The theme of this weekend is quarterbacks nobody planned on. Ohio State is on its freshman backup for a second straight week, Philadelphia is on its third starter of the season, and Cleveland is likely turning to Shedeur Sanders. Add a crowded Jets backfield and a 49ers receiver room down its top two names, and there is a lot to sort out before Saturday kicks off. Here is the slate, game by game, with the fantasy angle on each.
Saturday: College Football
Oregon at Ohio State (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Luke Fahey’s debut at USC was a box score that looked fine and a result that was not. The true freshman went 21-of-38 for 260 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in a 30-18 loss, and the number that tells the story is this one: he completed just 7 of 20 passes inside the USC 40. Ohio State moved the ball all night and kept settling for field goals. Fahey became the first quarterback to lose his first start in the Ryan Day era.
He gets a second shot at home, and he will have it to himself for a while. Day said Thursday that Julian Sayin (throwing arm) will not be back next week or next month, and running back Ja’Kobi Jackson is also out. That puts even more of the offense through the passing game.
For fantasy, that is good news for Jeremiah Smith, who still leads the Big Ten in receiving yards. A young quarterback under pressure looks for his best receiver, and Fahey’s 38 attempts at USC show Ohio State won’t shorten the game to protect him. Fahey himself is a low-ceiling DFS play until he proves he can finish drives. On the other side, Oregon (5-3) is on Dylan Raiola with Dante Moore out for the season. Raiola has been up and down, including a benching earlier this year, but he is coming off his best game in a comeback win over Northwestern. Treat him as a matchup-dependent option, not a set-and-forget starter.
Georgia at Ole Miss (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
The headline is who is missing. Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy (shoulder) is ruled out with no timetable, which leaves the backfield to Makhi Frazier and Joshua Dye. Neither has shown he can handle a lead-back workload against an SEC front, so expect more of the offense to run through quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, and give his rushing upside a bump.
Georgia gets help back. Wide receiver Isiah Canion is off the availability report after missing five games with a leg injury, which gives Gunner Stockton another target in a game that could turn into a shootout. Canion is a reasonable flier in deeper CFB DFS lineups, but his first game back after a month off is not a spot to count on a full snap share.
Texas at Missouri
No. 7 Texas comes in banged up. Running back Hollywood Smothers is out, and wide receivers Ryan Wingo (quad) and Cam Coleman (shoulder) are both questionable. Those two are Arch Manning’s top scoring targets, so the noon status checks matter. If either sits, the targets have to go somewhere, and the tight ends and slot options become the cheap Longhorns to look at. If both play at less than full speed, Manning’s ceiling drops.
Quick hits
- BYU at Utah: BYU running back LJ Martin is trending toward returning from his injury, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, even though the Big 12 report lists him as doubtful. If he plays, expect a shared workload rather than a full return.
- Boise State at Colorado State: Maddux Madsen (knee) is questionable. If he sits, backup Max Cutforth, who closed last week’s game strong, is the Broncos quarterback to know.
Sunday: NFL Week 9
Early note: Bengals-Falcons kicks off from Madrid at 9:30 a.m. ET, so get your lineups set before you sleep in. Steelers and Titans are on bye.
Giants at Eagles (1 p.m. ET)
Philadelphia is 2-6, has lost six straight and is starting Joe Milton, its third quarterback of the season. Jalen Hurts is on injured reserve after doctors found blood clots in both lungs, and he is expected to miss the rest of the season, per ESPN. Tanner McKee lost all three of his starts before Nick Sirianni went back on Monday’s vote of confidence. Milton, signed off Dallas’ practice squad on Oct. 16, is making his first NFL start.
The supporting cast is thin. DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) missed Wednesday and Thursday, and Saquon Barkley (hamstring/back) was only limited Thursday. That makes Dallas Goedert, who practiced fully all week, the safest Eagles pass catcher by default. The best play in this game may be the Giants D/ST. The 4-2-1 Giants lead the NFC East and get a first-time starter behind a banged-up offense. New York has its own backfield issue: Cam Skattebo (hamstring) missed both days and is tracking to sit, and Malik Nabers (knee) was a new DNP Thursday. Check Friday’s report on both.
Jets at Chiefs (1 p.m. ET)
Breece Hall (quad) was a full participant Thursday and says he is ready to play for the first time since Week 3. The problem is that Braelon Allen has been excellent in his absence: a career-high 147 rushing yards last week and four straight games over 100 scrimmage yards. Expect a split, with Hall’s snaps managed in his first game back. Allen is still the back to start this week, and Hall is a flex at best until we see his workload.
Raiders at 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET)
GM John Lynch said it’s likely that both Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) miss this game. That leaves Demarcus Robinson, Christian Kirk and Brandin Cooks as the receivers, and none of them is a confident start. The volume should go to George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, who become even more of the offense than usual. Bump both up.
Browns at Saints (1 p.m. ET)
Deshaun Watson (concussion) missed practice Wednesday and Thursday and still has to clear the league’s protocol. Shedeur Sanders has been taking the first-team reps and is the likely starter. Against a Saints defense, he is a reasonable superflex and two-QB streamer. Just wait for Cleveland to make it official.
Cowboys at Colts (1 p.m. ET)
The trade deadline is Nov. 10, and the Colts plan to wait until after Sunday to revisit offers for Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs. That means Taylor plays this week as Indy’s workhorse, so start him with confidence. In Dallas, George Pickens (hamstring) was limited Friday, but Brian Schottenheimer is hopeful he plays.
Buccaneers at Bears (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
Emeka Egbuka (foot) went from a DNP Wednesday to a full practice Thursday after missing Tampa Bay’s last two games. That is the clearest sign yet he is back, and he slots back in as a WR2. Watch left tackle Tristan Wirfs (toe), who did not practice Thursday. His absence would put more pressure on Baker Mayfield. In Chicago, Kyle Monangai (thumb/toe) missed both Wednesday and Thursday, so have a plan for a primetime backfield you may not get a clear answer on until Sunday evening.
The Bottom Line
The backup quarterbacks drive this weekend. Trust the volume around them, like Jeremiah Smith, Goedert, Kittle and McCaffrey. Get careful with the quarterbacks themselves, and lean on defenses facing them, starting with the Giants. Monday’s waiver wire will be shaped by whether Milton, Fahey and Sanders look playable. Set your early lineups before Madrid kicks off.
See today's NCAA FB lines on DFS Lines, each one set against the player's last ten games.