College Football DFS Week 9: DraftKings Picks, Value Plays and Stacks for October 31, 2026

Saturday’s 12-game main slate starts at noon ET. My preferred approach is to pay for two quarterbacks with useful paths to a ceiling, then use established receiving roles to keep the rest of the roster functional. The cheapest replacement running back is not automatically the best value.

The first names on my board are Kevin Jennings, Bear Bachmeier, Kendrick Raphael, Legend Glasker and Yamir Knight. Devon Dampier is the expensive alternative I want to keep in tournament builds. Makhi Frazier offers salary relief, but his role needs more caution than a simple “starter out, backup in” explanation.

More Saturday coverage: Best Bets · Anytime Touchdowns · Night Bets · Player Props

The short list

• Quarterbacks: Kevin Jennings $8,500; Bear Bachmeier $8,700; Devon Dampier $8,800.
• Running backs: Kendrick Raphael $7,600; Jordon Davison $5,900; Makhi Frazier $4,900 as a higher-risk value.
• Receivers: Legend Glasker $5,400; Yamir Knight $4,600; Charlie Becker $8,100; Nick Marsh $6,700.
• Value receivers: Kyler Kasper $4,800; Jamari Johnson $4,700; Caleb Odom $4,300.
• Tournament alternatives: Byrum Brown $7,500; Cole Tabb $7,900; Dylan Raiola $6,800, subject to Oregon’s quarterback and receiver availability.

Overall slate thoughts

The SMU passing attack gives us a useful starting point, but last week’s 59 points should not become a projection for this week. Jennings threw for 223 yards in that win while the backfield finished several scoring drives. Pairing him with a reasonably priced receiver makes more sense to me than assuming multiple expensive Mustangs all need to get there through the air.

BYU is appealing for a different reason. Bachmeier can score as a runner, and Glasker has designed rushing involvement as well as a meaningful receiving role. That gives the pairing more ways to work than a pure pocket-passer/deep-receiver combination. Their rushing touchdowns can still compete with each other, so this is not a promise of perfectly aligned outcomes.

Oregon is the difficult decision. There are affordable pieces, but a quarterback change and a newly changed offensive coordinator make the offensive distribution less settled. I want selective exposure rather than a blanket assumption that home-field advantage fixes the offense.

Core quarterbacks

Kevin Jennings, SMU: $8,500

Jennings gets the first look in my balanced builds. SMU is averaging 313.1 passing yards per game, and his three passing touchdowns against Cal show that a useful fantasy result does not require 350 yards. Knight is a relatively inexpensive way to connect the lineup to that passing production.

Syracuse is not a free passing matchup: opponents have averaged 202.3 passing yards, completed 55.4% of their throws and produced nine passing touchdowns through seven games. Those are unadjusted season results, not a Jennings forecast, but they argue against treating SMU’s offensive average as an automatic outcome. There is also a real failure case: Raphael and the other backs can do much of the finishing, or a comfortable lead can reduce late passing volume. Jennings plus Knight is my preferred starting pair. Adding a second SMU receiver needs a specific high-volume passing script, not just a desire to stack more players.

Bear Bachmeier, BYU: $8,700

Bachmeier has 321 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns through seven games. That is the distinction that keeps him in the top group even without an enormous passing-yardage average. Glasker is my favorite partner; Kasper makes the combination easier to fit when another position needs the money.

Devon Dampier, Utah: $8,800

Dampier is the premium alternative when I want to emphasize quarterback rushing. Cincinnati’s own preparation identifies Utah’s ability to stretch the defense horizontally and keep manageable down-and-distance situations as a problem. Dampier’s rushing creates a path to a ceiling even when Utah does not need a huge passing total.

Wayshawn Parker costs another $8,800. Both can succeed, but buying them together uses $17,600 and leaves the lineup exposed to how Utah divides its touchdowns. I would generally choose one as the center of a build rather than make the expensive pairing my default.

Running backs

Kendrick Raphael, SMU: $7,600

Raphael’s appeal starts with workload. He carried 22 times for 104 yards against Cal and scored twice on the ground plus once as a receiver. The receiving touchdown is useful evidence that he can contribute beyond handoffs, not a reason to project another three-score game. Christian Rhodes also scored twice, so even a strong SMU offensive result does not give Raphael exclusive access to every touchdown.

Jordon Davison, Oregon: $5,900

Davison is the midrange option I prefer to paying $6,800 for Dierre Hill Jr. Last week the carries were nearly even, 14 for Davison and 13 for Hill. Davison produced 92 yards and the Ducks’ only touchdown, while Hill ran for 83. The $900 difference matters more to this decision than treating Davison as a newly established workhorse. Hill has a legitimate counterargument: Oregon lists him with 209 receiving yards this season, and his passing-game involvement matters in DraftKings’ full-PPR scoring. Davison is my salary-saving preference, not a claim that Hill has the weaker all-around role. A different touchdown distribution or more targets for Hill can reverse their finishes.

Makhi Frazier, Ole Miss: $4,900

Frazier is a tournament value, not a free square. Kewan Lacy is unavailable, but the coaching staff has specifically identified Frazier, Shakai Mills-Knight and JT Lindsey as backs who will be needed. Frazier caught five passes against Texas, which makes him interesting even if the rushing work is shared. Those catches came in a game Ole Miss spent chasing, so they should not be treated as a weekly minimum.

Cole Tabb, Cincinnati: $7,900

Tabb is a change-of-script play for lineups that expect Cincinnati to keep Utah under pressure. His coach identifies him as the offense’s biggest big-play threat. That does not turn the Utah matchup into an easy one. At this salary, he needs meaningful production of his own, not merely a competitive game. I prefer him in a small part of a tournament portfolio rather than beside every expensive Utah selection.

Receivers and value

Legend Glasker, BYU: $5,400

Glasker is my favorite midrange receiver. His 28 catches, 498 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns already provide a reason to look at him. The additional 15 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns make the role more interesting. The rushing involvement is a bonus opportunity source, not enough volume to rescue every quiet receiving game.

Yamir Knight, SMU: $4,600

Knight leads SMU with 443 receiving yards, yet his salary leaves room for the quarterbacks. He caught only three passes for 25 yards in the Cal blowout, a useful reminder that a good offense can spread its production widely. I like the role-to-salary relationship more than chasing last week’s touchdown scorers.

Charlie Becker, Indiana: $8,100; Nick Marsh: $6,700

Becker is the premium one-off: 42 catches, 726 yards and eight touchdowns through eight games. Marsh has 34 catches, 610 yards and seven scores at a $1,400 discount. Becker gets the first look when the budget works; Marsh is a credible alternative, not merely a cheap substitute. Neither needs an automatic double-stack with Josh Hoover, and Hoover’s availability still matters to both.

Kyler Kasper, BYU: $4,800

Kasper has 26 catches and four receiving touchdowns. He costs $600 less than Glasker. That makes him a clean way to preserve a Bachmeier pairing while improving another position, although I prefer Glasker’s extra rushing involvement when the rest of the lineup is unchanged.

Jamari Johnson, Oregon: $4,700

Friday’s official Big Ten report lists Oregon receiver Messiah Hampton out and Jamari Hooks questionable. That changes the available receiving group but does not guarantee Johnson a larger target share. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover remains probable on that report, with no game-day clearance established in this review. Big Ten availability reports

Johnson caught seven passes for 69 yards at Illinois and is receiver-eligible on DraftKings. That is useful recent involvement at this price. Oregon’s receiver availability and play-calling changes could alter the distribution, so I would not simply copy seven catches into this week’s expectations. He is a value option with offensive uncertainty attached.

Caleb Odom, Ole Miss: $4,300

Odom caught five passes for 59 yards against Texas. He provides affordable access to an offense led by the slate’s most expensive quarterback without requiring the full Chambliss salary commitment. The risk is that Deuce Alexander and the other receivers take the higher-value work, leaving Odom with catches that do not produce a tournament ceiling.

High-risk alternatives

Byrum Brown at $7,500 offers a cheaper rushing-quarterback route than the top three. Ole Miss is explicitly preparing to contain his mobility. That is the risk as well as the attraction: pressure and limited scoring opportunities can undermine the rushing floor.

Raiola at $6,800 is a tournament option only if his starting role holds. His 41 attempts at Illinois are encouraging for opportunity, but zero touchdown passes in that game show why volume alone is not enough. A small Raiola–Johnson build is reasonable for someone expecting Oregon’s passing execution to improve. It is not the foundation of my card.

Injury and role decisions

Do not use Dante Moore or Kewan Lacy in these builds. Oregon’s current reporting describes Moore’s absence as season-ending; Ole Miss has said Lacy is unavailable.

Frazier’s opportunity should be evaluated as part of a committee. BYU’s backfield also needs care: The Big 12 Friday availability report lists LJ Martin out and Preston Rex probable, while Sione Moa has returned to the mix. That is a reason to like Bachmeier’s role, not permission to invent a guaranteed replacement running-back workload.

Confirm Josh Hoover’s availability before locking Indiana receivers. The Big 12 Friday report keeps Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall and Arizona State quarterback Mikey Keene questionable. Arizona cornerbacks Jay’Vion Cole and Swayde Griffin and tight end Cole Rusk are out; running back Ismail Mahdi remains questionable. Texas Tech receiver Malcolm Simmons is out. Terrance Carter Jr. and Cameron Dickey are no longer listed on Friday’s report, which is not a separate confirmation of their workloads. Those offensive absences can change route and carry distribution, and Cole’s absence matters when assessing Texas Tech’s passing matchup. Florida and Syracuse also need a final quarterback check before discounted alternatives belong in a core. A blank injury tag by itself does not prove a player will start.

Lineup construction

I prefer two quarterbacks in this slate’s QB and Superflex spots. The opportunity cost of giving up that second quarterback is substantial unless an unusually strong non-QB role opens up.

Build around one or two clear passing connections. Do not force an opposing receiver into every stack when the player’s own role and salary do not support it. Raphael can share a Jennings lineup because he has receiving involvement and a different route to SMU scoring, but recognize the competition when touchdowns come on the ground.

Illustrative balanced lineup: $49,700

Slot	Player	Salary
QB	Kevin Jennings	$8,500
RB	Kendrick Raphael	$7,600
RB	Jordon Davison	$5,900
WR	Yamir Knight	$4,600
WR	Legend Glasker	$5,400
WR	Caleb Odom	$4,300
FLEX	Jamari Johnson	$4,700
S-FLEX	Bear Bachmeier	$8,700

Salary remaining: $300.

This pairs Jennings with Knight and Bachmeier with Glasker, while keeping the risk of Ole Miss’ replacement backfield out of the first example. It still takes a calculated chance on Oregon producing enough offense for Davison and Johnson. It is an example of construction, not a guaranteed optimal lineup.

Higher-risk value branch: $49,800

Replace Raphael with Makhi Frazier, Glasker with Kasper, and Johnson with Charlie Becker. The other five players stay the same. This purchases Becker’s role by accepting more uncertainty at running back. Use the branch only if Frazier’s expected involvement remains intact.

Final approach

Start with the quarterbacks and affordable receiving connections. Keep Glasker’s dual-use role in the conversation. Take the Frazier discount only with an honest view of the committee. Avoid turning every injury into a 20-touch projection, and keep the early and late-game decisions separate rather than locking uncertain afternoon players without alternatives.

Sources and slate notes

DraftKings salaries and eligibility are for the October 31 main slate. Recent production describes past games, not numerical forecasts. Role and availability context comes from SMU preview, SMU game center, SMU game recap, Arizona State preview, BYU game-week notes, and the Big 12 availability report.