With Jordan Canzeri (ankle) still out, Wadley could get another big workload.

Honorable mention:Sony Michel - Georgia at Florida ($7,500), Samaje Perine - Oklahoma at Kansas ($7,200), Saquon Barkley - Penn State vs. Illinois ($7,000), Dare Ogunbowale - Wisconsin vs. Rutgers (ONLY IF CLEMENT IS OUT) ($6,600), Terrell Newby - Nebraska at Purdue ($6,100), Tra Carson - Texas A&M vs. South Carolina ($5,700), Markell Jones - Purdue vs. Nebraska ($5,100)

WIDE RECEIVER

Jared Dangerfield - Western Kentucky at Old Dominion ($6,800)

Old Dominion has one of the most vulnerable defenses in the country, but Western Kentucky needs too many style points to show the Monarchs any mercy after losing to LSU last week. Taywan Taylor is clearly the most talented Hilltoppers wideout, but Dangerfield is quietly picking up steam as he recovers from his preseason hamstring injury and is due for a big game. Dangerfield has 40 catches in his last five games, posting four touchdowns.

Kenny Lawler - California vs. USC ($6,100)

This is a nice price for a receiver who has 18 touchdowns in his last 93 receptions in a game in which California is projected to score about 31 points. Lawler's last two games fell short of his potential, so he's due to gain some traction against a USC pass defense that has been competent but hasn't faced a passing game of California's level.

Honorable mention: Juju Smith-Schuster - USC at California ($8,000), Thomas Duarte - UCLA vs. Colorado ($7,100), Alex Erickson - Wisconsin vs. Rutgers ($6,600), Nelson Spruce - Colorado at UCLA ($6,200), Kermit Whitfield - Florida State vs. Syracuse ($5,900), David Glidden - Oklahoma State at Texas Tech ($5,600), James Washington - Oklahoma State at Texas Tech ($5,400)

TIGHT END

Stephen Anderson - California vs. USC ($3,900)

Anderson is California's second-leading receiver with 28 receptions, and he almost has to have a breakout game in the near future considering he somehow hasn't scored a touchdown on those 28 catches. Anderson scored five touchdowns on 46 catches last year, so a bundle could be around the corner.

Honorable mention:Jordan Leggett - Clemson at North Carolina State ($4,000), Troy Fumagalli - Wisconsin vs. Rutgers ($3,500)

TOURNAMENT TARGETS

QUARTERBACK

Ryker Fyfe - Nebraska at Purdue ($4,500)

Fyfe could be pretty bad, and Nebraska likely will go more run-heavy to offset the loss of Tommy Armstrong (foot), but this is still a really cheap price for a starting quarterback who's playing against Purdue.

Honorable mention:Brandon Doughty - Western Kentucky at Old Dominion ($9,400), Baker Mayfield - Oklahoma at Kansas ($9,100), Patrick Mahomes - Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State ($9,000), Mason Rudolph - Oklahoma State at Texas Tech ($7,000)

RUNNING BACK

Chris Carson - Oklahoma State at Texas Tech ($5,100)

Carson and the whole Oklahoma State running game have been garbage this year, but a matchup with the Texas Tech run defense might be just what he needs to get on track. The Red Raiders allow 6.0 yards per carry, which resulted in per-game averages of 281.5 yards and more than three touchdowns per game (26 in eight).

Honorable mention:Anthony Wales - Western Kentucky at Old Dominion ($7,700), Akrum Wadley - Iowa vs. Maryland ($6,800), Samaje Perine - Oklahoma at Kansas ($7,200), Saquon Barkley - Penn State vs. Illinois ($7,000), Dare Ogunbowale - Wisconsin vs. Rutgers (ONLY IF CLEMENT IS OUT) ($6,600), Joe Mixon - Oklahoma at Kansas ($6,400), Terrell Newby - Nebraska at Purdue ($6,100), Tra Carson - Texas A&M vs. South Carolina ($5,700), Marcus Marshall - Georgia Tech vs. Virginia ($5,500), Markell Jones - Purdue vs. Nebraska ($5,100)

WIDE RECEIVER

Ricky Jeune - Georgia Tech at Virginia ($4,800)

Jeune gets nearly all of the wide receiver targets in the Georgia Tech offense, and he has a high touchdown rate on the catches he does make. He has three touchdowns on his last 12 receptions, and this week he goes against a Virginia team that has allowed 16 touchdown passes in seven games.

Honorable mention:Taywan Taylor - Western Kentucky at Old Dominion ($8,700), Juju Smith - USC at California ($8,000), Jared Dangerfield - Western Kentucky at Old Dominion ($6,800), Kenny Lawler - California vs. USC ($6,100), Thomas Duarte - UCLA vs. Colorado ($7,100), Alex Erickson - Wisconsin vs. Rutgers ($6,600), Kermit Whitfield - Florida State vs. Syracuse ($5,900), James Washington - Oklahoma State at Texas Tech ($5,400), De'Mornay Pierson-El - Nebraska at Purdue ($4,500)

TIGHT END

Jaylen Samuels - North Carolina State vs. Clemson ($4,500)

It's a brutal matchup for Samuels, but his usage rate in the North Carolina State offense is spectacular, making him a top candidate to produce whatever touchdowns North Carolina State scores. In addition to 4.9 catches per game, resulting in 34 catches for 355 yards and four touchdowns in seven games, Samuels has 23 carries for 143 yards and five touchdowns.

Honorable mention:Jordan Leggett - Clemson at North Carolina State ($4,000), Stephen Anderson - California vs. USC ($3,900), Troy Fumagalli - Wisconsin vs. Rutgers ($3,500), Mark Andrews - Oklahoma at Kansas ($3,200)

FADES

QUARTERBACK

Deshaun Watson - Clemson at North Carolina State ($9,400)

Watson has been superb lately and seems to have turned a corner in his recovery from last year's late-season ACL tear, but he's got a matchup with a North Carolina State defense allowing a completion percentage of 46.2, surrendering just 5.4 yards per pass. Brandon Doughty is the same price in a far more favorable setting, and more week-to-week reliability anyway.

RUNNING BACK

Peyton Barber - Auburn vs. Mississippi ($8,500)

An overtime-inflated market for Barber perhaps caused this rise in price, which probably makes Barber a worse deal than nearby options like Wales and Michel. The Rebels allow just 3.1 YPC and four touchdowns on the ground in eight games.

WIDE RECEIVER

Leonte Carroo - Rutgers at Wisconsin ($7,600)

Even before factoring in the ankle injury that has nagged Carroo the last two weeks, this was a bad matchup for him. Chris Laviano is a meltdown candidate on the road against a Wisconsin defense that has allowed just three touchdown passes on 251 pass attempts.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mario Puig plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: rotwireyasiel, FanDuel: rotowireyasiel, FantasyDraft: rwyasiel, DRAFT: rwyasiel.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mario Puig
Mario is a Senior Writer at RotoWire who primarily writes and projects for the NFL and college football sections.
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