CFB DFS differs from traditional NFL DFS in a few key areas. Rosters do not require a defense and instead incorporate a superflex where a second quarterback can be rostered. With the exception of short slates, using a second quarterback generally makes the most sense. From there, traditional stacking rules and other general football DFS strategies apply (such as looking at college football ownership projections). With that said, let’s get into the CFB Week 8 DFS picks and projections for Saturday, Oct. 21.
CFB Week 8 DFS Picks and Projections | Saturday, Oct. 21
Quarterback
Dillon Gabriel ($9,300): Oklahoma enters Week 8 as a 17-point favorite over UCF in a game with a total of 68. The Sooners rank 21st in pace and UCF comes in 26th, explaining the massive total. Dillon Gabriel has reached even higher ceilings than ever before in his career due to an increase in rushing. On top of his 208 cumulative yards, Gabriel has designed attempts of nine, six, and nine in his last three games. Ever efficient as a passer, Gabriel averages 312.3 yards per game on 32.5 attempts. In this shootout, he stands out for cash games.
Bo Nix ($9,800): Another elite, expensive quarterback, Bo Nix benefits from Oregon’s 40.25 implied team total as 20-point favorites over Washington State in a game with a total of 60.5. Nix currently averages a hyper-efficient 291.2 passing yards per game on 34 attempts. While Nix only accounts for 101 rushing yards this year, he previously eclipsed 500 yards with 14 rushing scores in 2022. While this upside requires Washington State to remain competitive, it makes him one of the top GPP targets on the slate.
Seth Henigan ($8,300): One of the premier shootouts on the board, Memphis is a touchdown favorite over UAB in a game with a total of 62. In general, the Blazers play horrific defense, allowing 7.4 yards per pass and 5.9 yards per carry. Both teams play fast, but Memphis ranks 48th in pace with a 55.6% pass rate. This contributes to Seth Henigan‘s 282.8 passing yards per game on 36.2 attempts. He also adds 129 cumulative yards with his legs on 22 designed attempts. Henigan offers one of the best floor/ceiling combinations in Week 8 behind this matchup. For those interested in the run game, Blake Watson grades out as one of the top running back plays, assuming he clears his questionable status. If not, Sutton Smith would immediately vault to the top of running back rankings.
Jacob Zeno ($7,100): On the other side of this Memphis game, UAB ranks 19th in pace and throws the ball 54.3% of the time. In this offense, Jacob Zeno averages 36.3 pass attempts per game for 272.6 yards. He also contributes 135 cumulative rushing yards on the ground. Coming in at a cheaper price tag than Henigan, this game offers full stacking potential.
Kurtis Rourke ($5,700): Ohio enters Week 8 as a 16.5-point favorite over Western Michigan in a game with a total of 52.5. While Ohio ranks 119th in pace and throws the ball 49% of the time, Western Michigan’s awful defense sets up Kurtis Rourke for success. An underpriced, mobile signal caller, Rourke already has 151 rushing yards in a season where he missed the better part of two games. For those playing cash, he makes for a solid second option opposite Gabriel.
Running Back
Jonathon Brooks ($7,400):Â Texas enters Week 8 as a 23.5-point favorite over Houston in a game with a total of 60.5. Feature back Jonathon Brooks now averages 20.2 touches per game for 120.3 rushing yards and 20.2 receiving yards. He hasn’t seen fewer than 19 touches in any of Texas’ last three games.
Jermaine Brown Jr. ($6,200): With Isaiah Jacobs out for the year, UAB’s Jermaine Brown Jr. grades out as one of the best running back plays on the slate. Brown now has touch counts of 20 and 19 without Jacobs in the picture. He also operates as the clear pass-catching back, seeing nine targets in that span. Memphis allows 4.6 yards per carry, making this a solid matchup for Brown to exploit.
Leshon Williams ($5,600): A horrifying game environment, Iowa sits as a 3.5-point favorite over Minnesota in a game with a total of just 30.5. With Cade McNamara out with an ACL, Iowa has further embraced the run under new signal caller Deacon Hill. Last week, Leshon Williams carried the ball 24 times under this attack. While the game environment remains brutal, Minnesota allows 4.5 yards per carry to opposing rushers. This actually isn’t a terrible matchup for the Iowa back at a middling price tag.
Bucky Irving ($7,500): With Noah Whittington going down for the year, Bucky Irving has taken on a larger role in the Oregon offense. Last game, he handled 21 touches and seven targets in the passing game. Oregon sometimes spells Irving with Jordan James, so a true touch ceiling also depends on a competitive Washington State. On top of Brooks, Irving, and Watson (if active), this slate also offers other elite expensive backs in Braelon Allen and Ollie Gordon II as pivot options.
Kaden Feagin ($4,900): Illinois enters Week 8 as a 2.5-point underdog to Wisconsin in a game with a total of 40.5. Despite the horrific game environment, Illinois may offer some salary savings in the form of Kaden Feagin. Last week, without Reggie Love III, Feagin carried the ball 18 times and received two targets in the passing game. Love remains questionable here, so this situation needs to be monitored running up to lock.
Rashod Dubinion ($4,500): Arkansas currently holds a 6.5-point advantage over Mississippi State in a game with a total of 47.5. Raheim Sanders will not play in this game, making Rashod Dubinion the projected lead back. Last week, he handled 14 carries and one target in the passing game. However, he also notched a 68% route share, which should keep him involved in all game scripts. A far better matchup here, he makes sense as a salary saver.
Wide Receiver
Troy Franklin ($8,200): With so many elite quarterbacks and running backs, paying up at wide receiver proves tricky. Especially with elite players like Marvin Harrison Jr. in touch matchups. With that said, Oregon wideout Troy Franklin tops the list behind his 115.7 receiving yards per game on 8.8 targets. Washington State offers little in terms of resistance for those willing to spend up. For those looking at cheaper options, Traeshon Holden, Tez Johnson, and Gary Bryant Jr. remain interesting pivots in that order.
Xavier Worthy ($6,500): The top receiver on Texas, Xavier Worthy averages 75.5 receiving yards per game on 7.3 targets and a 23.7% target share. Texas runs a narrow receiver rotation, also consisting of AD Mitchell and Ja’Tavion Sanders. All three should be considered, but Worthy offers the top price-adjusted projection in this matchup.
Drake Stoops ($6,000): With Andrel Anthony out for the year, Oklahoma projects to use Drake Stoops and Jalil Farooq as their top two pass catchers. Farooq edges Stoops in receiving yards, 415 to 268, but Stoops has superior target numbers. On the year, Stoops has a team-leading 17.9% target share and hasn’t fallen below six in any of his last four games. Stoops looks like the safer option with a $300 discount. The projected WR3 should be Nic Anderson, with Austin Stogner operating as the main tight end for those playing tournaments.
Miles Cross ($5,000): Like many teams on this slate, Ohio funnels most of their targets through their top two receivers, Sam Wiglusz and Miles Cross. While Wiglusz holds a 48-38 target advantage, he actually only has ten more receiving yards than Cross this year. Saving $1.400 in salary by going down to Cross makes sense in many constructions. For those interested, Tyler Foster looks like the WR3 for this offense.
Rashod Owens ($4,800): Oklahoma State is a three-point underdog to West Virginia in a game with a total of 48. The Cowboys continue to run their air raid with a 55.4% pass rate and the 35th-ranked pace. West Virginia also has a weakness on defense in the secondary. From there, De’Zhaun Stribling‘s season-ending injury has paved the way for Rashod Owens to participate in a full allotment of routes. In this new role, he has 19 targets over the last two games.
Demeer Blankumsee ($4,700): Memphis funnels most of their targets and routes to Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee in the pass game. While Taylor leads the team with 507 receiving yards, Blankumsee hasn’t seen fewer than nine targets in any of Memphis’ last three games.
Chas Nimrod ($3,400): While Tennessee enters Week 8 as a nine-point underdog to Alabama in a game with a total of 47.5, the Volunteers still rank eighth in pace with a 44.3% pass rate. The team also lost Bru McCoy for the season, opening cheap targets for Chas Nimrod. In his new role, Nimrod saw six targets on an 81% route share last week.
